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Starsky and Hutch (PS2, Xbox and PC)

James Paterson
18/ 7/2003

STARSKY and Hutch were big stars in the 70’s, but so was Donny Osmond. Making a comeback onto our gaming screens, should Starsky and Hutch have retired long ago or is this a welcome blast from the past?

The names “Starsky” and “Hutch” might or might not be known to you, based on how long you’ve been around. If you were there in the 70’s, then the pair’s antics should come flooding back along with memories of their questionable clothes. However, for those of us who weren’t present way back when; let me tell you about Starsky and Hutch.

Starsky and Hutch were two wise talking American cops who roamed the streets, undercover, in a brand new bright red sports car (yes, I know but it was the 70’s) bringing law to the lawless. They weren’t alone in fighting the good fight however – the pair had their highly conspicuous informant who went by the name of Huggy Bear.

Thirty years later, they are making a comeback on the PC, Xbox and PS2.

Back on the road

Rather than attempting to make the game look as realistic as other titles such as The Getaway and the Grand Theft Auto series, Starsky and Hutch’s creators have gone for a much more cartoonish look – a nice change from the established norm. However, the movies and cut scenes in game can suffer from this. If a character is talking it would be nice if their mouth moved.

Another thing that makes Starsky and Hutch a different kettle of fish is that the game asks you to perform the roles of both Starsky and Hutch – shooting and driving. It’s not as easy as it sounds. While Starsky battles to keep up with the bad guys, the player also has to time Hutch’s shooting (using a special key) perfectly. This is done with the aid of a small target that zooms in and out of enemy cars. When this target hits the right spot, it turns yellow for a very small amount of time. If the player hits fire at exactly this point, they will damage the enemy. Any earlier or any later the shot will just bounce harmlessly off. Of course, if sharp shooting is not your thing then use Starsky to ram the enemies into buildings, lamp-posts and anything else that looks like it’s not moving. It works surprisingly well.

Ratings Battle

Starsky and Hutch is designed like a television series – each new level is an episode and five or six episodes are grouped together to make seasons. A season usually ends with a chase involving a big baddie that Starsky and Hutch must apprehend to move onto the next season. As part of the television theme, the game doesn’t have a timer ticking down throughout the level and it also doesn’t have a score. Instead, both of these functions are performed by an ‘audience points’ counter. Emphasis is placed on keeping the game exciting for imaginary viewers – players are rewarded for doing exciting things such as powersliding around a corner or jumping clear of the tarmac.

If the audience point total drops to zero it is game over, so it’s important to keep that total high. As well as performing exciting moves, audience points can be gained by getting Hutch to shoot targets located above ground level as Starsky drives past. Various other pickups can be gained this way, like the siren which stops the audience points from dropping whilst it’s in use. There is also a double damage modifier hanging around as well as turbo boosts for that extra bit of speed when it’s most needed.

Starsky and Hutch are, as befits partners, best of friends and talk to each other during the mission about various things, from Hutch’s shooting to Starsky’s social life. It’s a good idea in theory, however after hearing Starsky yell “Nice shooting, partner!” for what felt like the hundredth time it really can grate on your nerves. In the same vein hearing Hutch call Starsky “Starsk” will become the bane of your existence. How hard can it be to add a “y” to the end of the name, anyway?

Are we there yet?

For all of the innovation in the game Starsky and Hutch soon becomes a repetitive affair. There is very little to distinguish each mission from the next and it degenerates into “chase and shoot” over and over again. Even changing into Hutch’s off duty (and as a consequence much slower car) doesn’t change much; the bad guys are just harder to catch.

The two-player mode is a bit more fun. In this mode one player becomes Starsky doing the driving and the other player (using a light gun if you have one, a nice touch) plays Hutch and does the shooting. When playing this mode it feels very much how the game is supposed to – co-operation between the two partners and the chance to kick some nasty bad man butt while you’re at it. Whether it is worth buying a game simply for the two-player mode is up to you and your bank manager.

I wouldn’t suggest purchasing one of the cardigans Starsky wears in the game however; I don’t think it’s that fashionable just yet.

The feature film currently in production could change that, but with Ben Stiller as Starsky? I think I’ll wait for the Happy Days movie and the game tie-in to come out – the Fonz had much cooler clothes.

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