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It’s difficult to convey the popularity of Lethal Enforcers in 1990s arcades. Wherever there was a congregation of coin operated games, one could almost certainly find the alluring 1992 Konami light gun classic (or its 1994 sequel, Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters). The groundbreaking series allows the player to assume the role of a trigger happy police officer, blasting their way through waves of dangerous criminals while avoiding killing innocent civilians. With its eye-catching graphics and fast-paced aim-and-shoot action, the cabinet was like an inviting beacon, somehow cutting through the lights and noise of a bustling arcade. Its visuals were composed entirely of photographs and digitized sprites, a technique that wowed game enthusiasts of the time.
Source: Vintage Arcade Superstore | https://www.vintagearcade.net/
Arguably, the main appeal is its unique input hardware – two revolver shaped light guns tethered to the unit by sturdy cables. The satisfying tactility and sleek aesthetics of these guns make them a joy simply to hold. As a youngster, I would often check if the game was vacant even when I was out of quarters just to play a pretend round. Alas, it was nearly always in use, often with a few enthralled spectators cluttering the nearby aisles.
In 1993 Konami decided to further cash in on this popularity by porting the games to SNES, Genesis, and Sega CD. Bundled in with each port of the original game was a home version of the gun, now brazenly named “The Justifier”. A single blue pistol was included in the bundle, and an optional second pink pistol could be purchased via mail order. The second gun daisy chains into the first, allowing a second player to join in on the action.
One of the oddest footnotes in the Justifier’s history is its day in court on December 9, 1993. During a congressional hearing regarding the effects video games have on children, Lethal Enforcers was among a handful of titles being examined as potentially dangerous. Senator Joe Lieberman took the stand with a Konami Justifier in hand, arguing that the game encourages gun violence by rewarding points for each person shot. These meetings ultimately led to the formation of the ESRB and the video game rating system, which is currently in use by both the United States and Canada.
Although designed specifically for Lethal Enforcers, a handful of games from various publishers went on to support the peripheral. A redesigned model was later released for Playstation, pairing perfectly with the 1997 Lethal Enforcers I and II port. This new incarnation allowed the infamous gun to live on another couple of console generations, as there was support for it (albeit mild) all the way into the PS2 era.
