Ghoul Panic
A light gun shooter inspired by Point Blank.
Ghoul Panic is a 1999 light gun shooter arcade game developed by Raizing and published by Namco. It was later ported to the PlayStation in 2000. The game is heavily inspired by Namco's Point Blank series and features a series of minigames where players use lightguns to complete objectives.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Raizing
- Director
- Manabu Namiki
- Producer
- Shinsuke Yamakawa
- Genre
- Light gun shooter
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Arcade system
- Namco System 12
- Platforms
- Arcade, PlayStation
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Ghoul Panic is a light gun arcade game that shares its hardware with the Point Blank series. Players aim attached lightguns at the screen to complete various minigames, each with a required quota to meet before time runs out. Objectives might involve hitting a set number of enemies or defending small yellow cats from incoming attacks. Clearing a minigame lets the player advance, while failing costs a life. Shooting the yellow cats or bomb ghosts also results in losing a life, and losing all lives ends the game. The game has three stages, each containing eight minigames that increase in difficulty. After finishing all minigames in a stage, a boss appears. These bosses include Frankie, a Frankenstein-like monster throwing projectiles; Vladie, a vampire sending swarms of bats; Witchina, a witch attacking with her broomstick; and Mama Mia, a huge dragon-like creature hurling fireballs.
Development and release
Ghoul Panic, known in Japan as Oh! Bakyuuun, hit arcades in July 1999 in Japan and later that same year in North America. The game was a collaboration between developer Eighting/Raizing and publisher Namco. Shinsuke Yamakawa, a Raizing artist who worked on Battle Garegga and 1944: The Loop Master, served as producer and noted that the team had grown significantly during development. Manabu Namiki, usually a composer at Raizing, took on directing duties. Because Namiki was occupied with game design, former Namco composer Masahiro Fukuzawa and former Westone composer Jin Watanabe handled the music and sound effects. The gameplay draws heavily from Namco’s Point Blank series, blending adventure and thrills. A PlayStation port came out in Japan on April 20, 2000, and in Europe later that year, published by Sony Computer Entertainment and supporting the GunCon light gun. To drum up interest, Namco ran an online contest on the game’s website where players could submit high scores for prizes.
Reception
Critics were split on Ghoul Panic. The main complaint was that it didn't do much to advance the light gun shooter formula. Consoles+ noted it offered little new compared to games like Time Crisis, and IGN echoed this in a preview, saying the PlayStation version lacked fresh ideas. The extra modes in the home conversion were also considered weak; Famitsu found the RPG Mode poorly designed, rushed, and hard to control. On the other hand, Gamers' Republic called it one of the best light gun shooters on the PlayStation, declaring it "bags of fun." Most reviewers agreed the core gameplay was enjoyable and well-crafted, often comparing it favorably to Namco's Point Blank series. Both Famitsu and IGN said that while it wasn't as polished as Point Blank, it still offered solid, fun gameplay. Famitsu also likened its comical horror theme to Golly! Ghost!. Superjuegos praised the GunCon's accurate aiming and replay value, calling it an excellent light gun game that fans of Point Blank should try. In a 2009 retrospective, Retro Gamer compared it favorably to both Point Blank and The House of the Dead, noting that while it wasn't as refined as Point Blank or Time Crisis, it was a great shooter with fun gameplay and creative level designs. The multiplayer modes drew particular praise. Retro Gamer highlighted them as a strong point for adding replay value, and Superjuegos applauded their addictive nature and replayability.
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