Computer Graphics Memory Disk Space
Minimum 286 16Mhz VGA 512K 2MB
Max/Rec. 486DX/33+
Control: Mouse
Sound: Sound Blaster or compatible
Notes: CD-ROM Drive (150 KB per second or greater continuous read,
380 ms seek time). Must have DOS 3.3 or higher.
Reviewer recommends: 486DX/33, 4MB RAM, Double Speed CD-ROM Drive,
Sound Blaster card.
WHO SHOT JOHNNY ROCK? is an arcade style game where the object is to shoot all the bad guys while saving the good guys. The time period is set during the era of the "Roaring Twenties". Gangsters and mobs control much of the city. You play the part of a private investigator. Somebody has killed a local night club performer named Johnny Rock, and his girlfriend has enlisted your help in bringing the murderer to justice. The only clue you have is a slip of paper found clutched tightly in the hands of the dead man. The clue instructs you to visit the five people who possess a clue to the combination of the safe in Johnny's mansion. To get the clue from these people, you have to get past their henchmen since you are definitely not welcomed in their establishments. There are a total of eight different areas you are required to visit. After gathering all the clues from the various people, you head to the mansion and have the pleasure of shooting it out with the gangster characters guarding it. If you successfully get past them, then you go to Johnny's room. The secret safe is in the room and you must use the clues obtained to open it. The safe is where you will find the final clue revealing the identity of the killer.
American Laser Games is popular for their line of live action arcade games. Who Shot Johnny Rock? (referred to as WSJR from here on) is very similar to the company's first PC CD-ROM release, Mad Dog McCree. There are several differences, however. The most obvious enhancement is that the live action video area is now practically the entire screen. This means that there is more area for you to cover when shooting at the bad guys. Also, there is a save feature included which allows you to save your current position in the game. Unfortunately, it only supports a single save game file. Another new twist is that there are multiple endings. The killer and motive changes every time you play. This certainly increases the replay value for the game. In addition, your ammunition is limited so you have to be careful not to waste too many bullets. As a private investigator, you have a set budget at the beginning of the game. Every time you shoot an innocent bystander, you will have to pay for his or her funeral. If you get shot, you will have to pay for your hospital fees. Both these situations take money away from you which makes it difficult for you to buy the much needed bullets. Fortunately, there are several ways to earn money back such as shooting pool or placing a bet on the roulette wheel at the casino.
WSJR runs adequately on double speed CD-ROM drives but will run on slower ones as well. The only difference is the double speed drives produces better quality full motion video. There are three diffculty levels in the game. The harder the difficulty level, the less time you have to react before one of the bad guys bury a slug into you. WSJR also provides an introduction which introduces the you to all the characters in the game and sets the mood for the upcoming conflict. This introduction is very impressive and is one of the longest running full motion video sequences I have ever seen in a computer game.
WSJR has many good qualities. The full motion video is definitely a big plus. The acting and voice characterizations are also well done. Graphics are displayed in the standard 320 x 200 VGA resolution. The animation and sound go well together. When you see the character's mouth move, the speech you hear matches the lip movement perfectly. There is no Kung Fu Theater style speech dubbing in this game. Other sound effects are equally impressive. The sounds of the machine guns and exploding cars all add to the suspension of disbelief in the game.
Another unique approach is the use of a first person narrative. You actually hear what your character is thinking in addition to the events going on around him. The voice characterizations really reminded me of the old Sam Spade Mysteries that used to air on the radio. Unlike the arcade which uses a laser light gun type device, a mouse is required for game control. Fortunately, the mouse responds very well and you are able to move the cross hairs to the various targets in ample time. The ability to save and load games also adds a nice touch to the game. Installation of the game is very easy. The documentation is brief, but it does a good job covering all the play mechanics. In addition, there is a toll free number you can call should you encounter any technical difficulties in the game.
Along with these good points, WSJR also has bad ones which take away a lot of the game's overall enjoyment. The graphics were nicely animated, but still appeared very grainy looking. I would have preferred fewer frames of animation if the image could have been made clearer. For a game that requires you know what you shoot at before you shoot, it is important that the graphics are clear enough for you to determine if the person is aiming a gun at you. The graphics for the double speed CD-ROM drive were playable, but single speed CD-ROM drive users should expect to get a much lower picture quality. Another problem is the game advertises to be a one or two player game. Nowhere in the game does it allow to you to select the number of players. Was this feature left out in order to meet a deadline or does American Laser Games assume two player mode means two people can play if they take turns? If the latter is the case, then every game available on the market today can claim to have two player capability. When I see a two player feature, I interpret it to mean two player simultaneous play.
The final problem deals with replay value. It is true that there are multiple endings to the game. However, the game is still way too short! It is possible to finish a single game in under an hour. Also, some of the scenes in the game seemed to have been put in just to lengthen game play. One section in particular has you shooting at the same two characters over twenty times before you can go on to the next scene. You see them die then they reappear again later. Those guys have more lives than a cat! It would have been better if the characters popped out from a greater variety of locations.
If a fast shoot-em-up arcade style game is what you like, and you do not have hundreds of hours to spend on a game, then WSJR might be the right game for you. However, if you are looking for a game with a lot of depth and many varying levels and locations to visit, WSJR comes up short. This game is a considerable improvement over the company's initial Mad Dog McCree CD-ROM release. The graphics and sound have been greatly improved and the live full motion video is a real treat to watch. However, the repetitive action and lack of game areas make it enjoyable only to those who just want to kill a little time. Die hard game players will find WSJR too simplistic.
This review is Copyright (C) 1994 by Harry Chow for Game Bytes Magazine. All rights reserved.