<s>
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
is	O
a	O
light	B-Device
gun	I-Device
arcade	O
game	O
released	O
by	O
Atari	O
Games	O
in	O
1995	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
takes	O
its	O
name	O
from	O
the	O
military	B-Application
facility	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
plot	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
involves	O
the	O
player	O
taking	O
part	O
in	O
a	O
Strategic	O
Tactical	O
Advanced	O
Alien	O
Response	O
(	O
STAAR	O
)	O
military	O
incursion	O
to	O
prevent	O
aliens	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Kronn	O
,	O
and	O
alien-created	O
zombies	O
from	O
taking	O
over	O
the	O
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
military	B-Application
facility	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Produced	O
as	O
a	O
last-ditch	O
effort	O
to	O
reverse	O
Atari	O
's	O
struggling	O
fortunes	O
,	O
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
largely	O
underwhelmed	O
critics	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
well-liked	O
by	O
players	O
and	O
became	O
a	O
major	O
hit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
and	O
personal	B-Device
computers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Atari	O
further	O
capitalized	O
on	O
its	O
success	O
with	O
Maximum	B-Application
Force	I-Application
,	O
which	O
used	O
the	O
same	O
arcade	O
board	O
and	O
similar	O
graphics	O
techniques	O
and	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
direct	O
sequel	O
,	O
Area	B-Application
51	I-Application
:	I-Application
Site	I-Application
4	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
character	O
is	O
tasked	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
fellow	O
Special	O
Tactical	O
Advanced	O
Alien	O
Response	O
(	O
STAAR	O
)	O
members	O
Lieutenant	O
Stephanie	O
Grant	O
and	O
Sergeant	O
Major	O
Marcus	O
Bradley	O
,	O
to	O
penetrate	O
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
and	O
activate	O
the	O
nuclear	O
self-destruct	O
sequence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
such	O
,	O
they	O
directed	O
Ed	O
Logg	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
light	B-Device
gun	I-Device
shooter	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
game	O
genres	O
in	O
arcades	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Weatherby	O
received	O
the	O
inspiration	O
for	O
the	O
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
concept	O
from	O
an	O
article	O
in	O
Popular	O
Science	O
called	O
"	O
Searching	O
for	O
the	O
Secrets	O
of	O
Groom	O
Lake	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
the	O
data	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
streamed	O
from	O
a	O
CD	O
player	O
using	O
Cinepak	B-Algorithm
for	O
compression	O
,	O
but	O
since	O
this	O
could	O
only	O
produce	O
a	O
letterboxed	O
display	O
,	O
lead	O
programmer	O
Charlie	O
Grisafi	O
opted	O
to	O
instead	O
run	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
a	O
COJAG	O
(	O
a	O
modified	O
Atari	B-Device
Jaguar	I-Device
used	O
in	O
arcade	O
games	O
)	O
interfaced	O
with	O
a	O
hard	B-Device
disk	I-Device
drive	I-Device
and	O
using	O
Grisafi	O
's	O
own	O
custom	O
compression	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
uses	O
digitized	O
video	O
stored	O
on	O
the	O
on-board	O
hard	B-Device
disk	I-Device
,	O
and	O
gibs	O
into	O
which	O
every	O
enemy	O
blows	O
apart	O
when	O
shot	O
,	O
in	O
exactly	O
the	O
same	O
way	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
STAAR	O
members	O
were	O
rendered	O
with	O
motion	B-Application
capture	I-Application
,	O
the	O
assorted	O
enemies	O
were	O
created	O
with	O
stop	O
motion	O
animation	O
by	O
Sneaky	O
Pete	O
Kleinow	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	B-Application
,	O
Atari	O
Games	O
and	O
Mesa	O
Logic	O
released	O
Maximum	B-Application
Force	I-Application
,	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
with	O
identical	O
gameplay	O
and	O
aesthetic	O
elements	O
;	O
both	O
games	O
were	O
later	O
re-released	O
in	O
1998	O
as	O
one	O
machine	O
called	O
Area	O
51/Maximum	O
Force	O
Duo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
in	O
1998	O
,	O
an	O
arcade	O
sequel	O
titled	O
Area	B-Application
51	I-Application
:	I-Application
Site	I-Application
4	I-Application
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2005	O
,	O
a	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
which	B-Device
shares	I-Device
the	I-Device
name	I-Device
and	O
uses	O
the	O
original	O
as	O
an	O
inspiration	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
PC	O
by	O
Midway	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
Midway	O
released	O
BlackSite	B-Application
:	I-Application
Area	I-Application
51	I-Application
to	O
PC	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
was	O
received	O
poorly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Saturn	B-Device
,	O
and	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
in	O
2001	O
by	O
Midway	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
their	O
Midway	O
Classics	O
range	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tiger	O
Electronics	O
later	O
released	O
a	O
handheld	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
an	O
LCD	B-Device
screen	I-Device
and	O
small	O
light	B-Device
gun	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
supports	O
fullscreen	O
play	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
has	O
a	O
border	O
covering	O
about	O
15%	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
supports	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
light	B-Device
guns	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
supports	O
the	O
Konami	B-Device
Justifier	I-Device
,	O
but	O
not	O
the	O
Namco	O
GunCon	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
arcade	O
version	O
running	O
on	O
a	O
modified	O
Atari	B-Device
Jaguar	I-Device
,	O
it	O
was	O
never	O
ported	O
on	O
to	O
the	O
system	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Atari	O
Games	O
,	O
by	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
Area	B-Device
51s	I-Device
release	O
the	O
company	O
no	O
longer	O
saw	O
the	O
Jaguar	B-Device
as	O
a	O
viable	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
was	O
a	O
major	O
hit	O
in	O
the	O
arcades	O
,	O
selling	O
over	O
20,000	O
cabinets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Executive	O
producer	O
Mark	O
Pierce	O
recalled	O
that	O
the	O
home	O
versions	O
had	O
above	O
average	O
sales	O
by	O
the	O
standards	O
of	O
console	O
light	B-Device
gun	I-Device
games	O
(	O
which	O
typically	O
did	O
not	O
sell	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
other	O
arcade	O
ports	O
,	O
since	O
players	O
could	O
not	O
get	O
the	O
full	O
experience	O
without	O
purchasing	O
a	O
light	B-Device
gun	I-Device
for	O
the	O
console	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generations	O
review	O
of	O
the	O
arcade	O
version	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
provides	O
shooters	O
with	O
what	O
they	O
want	O
"	O
,	O
noting	O
in	O
particular	O
the	O
dark	O
and	O
varied	O
levels	O
,	O
realistic	O
and	O
graduated	O
scenery	O
,	O
intriguing	O
story	O
themes	O
,	O
and	O
fun	O
power-ups	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
this	O
,	O
the	O
reviewer	O
concluded	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
stands	O
up	O
better	O
against	O
shooters	O
of	O
the	O
past	O
like	O
Virtua	B-Language
Cop	I-Language
1	I-Language
and	O
Mad	B-Application
Dog	I-Application
McCree	I-Application
,	O
and	O
not	O
the	O
current	O
crop.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
took	O
the	O
number	O
one	O
slot	O
in	O
the	O
December	O
1995	B-Application
"	O
Player	O
's	O
Choice	O
"	O
chart	O
of	O
RePlay	O
Magazine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Saturn	B-Device
port	O
received	O
middling	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
typically	O
commented	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
good	O
fun	O
on	O
its	O
own	O
terms	O
but	O
does	O
not	O
compare	O
well	O
to	O
Virtua	B-Application
Cop	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
at	O
roughly	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphics	O
received	O
mixed	O
remarks	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
graininess	O
of	O
the	O
FMV	O
and	O
the	O
presence	O
of	O
screen	O
borders	O
,	O
and	O
like	O
most	O
console	O
light	B-Device
gun	I-Device
games	O
it	O
was	O
criticized	O
as	O
having	O
very	O
low	O
longevity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lee	O
Nutter	O
summarized	O
in	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazine	O
,	O
"	O
As	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
ups	O
go	O
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
is	O
not	O
a	O
bad	O
effort	O
,	O
but	O
outclassed	O
by	O
the	O
 [ Virtua ] 	O
Cop	O
games	O
in	O
every	O
conceivable	O
way.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
gave	O
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
one	O
of	O
its	O
more	O
positive	O
reviews	O
,	O
praising	O
its	O
frenzied	O
pace	O
and	O
concluding	O
,	O
"	O
Area	B-Device
51s	I-Device
sizzling	O
action	O
easily	O
overcomes	O
its	O
sizable	O
flaws	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
1998	O
review	O
of	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
,	O
IGN	O
,	O
while	O
remarking	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
lacks	O
sufficient	O
playtime	O
or	O
extras	O
to	O
last	O
long	O
and	O
does	O
not	O
measure	O
up	O
to	O
Virtua	B-Application
Cop	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
found	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
well-designed	O
and	O
fun	O
experience	O
in	O
both	O
single	O
player	O
and	O
two-player	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bauman	O
called	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
repetitive	O
and	O
boring	O
"	O
because	O
of	O
its	O
lack	O
of	O
the	O
arcade	O
version	O
's	O
light	B-Device
gun	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
was	O
largely	O
ignored	O
by	O
contemporary	O
reviewers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Next	O
Generation	O
reviewer	O
criticized	O
the	O
conversion	O
,	O
but	O
mainly	O
emphasized	O
that	O
Area	B-Device
51	I-Device
as	O
a	O
1997	B-Application
console	O
game	O
lacked	O
the	O
excitement	O
it	O
had	O
aroused	O
as	O
an	O
arcade	O
game	O
in	O
1995	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Anthony	O
Baize	O
of	O
AllGame	O
called	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
"	O
very	O
exciting.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
AllGame	O
praised	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
's	O
music	O
and	O
sound	O
,	O
and	O
recommended	O
that	O
players	O
use	O
a	O
light	B-Device
gun	I-Device
instead	O
of	O
a	O
joypad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
AllGame	O
also	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
were	O
,	O
"	O
Not	O
as	O
crisp	O
as	O
the	O
PS	O
and	O
PC	O
versions	O
but	O
good	O
for	O
the	O
Saturn.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2001	O
,	O
Stephen	O
Fulljames	O
of	O
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
reviewed	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
and	O
wrote	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
plays	O
as	O
if	O
it	O
's	O
on	O
rails	O
-	O
the	O
pre-rendered	O
environments	O
offering	O
a	O
totally	O
predictable	O
environment	O
.	O
</s>
