Beach Head 2000

When you first play Beach Head 2000 and you find out it started life out as an arcade game it makes a whole lot of sense. This is a game that is not made to make you think, it is a game that was made with making people keep pimping in quarters to an arcade machine. That has been the arcade formula for years so it is hard to be down on the game for that. However, did they make enough changes to make the home conversion worth your time?

Protecting The Beach!

The goal of the game is pretty simple. You are in a bunker and you are the last line of defense against invading forces on the beach. It is a very simple premise and one that is perfect for an arcade game. The premise is so solid that the sequel is the exact same thing! There is no ending or anything like that or any kind of story, you are a one-man army and that is that.

Standing And Shooting

The arcade machine of Beach Head 2000 uses a trackball. Here you use your mouse and it works very well in simulating a trackball so I give them credit for that. The game has you stuck in one spot and while you can look around you cannot actually move. You move the mouse around the screen and shoot soldiers, tanks, choppers, and anything else that is coming your way. It starts off rather slow, but it eventually ramps up and you will die at some point.

Staying Alive

Shooting down enemies is very satisfying. The game on each stage has you needing to survive so many waves of enemies. You just keep on going until you eventually die. It is all about getting as far as you can and getting the highest score possible. As an old school arcade fan, I kind of dig this. However, for this home version I feel that they could have added an actual campaign or at the very least some kind of ending so that you have something to progress to.

You get a fun selection of weapons at the start of each wave and it is up to you how you use them. You can shoot these crate-like things to get health and ammo so you have to make sure that you keep your eyes open for them. The game can be quite exciting in short blurts and it is ideal if you want something quick to get into.

I think that Beach Head 2000 is a fun arcade-style shooter. Yes, I will admit that the fun this game is offering is very, very shallow. However, sometimes you just want to shoot stuff and see it blow up and this game offers that. It is not the kind of game that you will play for hours on end. However, to me, this is the kind of game you can fire up once and a while to blow off some steam or even a bit of a “pallet cleanser” between other games.

Pros:

• The action is fast and frantic
• It plays just like it did back in the arcade
• The mouse is a great substitute for a trackball
• You have plenty of powerful and awesome guns that you can use
• It is good mindless fun

Cons:

• The game has no end at all
• They never added much if anything new in bringing it home from the arcade

The premise behind Beach Head 2000 seems simple at first. The player finds themselves operating a turret on a beach, with waves upon waves of enemies coming up from the shoreline. In order to win, you need to defeat them all.

Underwhelming sound and graphics

The game is based off a much older game called Missile Command. If you ever played it and loved it, Beach Head 2000 will be right up your alley. If you need great sound and graphics to enjoy a game, you should skip Beach Head 2000. The graphics are pretty cheesy, and the sound doesn’t even work on all computers—you may need to turn your 3D sound acceleration off in order to make this game work. As terrible as the graphics and sound are, this is probably a good thing. There is nothing more to the game than killing an enormous amount of people as efficiently as possible. If it were realistic, the game would be appalling rather than fun.

Skill based game

Beach Head 2000 is a skill based game that requires good hand-eye coordination and reflexes in order to advance. The first few levels only throw a few barges and soldiers at you, as a sort of tutorial to help you work out the controls. The game is a first person perspective, placing you directly behind the turrets. The controls are a bit hard to get used to. You’ll need to memorize the sounds of the different aircraft so you can know when your resupplies are coming, as well as to know what’s coming at you in terms of enemies.

Surprisingly addictive

With poor graphics, underwhelming sound, and controls that take some getting used to, it’s surprising how enjoyable the game is. Playing through the 50+ levels is highly addictive, and the longer you play the more challenging it gets. Towards the end you can have multiple different attacks from all different directions and the difficulty is insane. It takes true skill to beat it, and if you do, you can be confident it wasn’t luck that got you there.

Like the predecessor of this game. Missile Command, the goal of this game is pretty straight forward, almost at the risk of being repetitive. Every level has the same goal, and you can’t really move or dodge the way you might in more modern games. Still, despite all the flaws with this game, it’s amazing how addictive it can be. Trying to shoot down enemies from land, sea, and air all at the same time has a strange appeal.

Pros:

• Skill based gameplay
• Over 50 levels

Cons:

• Poor graphics and audio
• Difficult controls