You are the GHOST SQUAD. Don't leave any fruit boxes behind.
The game has three modes of play. First comes Arcade, which is basically an arcade-perfect port of the original game. Instead of the special battle rifle light gun, up to two players can play co-op using the Wiimote's pointer function. It works well enough, and although the Wii pointer is never 100% flawless, you are able to execute shots without worry. The game begins by you selecting a costume (which has no real function besides cosmetics during cutscenes) and a weapon, which vary from battle rifles to magnums to shotguns. You can play the missions in any order, though they are numbered roughly in order of difficulty.
The core gameplay is straightforward. It's an on-rails light gun game. Your character moves around the battlefield automatically in first person perspective, and using your trusty Wiimote, you gun down tons of thugs that pop out in every which way. For the most part, bad guys don't put up much of a fight, but you'll likely have to continue a few times in the beginning, as some of game's suprises throw you for a loop. The action is as frantic as you'd expect. Punctuating each battle are simple tasks that you must complete, from surviving knife battles to disarming bombs to freeing hostages. These are completed with the Action Button, which used to be a second button on the rifle, but is delegated to a Wiimote button instead.
The game only has three stages, which is short even for an arcade. Even after continuing a few times, you can expect to complete the game in about 30 minutes or so. Of course, playing it once, you would miss a lot of the game. At several points in a given mission, you are given choices to branch off on one of several paths. Taking a different road each time can lead to a significantly different experience. In addition, each time you successfully complete a given mission, it will "level up", which adds subtle changes, increases the difficulty, and gives you even more choices on your path. Plus, it's an arcade game, so half the fun comes from competing with your friends (and in this case, the world) for the top spots on the high score chart. At the end of the game, your character will be given experience points, which you gain from completing tasks, scoring points and collecting levels. Earn enough, and you'll rise in rank, giving you new costumes and guns to play with. There's a lot of variety here, and those who are fans of the arcade game might have missed out on it before if their game center's machine wasn't equipped with the software to do it.
You also get the party mode, which lets up to four players play at once and introduces some interesting twists into the game's missions. There's also a practice mode, but it's kindof throwaway... time you spend playing it will make you wish you were just blazing through arcade mode again and earning more experience.
The graphics of the game look more or less like the arcade did... about PS2 quality. Sometimes the textures can seem a little bland and dark, but it never distracts from the fun. The sound is servicable, and you even get a little click from the Wiimote speaker when you reload. The voice acting is as terribly cheesy as you'd expect, but at least it's clear. Music is the generic techno variety, thumping and bumping with the sort of arcade-action feel that you want in a game like Ghost Squad. Another nice touch is that most of the indoor environments have a lot of stuff to shoot and break, with papers and furniture and fruit flying everywhere when the shootouts get exciting.
To speak on Wii hardware for a minute: I was never 100% pleased with the Wii's pointer technology... it's very tough (if not always possible) to get it calibrated properly. Thankfully, Ghost Squad is one of the few games that actually lets you do it in the options mode. The game suggests you maintain a 10-foot distance from the TV, but the Wii's weak Sensor Bar somewhat prohibits that. Also, this game is probably the best one to play with the new Wii Zapper, since it allows you to reassign the buttons to get it close to the arcade feel. Assigning shoot to Z and action to B is a godsend.
The Verdict:
For fans of arcade games, or fans of games like Rayman or Wii Play looking for a more meaty light gun game to cut their teeth on, Ghost Squad is just what the doctor ordered. It's fast, fun, great with a buddy and good for competitive gamers. The game has no real story, characters or variety, so if those are the sorts of things that compel you, it's probably best that you avoid games like these.
However, if you're looking to go gunslinging with your Wii, and have been disappointed with the partial offerings that have come so far, I can whole-heartedly recommend Ghost Squad. It's an arcade favorite for good reason, it's satisfying, goofy, and lots of fun.
The game is also bargain-priced, which makes it even easier to pick up. It's also the only game I'd recommend using a Wii Zapper with.
+Perfect port of one of the greatest arcade games
+Decent replay value for a 30-minute game
+Online scorekeeping built-in
+Tons of stuff to unlock
+Makes better use of the Wii Zapper than any other game to date
+It's only $30
-Somewhat dated graphics and sound
-It's really short if you don't like multiple playthroughs
-Extra modes don't really add much
-It's slightly easier than I'd like