Die Hard Arcade

Die Hard Arcade is a port of an arcade beat 'em up from Sega AM1, known in Japan as Dynamite Deka, onto which the Die Hard film series license was additionally grafted for Western release. The player advances through linear levels full of enemies who must be dealt with using fists, kicks, grapples, and improvised weapons picked up from the surroundings, while the game regularly interrupts the action with fast quick-time-event sequences, where the correct button must be pressed at the right moment. The settings range from office buildings through train stations to ships at sea, giving the game a cinematic pace and variety.

On the Saturn the game retained the brisk pace and clear, energetic action for which it was praised even in its arcade form. The characters are fully three-dimensional and the combat animations feel forceful and satisfying, albeit with limited depth compared to dedicated fighting games. The sound design and voice effects give the title a typical 1990s action atmosphere, full of exaggerated gestures and bombastic moments. The option to play with two players at once gave the Saturn version an extra dimension of fun, typical of arcade beat 'em ups of the time.

Die Hard Arcade is among the titles that show how well the Saturn could handle arcade conversions outside its traditional series like Virtua Fighter. The playtime is relatively short, but the game was built for repeated play and improving one's score, similar to its arcade original, and it also offered a performance rating system at the end of each level. Today it is remembered as an entertaining, action-packed affair that shows a lighter, more straightforward side of the Saturn's lineup, and as one of the last classic beat 'em ups before the genre gradually receded into the background in favour of three-dimensional fighting and action titles.

Why play: For fans of arcade beat 'em ups who will appreciate a short but intense romp with a performance rating system, and one of the last classic representatives of the genre on the Saturn.