Retro Coin Op Synopsis

“Uh, roger, we got a bad situation down there…”

Why do bad things keep happening to good people? New York cop John McClane, star of the hugely popular Die Hard film series, never could manage to catch a break. After dealing with terrorists, traitors and terrorist’s angry brothers, you’d think the guy would have filled his quota. But no, the bad guys just kept coming back for more in the 3-D fighting game Die Hard Arcade.

Not only did the chumps return, they actually tried to take over the Nakatomi Building, the same skyscraper John successfully defended in the original film. Even after that film’s terrorist takeover, John’s wife Holly kept her job at the Nakatomi Building, and the poor woman once more ended up being taken hostage by armed and dangerous men. Not only that, but the President’s daughter was also among the 30 hostages being held by the terrorists.

On a job this intense, even John needed backup, and he got it in the form of fellow cop Kris Thompson, another trained terrorist-stomper. Together (or apart in one-player more), John and Kris worked their way down from the building’s roof, taking out the enemy with well-placed kicks, punches and special moves. For added combat power, John and Kris could pick up any of the scattered weapons lying around the Nakatomi floors. Enemy guns and missile launchers were especially handy, but the battling twosome could also make weapons out of seemingly ordinary office supplies and building parts—pipes, chairs, beer bottles, an aerosol can and lighter, etc.

Die Hard had always been a natural for the video game world. The movies’ plot—a lone man against several well-armed villains—had been an arcade staple for years. It took eight years before the arcade version finally arrived, but for fighting game fans, Die Hard Arcade was well worth the wait. Like its 2-D fighting predecessors, Die Hard Arcade offered non-stop action and all the thrills of beating up dozens of polygon-based bad guys. The advancements in 3-D game technology allowed Sega to create a believable replica of the movie’s Nakatomi Building, bringing players right into the movie.

Die Hard Arcade exploded at the arcades and later as a home system conversion. And while that may have been bad news for John McClane (sorry, but there’s bound to be a sequel), it was very good news for action gamers and movie fans everywhere.

Arcade Machine Release History

1996 - Die Hard Arcade

Arcade Game Sub Categories

action
adventure
fighting

Machine Manufacturer

Sega

Other Arcade Game Links