Fun sniping game and probably one of the only few sniping light gun games around outside the Silent Scope series. Golgo 13 puts the player as the titular character himself in a variety of levels based on the manga.

One of the most notable qualities right from the start is the presentation, making good use of actual manga panels and adding in sound effects, camera pans, and cuts to evoke a stylish way of delivering bite-sized pieces of the narrative.

Each level takes place in a unique environment with a different target, with each having varying conditions including non-lethal methods and non-human targets. Score is awarded based on how close the player is able to hit the target on the indicated spot. The levels are also short and quick, lasting only around 5-10 seconds, with most even only allowing the player a single shot to execute the target.

The game manages to create a good variety of challenges with its straightforward premise, if you're not just shooting heads, you're doing precise shots on stiletto heels to make something look like a falling accident, or shooting a noose to save someone from an execution.

Some levels feel like breathers in-between, being pretty straightforward before pushing the player into more intensive scenarios. The pacing overall is enjoyable, but I feel like the variety of the targets starts to fade halfway through, with a lot of stationary targets that are easy to pick off filling in almost half of the levels.

Despite that, Golgo 13 still does offer an intense and enjoyable sniping game experience. I'd even go as far as to say it manages to create a more interesting experience than the original Silent Scope, and all in all feels like a faithful and stylish adaptation of the manga it's based on.

I also just want to note something neat, the original machine's scope is an actual sniping scope rather than a separate screen inside the rifle's scope. With the game's main screen zooming in automatically based on a proximity sensor.

A definite improvement over the first game. There's less filler, with this one taking the best levels from the first one and mixing them up with new ones introduced here.

There's a lot more variety in general, ranging from stopping an elevator by shooting a bomb on it, blowing up a tank by shooting at its barrel to stopping a rally car during a race. The difficulty is a lot more intense this time around as well, to the point it uses the last level from the first game as a halfway point here.

It modifies the original levels just enough as well so that it doesn't feel like they were just directly recycled. The pacing overall is a lot more intense and dynamic. The final boss is genuinely really challenging as well.

Enjoyed quite a bit just improving my accuracy and score here. I think the first game is still worth playing, but if you have to play at least one of the games from this series, this one is definitely what you want to go for.

Boogie Wings is the kind of game where it exudes so much charm and fun, its shortcomings are rarely felt throughout it all.

The first minute may give an impression that it's just your typical horizontal shmup with only the wacky early 1900s ragtime theming setting itself apart from other shooters. But then soon enough you'll come to notice that the plane you pilot has a hook that can grab anything to be freely swung and tossed around. Once you get shot down the first time too, you'll also realize it's not a life loss yet, as your pilot is now on-foot comically running with his pistol, being able to pilot new vehicles as they come along.

These surprises keep coming along, as you get to ride on-ground vehicles from typical ones such as tanks and motorcycles to more outlandish things such as robots and animals.

This variety extends to the levels themselves, each with its own theme built around them. From a Christmas-filled city, a spooky Halloween town to a large theme park and museum. You're never really doing the same thing twice too since each level will force you onto a gimmick with its own set of vehicles and enemies. A particular highlight comes in the form of raiding an airship, where the game feels more akin to a 2D action sidescroller.

Boogie Wings is far from perfect, suffering from a lack of polish with its mechanics and the length of the levels themselves feeling a tad bit too long. But the sheer variety of stuff and charming presentation makes it hard to dislike.

This is also one of the few shmups I feel like where it actually is more fun to play without autofire. It's nicely balanced for tapping gameplay, with rapid tapping enabling a more powerful version of your shot that captures a wide area and kills enemies quickly. You can elect for autofire as you wish especially if you're trying to be efficient with clearing the game, but it's definitely balanced without it especially since part of the fun is having your vehicle destroyed and hijacking another.

Boogie Wings is rough around the edges, but it also offers a highly enjoyable time where it's easy to just smile and laugh throughout its whimsical presentation. I highly recommend it especially if you can get a friend to tag along with you. Something like Fightcade actually supports this game quite nicely from personal experience.