ood ol’ terrorists. They’re always there for the gaming industry, ready to kidnap heads of state while throwing themselves wholesale upon the bullets of elite military units. Ghost Squad dips deeply from this well, providing an entirely unoriginal backstory (with all of the attendant bad English and terrible voiceovers endemic to Japanese writers creating games starring Americans) for its traditional light-gun gameplay. And though this shooting gallery doesn’t throw any surprises at players, tight level design and a surprising amount of variety make it a satisfying trip back to the arcades of yore.

Ghost Squad’s core gameplay, while limited, is executed well. Using a Wii Zapper or similar peripheral dramatically cuts down on the wavering that the remote is generally prone to, and obviously makes the game feel much more natural. The scripted enemy spawns are paced well and present popcorn challenges to the casual crowd, while still offering opportunities to pick up bonus medals and higher scores for nailing secondary targets or chaining headshots and multi-kills.

The small twists on standard light-gun action lend Ghost Squad just enough variety and replayability to keep the on-rails shooting interesting. Selecting a fire mode, unlocking new weapons, and choosing between a handful of paths through each of the three levels are minor things, but nonetheless keep the game from being as shallow as many others of its ilk.

Even so, the amount of content is a bit disappointing. Three levels just aren’t enough nowadays, despite a handful of variations on each. The fact that they play out exactly the same way every time doesn’t help, either. Playing through solo or with a buddy is definitely worth an afternoon, though, regardless of the game’s relatively short legs.