 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gunstar Heroes |
|
|
Home |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Platform: Genesis
Release Date: 1993
Players: 1-2 |
|
|
|
Those evil dictators always seem to get in the way and this time one has come along and brainwashed your brother Green! As the sole defenders of the planet Gunstar 9, Red and Blue (nice names huh?) are sent out to defeated the evil Colonol Red before he gets all the treasure gems and takes over the world! |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
A typical day at work for Red. |
|
|
|
Gunstar Heroes is in many ways the type of game a typical Genesis gamer liked back in the 90s. It is a fast paced run and gun game with explosions and enemies everywhere. What is missing though, thankfully, is the lack of the one hit kill deaths so common in games like Contra and Space Harrier. Instead of that there is a "vitality" number on the top of the screen that goes down whenever a bullet hits you, and yes bullets and enemies swarm the screen in ungodly numbers. Gunstar Heroes is the definition of the run and gun sub-genre of action games, enemies almost never stop jumping onscreen and the only way to stay alive is to keep moving. The never ending sense of chaos really gives Gunstar a more frantic feel and is a reason why it has so many fans today. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
How do these tribal villages get the technology? |
|
|
|
If I had to describe Gunstar Heroes in one phrase it would be Megaman meets Contra. The stages are all chosen by your order in the beginning and there is a great deal of weapon customization to be had. There are two slots and there are 4 weapon types to be mixed for a total of 20 possible combonations for massive kill counts. Each stage has a special gimmick that changes up how they are played. The first level is set in a jungle area and is your typical running and gunning with a few quirks here and there such as the giant pyramid. The 2nd level though is much different and takes place in a mine shaft with Red and Blue on carts traveling at high speeds through zig zagging tunnels. Of course what action game would be complete without a level consisting entirely of previous bosses strung together? |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
What lengths women will go in order to project their jewelry... |
|
|
|
Speaking of boss fights, there are some pretty crazy fights to be seen. Developer Treasure really went to great lengths to push the limits of the Genesis and used advanced techniques to do things that were supposedly impossible on the system. The most memorable boss is one called Seven Force, a machine that can transform into 7 different shapes heralded by none other than Green. Another strange one is a area that is played out like a board game but instead of collecting $200 after passing go you have to fight weird creatures like midget commandos and an evil teddy bear thing. Weirdness abounds in Gunstar Heroes with a light hearted style of humor. The soldiers will run and panic if suprised and even fall asleep on the job. Maybe that is a good thing since there is practically a genocide occuring thanks to Red and Blue. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Monopoly: Hell Edition |
|
|
|
Not only was all the power of the Genesis used, the meager 3 button controller had a great deal of depth. Aside from gunning and jumping, special manuevers could be pulled off by a combination of buttons. Soldiers and friends alike can be tossed in any direction or by rolling the d-pad a sliding kick could wipe out a row of baddies. Even a semi-secret guard defense can be used to survive those tough boss fights. Gunstar Heroes can easily be played with just the jump and shoot button but when on the hardest of difficulties the extra moves are almost neccesary. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Red is "sticking it to the man" just like any good kid. |
|
|
|
Gunstar Heroes isn't too hard of a game on the normal settings. Health is spaced out through the levels and there are unlimited continues. Compared to the games of today it seems pretty hard but you will probably only die a couple times before getting to the last level. Of course in the last level the difficulty spikes dramatically and gets a little trying. But if you are playing co-op with a buddy it isn't too bad. Where the game really shines is on the hard and expert difficulties where the enemies are everywhere and more skill is required.
The music and sound is quite possibly the best part of Gunstar besides the graphics. The tunes really stick in your head with clever melodies, how Treasure pulled it off using the weak sound chip puzzles me. The explosions and sound effects are loud and intense also. The screams of the main characters and the soldiers pump you up and make the action pretty crazy. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Calm and collected |
|
|
|
Closing Comments |
|
|
|
Gunstar Heroes is a must own classic, pure and simple. Even though I have finished the game many times the draw of shooting up hundreds of soldiers always gets to me. While I really should get to finally finishing other Genesis greats like Shining Force or Phantasy Star II, I always find myself going through another runthrough of Gunstar. The game itself isn't that expensive online (around $20) if you want the original game in the case but also the game is on the Wii's Virtual Console. The VC route is the last way you should probably go since it is always nice to play games on the system and controller they were made for. Plus Genesis systems are only 15-20 bucks! Go out and search for Gunstar now if you are a fan of action games of the past. |
|
|
|
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics: 10/10
Audio: 9/10
Replay Value: 8/10
Overall: 9.5/10 |
|
|
Pros:
-Beautiful Graphics
-Great Music
-Frantic Action
-Choose your levels
-2 player Co-op
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cons:
-Somewhat easy on normal settings
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
