NES – Freedom Force
November 22, 2008 - 9:37 am - Posted by Sean
Freedom Force is a light gun game that’s a cut above the rest. The gameplay is pretty simple and like something you’d see in an Arcade shooter like Area 51.
Your mission is to shoot terrorists that have taken over an airport. Fortunately, the terrorists all wear the same colored outfits, making them pretty easy to distinguish from the civilians.
Freedom Force features some nifty graphics. I love how the bad guys fall out of doors and windows when shot, and the tied-up hostages also look exceptional. Grenades and missiles can be fired at and shot down before touching you too.
The gun control is dead-on, and the difficulty ramps in a gradual manner. The stages are linear, but enemies tend to pop-up at random, so you can’t just memorize the game. A two-player mode is included, but you’ll need to take turns.
If you liked Duck Hunt, this is a “must have” game for you. If you hated Duck Hunt for any reason other than using the Zapper to play, give this a try.
Freedom Force for the NES is a close tie with Hogan’s Alley in my book and a lot more fun than Duck Hunt.
Unless you absolutely hate trying to use a NES Zapper, Freedom Force is ideal for any retro Nintendo game collection.
The only problem with light gun games is that they aren’t in the arcade. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against unlimited free replays, but light guns at home just don’t have the same feeling at all. I like the Zapper, but it doesn’t have the same feel as, say, the uzi from the Operation Wolf and Mechanized Attack machines. It’s not the Zapper’s fault, it’s just generic.
All that said, the SNES had probably the most awesome light gun ever, home console or arcade.
(Also, have you seen some of the junk guns in arcades these days? The one on the latest House of the Dead is the most uncomfortable gun I’ve ever held.)
@Luke: I remember playing Mad Dog McCree in the arcades. It was a pretty cool light gun game. Trying to save the mayor’s daughter or listening to the old prospector giving you clues was a lot of fun. I always liked when you got shot and the undertaker would show up and say something witty.
As for the light gun accessory on the SNES (the Super Scope), it did look pretty awesome but there was hardly any games for it. It did come with a cartridge with six games on it but they were very generic and boring. There were only two games I found worthy for the Super Scope: Bazooka Blitzkrieg and Battle Clash.
Hey, I didn’t say it was the best-utilized light gun ever, just the coolest. I’d love to see a Battle Clash sequel one of these days.
I have not played Freedom Force myself. It looks intriguing enough to pick up if I found it though. I myself am a big fan of the Zapper, so I would probably like it. Does anybody have the quick shot scope that snaps onto the Zapper? I wish that I could get my hand on one of those.
@Brandon: I have an extra copy of Freedom Force if you really want the game.
Also, the quickshot sighting scope for the NES is super rare. I use to have one as a kid but it’s long gone now, but I do still have my original grey Zapper.
I’ve seen the Quickshot sighting scopes going for over $100.00 USD on eBay. Crazy. I don’t think you really need one for the games since you are only 6-8 feet away from the screen while playing any light gun game.
I have this game in my Nintendo collection. It’s a lot of fun for sure, however after 9/11, a game like this would never fly in today’s gaming market.