Dead Connection

Nintendo console exclusive

Dead Connection is an arcade game released by Taito in 1992. The game takes place on September 5, 1953 "in a big city somewhere".

Released: 1992
Platforms: Arcade Nintendo Switch
Genres: Shoot 'em up Shooter
Developers: Taito
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action
Country: Japan

About

Dead Connection is a 1992 multidirectional shooter video game developed and published by Taito for arcades. It was only released in Japan in August 1988. The game takes place on September 5, 1953 "in a big city somewhere". It features a group of detectives who set out to fight a crime family.

The game has a strong film noir vibe, shown through the appearance of the detectives and the featuring of a female protagonist. Each stage is preceded by a short cinematic interlude that explains the transition between the game's different locales. Hamster Corporation released the game outside Japan for the first time as part of their Arcade Archives series for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in February 2025.

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

When the player moves their character to within arm's length of an enemy, the shoot button triggers a melee attack. The player can also lie prone to evade gunfire, and perform a diving somersault in order to quickly take cover behind tables, plants, pillars, statues, and other fixtures. Instead of using scrolling each stage takes place against a non-moving but richly detailed backdrop—beginning with the lavish interior of a posh hotel. Most of the environment is destructible and the scenery becomes visibly degraded by bullet holes throughout the prolonged firefights.