User Reviews (1 - 8 of 8)

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More than a "game"...a work of entertainment art

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: November 24, 2001
Author: Amazon User

There are certain games that I have come across since my inception into the video game world (with the Christmas gift of an NES console and Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt in 1988) that seem to surpass the simple moniker of "video game." These are beautifully crafted pieces of art that reach a level of perfection rarely seen in any medium. Still, the most important element of such games is that they are FUN. Graphics, yeah, sound, blahblahblah, etc., but does the game make you feel that you haven't wasted those precious hours of your life? Gunstar Heroes is such a game that the answer is most certainly "yes." Upon the first few moments of play, you may think that it is too simplistic (the game is equipped with automatic-fire for every weapon), or just Sega's attempt at cashing in on Contra (though no one did so more disgracefully than Konami themselves). A few moments later, that will all have been washed away and (assuming of course that you're a fan of 2-D blast fests) you'll be giddy at the realization of just how much FUN you're having. By the time you get to the Dice Board, you'll be in awe at the mastery of concept and design that went into this particular work of art. It is criminal to own a Sega Genesis and not own this game. I recently purchased four games at a used game store--3 Dreamcast games and GH. GH was the most expensive of the four, and I didn't mind that a bit. One of the greatest video games of all time.

The best game to ever grace the Genesis

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: December 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Undoubtadly the best game to ever grace Sega's 16-bit Genesis, Gunstar Heroes was, and still is to this day, one of the best simple minded action games ever produced. Bearing resemblance to Konami's Contra games and other "run 'n gun" type games, the gameplay is pretty basic. You run around with automatic firing weapons blowing away the hordes and hordes of enemies that get into your way. You'll find plenty of different power ups that quickly change the pace of the game, but the two player mode is where the real fun of Gunstar Heroes is to be had. For back in it's day, the graphics were great, and today they still hold up for a 2-D side scroller shooter. Controls are incredibly easy and you know what to do from the minute you pop in the cartridge and play. The sound and music is the game's only lowpoint, but most of that can be blamed on the Genesis' poor soundchip (remember, this system was known for having shabby sound). All in all though, Gunstar Heroes is still one of the greatest action games of all time, and if you still have a Genesis and don't have this game, you should do all you can to track it down.

Best action game for Genesis

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: October 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When the last Genesis rolled off the assembly line and the game companies halted production on all Genesis games to start production on the new systems, there was one action game in the entire library that defined the genre. Gunstar Heroes is the absolute best action game on the Genesis without a doubt. If you find this game at your local game shop make sure you pick it up because it is also a very sought after game by collectors such as myself.

My Childhood Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: July 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I remeber back when i had a sega I loved many games. Sonic 2, general chaos, and many others. But there was one game that I loved more than ever and that was Gunstar Heros. Sega had an offer going if you bought a certain # of games you got one free, I bought some games then for the free one they all [were not good] so I though Id give this one a try. It turned into my favorite game ever. This is THE most fun you will have with a sega game. Some parts are very challenging and even when you beat it youll play it over and over again. Gameing companies today are all about graphics and detail and all this other [stuff]. What happned to making a game not based on how real it looks but on FUN. This game is the defenition of fun. Actually I went out and bought a sega genesis just get to play this game again. If only games today could be as fun as the NES, super NES, and sega.........

NEEDS A SEQUEL

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: August 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game needs a sequel on the gamecube!

I LOVE this game still. It is amazing as a two player game also. It is fun, revolutionary and still holds up today! I still have the original game in the box with instruction! Can't beat it! The weapons are great along with the bosses! Alot of games these days have crappy bosses. This game doesnt disappoint!

clint eastwoo: the cartoon

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: September 16, 2002
Author: Amazon User

treasure the game deleloper behind obscure Jappenese titles like this one is all about 2d cartoon graphics. All of there games: radiant silvergun ssaturn, Mischief Makers N64, Silhoute Mariage PS and SSaturn, even a Ronald Mcdonald trippy game are sprites. be on the lookout for these games collectors and those in search of quality games. EGM aka electronic gaming monthly, has stated that a possible remake of the original or an entire new adventure (the treasure rep. was more akin to the later) is a strong possiblility for gba.

becasue the game is non stop action 1 or 2 players. Like contra but without instant deaths(1-100)life meter. YOU die about every 3rd boss, but it still an action shooter and not an adventure. You will never get lost, but the weapon powerups will have you killing everthing in sight more like a top down shooter.

did you ever see an orginal arcade Ninga GAiden? YOu get to use a move similar to the swing on the street posts, but unfortunaly not as offense but as a way to shoot in 360 directions. Some areas take place crawling on scafolding aka ryu, but nothing as acrobatic.

the game was released in '94, correct the same year as smetroid and equaly deserving a sequal. I wish vecotrman released a year or two later was as good. I only played vman on emulator but the similrities are there somewhere. I just remember die ing alot more because of infinite pits, which are few and far between in gunstar heroes.

Gunstar Heroes is a MUST HAVE

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Gunstar Heroes has been my favorite Genesis game, it is action packed, and there are tons of levels. Just when you think u beat the game, your adventure takes you to outerspace. The 2 player gameplay really adds to the experience. This game is a must have for anyone who enjoys Sega Genesis. Get this game! You will not be disapointed!

Quite Possibly the Best Run and Gun Ever Made

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

When people think of classic run and gun games, the first thing that usually comes to mind is Contra. But anyone who has played Gunstar Heroes knows that it's possibly the best run and gun ever made for the home console. It's intense, the action never stops and it impliments some unique gameplay elements that make the game a lot of fun to play. Also, unlike Contra, the game isn't insanely hard, but has a really balanced difficulty level. Nintendo was gracious enough to put this on the Virtual Console, so even if you don't have a Genesis, you can still download it for 800 Wii points (eight bucks), and you don't need a Classic Controller to play it.

As I mentioned, Gunstar Heroes is a brilliantly crafted game. It's crisp and clean looking, perhaps one of the best looking Genesis games out there. You start off by choosing one of two characters, and one of four weapons. You can either choose a character that lets you run while your shooting, or one that stands still and shoots. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, such as you constantly running off a cliff if you decide not to choose the fixed character. But if you choose the fixed character and the level scrolls... oh boy. The game is also two player, and you're not restricted to just playing as one or the other. You can both be the free-moving character if you want.

The weapons range from a plain ordinary shot, a homing shot, lightning and a flamethrower. What's more interesting is that you can carry two different weapons at a time and switch between them. Even MORE interesting, is that you can combine two weapons and see what you get. You could, for example, have a homing lightning shot. This element just opens up a ton of possibilities.

As you run through the levels, the game is certainly not shy about throwing enemies at you. This is one of the most intense shooters around. Enemies are literally coming from every corner, and surprisingly, there's never a drop in framerate. With how decorative these environments are and things exploding every two or three seconds as well as enemies littering the screen, you'd expect there to be some slow down, there is none and the game itself moves pretty fast only adding to the intensity. It makes the game that much more fun.

Gunstar Heroes is a treat. If you don't have Gunstar Heroes and you have a Genesis (or Wii) then you owe it to yourself to get this game. You'll have a lot of fun with it, and it has excellent replay value.

NOTE TO WII VIRTUAL CONSOLE USERS: The game supports the Wii Remote, and it works just fine. No need to invest in a Classic Controller to play it.

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