It’s quite an ego hit for an arcade machine to tell you you’re not compatible with yourself. But then Let’s Go Jungle!: Lost on the Island of Spice is an odd duck of a game, combining a relationship test with fighting off legions of giant bugs on a tropical island.
This is about as basic an arcade shooter as you can get, consisting of two mounted guns and a single button for interactive sequences. There’s no reloading, you can jam down the triggers the entire game, and the game asks little more from the player than moving a cursor around the screen and prioritizing enemies. Later on there’s a brief slingshot sequence that forces you to aim a little more carefully, but it’s over almost as soon as it’s begun.
Let’s Go Jungle!s ubiquity suggests something went right with this game design and the shallow yet satisfying gameplay is perfect for the casual player, with a single credit enough to see you through the first stage and get a peek at the second.
But weaving a relationship test into the bug-blasting action is a stroke of genius. Most of these are QTEs that ask two players to hit a button in sync or move the guns in the same direction at the same time, though bonuses for synchronising your fire suggest it’s analysing how you play as well.
Unfortunately, I was playing with… myself. As the machine (in Croydon’s Heart of Gaming) was on free play I dual-wielded both guns at once, because when money’s not an option why the hell not? Despite racking up some sync bonuses my relationship with myself was found to be subpar and as the credits rolled the cabinet casually informed me that I should probably stay in the friend zone.
Oof. Thanks, Sega.
Given that this launched in 2006 and is an entirely original IP I’m surprised it didn’t join Sega’s Ghost Squad, GunBlade NY, and LA Machineguns by getting a Wii port. Sure it can be beaten in 30 minutes without much trouble, but tack a few bonus modes on top and it feels like a natural money-spinner for Sega.
I’ve often fantasised about a VR Sega arcade collection featuring some of their lost arcade treasures. Recreating Let’s Go Jungle! as a virtual cabinet (along with stuff like The House of the Dead series, Virtua Cop, The Ocean Hunter, Golden Gun, and Vampire Night) would be a great way to preserve the arcade experience without having to rely on the chance of finding them in the wild and then contending with decades-old hardware.
C’mon Meta, toss some money Sega’s way and let’s let the 90s and 2000s light-gun boom find a new home in VR!
Pixel Hunted 