Bounty Hunter

American Laser Games (well known for their excellent shooter games like Mad Dog McCree and Who Shot Johnny Rock?), has a brand-new shooter on the way.

This one's called Bounty Hunter, and you must shoot various enemies who will net you various bounties. You'll have to avoid hitting civilians as your quarry has set up ambushes for you to blast through--if you're good enough.

Bounty Hunter uses lots of full-motion video to put you right into the action. You can use the 3DO gun or the joypad. A must for fans-of American Laser Games .CDs.

The full-motion video masters at American Laser Games have gone back to the basics and created Bounty Hunter. This game is similar in design to Mad Dog McCree and Crime Patrol. The gameplay is rather simple: Gun down enemies that pop up before they get you. Miss one enemy, and it's an early grave for you.

Bounty Hunter has a very unique feel to it. It looks like a real movie, with plenty of special effects. If you're one of those who enjoy FMV, Bounty Hunter will be right up your alley.

Crab your trench coat and fedora-you're heading into the world of 1930s gangsters, guns, and gun molls. Popular musician Johnny Rock has been murdered, and you're the shamus assigned to crack the case.

Visit some shady establishments and investigate the locals, and you just might find the dues leading to the killer in this entertaining shoot-em-up.

Game Hoir

Like the Sega CD version before it, Johnny Rock 3DO gives you a first-person view of extensive full-motion video to solve the crime. The video conveys the atmosphere of a classic film noir, those dark, moody movies that used shadows to set an eerie, gloomy tone.

The game has a good look, but unfortunately the shadows can complicate game play, like when you have only a split second to figure out where the enemy will appear next. Enemies are impossible to see at times, so survival depends on memorizing their location in each scene.

The excellent sounds add to the atmosphere and help establish the tone. You hear everything from the machine gun's rat-a-tat-tat to frequent and deafening explosions.

Gun Control

Like its predecessor, the arcade hit Mad Dog McCree, Johnny Rock puts a plastic gun in your hand and invites you to take control. That's right, warm up your trigger finger and start firing with the 3DO Came Cun (sold separately, $54.95). You'll need this weapon, because using the control pad for this game is very limiting. The cursor moves across the screen with little control, though you're required to shoot with pinpoint accuracy.

Johnny Rock has eliminated many of the flaws that have hampered similar shooting games. For instance, you no longer have to continually reload while you're in the midst of a shootout. And the game's video footage really jumps out at you on the 3DO, unlike that on the Sega CD.

Replay It Again, Sam

Who Shot Johnny Rock? offers arcade excitement, machine-gun thrills, and more desperate characters than San Quentin. With multiple endings (depending on who's the murderer), there's good replay value, too. 3DO owners who liked Mad Dog McCree will get a new challenge from this one.