Bad Boys II: Exclusive interview!

"Bad boys," sang Wham's George Michael in the 1982 hit of the same name, "stick together, never sad boys". Wise words, though we'll concede that George probably wasn't thinking of the videogame spin-off of a brash, fast-talking cop-buddy movie when he penned that particular lyrical couplet.

No matter. Developer Blitz Games has fashioned a wondrously violent arcade-adventure from the raw material of last year's wondrously violent Will Smith movie Bad Boys II.

We tracked down assistant project manager John Jarvis and quoted strange and inappropriate eighties boy band-based lyrics at the poor, bewildered fellow until he capitulated and agreed to answer our questions.

How does Bad Boys II fit into the action from the movie?

Jarvis: Bad Boys II takes up the action after the end of the second film. Tapia, the bad guy in the film, was actually part of a larger crime network and in the game it's your job (playing as Mike and Marcus) to take this network down.

What does it add to the game to be able to play as either of the two lead characters? And can you switch between the two players at will, or does the game decide?

Jarvis: Well, the film is all about the interaction between the two main characters so we had to include that as part of our game. The 'trash talk' system we implemented is one of the ways we tried to keep the Bad Boys dynamic. This injects masses of different dialogue and banter between Mike and Marcus that's different depending on how you go through the level or what you shoot, etc.

As for control, you alternate between controlling Marcus and Mike. For stages where both characters are present, we have AI routines that will control your partner.

So what kind of gameplay can we expect from the title? Is this mainly an action title, in keeping with the film, or are there also puzzles to solve?

Jarvis: For the most part it's a third-person action shooter (we do have some first-person elements too). The player, as Mike or Marcus, has to investigate a gangland attack and gradually you find the clues to a larger organization, which you have to take down, Bad Boys-style.

We hear some of the scenery is destructible - could you explain how far you go with this?

Jarvis: Almost everything you can see you can shoot and destroy. This includes cars, boats, windows, sofas, alarms, computers and much more. Basically, the player should try shooting everything - you'll be pleasantly surprised how much blows up!

What kind of cool weaponry can you use?

Jarvis: We have an arsenal of sub-machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, grenades and the like. There are some surprises in store too, which we would rather not spoil!

Could you explain the "Bad Boy" rating system?

Jarvis: The Bad Boys rating system rewards different ways of playing through the game. Different cool cheats are unlocked depending on your rating - if you play through the game arresting the enemies and not destroying scenery you will be a 'good cop'. However, executing bad guys and blowing everything up will bring a 'Bad Boy' rating your way.

Different cheats are unlocked for being good than those for being bad, so it rewards both styles of play and promotes replays to get the other rating and access the other cool cheat.

I guess the appeal to fans of the movie is obvious, but why should other gamers be excited about this title?

Jarvis: Well, too many games these days try to introduce so many new and exciting gameplay elements, or borrow from big sellers and actually produce a poor substitute. What we have tried to do in the time we were given was to produce a fun game, not try and shoehorn in disparate gameplay styles or re-invent the wheel.

We have taken some old-school dynamics and turned them into a fun game to play that puts a smile on your face whether you are a fan of the film or not.

Bad boys II is published by Empire on GameCube, PS2 and Xbox and PC from February 23.