Taito has made a name for themselves with famous arcade titles with worldwide popularity.  Notable ones include Space Invaders, Bubble Bubble, and Bust-A-Move.  Another super popular arcade game they made was Operation Wolf.  It was a light gun game with military themes, and while it certainly wasn’t the first light gun game, it really helped boost that genre’s popularity.  It spawned many ports and sequels, like Operation Thunderbolt.  Fun fact: In the movie Wonder Woman 84, when she is beating up the bad guys in the mall, you can see an arcade in the background and an Operation Wolf machine!  Of course, the movie was supposed to be set in 1984 and Operation Wolf didn’t come out until 1987, but I guess I’m the only one who would notice that.  Anyway, now there is a new game in the series with Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission.  It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

You’ll play a campaign with stages broken up into acts and then a boss.  You’ll shoot down all manner of terrorists as well as their vehicles like Jeeps and helicopters.  Just make sure to shoot them before they shoot you.  If you lose all your energy, it’s Game Over, but you get unlimited continues and start back right where you left off.  On the PS4, you’ll move your aiming reticule with the control stick and fire with the R trigger button.  Just be careful because when you run out of bullets, it’ll take a second to reload.  You can also throw a limited amount of grenades with the R shoulder button.  The face buttons let you use items like health kits to refill your energy.  You’ll find those and ammunition by shooting certain targets.  The control pad lets you switch between four kinds of guns, so long as you have enough ammo for them.  Sometimes you can duck and cover with the L trigger button, too, although that makes this one feel more like Time Crisis.  But just like the original arcade game, if you shoot chickens or pigs, you might get health packs.  Just don’t shoot the innocent civilians or you’ll lose lots of points!

I think the main problem I have with this game is the version I got to review.  I wanted to review the Switch version, because I figured it would have aiming controls with the JoyCon, but they didn’t have enough review codes for that one.  It’s just not the same when you have to move the cursor around with the control stick to aim, and probably makes the game a lot harder, too.  At least you get unlimited continues.  The cover mechanic makes the game feel more like Time Crisis, and because enemies and vehicles take so many hits to defeat, it really feels like more of a slog and lacks the snappy feel of the arcade original.  It’s also hard to see some of the enemies way off in the distance.  I hear there’s also a VR version of this game, which sounds interesting but I don’t have a VR system.  Maybe the game is better than what I think it is, but I would say to avoid the PS4 version.

Kid Factor:

Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission is rated T for Teen with ESRB descriptors of Blood, Violence, Use of Tobacco, and Mild Suggestive Themes.  You do shoot people with real type guns but I didn’t notice copious amounts of blood or tobacco usage.  Some of the innocents you must avoid shooting include women in bikinis, so I guess that’s where the mild suggestive themes come in.  Even though I grew up with arcade games like this and turned out OK, I’d say this one’s best for older kid gamers.

Tags: Game Reviews