Genre: Run n' Gun

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Treasure

Review by Swift

Another Virtual Console game that I could not resist downloading, despite having not played it as a child, I did play it recently elsewhere and wanted it for myself, so I couldn't help but spend the points on it. Needless to say, Gunstar Heroes has not disappointed me yet.

For starters, it's a run-and-gunner game. That much is pretty obvious. I have never really played a lot of games under this particular genre, but this game has made me want to try more games under that genre. It's very good, very action-packed and has a way of keeping people hooked with its intensity.

When you start the game, you have the option to choose one of four weapons which you will use throughout the rest of the game, which you will be able to combine with another weapon later on to form a top-notch weapon of your choice. You can also choose whether or not you want to visit the levels in any order of your choice, or in a fixed order, giving you some freedom over the game in terms of levels.

The game's extremely fun, featuring you running around shooting enemies and blowing them up, offering a lot of intensity as each enemy you hit with your weapon explodes and shakes the floor the hero walks across. The gameplay is amazingly fun but the unpredictability keeps you alert and guessing as to what may come next. The bosses sometimes come at random, with the big ones coming right at the end of each stage. They're wacky, challenging, and so much fun; it leaves me with a big, stupid grin on my face every single time I play it. The most fun from this game, however, comes in multiplayer co-op, when you have another player helping you throughout the story.

The levels look good, with a sort of comic-book appeal to it. They're colourful, charming and probably some of the best graphics that would have been found on the Mega Drive for it's time. The music is also pretty catchy; I cannot really find anything to say against it.

The game is not perfect; it does have minor flaws, the main one being the length of the game. It's incredibly short. Yet again, the old saying goes; quality over quantity. The game may be short, but for what it is, it's a fun blast which offers a decent challenge even in easy mode. It's intense, entertaining and a game that I am proud to own.