Review: Ghost Squad (Wii)

Filed in archive Wii on November 30, 2007

Ever since the Zapper was announced, fans have speculated that various light gun shooters would be ported over to Wii. Sega's Ghost Squad (originally a coin-op game back in 2004) was the first confirmation of this. Set to launch with the Zapper (along with Link's Crossbow Training, the pack-in, and Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles), Ghost Squad hopes to capture some arcade shooting fun. Does it succeed?




Yeah, but mostly because of its price.

Ghost Squad captures classic light gun gaming, yet one cannot help feeling that its design, based on REAL light gun mechanics (remember that Wii's IR controlled aiming is not nearly as accurate, requiring a cursor), suffers a bit.

My biggest gripe is that bonus points are offered by playing in "cursor free" mode. Well, you can't aim accurately with the Wii remote (with or without the Zapper, which I prefer using actually) at all so this to me seems unfair. The game is much more fun with the cursor on.

The graphics are pretty outdated, and the game only has three levels, though each level has multiple branching paths and new challenges. I liked the emphasis on weapon management, which creates added depth as levels play differently with different weapons. The bonus modes, such as "Ninja Mode," are hilarious and fun.

Overall, Ghost Squad is a passable effort, especially because it comes with a $30 price tag. You'll have a good time with it, but at the same time hunger for game's like Umbrella Chronicles and Link's Crossbow Training, which were clearly designed with IR aiming in mind.

Grade: C+

Sega's Ghost Squad Site.