One of the forgotten gems of the Genesis era, Gunstar Heroes is a great game and feels like Contra......on steroids.

User Rating: 9 | Gunstar Heroes GEN
Gunstar Heroes came out back in 1993. It was towards the end of the Genesis 'life cycle' and Sega had yet to make the boneheaded mistakes of the Sega CD & 32X, which would eventually lead them into a hole they couldn't climb out of. The gaming development company, Treasure, has been known for their excellent and very intense shooters over the years. But this is their first game and it's every bit as excellent and intense as those top-down shooters. The thing here is, this is a side-scrolling shooter in the vein of Contra.

When you first start playing Gunstar Heroes, you will no doubt be reminded of Contra. Gunstar Heroes definately has it's own visual style (and the game looks great, by the way) and it might even be a bit harder than Konami's classic. But the comparisons are undeniable, they play very much alike. The thing I like about Gunstar Heroes is that it at least tries to give you a little bit of a story. It also tries to change things up a bit with the way you can combine your weapon upgrades. And I already mentioned that I love the visual style of the game and the graphics still hold up pretty decent even to this day.

The only problem I have with this game is the fact that it's way too short. There are only a few levels and if you get good at the game, they don't last long. And if you are planning on picking up this rare cartridge, then it might cost you a pretty penny.......for a game you could finish in like an hour. Don't get me wrong, the game is excellent and definately worth the time and effort. But some people my find the game's short length annoying, so I thought I would mention it. Other than that, I would definately recommend tracking down this game somehow or just give it a download on your Wii (if you have one). It's one of those underrated, cult-classic kind of games. It was critcally reviewed very well when it came out, but sales of the title weren't outstanding. Well now here's your chance to rectify your mistake if you missed it the first time around.