RetroGrade: Gunstar Heroes

In addition to my other reviews, I've decided to have an ongoing subset of reviews that focus solely on retro games. The difference is that I will try to review the game without the ruby lens of nostalgia, but with a modern, critical eye. What I hope to achieve is an assessment of games that hold the test of time. This will not be easy as I have a fondness for retro games but I think that it can be done given that I play the game today.

So first up, is the Sega Genesis game Gunstar Heroes. Since I do not actually own this cart, I played it on the Virtual Console on the Wii using the Classic Controller. This distinction is important as I cannot speak to how the game would look using the original hardware on a brand new LED TV, nor can I talk about how the controls would feel on the original controller in a modern context. In future RetroGrade reviews, I will make a point to mention the Title and the format that I played it on.

Title: Gunstar Heroes
Original System: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
Played on: Virtual Console, Wii

The Story
The story is pure Saturday morning cartoon. Colonel Red has kidnapped the Gunstar Heroes' older brother and is using him as a pawn in his plan to take over the world of Gunstar 9, the world the Gunstar family are sworn to protect. That's it. Cheesy? Yes. But does it fit the game? Absolutely. This is not a game that needs a lot of pathos or melodrama. This is a run-and-gun affair in the vein of Contra developed by the masters of shoot-em-ups Treasure. Thus, the story is perfectly fitting.

The Good
1. The Look - the game is sprite based with a very cartoon-y look. There is a lot of detail in the backgrounds and the animations are often hilarious. The closest game I can relate this to is Metal Slug for the NeoGeo.
2. The Controls - being that this is a shooter, precise controls are a necessity. I cannot say how this game would play today using either the 3 button or 6 button Genesis controllers, but this game plays very well on the Classic Controller and even the Gamecube Controller. The control scheme is simple enough with one button to change weapons, one button to fire, and one to jump. You can shoot in eight directions when you choose Fixed Shot mode which is very helpful in this type of game when enemies come at you from all sides. However, this comes with the added complication of making you unable to move when shooting. Free Shot mode lets you move around but only restricts you to 4 directions.
3. The Gameplay - a straight up run-and-gun game would get monotonous after long periods of play. Fortunately, the monotony is broken up by different level designs and one level in particular that is made up like a board game when each player rolls "dice" and have to complete challenges wherever they land. Also, the fact that you can carry two weapons at all times (eat that Halo) is kind of a genre staple. However, being able to combine to two weapons to become one uber-weapon are not and it works perfectly in this game. Their is something very satisfying when you combine the Homing Missile with the Laser to make an ultra-powerful Homing Laser.

The Bad
1. Slowdown - the impressive graphics and animation definitely take a hit when there are multiple enemies on the screen. It's fairly obvious that this game pushed the limits of what the Genesis could do and you can see the hardware sputtering when there is too much action. Is it a deal breaker? Not really. It almost feels like you are entering a John Woo movie when it starts slowing down like that and honestly kind of makes the enemies easier to hit. It still needs to be said that the game does not move at a consistent pace.
2. The Difficulty - the retro-gamer in me expects this level of difficulty. However, the modern gamer in me is not used to a game being this hard right off the bat. This game will punish you with hordes of enemies and stray bullets that you will have to track at all times. There are a couple sequences where you are going down a hill so fast and enemies come at you seemingly out of nowhere. You will die at this sequence. Maybe a couple times until you memorize the level. Is it unfair? Totally. Many modern gamers may get turned off by this.

In Conclusion
This is a very deceptive game. At first glance, it looks and sounds like a cartoon-y game meant for kids, what with the characters with the big anime eyes and the upbeat and fun music. But beneath this candy-coated veneer is a game that will throw endless hordes of enemies at you and punish you with its difficulty. This is not a game for the faint of heart. But if you are looking for a solid game with great controls and a really great example of 2D sprite graphics, this is a game you need to try.