This game persuaded me to actually use a PC, so you know I must really like it. I was forced to use a dreaded Windoze box since the only emulator capable of running ESWAT is System 16, which as you probably know if available solely for the peecee.
I don't think I've ever met anybody else who can remember ESWAT, and I can only remember seeing it at the 7-11 by my parents' house. Looking back, that place had some kick ass games: Superman, NARC, Bad Dudes, Rastan (Actually it was the rarer version, Nastar Warrior), Robocop, Dr. Dude & His Excellent Ray... Oh those were the days...
Well if you're looking for innovation or originality, ESWAT will probably not appeal to you very much. But if you are just looking for a kick ass platformer then you might enjoy giving it a spin. It's your standard platform / shooter game, not unlike Robocop or Shinobi. Jump around and shoot bad guys, you know the drill.
My favorite part of ESWAT is the Altered Beast-like power up system. As you advance through the stages, you gain rank. At first you are a lowly sergeant and have only a wimpy revolver and uniform to protect you. But by the time you get to the 4th stage or so, you get a big power-armor type contraption with a machne gun to blast the criminals with. It eats up your ammo pretty fast, but it's worth it. It's not as much fun as blowing up thugs with a rocket grenade in NARC, but it's close. No flaming limbs raining from the sky, but they do crumple up and die nicely...
One thing I would steer clear of is the Sega Master System conversion of ESWAT. *puke* The only really good parts of the game, namely the graphics and gameplay, are totally butchered to make it fit on a tiny cart with an 8 bit pallette, plus it's next to impossible to even complete the first level.
Again, us Mac users are left out in the cold on this one... You'll need System 16 to run this, the MacMAME driver doesn't work : ( I'm forced to use the Windoze machines at work...

The brave ESWAT cops fight the bad guys in front of "Pop Queen"!