Gunstar Heroes

Gunstar Heroes, one of the finest side scrolling shooters of the SNES/Genesis era. It was fast, it was fun, and it was easy to understand. This game was absolutely outstanding at its time, but never received the sequels it deserved. Does this game stand the test to time to still be a worthwhile purchase?

Gameplay

The gameplay is a simple side scrolling shooter. You start the game and select one of 4 weapons. There is fire which acts as a flame thrower spewing big balls of flame at an enemy, lightning that shoots a straight blue beam through enemies, force that acted as a machine gun, and chaser that fires homing green triangles. You have 2 weapon slots so you can combine the weapons you get, making super weapons. All the guns are fairly balanced, and they all have a place where they are effective, and one of the best is chaser and lightning which creates a seeking lighting line that pretty much destroys in sight, except for bosses that take some time. One of the cool features is that you can choose to remain still while shooting (fixed shot) or move while you shoot (free shot). Both have their place, but unfortunately you can not swap on the fly. With that the controls are great. They are responsive and properly done.

There are several bosses to the game, and the first 4 major bosses are yours to choose the order. Most of these are fairly simple, and with a simple pattern, but they are all very cool and creative. Then after that there is a linear order to the bosses, who are all different.

The game is simple and enjoyable, and a veteran side scroller can beat this game in about a hour 30, and will still enjoy it. Others will have a harder time, but none the less have a great time playing it.

Graphics

One of the great things about a sprite based side scrolling game, is that a lot of the games look pretty slick still, and this game still looks good on a 21 inch monitor in 128×1024. There are no bumps, it doesn’t look over pixelated, and it slides very well.

Sound

Some people dislike the sound of older audio and the music in this game will not appeal to them. But for those of us with fond memories of old games, and a MP3 player full of OCRemix will definitely enjoy this game. It sounds just as good as the genesis counterpart.

Other

With old games being brought to the table, there are a few new issues that arise with these games. The first is emulation software. The emulation software by Backbone Entertainment is really great, allowing for pausing into a alternative menu they designed on the fly with no issues. Save states also appear in the game which some gamers dislike, but is useful if you don’t have the time to sit down and beat the game in 1 sitting. All the controls are customizable through the emulation software which will appease anyone who enjoys a custom control scheme.

Closing Thoughts

Although this game is amazing in every way, and still holds its ground as a great game, a few things keep me from warranting it a purchase. First is game length. Even though it is a great game, it is still very short at only a hour. The second big issue is with Backbone and the release of the Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection. With that having being released very recently, why would they with hold this absolute gem of a game. The last is the price point, and again, it relates back to the last point, that it should have been on the ultimate genesis collection, not $5 on the market place, that is one seventh I paid for the collection.

Rating

This game falls into a strange place for pricing. Although this game deserves a 90/100 ranking, the fact that we have seen genesis games from the same company recently for 72 cents each just makes this game feel over priced, and I am going to have to say $2/$5 at the most. Great game, bad price point.