Continuing their sole mission to bring the arcade shooter back the mainstream, and out of the arcades, via the Wii Sega have released Gunblade NY and L.A. Machineguns Arcade Hits Pack. For those who don't know about the title it is a collection of two arcade titles; Gunblade NY that was originally released in 1995 and L.A. Machineguns that was originally released in 1998. Now Sega have bundled them together within a budget-priced Wii disc for arcade shooter fans who simply can't get to arcades any more, perhaps because they've been disappearing quickly since the 1990's.

Sega have not attempted to update the graphics of these two titles so whether you find the 15 year old graphics 'charmingly nostalgic' or just outddated is down to your own perception really. There is no denying however how startling the graphics initially are as you are faced with blockish terrorists to shoot against a backdrop of barely decorated square buildings that look like the textures have erroneously been forgotten. However its not a huge deal once you get used to it and the action moves quickly enough that you'll soon forget about the simply polygons as you will be focused elsewhere.

One of the most immediately striking aspects of this title, other than the graphics, is the cheesy 80's/90's action movie vibe the whole package had. Obviously being a product of the 90's the two separate games could have simply been typical of their time but there is something about them both that just seems like the cheesiness was ramped up for almost comical affect. The music is full of guitar riffs and the voice over is so exuberant in tone it almost feels as if the words "gnarley" and "rad" aren't too far behind.

Neither of the games are particularly challenging. Unless you are attempting to get a good hit ratio you can simply hold A and move the Wii Remote around to hit the enemies. Speaking of the enemies the games teach three very important things about terrorists; 1) some are very nimble on their feet and worthy of Bolshoi, 2) they are actually robots, although this may have been a censorship issue but at least it explains why they explode and 3) some of them are more difficult to kill than giant robots and vehicles. If you wish to just shoot everyone with little regard for accuracy the only real challenge in this title lies in the unlockable bonus mode for Gunblade NY whereby you only have one minute to complete each section.

L.A. Machineguns offers a bit more of a challenge in some of its later missions as civilians are still roaming the streets, or in some cases held hostage by the terrorists. You have to be careful not to kill them, although if you do you lose points but can continue as you were. Again, the difficult of these titles lies in your personal playing style and whether you care about your score, time or accuracy.

While Sega have added a few extras to the games, such as unlockable weapons and a chain combo score, neither of these things really add that much to the gameplay. The only noticeable improvement is the fact the game is now presented in widescreen. However, if you just want some arcade shooter fun than the titles, as they are, will be more than sufficient.

Overall this game is typical of arcade shooters - fun yet short lived. The missions are a good stress relief because who doesn't revel at the sight of Terminator terrorists writhing around while being battered with bullets? However, don't expect to take a long time completing this game but expect to play each mission several times to get the full enjoyment from them. The budget price of Gunblade NY and L.A. Machineguns Arcade Hits Pack is perhaps its most appealing aspect and if you've gotten bored of House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return, Ghost Squad or House of the Dead: OVERKILL then you may want to check this one out.