Maximum Force

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1997 arcade game

title: "Maximum Force" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1997-video-games", "arcade-video-games", "atari-arcade-games", "midway-video-games", "light-gun-games", "playstation-(console)-games", "rail-shooters", "sega-saturn-games", "windows-games", "video-games-about-terrorism", "video-games-developed-in-the-united-states", "video-games-with-digitized-sprites", "video-games-with-pre-rendered-3d-graphics", "cooperative-video-games", "tantalus-media-games", "multiplayer-and-single-player-video-games", "perfect-entertainment-games", "mesa-logic-games"] description: "1997 arcade game" topic_path: "technology/operating-systems" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_Force" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1997 arcade game ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox video game"]

Field	Value
title	Maximum Force
image	MaximumForce1997ArcadeFlyer.png
caption	North American arcade flyer
developer
publisher
producer	Rob Rowe
designer	Robert Weatherby
programmer	Charlie Grisafi
David G. Mahaffey
artist	Guy Fumagalli, James Webb
composer	John Paul
platforms	Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Windows
released
genre	Light gun shooter
modes	Single-player, multiplayer
arcade system	COJAG
::

Maximum Force is a light gun shooter arcade game developed by Mesa Logic for Atari Games in 1997. In 1998, Atari Games re-released the game as part of one machine called Area 51/Maximum Force Duo that also included Area 51, and later ported the game to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

Like its predecessor Area 51, Maximum Force uses digitized video stored on an on-board hard disk, and red gibs into which every enemy blows apart when shot, in exactly the same way. While enemies, innocents, and explosions are 2D digitized video sprites, the levels and vehicles are pre-rendered in 3D.

Released into markets increasingly dominated by games with polygon graphics, Maximum Force was a critical failure, with many citing generic and dated gameplay, unrealistic death animations, and short length, but a commercial success.

Gameplay

The player(s) play the role of an unnamed counter-terrorist agent who engages in three major combat zones: a cargo ship at a dock, a large bank, and a jungle. The first two zones can be played in any order. These areas are under siege by terrorists and the player must kill the terrorists before they take aim and fire at the player character. Shooting hostages or getting shot by terrorists causes the player to lose lives. After four hits are taken, the player must refill their credits or the game is over. Players can have a maximum of seven lives in the home versions.

There are several power-ups in the game, such as rapid-fire mode (which is indicated by a spinning assault rifle bullet) for the player's gun or a powerful single-shot mode (which is indicated by a spinning shotgun shell). Shooting windows, barrels, cars, and other objects increases the player's score. Like in Area 51, shooting certain objects in an area will transport the player to a secret bonus zone, most often a shooting exercise, for extra points.

Development

The game made its world debut on January 21, 1997 at the Amusement Trades Exhibition International show in London.

Reception

Maximum Force was a moderate success in arcades.

Reviewing the arcade version, Next Generation said that the game "puts a new face on the same old game, and while it's tempting to say that it gets away with it, in the end, it really just doesn't."

The home console versions also met with mediocre reviews. Critics overwhelmingly remarked that digitized light gun shooting was overfamiliar or even outdated, though some added that Maximum Force was superior to most games in that style, including Area 51. In particular, they praised the sound effects and the smoothly animated video with natural-feeling transitions between locations. Sega Saturn Magazine elaborated, "The video backgrounds move very smoothly, and the baddies actually seem to fit in with the rest of the graphics, rather than looking as if they've been stuck in as an afterthought. The only problem with having this graphics system is the way the enemies are killed - the big splodge of red cartoon blood ..."

However, many critics also remarked that the 30-minute length, while decent by arcade standards, was unacceptably short for a home console game,

Notes

References

GameSpot staff. (9 October 1997). "VideoGameSpot Game Calendar [date mislabeled as "April 26, 2000"]". [[Red Ventures]].
"Area 51/Maximum Force Duo".
Webb, Marcus. (May 1997). "Arcadia". [[Future US.
(December 1997). "Preview: Maximum Force". [[Emap International Limited]].
(March 1997). "ATEI London Show". [[Ziff Davis]].
"Maximum Force for PlayStation". [[CBS Interactive]].
Ham, Tom. (12 December 1997). "Maximum Force". [[CNET]].
Gia. (December 1997). "Maximum Force (PS)".
(November 1997). "Review Crew". [[Ziff Davis.
(October 1997). "Maximum Force (PS, Saturn)". [[FuncoLand]].
Gerstmann, Jeff. "Maximum Force Review". [[CBS Interactive]].
Gerstmann, Jeff. "Maximum Force Review". [[CBS Interactive]].
(September 25, 1997). "Maximum Force Review".
(August 1997). "Maximum Force". [[Imagine Media]].
Mollohan, Gary. (November 1997). "Maximum Force". [[Ziff Davis]].
Bickham, Jes. (July 1998). "Maximum Force". [[Future Publishing]].
Harris, Ian. (June 1998). "Maximum Force". [[Dennis Publishing]].
Cutlack, Gary. (January 1998). "Review: Maximum Force". [[Ascential.
(November 1997). "NG Alphas: Atari Comes Alive". [[Imagine Media]].
Full-On Ferret. (November 1997). "Maximum Force (PS)". [[International Data Group.

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