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Die Hard
From: Pack In Video/Activision
Year: 1990
Format: PC-Engine
(From left) The opening credits, the
first three levels and the in-between screen.
Comments:
Of all the games based on Die Hard this one has the least to do with it. You start on some waste land on the outskirts of the grounds of the Nakatomi building followed by a short walk through swamp lands and finally, in level three, into the ground floor of the terrorist controlled building. Here it becomes nigh on impossible to progress if you can't read Japanese. When you walk through a door John tells you something in Jap (possibly the next door to take) but if you can't read it you end up going round in circles. You shoot security guards and the like in a Mercs style way and the more hits you take the darker your vest gets until it disappears. Good fun while it lasts.
Other versions of Die Hard:
Format: Nintendo GameCube
Title: Die Hard: Vendetta
From: Fox Interactive
Year: 2002
Comments: This game follows a new storyline not that of any of the actual films. John Mclane's daughter Lucy has uncovered a plot by Peir Gruber (son of Hans) to smuggle stolen paintings. It's up to you, in the role of John. To track him down and stop him, in a first person shooter sort of a way. Not surprisingly Bruce Willis doesn't do Mclane's voice but at least the programmers didn't opt for the crappy 'use sound clips from the films' idea either. The guy doing his voice sounds nothing like him and his wise cracks soon start to grate as you are forced to restart the level everytime you die. The game itself isn't bad. It throws in some new gameplay into the old, tired, FPS genre, namely the bullet cam and bullet time from 'Max Payne', the taking hostages idea from 'Dead to Rights' and the ability to walk around quietly in stealth mode taken from 'Metal Gear Solid'. These new points do add a bit of variation to the gameplay but going back to the start everytime you die will soon get annoying and the rubbish C stick on the GC controller doesn't make moving around too smooth either. All in all not a bad game, but not that good either. And who thought the first console game to contain the F word would be on a nintendo console?
Format: Playstation 2
Title: Die Hard: Vendetta
From: Fox Interactive
Year: 2003
Comments: Originally this was exclusive to the GameCube but why have it go unsold on one console when you can have it not sell on all formats? The graphics etc are unchanged (ie just as poor) the only difference between this and the GC one is a four player split screen deathmatch mode which, reportedly, was planned for the GC but wasn't included because there wasn't enough time before the deadline. Not worth your time.
Format: Xbox
Title: Die Hard: Vendetta
From: Fox Interactive
Year: 2003
Comments: Same as the Playstation 2 version (also includes the deathmatch mode).
Format: PC-CD
Title: Die Hard: The Nakatomi Tower
From: Sierra
Year: 2002
Comments: A reasonable first-person shooter from the makers of 'Half Life'. The action follows the plot of the movie extremely closely and even allows you to see what John was up to when the camera wasn't on him. The game uses a lot of speech taken from the film which adds to it's authenticity but the action isn't particularly new or different. Worth a try.
Format: NES
From: Pack In Video/Activision
Year: 1990
Comments: You are John McClane running around the Nakatomi tower with no shoes on. A fun game mainly due to the amount of improvisation you are allowed to do. For instance if a door is locked you can go and find a fire axe and hack it down rather than use keys. Nice lighting effects too. Much closer to the film's plot than the others.
Format: Commodore 64
From: Activision
Year: 1989
Comments: A decent action adventure based on the plot of the film. Possibly the closest game to the film's plot. You shoot terrorists and find passwords to open door locks. You even get a read-out, upon your death, of how many baddies you killed and how many doors you unlocked. The graphics are quite good.
Format: IBM PC
From: Activision
Year: 1989
Comments: Similar to the Commodore 64 version but rather than being flat you can rotate the rooms around you so you can move in all directions. The game is also in real time which means certain events will take place at a certain time. So if you take too long Hans will start preparations to blow the roof. Better hurry before he does! A great game but it's very very hard!
Others:
Die Hard Trilogy
From: Fox Interactive
Year: 1996?
Format: Sega Saturn
Comments:
Three games on one CD but not one of a quality of a standard game. Levels are used twice or more to add depth to the game and there is a general feeling of incompleteness about it all. But this doesn't mean it's no good. No it's quite good fun for a while.
Die Hard: Takes the form of a third person perspective action game. You start in the basement car park and work your way up the building taking out the terrorists and trying to save as many hostages as possible in the time limit. The main problem I had with this is the control method. Rather than directly controlling John you actually control the camera so this makes precise movement extremely difficult. Not that close to the film's plot what with John working his way up the building rather than down like in the film. Although the scenery is very close to the actual locations in the film.
Die Hard II: Die Harder: This one has a far less close to the film. It takes place in first person Virtua Cop style around the film's locations. Quite good but takes liberties with the movie's story.
Die Hard With A Vengeance: This is regarded as the best game on the disc. You shoot around New York, China Town and various other places in a taxi attempting to get to the check points within the time limit. Not that close to the film either (everything takes place from inside a taxi) but good fun.
Other versions of Die Hard Trilogy:
Format: Sony Playstation
From: Fox Interactive
Year: 1996?
Comments: Same as the Sega Saturn version. Probably better graphics.
Format: PC-CD
From: Fox Interactive
Year: 1996?
Comments: Same as the other versions.
Also:
Die Hard Trilogy II: Viva Las Vegas
From: Fox Interactive?
Year: 2000
Format: Sony Playstation
Comments:
Not directly based on the films but more the spirit of them. Once again one part is third-person action, one part is light-gun shooting and the third is driving but this time it is in a new story. John Mclane is enjoying a holiday in Las Vegas when a bunch of terrorists take over.
and...
Die Hard: Arcade
From: Fox Interactive/Sega
Year: 1996?
Format: Arcade
Comments:
A 3D beat-em-up based around the terrorists-hijack-building story line. In it you play a guy who looks a little like John Mclane (the more hits you take the more clothes you loose until your in a vest) and a second player can join in as his female partner. There are press the right button at the right time sections and a large amount of the scenery is usable making for enjoyable playing. The only complaints with it are it's short length and the incredible ease in which you can complete it. Known as Dynamite Cop in Japan which has also spawned a sequel (without the Fox Interactive license) known in Japan as Dynamite Cop 2 but in the west as Dynamite Cop and available for the Sega Dreamcast.
Other versions of Die Hard Arcade:
Format: Sega Saturn
From: Sega
Year: 1996?
Comments: Identical to the arcade version. Just as easy.
