Demolition Man 3DO Review

Introduction

Demolition Man was created by Virgin Interactive Entertainment and released for the 3DO in 1994. This game was a much better attempt at an interactive movie tie-in game than the poor effort made by Jurassic Park.

FMV Integration and Authenticity

Demolition Man for the 3DO uses FMV clips straight from the movie to introduce the various game segments. Unlike Jurassic Park, this game features all the real film actors. Stallone and Wesley Snipes even shot new footage on green screen with CGI added to help transition from the FMV into the bespoke gameplay. However, it must be said that watching Stallone jogging through one of the CGI scenes is quite bad, as it’s clear he’s just running on a treadmill.

Gameplay Types

There are four main types of gameplay on offer:

1. Shooting Gallery Sections
2. Combat
3. 3D Tunnel Shootouts
4. Driving Sections

Shooting Gallery Sections

The best parts by far are the shooting sections, where you can use the controller or the 3DO Light Gun. It can be tricky using the controller but becomes acceptable after a while as you start to predict where the bad guys will appear.

The digitized enemies look good and move across the screen firing, peeking out from corners, popping up straight in front of you, or throwing grenades at you from covered positions. You can also get power-ups and better bullets by shooting boxes and scenery. At the end of the level, there are bosses like helicopters with large turrets to destroy or a set piece you need to complete – such as shooting down a pointed chandelier directly above Phoenix.

These scenarios tie in well with the film and do a good job of portraying what an immersive interactive movie game should be like.

Hand-to-Hand Combat Sequences

The Mortal Kombat-style hand-to-hand combat sequences, where Spartan and Phoenix attack each other, are less successful. The responsiveness of the controller is far too slow, making it nothing like playing Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter. You end up having to carefully time hits and hope they connect.

3D Tunnel and Cryo Prison Levels

The 3D tunnel and cryo prison levels are good to look at, apart from the tracker taking up too much of the screen. The annoying thing here is that you are chasing Phoenix, but you can do him no damage. You just shoot enemies as you follow him to the escape exit, and the corridors begin to look the same after a while, so it’s easy to get lost.

Driving Sections

The last type of gameplay is a good-looking driving section which, unfortunately, controls quite poorly. You need to catch up to Simon Phoenix’s car before your fuel runs out. It’s not immediately obvious unless you read the manual, but driving over signs written on the tarmac can lead to fuel and vehicle power-ups.

Soundtrack and Audio Effects

The game soundtrack is well done, with music created by the famous Tommy Tallarico. The game also uses voice clips from Phoenix and Spartan to good effect, as well as realistic gun effects and ricochet sounds.

Additional Features and Secrets

The game uses a password system to save progress and skip levels, as well as offering secrets using button combinations. Some of these secrets include Virgin Office 3D levels where you can shoot Tommy Tallarico, end-of-game FMV segments, blood mode, and reaching a high score will even allow you to watch the virtual sex scene between Spartan and Lenina, if that’s your thing.

There are three difficulty levels on offer, and if you choose the easiest, it’s funny to see Spartan tell you that you suck!