This week's game is Rescue Shot, a light gun game about protecting a little rabbit as they get into all kinds of trouble. You wouldn't think a game in this genre would benefit from a lot of storytelling, but this one sure as heck does! It also benefits from being a PS1 game with the name Namco on the box, so you just know that music's going buck wild the entire time:
Usually when I cover games for this blog, I have to take the good with the bad. No game's perfect, of course, but Rescue Shot is one of those rare, precious cases where I really only have strongly positive things to say because it rules! This isn't a surprise once you realize it's a Namco-published game, but wow, I think people are really sleeping on this one! It's a light gun game that isn't an arcade port and didn't come out in North America, which is probably why it's relatively obscure. Instead of playing as a guy with a gun or whatever, your job here is to escort a funny little rabbit named Bo through various levels as he tries to discover who he really is. Unlike real rabbits, he's not fast at all and has absolutely zero survival instincts, so it ends up being quite an elaborate and increasingly absurd journey!
The gunplay works great on its own, especially with how it manages to create unique defensive options and even platforming based on intentionally shooting Bo to get him to react in different ways, but what really stuck with me here was the story and presentation. This game tells such a fun, delightful story full of great jokes and colorfully characters, so much so that it makes you think the genre could use more of this! Rescue Shot is also a remarkably varied game that's able to throw you into different scenarios, such as paddling away from a sea monster, fighting gangsters on a train, or getting caught up in an elaborate car chase. As I mentioned before, the music is also an absolute treat that fits right in with what Namco was doing with their games at the time. Whether you play this with or without a light gun, this game is easily one I'd consider essential and a truly underrated PS1 title.