Gunstar Heroes

This is another one of my favorite video games of all time; and of course, it's one of my favorite video games for the run and gun genre and for the Genesis console. This game came out during the mid-point of the Genesis console's lifespan, it wasn't quite a huge hit but as time went on it became a beloved cult gem. The shame about this game was that it never got to be a big franchise, they did have a second sequel for the "Game Boy Advance" which was good and a story for another time, but it wasn't enough to make a franchise happen.

But enough of what could ofs and let's get down to business. To me this game was you can say Genesis's answer to "Mega Man" in a way almost. A lot of Genesis owners like myself never got to have the joy of the "Mega Man" franchise for the console, which of course we missed out on a lot of the Mega action which yeah was a real buzz kill for any of us that are fans of both the Genesis and the "Mega Man" franchise; this game to me satisfied that appetite but also did a lot more as it also satisfied the appetite for the run and gun genre in general.

The graphical presentation in the game I think is great, they were really pushing the console to it's limits as they are sophisticated looking. It really looks like a 80 and 90s cartoon and anime come to life. From the color, detail but also just the craziness and liveliness of the game, just seeing the number of explosions that can easily put a Michael Bay or even Super Sentai show to shame. But also, just in the facial expressions on each of the characters, they don't feel static but like actual characters that are doing things.

Not much to the plotline as it's your typical cleche on an evil tyrannical empire taking over and it's your job to blow them away. It's not important, however what I like about it is how it was clearly inspired as they've taken a lot of care and thought into it, mainly from the 70's anime franchise "Gatchaman". Just like in that series you are part of some "Super Sentai" like organization only you don't have to wear Bird costumes or any other costume, except military uniforms with these colorful shoulder pads just to help distinguish one from the other. And unlike the "Gatchaman" you get to use guns, which is cool as I've always found it strange why the "Gatchaman" wouldn't be better armed with firearms as their job is highly dangerous without them.

The gameplay is great, just like in the "Mega Man" franchise you have different levels and stages to choose from, in whatever order you beat them is up to you. Each of the levels are unique as you're doing something different in each, which is cool as it keeps the levels from blending together. And in each of the levels at the end of it there are bosses that each have different abilities.

The game is on the hard side, but it's at a manageable rate. At first when you go through the levels they seem and feel hard but once you play though them enough times, they really aren't all that hard at all once you know where to stand and when and where to hit; you could probably get though the game even on the hardest difficulty with minimum problems. The game really can test your run and gun abilities as you really can't afford to stand still as even just doing it for a mere second could be fatal; as you are just getting attacked and swarmed with enemies left, right, up and down, it's just absolutely crazy as they almost fill the whole screen more than a "Where's Waldo" art illustration.

The boss battles in the game are challenging, which is cool as in most games most bosses can be pushovers in comparison to the rest of what you've been though. Though despite challenging they are beatable as each of them by their nature are kind of a puzzle, each of them has a specific attack pattern and it's up to you to figure out what it is. One of the most memorable bosses in my book is on the cave level where you're fighting what is literally a multiple changer "Transformer" it was cool but challenging as there were so many bosses in one.

But what really makes this game unique and stand out other than fast and hard action, is in the combination system it has. Throughout the game you have two slots on orbs you assign yourself. Each of these orbs have a unique shooting ability with strengths and weaknesses. You can say this is sort of like playing with chemistry as you just find out what are the best combinations, the results it produces and simply what works best for you. As you can get two of the same orb which means it doubles the firepower of your gun, however the best thing for me is in the mixtures. Two of my favorite combinations are one the laser and flame thrower, which you can say form a lightsaber. Another is the laser and homing which is awesome as with that combo you almost unstoppable. This also gives the game an element of strategy which is rare for a run and gun as most of the time you just act and react. In this game it causes you to give a little thought while on your feet on the best way to proceed and continue from there; it's all up to you.

Gunstar Heroes is a classic that hits the target but just like any star constellation is never forgotten.

Rating: 4 stars.

I can't believe I let a game like this go undiscovered for so long. Gunstar Heroes was released on the Mega Drive/Genesis back in 1993 but I'd never heard of the game until a few years ago. None of the magazines I read at the time featured any reviews or ads either so it was surprising to see so many positive reviews. I still have a Mega Drive, but the asking price for the complete set is often far too expensive. But when I saw it for only £2.49 on the PlayStation Network I knew it was a bargain I couldn't turn down.

The game is, quite frankly, brilliant. It features the madcap run-and-gun mayhem of Metal Slug but with none of the punishing difficulty. The screen is filled with action and explosions from absolute beginning to absolute end. I finished it fairly quickly, and it is so far the only PS3 game in which I have unlocked all the trophies.

It's a must have. If you have a Mega Drive or PS3 make sure you get Gunstar Heroes.

"GUNSTAR HEROES" (1993) has smooth-as-silk controls, a beautiful look, great music, and has so much action it's like a rollercoaster through a warzone. I don't see how it could have been better.

Man, I can't explain how I felt when I found a version of this game to download in the Internet. I missed this game so much. I spent nine years without playing this game (I gained a Playstation and gave my Genesis away), and now here I am, fighting the Empire and destroying Golden Silver once again. I remember that my favorite weapon combination ever was chaser+laser (or vice-versa). For me it was the perfect weapon. know that chaser+chaser worked better, because it were many beans, but the "living laser", as I would call the combination above, was faster,and I didn't have to direct it. The only thing I didn't like was that Gunstar Green wasn't available as a playable character, but nothing is perfect.