Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters (1994 Video Game) User Reviews

Rootin', Tootin' Wild West Shootin'

[ninjaalexs · 7/10 · 14 August 2020]

Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters is a cash-in on the early 90s trend for Neo-Western films like: Young Guns II (1990), Unforgiven (1992) and City Slickers (1991) to name a few.

The game runs on Konami's GX hardware, a step-up from the first game's Xexex hardware. The benefits are mainly in the sound. The music is much improved with a soundtrack that could be taken straight from the Bonanza TV series. Pretty much exactly how you expect Western music to sound and very clear. The digitized speech sounds a bit crisper as well. The game has digitized sprite graphics like the earlier Lethal Enforcer game from 1992. The improved hardware allows for smoother scrolling and bigger sprites, as well as more detailed backgrounds. Unfortunately by the time this came out it was looking dated, given Ridge Racer (1993) and Virtua Cop (1994) would have been in the arcades at the same time.

This is a fun game much like its predecessor. It's clear a lot of work has gone into making this game as varied as possible including quick draw rounds against three bad guys and scrolling shootouts on horseback and a train. It's not an essential play, but lightgun game fans will have a blast.

Wild Gunslinger

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 30 October 2020]

This is another one of my favorite games of all time, it's the sequel to "Lethal Enforcers". It's not too different except for the fact, this time the game takes place in the Wild West. It makes sense because they didn't want to do the same thing all over again, and the Western genre was the perfect fit as it's heavy on gunplay. Also there really aren't all that many Light Gun shooters or video game based on the Wild West. Also, in a way this game was the last hurrah in light guns shooters of the photo realistic style.

You're a lawman that has to save the west from the criminal element, yeah that's it in a nutshell, when it come to the light gun shooters there really isn't much in plot nor story, we're all in it for the action. You just simply press start, draw out your light gun, nail the shooters before they nail you and don't die.

Not really a lot I can say about the game, the graphical presentation is good as usual as it's the same kind as the first game, which I'm fine with if it's not broke don't fix it. I really like the photorealistic look of the wild west setting as it really looks like the 1800 a time long gone. Character animation is solid also as we see the bad guys look like the typical ones you would see in the western shows and movies, mainly masked or hooded bandits and even an evil cowgirl in the mix. And like with those games really like the cliché lines from the western programs and movies they spout out which I can't help but at times snicker, these lines show this game doesn't take itself too seriously and also reminds us this is still a game. Though I don't know why the evil cowgirl sounds like an old lady.

Anyway, the gameplay is still intact, like the level layout as each of them are as usual varied and offer a different kind of challenge. My favorite are the moving stages like the Stage Coach robbery which is cool as it really gives you of being an escort for the coach and just constantly gunning down any hostiles, before they damage the coach or succeed in the robbery. Another is the train robbery which is a lot of fun as each car you ride has different surprises with the bad guys stationed in all different places and a few traps in place. Even like the boss battle which are always something different and not the same thing, from the stagecoach robbery stage there is a guy that rolls down gun powder barrels at you.

And one that is the most memorable and actually the most tricky and slightly difficult if you can believe it, are a posse of baddies in which you have to nail all of them quickly on the draw, this is tricky because they all draw their guns out in a certain order and that order changes if you mess up the first time around. Though this battle can be won, like in any duel the keys is in timing, watching you opponent real close, and keeping a cool and clear mind.

The sound is great the guns sound like the old western models. Music is also the best thing about the game as it has some really memorable western tracks that are favorites of mine, they the kind of track you may have heard from any western TV show and movie. Those tracks are just exciting and really get you pumped; make you feel like a bad ass gunslinging cowboy ready to blow away anyone that dares to take a shot at you.

Most importantly I enjoy this game because I love the feel of it, playing this game also just gave me the feel of some of those western shows I watched like, "The Young Riders" and "Guns of Paradise"; as well as the movie "Young Guns". When I played the game just makes me feel like I'm one of the cowboys, that I'm one of the "The Young Riders" characters mainly my favorite Jimmy Hickock whom is a bad ass in the show, just a just highly engaged in the firefight to keep the west safe from evil but most of all to survive.

Overall, I feel about the same as I do the first game, this sequel hits the target and rides into the sunset.

Rating: 4 stars