Gaming is an interesting medium with a lot of twists in its history. Konami was big in the 80’s and 90’s with their big franchises, but began to rely too much on their big names and this led to developers getting frustrated at not getting the chance to do something new. These developers left Konami and formed their own company called Treasure, with which they planned to create all new experiences. The first game they started working on was McDonald’s Treasure Land Adventure, but the game they released first and consider their true start is Gunstar Heroes.
A run’n gun’game, Gunstar Heroes was different. You could combine weapons for more powerful attacks, you had multiple ways of firing and numerous powerups to choose from, and the two playable characters each had their own unique moves. While playing more like an arcade game than a console run’n’gun, Gunstar Heroes felt like a step forward for this type of game. It was both faster and more intense, and also flashier, showing off effects that pushed Sega’s 16 bit console to its limits. Treasure felt the SNES could not accomplish what they wanted with Gunstar Heroes, and that was the reason they pitched the game to Sega instead of Nintendo.
The game still plays amazing today, and the visuals hold up incredibly well. While I may enjoy the various Contra, I will never tired of Gunstar Heroes, due to the variety of the gameplay within the title. The first game a company releases is an important one and Treasure knocked it out of the park and made quite the impression. Gunstar Heroes is great either in single player, or with two players in co-op., and in either style, the game has that IT factor. Making subtle changes to the traditional run’n’gun format, such as offering different styles of show you can shoot your gun, either standing still for more precise aiming and power, or moving while you shoot, but not as precise, and this made a big difference in how the game worked.
Many feel this game is among the best on the Genesis/Mega Drive, and I must agree. Even in its multiple re-releases on modern systems, players are still wowed by the game when playing for the first time and that is a testament to the skill of Treasure. If you have not played this one yet, you really must do so.
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