Predator 2 Longplay (Sega Genesis) [QHD]

Game Info
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Developer: Perfect 10 Productions
Publisher: Arena Entertainment
Year of Release: 1992

Game Review & Impressions
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The original Predator is my favourite action movie of the 1980s, and while Predator 2 might not have reached the bar set by John McTiernan's testosterone-riddled sci-fi macho-fest, it's a serviceable action film in its own right. Transitioning from literal jungle to concrete jungle, the sequel sees hard-boiled LAPD cop Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) take on the might of various South American drug cartels, ignorant of the fact he'll soon be going toe-to-toe with an adversary more deadly than he could ever imagine.

The version of Predator 2 for Sega Genesis hinges on Harrigan's conflict with the drug cartels. Each of the game's 7 stages involves rescuing a set number of hostages who've been hidden in various locations. Harrigan must rescue these innocent bystanders before the Predator can take them out with its plasma caster, something which decorates the screen in an explosion of pixelated giblets. Losing too many hostages results in a game over, so the priority should be grabbing civvies as soon as possible.

To make matters more difficult, Harrigan must deal with the legion of gangsters and thugs on the cartel's payroll. These thugs pop out of doorways, manholes, or try to riddle Harrigan with bullets as they blast past in an assortment of vehicles. Killing a bad guy results in them dropping their drug stash, which can be collected for extra points. It's a mechanic which feels oddly reminiscent of NARC and Smash T.V., albeit transposed into something with a sort-of isometric viewpoint and Predator 2 license.

I wasn't expecting much walking into Predator 2, but it turns out it's not actually too bad of a bad game. Functional, if nothing else, Predator 2 does at least feature controls and mechanics which work, and the combat is reasonably satisfying, if not remarkable. Perhaps the only gripe I have is the fact that Predator hunts for sport, and for the kills to be of merit, the target has to present some level of threat; it wouldn't be targeting incapacitated civilians without weapons, as depicted in the game. I get this is a mechanic to add an additional degree of challenge, but anyone familiar with the film would likely pick up on this detail. That said, I suspect the age of the average Sega Genesis owner would have been lower than the film's 18-rating, so perhaps the developers weren't so concerned with taking this particular liberty with the source material.

Predator 2 on Sega Genesis is neither a classic, nor travesty. Ultimately forgettable, fans of arcade-style shooters may find some entertainment value here.

Information & Trivia
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Video Notes
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Related Longplays & Videos
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Chapters
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00:00 Attract mode
00:58 Stage 1: The Streets
02:59 Stage 2: The Rooftops
05:26 Stage 3: The Streets
09:16 Stage 4: The Subway
11:01 Stage 5: The Slaughterhouse
15:14 Stage 6: The Street
18:54 Stage 7: The Alien Ship
25:18 Final Boss
26:01 Ending
27:36 Bonus Footage: Exploding Hostage
27:45 Bonus Footage: Game Over Screen

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