When speaking of the best games for the Sega Genesis Gunstar Heroes is one of the most frequently referenced titles. I missed out on it near the time of release because I instead owned a Super Nintendo, but I was made well aware of it by a few friends who were absolute fanatics. They showed it to me a few times, but I was much more interested in RPGs and Nintendo’s own first party line up to pay it much mind. I’ve since become a video game collector, and it wasn’t long before I added Gunstar Heroes to the pile. I soon discovered that my friends weren’t just blowing smoke; this side scrolling run and gun title is one of the high points of the Sega Genesis library, and over time has become one of my favorite games of all time. Gunstar Heroes is what put developer Treasure on the map and it established their unforgettable legacy.
Gunstar Heroes takes place in a fictional fantasy world. It is here that rumblings tell of an ancient machine called Golden Silver that has the potential to leave the entire world in ruins. Through the efforts of the Gunstar family (twins Red and Blue, as well as their older brother Green and sister Yellow) the four gems that would revive this machine have been hidden away. Unfortunately an evil organization led by Colonel Red is able to control Green’s mind, and uses him to help gather the four gems believing that Golden Silver will bring about a utopia. It’s up to Gunstar Red and Blue to fight against the Colonel’s forces to retrieve the gems to prevent the world from being destroyed. Giving the duality of the storyline you are given a choice between either of the two main characters to play as. The only difference between the two is the fact that Red has the free shot ability which allows him to move while firing his primary weapon. Blue is limited to the fixed shot, but he can fire in all eight directions which makes up for his limited offensive mobility.
This game is a two dimensional run and gun title, but it’s far from traditional. Instead of a typical life bar your vitality is instead measured numerically like in an RPG. The same thing goes for the enemies you face. There are four primary weapons here and they differ in their trajectory and strength. You can choose one of them at the start of the game, but they’re frequently dropped by enemies so you’ll have many opportunities to switch. The shot types are as follows; force (rapid fire), lightning (travels through multiple enemies), chaser (homing shots) and fire (short range but powerful). What’s unique about the weapon system is the fact that when you have two at the same time their effects are combined. There are ten possible combinations which is really cool. On top of firing shots both characters can also jump/wall jump, throw enemies/objects, and use a slide attack. Red and Blue are unusually agile, and the list of moves at their disposal is truly impressive for a game of this kind. You’ll never run out of options for combat here.
Most run and gun type shooters suffer from repetition, but this is one of the few that rises above this problem. With so many moves and weapons at your disposal combat is never boring, and the game constantly throws enemies your way to ensure there’s never a dull moment. Things get frantic with screens full of explosions and projectiles as well as destructible elements in many of the environments. My favorite part of the game however is the level design. Every stage is filled with interesting gameplay scenarios that prove quite challenging for beginners or on the higher difficulty settings. The developers did an incredible job of making each area distinct from one another. You can even pick the order in which you want to complete the first four of them. The first area, the ancient ruins, is pretty standard. The second turns the format on its head by forcing you to ride atop a super powered magnetic mine cart that can even hang from the ceiling. Another level has you rolling dice to participate in a makeshift board game with even space transporting you to a room wherein you must fight enemies or are rewarded. One of my most favorite moments in Gunstar Heroes is in the final stage wherein you must defeat all of the generals in a boss battle gauntlet. What’s cool about this is the fact that you view the action from a monitor that the enemies are watching the action from. It may be small, but it’s a really inventive and cool touch that’s very memorable.
This is one of the best looking games ever released on the Genesis console. Not only am I a huge fan of the art style, but the game itself is a technical showpiece compared to other games of its time. The sheer amount of different effects running simultaneously is a technical marvel. Sprite rotations and scaling are absolutely incredible here. The most impressive part is how many enemies appear on-screen at once complete with projectiles and explosions with not even a moment of slowdown. This is also one of the most colorful Genesis games I’ve ever seen, and pushes the limit as far as the system’s palette is concerned. My favorite aspect of this game’s graphics however is the use of 3D space. One boss in particular will move from the background to the foreground and vice versa. The effect is done really well, and looks amazing. The soundtrack also pushes the Genesis hardware to its limits. The music is bursting with character and that classic Treasure charm. Many games from this time released on the Sega Genesis suffer from screeching notes or what many refer to as ‘robot fart’ effects, but that’s not an issue here.
