I've long considered myself a fairly versatile gamer, a lover of many genres and franchises, but the truth is I could really do a lot better. I've yet to own a true First-Person Shooter (the closest I've gotten is Metroid Prime), my Real-Time Strategy experiences are limited to a couple of computer demos from a few years back, and I wouldn't touch a Survival-Horror title with a ten-foot pole, lest it zombify and attack me.
Realistic (i.e. not featuring Mario)Sports and Racing games, God/Civilization titles... Heck, non-Nintendo games in general remain, for the most part, on a big mental "to do" list, the sort of list that you jot down your New Years resolutions on, only to lose interest in them shortly after and purge them from memory.
Gunstar Heroes, then, would seem a good jumping-in point for my adventure through uncharted territory. It's a Side-scrolling Action game: different from what I'm used to, but similar enough to my previous experiences to feel somewhat comfortable.
One of the Genesis' cult classics (that is, a critical darling that failed to make it in the business world), it's a valuable source of sustenance for that part of every human being that just can't resist the prospect of blowing things up.
___________________________________________________
GUNSTAR HEROES
Original Platform: Genesis
Developer: Treasure
Publisher: Sega
Original Release Date: 9/10/93 (US) (Source: Wii Shop Channel)
Genre: Action
Cost: 800 Wii Points ($8)
Players: 1-2
Controller Compatability: Classic(recommended), Wii Remote
Save: No
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone ten and older)
Reviewed Version: Virtual Console
___________________________________________________
Before you can start making your own little fireworks display, though, you're faced with what is easily the most important choice in the whole game.
Force.
Lightning.
Chaser.
Fire.
Choose yer' poison.
Gunstar Heroes, you see, is all about the guns. Not your typical bullet-launchers, mind you, but sweet Sci-Fi blasters that would make the Skywalker clan jealous.
And each has it's own unique characteristics that must be used strategically by the player. Not afraid of getting into the center of the action? Fire's powerful, short-ranged blast is for you. Want to keep up a steady stream of attacks, even while dodging fire and unable to aim? Give the homing Chaser a try. And so on.
Further adding to the versatility of the weapons are capsule power-ups (essentially extra weapons) found during gameplay that add functionality to your weapon. Grabbing a capsule that is the same type as your current weapon will simply enhance it, but picking up a different type of capsule will merge the powers of the two, making a hybrid weapon that has the functions of both. Chaser/Force, for example, has the rapidity of Force and the heat-seeking power of Chaser.
If you have two powers already then picking up another will cause you to drop the first of the two, though you'll always revert to your original if you die.
In a game like Gunstar Heroes, though, strategy will only get you so far. Shortly after choosing between two movement settings (Free Shot and Fixed Shot, but I like to call them "Runnin' Gunner" and "Mr. Stop 'n Snipe") and picking your weapon, you'll be thrust straight into the action. Or, rather, the chaos.
Gameplay is simple (make your way from point A to point B, blowing up anything in your way), but really, really fun. Countless enemies will assault you from all sides as you make your way through the six diverse stages, so you'll have to have a sharp eye and a quick hand to survive. The sea of hostility will only recede upon meeting one of the game's clever bosses - and Gunstar Heroes seems to specialize in these. They're a joy to fight; numerous but diverse and always well executed, and an affinity for wacky concepts and names showcases the game's lovably quirky sense of humor.
Fighting against the likes of Pinky Roader and Melon Bread isn't all giggles and buttercups, though; many of the game's bosses provide a significant challenge. If you're having a particularly hard time of it, though, you could always enlist the help of a willing friend or sibling.
Multiplayer is a very prominent part of Gunstar Heroes, and generally works really well. Your own shots won't harm an ally, so both players may go as hog-wild as they please when attacking foes, and two guns are usually better than one. You'll have to share power-ups of course, but you can handle that, right?
An advantage (or disadvantage, depending on how you look at it) of playing with a friend is that if one player dies, they can come back to life by stealing half of the other player's health. This works well in most cases, but can get rather tiresome in a few, such as when the players are required to act independently of each-other. Death itself isn't so bad, as you can restart at a checkpoint (usually established by beating a mid-level boss) anytime you kick the bucket. And it's a good thing you can, because on Normal difficulty or higher Gunstar is not in the habit of taking prisoners.
Scores:
Visuals: 9.0
It's fast-paced and action-packed, so the amount of effort put into the graphics is commendable. Backgrounds are crisp and sprites fill the screen, yet slowdown is nowhere to be found. And each explosion is milked for all it's worth, leaving the player with a sense of accomplishment at even the slightest successes.
Sound: 8.0
Of course, no explosion is complete without the accompanying sound, and Gunstar Heroes' sound design is a masterpiece of cacophony- it's just as important a part of the experience as the visual blasts. The high-energy soundtrack isn't memorable, but fits the game well.
Gameplay: 9.0
Any way you look at it, it's a whole lotta fun. The pacing never lets up, the controls flow perfectly, and the bosses are a wonderful treat. It became a cult favorite for a reason, you know.
Length/Replay Value: 7.0
At a mere six stages it's one of the shorter games on the Genesis, and can be completed in just a few hours. Don't think you'll just play it once, though- with multiplayer and several difficulty settings, this is a classic that was meant to be revisited.
Final Score(not an average): 9.0
Who knew that blowing things up could be so fun and rewarding? Not I, that's for sure. It may not be the longest or most complex game out there, but Gunstar Heroes has got it where it counts: an almost unmatchable sense of adrenaline that grabs you and refuses to let you go. One of the best Genesis VC games thus far, it earns my immediate recommendation to action fans and newbies alike.
Especially newbies. After all, you never know what you might be missing.
-Smashing Brother
2 comments:
Jeez, the Skywalkers aren't a clan, they're just a family.
That said, Gunstar is almost as cool as Blockfort. Almost.
Jeez, Wikipedia describes a Clan as "...a group of people united by kinship and descent", and my Webster's Dictionary describes a clan as "A large group of people that are related to one another by a common ancestor"
Close enough, don't you think? And anyway, who says I'm refeering to LUKE and ANIKEN skywalker? It could be any of his ancestors.
Post a Comment