50| Gunstar Heroes

Released: September 9th, 1993

Definitive Version: Sega Mega Drive; Also on: PC, Virtual Console for Wii U, eShop for 3DS, PSN for PS3, XBLA for Xbox 360, iOS

We have officially reached the latter half of this list. And due to the occasion I'm going to celebrate with a bang. Gunstar Heroes on the Sega Mega Drive is one of the best, if not the best, run and gun shooter of all-time. The origins of the game began when when a group of developers decided to pack up and leave Konami to start their own studio. This was the birth of the well renowned game developer Treasure. Their first game was going to also be a run and gun game, but this time for the Super Nintendo's rival platform the Sega Mega Drive. However, they wanted the game to differentiate itself from Contra. For starters the game was going to be a lot more bright and cartoony as it would take more influence from Japanese anime more so than dark and serious American cinema. Most of all, the game would be much faster paced and chaotic than Contra to take advantage of the Mega Drive's extra processing power. The result is one of the system's finest titles.

The game begins as one, but preferably two, player(s) start the game and select their weapon type. Initially the player(s) have the choice of a rapid fire weapon, a beam weapon that is slightly slower than the rapid fire weapon, a lock-on weapon that automatically hits any enemies but is very slow, and an extremely rapid fire, but limited range flamethrower. Being honest, only the rapid fire and beam weapons are useful in these initial forms. The player(s) can then select from four different stages. Each stage is different, so I'm going to start off by focusing on the first one. The first stage plays much like any other run and gun game at first. The player(s) run to the right side of the screen as enemies and the occasional platforms appear. Suddenly, something about the game becomes quickly obvious. There are a lot of enemies on screen, and when I mean a lot of them I mean A LOT. The game throws as many enemies on the screen as the player(s) can handle, the fact that they explode when "defeated" leaves the screen to be constantly covered in a shade of yellow, orange, and red. As the player(s) walk through the area they will see flying robots dropping orbs that look just like those in the weapon select menu, or with hearts on them that heal your health. When player(s) pick up these familiar orbs they power up their weapon. If they grab a rapid fire orb, their weapon will now fire even more rapidly, if they grab the beam orb than their current weapon will become "beamier", if they pick up the lock-on orb than their weapon will automatically lock onto enemies, and if they use the flame orb than their weapon will become a charged up flamethrower. If for whatever reason the player doesn't like this new addition, they can then cancel out one of the two orbs and use the default weapon. It may seem basic today, but it is pretty impressive that the game managed to incorporate all of these actions.

One thing that makes Gunstar Heroes stand out from other run and gun games is the sheer mobility the player(s) have. Not only do the characters run at a reasonable speed, but they are also very nimble, and can jump a considerable distance while being able to damage the enemy by body slamming them. On top of that the player(s) can also throw the enemy to damage them. In a way this gives the game pseudo-combos as the player(s) can technically shoot at the enemy, then body slam them, and finish them off with a throw.

Even as an introduction level, it is very varied. It doesn't take long before the player(s) come across the first boss of the game, which involves avoiding projectile cocoons from the sky, not long after starting to fight another wave of enemies, there is a large pyramid that need to be climbed. After reaching the peak, another boss fight is under way. When that boss is defeated the player(s) then slide down the pyramid as they dodge enemies and obstacles. After that there is another brief wave of enemies and then a large final boss. After such an exhausting level, it may seem that the game put most of its effort upfront to give players the best impression of the game. The reality is that this is by far and wide the most normal level in the entire game.

Gunstar Heroes biggest criticism is its lack of levels. There only the four initial levels to choose from in the stage select screen and a final boss level once all of the initial stages are completed. What Gunstar Heroes lacks in quantity it makes it up in variety. Besides the introductory stage, the one right next to it is a mine cart level in which the player(s) can ride the tracks both on the bottom and top of the screen as they mow down enemies on carts and trains. Very soon however, they quickly encounter a boss named "Seven Force." A very ambitious boss, especially for its time, Seven Force is a mechanical robot that transforms into seven different bosses while fighting it. It has a lot of health and takes some time to defeat, especially due to the player(s) having to memorize its patterns. But once it's defeated it gives off a huge sense of satisfaction.

Next in line, is a very vertical based level. Essentially a blimp is taking off and it is up to the player(s) to reach it in time. They are forced to climb up various platforms to hop on the blimp while taking out enemies. Eventually they will board the blimp and then fight a wave of baddies before encountering the boss. It is a pretty good level, but all in all is the least memorable one in the game. I feel that the developers should have played around more with the vertical aspect of it.

The last stage in the select screen's order, is probably the most unique one. It begins as a normal stage as the player(s) simply walk to the right side of the screen taking out enemies. After a few minutes they come across a room. A single dice is on the floor and the player(s) have miniature versions of themselves on a square of a board game that says "Start". At the end of the board is another square that reads "Boss". This section of the game requires the player(s) to roll the dice as they play a virtual board game to either progress through the board to get closer to the boss, fight a mid-boss, or possibly go all the way back to the beginning. This is, in my opinion, the most difficult level of the game as player(s) may be required to fight multiple bosses before the final boss. Just like Seven Force though, it is very satisfying once completed.

Once all four levels are completed, the player(s) are transported to the final stage. It starts off as a shoot-em-up, this becomes a very common thing for Treasure to do during the '90s, as the game literally changes genres to play just like horizontal shooter. Once the wave of enemies are defeated, the stage becomes boss rush stage. After beating Seven Force once again, the player(s) enter the enemy's base. Once there, the place is essentially a boss rush as it is literally half a dozen or so boss battles back to back. Eventually all the bosses are defeated giving the player a well deserved finish to an enjoyable but also tough game.

There is a reason why rather than saying "player" throughout this review I keep saying "player(s)". It's because this is game that really requires two players. Sure it is doable with one player, but not only is it much more difficult, but it is nowhere near as fun. It's not quite as chaotic with a single person, and not having anyone to share your success with or compete against is very detrimental to the overall experience. I'd personally go as far as to say if Gunstar Heroes was a single player only game, it probably wouldn't have made this list.

Before wrapping up this writeup, one can't talk about Gunstar Heroes without talking about its technical achievements. The game looks beautiful in motion as it is very bright and colorful. It is easily one of the Mega Drive's best looking games, and could compete against the Super Nintendo's higher end graphical games. The game also doesn't have any sort of slowdown, even amongst its most chaotic moments in two player mode. It is as much as a showcase to the Mega Drive's graphical capabilities as it is to its processing capabilities. This isn't to mention the game's clear and fitting soundtrack. Treasure has always had a knack for pushing their platforms to their limits, and the Gunstar Heroes shows that they hit the ground running.

It's crazy to think this game was so close to not even being released in West. The only reason it came out of Japan was because a single producer at Sega of America demanded it to after a dozen others stated that they weren't interested in the game, primarily due to its small sprites. Lucky for him that the game he fought for turned out to be a gaming classic. Gunstar Heroes let Treasure flex their muscles early on, and quickly became one of the defining titles for the Mega Drive. Despite all of the modern technology to produce bullet hell shooters, hundreds of enemies on screen, giant bosses, and what not, there are still very few games that can match the fun and sheer chaos of 1993's Gunstar Heroes.