Having been a product of the 1980s my knowledge of all things 70s has always come from movies and DVDs of recently released television shows of that particular era.  What are my favorites?  Buddy cop shows like Starsky & Hutch.  I mean, what’s not to like about two sly undercover cops driving around in a super cool Ford Gran Torino and laying down the law to some super groovy soundtrack that’s as funky as Huggy Bear’s wardrobe.  So when a video game was announced, I couldn’t help but think one thing: if the game is as hip as the television show then GameCube gamers are in for one hell of a ride.

Based more on the television show than the recent 2004 theatrical release starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, this Starsky & Hutch pays homage to the original cast that was David Soul, Paul Michael Glaser and the always great Antonio Fargas.  All the classic elements are present and accounted for in this driving-and-shooting game with two interesting and original concepts: one that the game plays like a television show and the other that it allows one gamer to drive while the other concentrates on shooting.  The game’s main mode of playing, Story Mode, follows undercover cops Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson and Dave Starsky as they drive--and shoot--through massive Bay City and uncovering a stolen car ring (with the help of informant/pimp friend Huggy Bear).   The game is separated into three seasons with six episodes (or levels) each and the game makes you go through each level with an eye towards each episode’s viewer ratings.  That’s pretty original, but this concept also tends to get in the way of the action . . . but we’ll get into that a little later.

The first few missions, or episodes, have you chasing down suspect vehicles in the slick orange Gran Torino that’s as powerful and as fast as you’d expect that muscle car to handle.  You’ll have the obvious primary objective to complete but the game also tosses a secondary objective that has you either ramming specific objects (boxes, crates, etc.) or shooting them.  You’ll even do some collecting since there are items scattered throughout parts of Bay City that unlock loads of groovy extras such as new cars to use in Free Roam Mode.  Free Roam Mode’s title speaks for itself only you’re being timed so you’re not exactly “free” to roam as long as you want).  Still, it’s all about the driving and shooting and Starsky & Hutch has plenty of both.

Bay City is a massive city (it has a Downtown, Central, Ocean and dockside) that isn’t quite as bustling with life as in the Grand Theft Auto games but you’ll find loads of pedestrians and a fully functional traffic light signals and, of course, traffic.  While you don’t have a lot of interaction with much of the city aside from the various fender-benders with oncoming traffic and occasionally driving through a store’s window.  Your partner can shoot the traffic light signal when you want a green light right away or shoot a signal that lowers and raises bridge.  You’ll also be able to shoot some power-up icons to give you a much-needed boost, gain new weapons (various pistols and shotguns) and to raise the viewer ratings. 

Remember how I said the viewer ratings can get in the way of the action?  Well if you allow the viewer ratings to drop, you fail the mission and thus have to start over again.  It just complicates things just a tad since it’s not easy attempting to bring down suspect vehicles before they get away.  Some of the more challenging missions can be a bit more challenging thanks to the viewer ratings and this takes away from the enjoyment you get from completing later missions.  The later missions have you protecting certain vehicles (such as the mission that has you protecting the Senator) or hunting down a vehicle that has a mad bomber throwing explosives out the window.

The missions aren’t varied and this is just one of the many reasons the game isn’t as hip as it could have been.  Sure there are a large number of secondary objectives to complete but after a while you’ll quickly see that it simply just follows the same repetitious pattern.  The driving aspect of the game isn’t bad although some of the vehicles you do get to drive are a bit on the clunky side.  Shooting, on the other hand, is somewhat trickier and just a little frustrating.  You have to really position the car towards the icon you want to shoot since you can’t really switch targets on the fly.  Unfortunately the GameCube version only supports a compatible steering wheel (the Logitech brand does the trick nicely).  The PS2 version gets Light Gun support, which makes shooting all the more fun.  Playing this one with a friend co-op style might remedy some of the aiming issues but not by very much.

Graphically speaking, Starsky & Hutch has quite a unique look when it comes to the cut sequences.  They’re not quite cel-shaded and not exactly animated but they-- interestingly enough--are good at rendering each character enough that they resemble the original actors somewhat.  The streets of Bay City have pedestrians and traffic with various different vehicle types (the Gran Torino is just so very fly in motion).  Still, there are times when the game really slows down and there are moments when the car seems to faze into the side of a wall.  The effects aren’t too bad and watching the cars smash into each another looks pretty great to me.

As for the sound, the game pays tribute to the show’s main theme music . . . repeatedly.  You’ll be hearing it through a good portion of the game, although there are also a number of funky instrumental tunes as well.  And while you’ll hear both Starsky and Hutch throughout, what they say can get pretty old pretty fast.  Still, it’s great to hear actor Antonio Fargas slip back into his sly Huggy Bear routine--his jive is so cool it makes Starsky and Hutch seem so square.  There are also some great sound effects of wheels skidding on pavement, gunfire and explosions.

Starsky & Hutch has a number of fun moments but then again it lacks the easy-to-get-into controls and mission variety that would have made this an amazing driving and shooting action game.  The slew of unlockable goodies are great, so is the ability to use a compatible steering wheel but it’s the co-op action that will thrill gamers the most.  Yet compared to the PS2 version, the GameCube version lacks enough things to put this version at the very bottom.  At least the game is priced just right so those gamers interested in something completely different will be able to afford checking it out.  

Gameplay: 5.5
The driving and shooting found in Starsky & Hutch would have been a dream come true but thanks to the awkwardness of the controls for the shooting side of it you’ll be frustrated if you’re playing this as a single player experience.  The missions can also become really repetitive and that’s too bad since there are a small number of missions that really kick asphalt.

Graphics: 6.5
Not the prettiest GameCube game, Starsky & Hutch has quite an original look.  The cut scenes are stylized and the characters look like caricatures of the actors.  During the action, the city is filled with flashy signs and plenty of pedestrians but it still lacks that spark of life that you see in the recent Grand Theft Auto games and, to an extent, DRIV3R.  The explosions are cool and so are most of the cars.

Sound: 7.0
Huggy Bear’s jive is even cooler in video game form and he’s a delight to hear.  Our favorite cops, though, sound just as cool but sadly much of what they say during the chase is often repeated.  And speaking of repetition, the show’s main theme is repeated often in the game as well but thanks to some other cool instrumental tunes the game will make you want to wear bellbottoms.  The sound effects are also cool.

Difficulty: Medium
You’ll race across the semi-crowded streets of Bay City and go up against a number of deranged scumbags that drive and shoot just as erratically.  The challenge is in keeping the viewer ratings up and to stop the enemies from escaping.  Sometimes you’ll even have to stop multiple vehicles and trust me when I say that this is when the game really gets your adrenalin pumping.

Concept: 6.0
The game has a large number of unlockable goodies and they come in the form of new muscle cars to peel out in during Free Roam Mode as well as TV Specials Mode that has a racing, shooting and stunts skills test.  You’ll also be able to check out Antonio Fargas interviews and a photo gallery filled with pictures of the show’s stars.  And a driving game that allows the use of a steering wheel is big plus in my book.

Multiplayer: 6.0
You and a friend can take up the role of Starsky or Hutch with one of them being the driver and the other the one that gets to lean out of the car’s window and shooting away.  This is a brilliant concept alright and its executed well enough but due to the game pretty awful controls, your trigger-happy buddy will feel really frustrated that he or she can’t shoot at the target he or she wants.

Overall: 5.7
Even two cool cat main characters aren’t enough to save Starsky & Hutch from being something of a disappointment to GameCube owners.  Still, with plenty of unlockable goodies and some pretty decent levels that show some creativity, you can’t go wrong with a rental.