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LETHAL ENFORCERS
review | MEGA-CD
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Publisher: Konami.
Developer: Konami. Released: December 1993 (Europe). Genre: Lightgun. Other versions: SMD; SNES. Posted 29th October 2025. By Tom Clare © 2025 |
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Thanks in significant part to the emergence of early CD systems, digitised sprites, realistic themes, and cinematic themes were all the rage for a spell during the early nineties. It would come as no surprise then to see arcade hit Lethal Enforcers land on the Mega-CD in Europe towards the end of 1993. It’s significant as the first outing for Konami’s celebrated Justifier lightgun peripheral, which, after overcoming controversy in its early days, would continue to be supported for the rest of the decade. The game puts the player in the shoes of law enforcement, in recognisable cops ‘n’ robbers scenarios where the aim is simply to shoot terrorists before they shoot you, whilst taking care to avoid police and civilians.
I enjoyed Lethal Enforcers in the arcades. In hindsight, it wasn’t the most sophisticated setup nor the most dynamic of experiences, but the lightgun added a layer of immersion that other shooters didn’t possess. Blasting masked gunmen felt immersive and fun, even more so when played with a friend. This version retains the core appeal of the coin-op, as well as the all-important two-player mode cooperative mode.
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Just like the movies: Lethal Enforcers revels in its action scenes, where the action comes thick and fast
The coin-op’s rather workmanlike graphics retain a certain grittiness for the Mega-CD version, though its drab, crude-looking environments are almost entirely devoid of colour and definition. It’s rarely so bad as to be a problem, but there are instances when picking out characters in the distance proves trickier than is ideal. Enemies feature a level of animation so minimal that they aren’t a great deal more dynamic than the gallery shooting range. Terrorists roll into the open, turn into shot with guns drawn, and poke their heads out of cover, offering just enough to generate some excitement, though the limited palette means they sometimes blend with the backgrounds.
If you can overlook the sketchy presentation, the settings themselves are decent and include all the heist hot-spots you could hope for. Things begin in a bank, as the player must learn not to have too itchy a trigger finger, with civilians blundering around in front of the gunmen. The following level sees a Chinatown scene, where players must take down snipers nestled in window frames, as well as some knife-wielding maniacs. There’s the occasional chase-style scenario, and these prove a highlight: pursuing cars through city streets, and shooting out their tyres proves a laugh, even if it doesn’t do an awful lot, save causing the vehicle to judder around.
If you can overlook the sketchy presentation, the settings themselves are decent and include all the heist hot-spots you could hope for. Things begin in a bank, as the player must learn not to have too itchy a trigger finger, with civilians blundering around in front of the gunmen. The following level sees a Chinatown scene, where players must take down snipers nestled in window frames, as well as some knife-wielding maniacs. There’s the occasional chase-style scenario, and these prove a highlight: pursuing cars through city streets, and shooting out their tyres proves a laugh, even if it doesn’t do an awful lot, save causing the vehicle to judder around.
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It’s a game lightgun purists will love. There’s little in the way of bangs and whistles, either in terms of presentation or features, but Lethal Enforcers absolutely nails the fundamentals: cool, immersive settings, and accurate, satisfying one-shot kills. Spraying shots all over the shop won’t get the job done here, as there are often civilians who need protecting, whilst your pistol holds only a modest number of rounds before requiring a reload. With no cover system, the game plays like a breathless sequence of duals, as you wait for an enemy to appear, the challenge simply to land your killing shot before they do. Despite the nineties-modern urban theme, there’s something of a Wild West vibe to the game, and it came as no surprise when Konami would plumb for this setting for the sequel.
Another thing purists will love is the challenge, though it may act as a barrier to less serious gamers. The game offers three difficulty settings, as well as Arcade and Practice modes. Unlike the arcade game on which its based, you won’t be able to reach the end through brute force, as players are limited to five continues, with each affording the player five hits. In an added twist, even completing the levels often isn’t enough to progress, as a grading system dictates whether you need to retry the assignment. Though it’s not impossible to progress, even on Easy, the grading is very strict. Shooting any civilian or police officer will doom your mission to failure, which is understandable in principle, but also cheap in practice, when the game employs civilians to stride into shot, cock their arms, and cause a muzzle flash. Identifying that they’re only holding a camera, and not a gun, is difficult with the lack of definition on show. To attain a high enough grade, you’ll additionally need to deliver a high accuracy rating, something that’s easier said than done when you’re facing bosses who launch multiple rockets and swords the player’s way.
Another thing purists will love is the challenge, though it may act as a barrier to less serious gamers. The game offers three difficulty settings, as well as Arcade and Practice modes. Unlike the arcade game on which its based, you won’t be able to reach the end through brute force, as players are limited to five continues, with each affording the player five hits. In an added twist, even completing the levels often isn’t enough to progress, as a grading system dictates whether you need to retry the assignment. Though it’s not impossible to progress, even on Easy, the grading is very strict. Shooting any civilian or police officer will doom your mission to failure, which is understandable in principle, but also cheap in practice, when the game employs civilians to stride into shot, cock their arms, and cause a muzzle flash. Identifying that they’re only holding a camera, and not a gun, is difficult with the lack of definition on show. To attain a high enough grade, you’ll additionally need to deliver a high accuracy rating, something that’s easier said than done when you’re facing bosses who launch multiple rockets and swords the player’s way.
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Enemies will come at you from all angles, so you'll need to sharpen your reflexes to succeed here
Kitsch, action-fuelled music is nothing spectacular but fits the action fairly well, and the gunshot effects are booming. Also notable is a rare instance of a Practice mode being worthy of its name, as it actively helps players sharpen their aim and reactions. It’s a target range, seeing the player shoot a range of pop-ups as quickly and as efficiently as possible in short bursts. Here, you’ll lose lives every time you miss a target, so once again, it takes no prisoners.
Lethal Enforcers proved a cool advertisement for the Justifier. Whilst there are Mega-CD games that offer more impressive audio and visual traits, tackling the two-player, with two guns, felt like bringing the arcade home. A tough grading system makes heavy weather of things, but for buddy co-op alone, Konami’s blaster offers plenty of mileage.
Lethal Enforcers proved a cool advertisement for the Justifier. Whilst there are Mega-CD games that offer more impressive audio and visual traits, tackling the two-player, with two guns, felt like bringing the arcade home. A tough grading system makes heavy weather of things, but for buddy co-op alone, Konami’s blaster offers plenty of mileage.
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VERDICT"Look past its workmanlike presentation and you'll find a fun, challenging shooter that's great in two-player. Lethal Enforcers isn't the flashiest Mega-CD game, but it's one purists will love." OVERALL: 7/10 |
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