Silent Scope (video game)

For the series, see Silent Scope.

Silent Scope
Arcade poster
Developer(s)	Konami Now Production (GBA)
Publisher(s)	WW: Konami JP: KCET (PS2)
Director(s)	Masaaki Kukino Shigenobu Matsuyama
Producer(s)	Shigenobu Matsuyama
Designer(s)	Masaaki Kukino
Programmer(s)	Hardboiler Shin.
Composer(s)	Jimmy Weckl
Series	Silent Scope
Platform(s)	Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Mobile phones, iOS
Release	Arcade JP: 1999 Dreamcast JP: October 12, 2000 NA: October 23, 2000 EU: November 17, 2000 PlayStation 2 NA: October 26, 2000[1] JP: November 16, 2000 EU: November 24, 2000 Game Boy Advance NA: September 4, 2002 JP: October 17, 2002 EU: January 10, 2003[2] Mobile April 2005[3] iOS April 23, 2009[4]
Genre(s)	Rail shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system	Konami Hornet

Silent Scope (サイレントスコープ, Sairento Sukōpu) is a 1999 arcade game by Konami. The game puts the player in the shoes of a sniper during a series of terrorist incidents. It is the first in the Silent Scope series.

Plot

The U.S. First Family, including the president of the United States, returns from a function in Chicago when their convoy is ambushed by terrorists. In the resulting confusion, the terrorists manage to capture the entire First Family, and are demanding the release of their leader (the dictator) in exchange for the safe return of the president. Washington officials have decided to resolve the problem quietly, using military force.

The player assists police at the scene of the kidnapping, from several high rise structures and after making a choice on tactics, the player defeats one of the terrorist leaders and manages to rescue the president's daughter in the process. Next the player pursues a terrorist boss in order to safely rescue the President's Wife. Finally, the player makes an invasive entry into the terrorist base. After fighting through the heavily guarded mansion, the player defeats Monica and liberates the President himself. However, the dictator is making a getaway and the player exhausts nearly an entire magazine on bulletproof glass and has only one bullet left to eliminate the dictator.

Gameplay

The game uses a rifle that is mounted on the console, requiring players to physically alter their position in order to shoot accurately. In addition, the rifle's scope displays a close-up view of a small portion of the screen, representing the sniper's long-range view of the area where the rifle is pointed. Certain stage areas are dark and require players to use night vision scopes to spot and shoot opponents. The player can fire five shots in succession before reloading is required.

Players have limited time and health during gameplay. Extra time can be gained by killing certain enemies, while training the scope on an attractive woman awards extra health and bonus points. The game consists of three stages corresponding with the members of the First Family. In each stage, the player(s) must kill as many enemies as possible in short time facing sub bosses along the way and a large boss at the end. Unless a precise, lethal head shot is made, it will take more than one bullet to kill a sub-boss or boss. Enemies can shoot the player if they are not killed fast enough. Players must take care not to shoot innocent civilians in the crossfire. During game stages the player is able to choose one of two (easy, hard) or three (easy, medium or hard) paths to progress, facing a different boss and doing a different following mission depending on the choice made.

Points are scored based on where an opponent is hit, multiplied by the number of successful shots the player has made. In arcade mode, the best points are given for headshots, but on the practice range, bonus points are obtained for shooting the human shaped targets' guns.

The home versions have a cheat code where one can exchange life for time and vice versa. There are also secret codes for all versions that will make the game more difficult, such as hiding target indicators on enemies.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
	Arcade	Dreamcast	GBA	iOS	mobile	PS2
GameRankings	N/A	71%[5]	75%[6]	38%[7]	N/A	67%[8]
Metacritic	N/A	63/100[9]	70/100[10]	N/A	N/A	63/100[11]

Review scores

Publication	Score
	Arcade	Dreamcast	GBA	iOS	mobile	PS2
AllGame	4/5[12]	4/5[13]	2.5/5[14]	N/A	N/A	2/5[15]
CNET Gamecenter	N/A	7/10[16]	N/A	N/A	N/A	7/10[17]
Electronic Gaming Monthly	N/A	7/10[18]	N/A	N/A	N/A	7/10[19][a]
Eurogamer	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	6/10[20]
Famitsu	N/A	N/A	23/40[21]	N/A	N/A	N/A
Game Informer	8.75/10[22]	7.5/10[23]	N/A	N/A	N/A	7.75/10[24]
GameFan	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	83%[25][b] (MVS) 70%[26]
GameRevolution	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	C−[27]
GameSpot	N/A	4.6/10[28]	7/10[29]	N/A	N/A	4.6/10[28]
GameSpy	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	78%[30]
IGN	N/A	(US) 8.3/10[31] (JP) 7.3/10[32]	7/10[33]	3.5/10[34]	7/10[35]	6.4/10[36]
Next Generation	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	3/5[37]
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	3/5[38]
Pocket Gamer	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2/5[39]	N/A
Maxim	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	3/5[40]
USA Today	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	3/4[41]

The initial console ports of Silent Scope received moderately positive reviews from magazines of the time. The review aggregation website Metacritic places its average score at 63%, indicating "mixed or average reviews" however this score is based on a low, unrepresentative sample of reviews.^[9][10][11]

Brett Alan Weiss of AllGame said the arcade version was "a blast to play, though a few more realistic sniper missions would be nice. Graphics are acceptable with decent animation, but the music is indiscernible during the action. The voice acting is unintentionally hilarious."^[12] Major Mike of GamePro said of the PlayStation 2 version in its November 2000 issue, "In a field devoid of competition, Silent Scope is a strong first-generation offering and a picture-perfect arcade conversion. While a debatable purchase, Scope easily qualifies as a must-rent title."^[42][c] An issue later, Jake The Snake said that the Dreamcast version's several training courses "offer diverse fun, including no-missed-shots allowed, pop-up targets, and moving targets. But you should rent Silent Scope before buying to see if you'll want to keep playing after a few hours."^[43][d] Edge gave the same Dreamcast version a score of seven out of ten, saying that "it won't take most players long to complete the game, but Silent Scope is all about high scores through high accuracy. That's what Konami needed to port the consoles, and the one shot, one kill moments moments of euphoria and despar crystallise this as a success."^[44] Randy Nelson of NextGen said of the PS2 version, "It's not groundbreaking, but it's a solid shooting game with unique play mechanics."^[37] In Japan, Famitsu gave the GBA version a score of 23 out of 40.^[21]

Also in Japan, Game Machine listed the arcade version in their September 1, 1999, issue as the second most-successful dedicated arcade game of the month.^[45]

Notes

1. Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the PlayStation 2 version each a score of 6.5/10, 7/10, and 7.5/10.
2. In GameFan's viewpoint of the PlayStation 2 version, three critics gave it each a score of 73, 89, and 87.
3. GamePro gave the PlayStation 2 version two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and control, and two 4/5 scores for sound and fun factor.
4. GamePro gave the Dreamcast version three 4.5/5 scores for graphics, control, and fun factor, and 4/5 for sound.

References

1. IGN staff (October 27, 2000). "The PS2 Launch Titles". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
2. Bramwell, Tom (January 10, 2003). "What's New?". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
3. "Silent Score (Cell)". 25Shots. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
4. IGN staff (April 23, 2009). "Konami's Silent Scope Now Available on Apple App Store". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
5. "Silent Scope for Dreamcast". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
6. "Silent Scope for Game Boy Advance". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
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15. Thompson, Jon. "Silent Scope (PS2) – Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
16. D'Aprile, Jason (December 1, 2000). "Silent Scope – Dreamcast Review". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on January 23, 2001. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
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18. Mielke, James "Milkman" (January 2001). "Silent Scope (DC)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 138. Ziff Davis. p. 199. Archived from the original on January 29, 2001. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
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External links

• Official Silent Scope Page at the Wayback Machine (archived 2003-02-05) (in Japanese)
• Silent Scope at the Killer List of Videogames
• Silent Scope at MobyGames