ECTSSilent Scope (DC) Hands-On

Silent Scope was one of the most original coin-op games to appear in recent years. The clever cabinet design had a huge screen and a sniper attachment with a small LCD inside that allowed players to zoom in and pick off targets.

Obviously, there was a problem when it came to converting this to home consoles, because they aren't equipped with giant plastic guns. The solution was to replace the gun controller screen with a simple overlay. Players press the R button to toggle between zoom and the normal view. Because the normal view moves faster than the zoomed one, players are encouraged to find targets without it. The zoom feature also requires a steady hand to guide your cursor to the right place, so that when you home in, you see what you want to see.

The ECTS preview code featured only the first level, but it's a strong indicator of just how good the final version is going to be. The textures and colors appear to be arcade-perfect and bring the feel and style of the original right into your home. At the moment, however, it may be a little too easy - we completed this version on the first attempt, despite a poor record of success on the coin-op.

The analog controller on the Dreamcast does an excellent job, but in some cases the fine aiming is not as precise or easy as it could be. This probably has more to do with the controller than the game, but it's still noteworthy.

The code appears perfectly stable, and although many users may feel a little put off at the thought of shelling out for what is essentially a relatively easy arcade game, it's definitely a lot of fun.