Gunstar Heroes

Last updated

Gunstar Heroes
Gunstar Heroes.jpg
North American cover art
Developer(s) Treasure [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s) Sega
Producer(s) Masato Maegawa
Programmer(s) Mitsuru Yaida
Hideyuki Suganami
Artist(s) Tetsuhiko Kikuchi
Hiroshi Iuchi
Composer(s) Norio Hanzawa
Platform(s) Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Nintendo 3DS
Release
September 10, 1993
  • Sega Genesis
    • JP: September 10, 1993
    • WW: September 1993
    Game Gear
    • JP: March 24, 1995
    Nintendo 3DS
    • JP: June 24, 2015 [1]
    • WW: August 20, 2015 [2]
Genre(s) Run and gun
Mode(s) Single-player, cooperative

Gunstar Heroes [lower-alpha 2] is a run and gun video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega. It was Treasure's debut game, originally released for the Sega Genesis in 1993. The game's premise is centered around a pair of characters, the Gunstars, in their efforts to stop an evil empire from recovering four powerful gems. The characters can fire guns and perform a series of acrobatic maneuvers to fight enemies across each stage. There are four weapons in the game which can be combined with one another to create different shot types.

Contents

Development on Gunstar Heroes began among a team of staff working at Konami in 1991. Following an unwillingness of Konami to embrace their original game ideas, the team quit in 1992 and formed Treasure to see their project through. The team wanted to develop their game for the Genesis because of the system's powerful Motorola 68000 microprocessor. Sega initially rejected their proposal, but later granted approval after they had been working for Sega for several months on McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure (1993). Treasure worked on both games in parallel, and released Gunstar Heroes worldwide as their first game in 1993.

Gunstar Heroes was a critical success, being praised for its frantic action and advanced graphics. It helped establish Treasure's place in the industry, and introduced several design conventions which would become characteristic of their later work such as large bosses and a unique sense of humor. It was re-released several times, including dedicated ports to the Game Gear and Nintendo 3DS, and received a sequel on the Game Boy Advance. In retrospect, it is considered one of the best action games of the 16-bit era, and one of the best video games of all time by several publications.

Gameplay

The player runs to the right as they fire the machine gun. Gunstar Heroes screenshot.png
The player runs to the right as they fire the machine gun.

Gunstar Heroes is a run and gun game played from a side-scrolling perspective similar to Contra. [3] The game can be played in single-player, or cooperatively with a partner. The players take on the role of Gunstar Red and Gunstar Blue as they battle with an evil empire for control over a set of powerful gems. [4] The game features seven stages, of which the first four can be tackled in any order. [4] The stage formats vary; while some feature a typical left-to-right format, others have the player riding in a mine cart along walls, fighting enemies on a helicopter, or playing a board game. [4] [5] Completing a level grants the player an extension to their maximum health. [4]

When starting a game, the player can choose either a free or fixed firing stance; the fixed stance immobilizes the character when shooting, while the free stance has the player move in the direction they are firing. [5] The player also has a choice of starting weapon. There are four shot types in the game: a homing shot, lightning blaster, flamethrower, and machine gun. Each weapon has its strengths and weaknesses, and can be swapped with others from item drops in each stage. [6] The weapons can be combined with each other to produce unique shot types. For example, the homing shot can be combined with the machine gun to add a homing effect to the latter, or two lightning shots can be combined to create a more powerful lightning gun. [6] In addition to firing their weapon, the player characters can pull off a series of acrobatic maneuvers including jumping, sliding, and grabbing and throwing enemies. [4]

Development

In 1991, several Konami employees led by programmer Masato Maegawa began holding planning sessions at coffee shops for an original game. [7] [8] They were establishing early concepts for an action shooting game, a genre they were familiar with. [8] They pitched their idea to Konami, but were told it would not sell and it was rejected. [9] Maegawa and his team were growing frustrated with the industry's reliance on sequels to established franchises and console conversions of arcade games to generate revenue. [9] They felt Konami had fallen into this pattern as a large company, growing reliant on sequels in their Castlevania and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. [9] Maegawa and his team felt consumers wanted original games, [9] and so in 1992, they left Konami and established Treasure to continue development on their original game. [10]

Treasure believed the Motorola 68000 microprocessor in the Sega Genesis was best suited for the action games they wanted to make. Sega-Mega-Drive-JP-Mk1-Console-Set.jpg
Treasure believed the Motorola 68000 microprocessor in the Sega Genesis was best suited for the action games they wanted to make.

Treasure wanted to develop their game for Sega's Genesis. [9] Maegawa was interested in the platform because of its Motorola 68000 microprocessor, which he felt was easier to program for than the Super NES, and more powerful. [9] The team decided to approach Sega for a publishing contract. [7] When they first presented their design documents to Sega, they were not granted approval because they lacked a proven track record. [8] Instead, Sega contracted Treasure to develop McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure (1993). [8] Several months into development, they were finally granted approval to work on their original action game. [8] They originally were using the working title Lunatic Gunstar, thinking "Lunatic" was a good description of the game's stimulating action. [7] Sega of America felt the word held a negative connotation, so rejected it. [8] The team also considered Blade Gunner, in homage to Blade Runner , but this was also rejected because of copyright restrictions. [8] Sega of America eventually suggested the word "Heroes," so Gunstar Heroes became the final title. [8]

Treasure consisted of around 18 people, most being programmers from Konami. [9] The staff was split in half to work on both Gunstar Heroes and McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure in parallel. [8] [9] The core team behind Gunstar Heroes consisted of six people: two programmers, two graphic designers, and two sound programmers. [9] The staff (known by their nicknames) was composed of main programmer Yaiman, enemy and boss programmer Nami, graphic designers Han and Iuchi, composer Non, and sound effects programmer Murata. [7] The role of game designer did not exist within Treasure; all game design and planning was undertaken by everyone involved. [10] The team felt they had more freedom working under Sega than Konami. [9] Maegawa got approval to add a Treasure logo when the game booted, which he felt was a rare opportunity for developers to get in that era. [8]

The Genesis's processor made multi-limbed bosses like "Seven Force" possible. GunstarHeroes SevenForce.gif
The Genesis's processor made multi-limbed bosses like "Seven Force" possible.

Development of Gunstar Heroes lasted around nine to ten months. [7] [9] It was the team's first experience programming for the Genesis, having come off programming for the Super NES at Konami. [8] [10] Programmers Mitsuru Yaida and Hideyuki Suganami previously programmed Contra III: The Alien Wars (1992) for the Super NES at Konami. [11] The team felt the Genesis's processor was more powerful, capable, and friendly to experimentation than other consoles. This led them to consider it more suited for action games and the sophisticated graphical effects they were looking to create. [8] [9] [10] The team implemented heavy visual effects in an exercise in design experimentation (not an effort to push the hardware). [10] Some of that experimenting was done with the system's sprite rotation and scaling capabilities, which evoked a sense of depth. [7] [8] [9] The Genesis had its limitations however, as it could only display 64 colors on screen at once. [9] The team placed extra effort on coloring to compensate. [10] Early backgrounds were drawn with a 16 color palette, but they looked desolate, so ultimately two palettes with 32 colors were used. [7] The team also used programming tricks to make the scenery appear like three to four layers were present, although the Genesis only supports two. [9]

The team approached Gunstar Heroes with an "anything goes" concept, that led to many ambitious ideas being implemented into the final game. [7] [8] One such concept was the weapon combination mechanic, which was conceived in the early planning stages. [10] They experimented with weapon attributes until the end of development, [10] and designed the game so players would continue discovering new weapons and devise new ways to complete stages. [7] The processor also made articulated multi-limb enemies possible, like the boss "Seven Force," which was programmed by Nami along with all other bosses. [8] Because moving around large sprites was difficult due to limited video RAM, Seven Force was built by combining circles and squares to make one large character. [8] Maegawa claims the game could have never worked on the Super NES because the boss animations required expanded computing power. [9] The standard enemy characters, designed by Han, were drawn on the screen by combining a top and bottom sprite, allowing for more animation patterns with lower memory usage. [8] Han was inspired by the game Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter (1993) to program the enemies manually rather than with mathematical algorithms. [12] The game was 16 megabits but compressed to fit under 8. [9]

Release

Although McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure was completed first, Treasure decided to wait and release Gunstar Heroes first because they wanted their debut to be an original game. [8] It was nearly rejected for an American release by Sega of America, only being approved by Mac Senour, the last producer in the reviewing queue after 12 others rejected it. Senour believed the other producers dismissed the game because its small character sprites contrasted with the more popular large sprites at the time. Senour did ask Treasure to change one boss character because it looked too similar to Adolf Hitler. [13]

Gunstar Heroes was released in Japan on September 10, 1993, [14] and released in the West the same month. [7] Sega underestimated demand in Japan where their initial shipment was only 10,000 units. [15] Meanwhile, Sega of America also ordered a small initial print run, as they were not typically confident in games from Sega of Japan. [13] The game was not heavily promoted and spread by word of mouth. [16] GameFan particularly enjoyed the game and published the first English interview with Maegawa. [16] The game shipped in total around 70,000 copies in Japan, and 200,000 overseas. [15] An arcade version was also released for the Sega Mega-Play arcade board. [8]

Ports and re-releases

A Game Gear port was developed by M2. Sega asked M2 if they wanted to make a Game Gear game after being impressed by their Gauntlet port for the Genesis. M2 wanted to port The Cliffhanger: Edward Randy , but they were ultimately handed Gunstar Heroes. Since the Genesis version pushed hardware limitations, a Game Gear port was difficult. [17] The port had some changes, such as the Dice Palace being removed, and it ran at lower frame rate. [7] It was released on March 24, 1995. [18]

Sega released Gunstar Heroes Treasure Box in 2006 in Japan, a compilation of Treasure games for the PlayStation 2 as part of their Sega Ages 2500 series. [19] Included on the compilation were Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy (1994), and Alien Soldier (1995). [7] [19] The games are run through an emulator and include display options for filters and resolutions. The Japanese and international versions of each game were included, along with the Game Gear ports of Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy, and a Genesis prototype of Gunstar Heroes. [20] A gallery is included with scans of the original instruction manuals, concept illustrations, and design documents. [21] This compilation was released digitally on the PlayStation Store in 2012. [21]

The game was ported by M2 to the Nintendo 3DS in 2015 as part of Sega's line of 3D Classics . [22] Gunstar Heroes was originally not considered for the series because converting the game's backgrounds into a layered 3D effect was thought to be impossible, but these perceived problems were later overcome. [23] In addition to supporting stereoscopic 3D, the game features two new game modes. "Gunslinger" mode starts the player with a full arsenal of every weapon type and grants the ability to change shot stance at any time, and "Mega Life" mode starts the player with double the normal amount of health. [24] The game also supports local cooperative play and includes both the Japanese and international versions. [22]

Gunstar Heroes has also been released on the Xbox 360, [25] PlayStation 3, [26] Wii, [6] and Windows. [27] A Sega Forever version for mobile devices was released in 2017. [4] The game was again released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2021. [28]

Reception

Gunstar Heroes achieved greater recognition than Treasure anticipated. [8] Electronic Gaming Monthly called it their "Game of the Month," [31] and the game placed first in Beep! Mega Drive 's reader rankings in Japan. [8] GameFan deemed it their "Game of the Year" [38] and called it a new benchmark for action games. [40] Mean Machines Sega wrote that Gunstar Heroes was setting a new standard for action games on the Genesis, calling it "a stunning title both in appearance and the gameplay it offers." [35] Electronic Gaming Monthly agreed, with one critic calling it "one of the most intense games I've seen on the home video game scene." [31] Both Sega Magazine and Sega Force felt the game was a must-buy for Genesis owners. [37] [36]

The game was praised for its fast and furious action. [31] [29] [36] Electronic Gaming Monthly called it "one of the most intense carts to date [...] nonstop intensity from beginning to end." [31] Mean Machines Sega agreed, commending the variety in level design and the "frantic, high-density blasting mayhem." [35] Sega Force believed the game's variety prevented it from falling into monotony, and instead, reinvigorated the platform genre. [36] Computer and Video Games agreed, feeling gameplay customization options kept it feeling interesting and original. [29] Some critics praised the player characters' acrobatics and attack maneuvers for adding excitement. [35] [34] [30] GamePro called Gunstar Heroes "chaos in a cart" with "murderous action, excellent controls, and imaginative game design." [34] The game's two-player cooperative mode was praised, [31] [30] although some felt there was too much clutter on the screen to tell the player characters apart. [29] [34]

The game's graphics were highlighted by several critics, with GamePro calling it "an assault on your senses." [34] Mean Machines Sega felt the sprite rotating and scaling overshadowed the abilities of the Super NES. [35] Sega Magazine also liked the sprite scaling, and highlighted its use on the boss "Seven Force." [37] Other critics also felt the bosses were well animated and designed, [31] [36] [30] with some also extending their comments to the player characters' animations as well. [35] [36] Computer and Video Games commended the graphical explosion effects, [29] with other critics praising the sound effects they were paired with for enhancing the game's atmosphere. [36] [31] [34] A critic from Electronic Gaming Monthly called it "one of the best looking carts I've seen from Sega in a while." [31]

Ports

Critics lauded the Game Gear port as a great 8-bit conversion. [41] [42] GameFan felt it was graphically advanced for a Game Gear game. [42] Mean Machines Sega agreed, thinking that the graphics remained true to the 16-bit original despite greater system limitations. [41] The 3DS version was praised for the added options and enhancements, with USgamer and Nintendo World Report calling it the best version of the game. [3] [5] The mobile version was criticized for being difficult to play with touch controls. [4]

Legacy

Gunstar Heroes was listed as one of the best games ever made by several publications. [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] Critics have called it a "classic" of the 16-bit era, [22] [3] with IGN writing that its pace and speed was "nearly unrivaled" at the time. [6] Others called it one of the best Genesis games. [3] [49] [50] Electronic Gaming Monthly called it "one of the best two-player games ever made." [46] USgamer wrote that its chaotic and brash nature made it the "quintessential classic-era Sega game" in contrast to the more gentle offerings from Nintendo. [5] Nintendo World Report called it "an incredible accomplishment, both creatively and technically" for the Genesis. [3] Both TouchArcade and GameSpy deemed it one of the best side-scrolling action games ever made. [4] [49]

Being Treasure's debut game, Gunstar Heroes helped establish their reputation in the industry. [7] [51] Retro Gamer wrote that the game "blew open the state of 2D platform-shooters." [7] Developers at the time borrowed inspiration for titles like Vectorman (1995) and Shinobi III (1993). [52] [53] Treasure also began to build a following of loyal hardcore fans, [54] which USgamer felt was earned by "a sense of integrity to Treasure's work you don't often see in games of that era." [51] 1UP.com wrote that between Gunstar Heroes and their other Genesis games, Treasure earned a reputation as a "master of hardcore action gaming." [16] Many of the design conventions Treasure used in Gunstar Heroes would return and became characteristic of Treasure's later work, such as a quirky sense of humor and action taken to a level of absurdity. [16] A sequel was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2005, Gunstar Super Heroes . [7]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ported to Game Gear and 3DS by M2
  2. ↑ Gansutā Hīrōzu (ガンスターヒーローズ) in Japan

Related Research Articles

<i>Radiant Silvergun</i> 1998 shooter video game

Radiant Silvergun is a shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Treasure. It was originally released in Japanese arcades in 1998 and subsequently ported to the Sega Saturn later that year. The story follows a team of fighter pilots in the far future who are battling waves of enemies summoned by a mysterious crystal dug up from the Earth. The player hosts an arsenal of six different types of shots to choose from, and a sword to destroy nearby targets. The stages are tightly designed to present players with scenarios that can be approached differently with the various weapon types.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treasure (company)</span> Japanese video game developer

Treasure Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo known for its action, platform, and shoot 'em up games. The company was founded in 1992 by former Konami employees seeking to explore original game concepts and free themselves from Konami's reliance on sequels. Their first game, Gunstar Heroes (1993) on the Sega Genesis, was a critical success and established a creative and action-oriented design style that would continue to characterize their output. Treasure's philosophy in game development has always been to make games they enjoy, not necessarily those that have the greatest commercial viability.

In the history of video games, the fourth generation of video game consoles, more commonly referred to as the 16-bit era, began on October 30, 1987, with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine. Though NEC released the first console of this era, sales were mostly dominated by the rivalry between Sega and Nintendo across most markets: the Sega Mega Drive and the Super Nintendo. Cartridge-based handheld game consoles became prominent during this time, such as the Nintendo Game Boy, Atari Lynx, Sega Game Gear and TurboExpress.

<i>Mischief Makers</i> 1997 video game

Mischief Makers is a side-scrolling platform game developed for the Nintendo 64 gaming console by Treasure, and published in 1997 by Enix in Japan and by Nintendo internationally. The player assumes the role of Marina Liteyears, a robotic maid who journeys to rescue her creator, Professor Theo, from the emperor of Planet Clancer. The gameplay is displayed in 2.5D, based on grabbing, shaking, and throwing objects within five worlds and 52 levels.

<i>Dynamite Headdy</i> 1994 video game

Dynamite Headdy is a platform video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis in 1994. The game follows a puppet named Headdy in his efforts to stop an evil puppet king from taking over his world. Headdy can throw his head at enemies to defeat them and use it to pull himself to various areas and move objects. The player can find a wide variety of "heads" which act as power-ups that provide different effects and alter gameplay.

<i>Castlevania: Bloodlines</i> 1994 video game

Castlevania: Bloodlines, known in Japan as Vampire Killer and in PAL regions as Castlevania: The New Generation, is a 1994 action-platform game developed and published by Konami for the Sega Genesis as part of the Castlevania series. A vampire named Elizabeth Bartley is orchestrating the beginning of World War I as a sacrificial war to bring her uncle, Dracula, back to life. Players take on the role of Quincey Morris' son, John, and his friend Eric Lecarde to take up the fight against evil.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble</i> 1994 platform game

Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble is a 1994 platform game developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Game Gear. It is the sequel to Sonic Chaos (1993) and features classic side-scrolling Sonic gameplay. The player controls either Sonic the Hedgehog or Miles "Tails" Prower as they venture to protect the powerful Chaos Emeralds from Doctor Robotnik, Knuckles the Echidna, and series newcomer Nack the Weasel. Sonic and Tails' unique abilities, as well as various power-ups, can assist the player in gameplay.

<i>Lethal Enforcers</i> 1992 video game

Lethal Enforcers is a 1992 light gun shooter released as an arcade video game by Konami. The graphics consist entirely of digitized photographs and digitized sprites. Home versions were released for the Super NES, Genesis and Sega CD during the following year and include a revolver-shaped light gun known as The Justifier.

<i>Gunstar Super Heroes</i> 2005 video game

Gunstar Super Heroes is a run and gun video game for the Game Boy Advance developed by Treasure and published by Sega in 2005. It is the sequel to the 1993 Sega Genesis game Gunstar Heroes, with the story taking place after the events of the original game and featuring an expanded combat system over its predecessor.

<i>Sega Ages</i> Video game series

Sega Ages is a series of video game ports, remakes, and compilations published by Sega. It consists of Sega arcade games and home console games, typically those for the Sega Genesis and Master System. The series was launched on the Sega Saturn in 1996. Entries were published for the PlayStation 2 as Sega Ages 2500, a reference to its bargain ¥2500 price point. The series later came to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as Sega Ages Online, and finally to the Nintendo Switch as simply Sega Ages. The name Sega Ages is a palindrome, with "Ages" being "Sega" backwards — this was previously used by Sega in European marketing strategies from the late 1980s to early 1990s.

<i>Streets of Rage 2</i> 1992 video game

Streets of Rage 2, known as Bare Knuckle II in Japan, is a 1992 beat 'em up game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. A sequel to Streets of Rage (1991), the characters Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding return while the game also introduces two new characters: Max Thunder, and Eddie "Skate" Hunter, the younger brother of Adam Hunter from the first game.

<i>Alien Soldier</i> 1995 video game

Alien Soldier is a side-scrolling run and gun video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Mega Drive. Retail copies were released in Japan and PAL territories while in North America it was only available exclusively via the Sega Channel cable service. The story follows a powerful being named Epsilon-Eagle, who after being nearly killed becomes determined to avenge his near death and save his planet. The character has a variety of weapons and moves that the player must master to complete the game. Many gameplay ideas are borrowed from Treasure's earlier Mega Drive release, Gunstar Heroes (1993). However, Alien Soldier puts an emphasis on challenging boss fights with short and easy levels serving as downtime in-between.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> 1992 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI) for the Sega Genesis. Players control Sonic as he attempts to stop Doctor Robotnik from stealing the Chaos Emeralds to power his space station. Like the first Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), players traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings, defeating enemies, and fighting bosses. Sonic 2 introduces Sonic's sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower and features faster gameplay, larger levels, a multiplayer mode, and special stages featuring pre-rendered 3D graphics.

<i>Light Crusader</i> 1995 RPG video game

Light Crusader is an action-adventure game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for their Sega Genesis console in 1995. The game was included in the Sega Genesis Classics collections on Steam and other platforms in 2011. It was also included on the Sega Genesis Mini in North America and Sega Mega Drive Mini in PAL regions.

<i>McDonalds Treasure Land Adventure</i> 1993 video game

McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure is a 1993 platform game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. Based on the McDonald's fast food restaurant chain, specifically its McDonaldland marketing campaign, players control Ronald McDonald in his efforts to retrieve the missing pieces of a map that lead to the location of a buried treasure from a group of villains. Ronald can defeat enemies by using a magic attack and can latch onto hooks with his scarf to reach higher platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rieko Kodama</span> Japanese video game artist and producer (1963–2022)

Rieko Kodama, also known as Phoenix Rie, was a Japanese video game artist, director, and producer employed by Sega from 1984 until her death. She is primarily known for her work on role-playing video games including the original Phantasy Star series, the 7th Dragon series, and Skies of Arcadia (2000). She is often recognized as one of the first successful women in the video game industry.

<i>Galaxy Force</i> 1988 shoot em up arcade game

Galaxy Force is a rail shooter video game developed and released by Sega for arcades in 1988. The player assumes control of a starship named the TRY-Z, as it must prevent the Fourth Empire from taking over the entire galaxy. Gameplay involves shooting down enemies using either a laser shot or a limited supply of heat-seeking missiles, all while avoiding collision with projectiles or obstacles and making sure the ship's energy meter doesn't fully deplete. It ran on the Sega Y Board arcade system, and was released with a motion simulator cockpit arcade cabinet version like previous Sega Super Scaler games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M2 (game developer)</span> Video game developer

M2 Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer and publisher, best known for handling emulation of re-released games, such as some Sega Ages titles, Virtual Console titles for Nintendo systems, the 3D Classics series for the Nintendo 3DS and their ShotTriggers range of classic STG games. M2 has also created entirely new titles such as WiiWare games for Konami under the ReBirth moniker and more recently a new GG Aleste game. In addition, M2 currently holds the rights of Aleste series and all NEC Avenue and NEC Interchannel games on TurboGrafx-16 and variants, previously owned by Lightweight.

<i>Illusion</i> (video game series) Series of platforming video games licensed by Disney

Illusion, known in Japan as I Love Mickey Mouse, is a series of platforming video games developed and published by Sega for its consoles Master System, Sega Genesis and Game Gear. The series follows the adventures of Disney's cartoon character Mickey Mouse between various fantasy worlds. The series includes Castle of Illusion, and its sequels Land of Illusion, World of Illusion and Legend of Illusion.

<i>Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen</i> 1994 video game

Yu Yu Hakusho Makyō Tōitsusen is a 1994 fighting game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Mega Drive. It is based on the manga series Yu Yu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi. The plot follows the protagonist Yusuke Urameshi, who is tasked by the ruler of the afterlife with solving detective-style cases involving both humans and demons threatening the living world. The story begins to focus heavily on martial arts battles as it progresses.

References

  1. ↑ "3D ガンスターヒーローズ｜セガ 3D復刻プロジェクト｜セガ". Sega (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  2. ↑ "3D Gunstar Heroes". Nintendo Life. August 20, 2015. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Grove, Ryan (August 25, 2015). "3D Gunstar Heroes (3DS) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Musgrave, Shaun (December 21, 2017). "'Gunstar Heroes' Review - Treasure it, Forever". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Parish, Jeremy (August 27, 2015). "3D Gunstar Heroes 3DS Review: Sega's Pride and Joy, Now Nintendo's Shining Star". USgamer. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Thomas, Lucas M. (December 11, 2006). "Gunstar Heroes Virtual Console Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Davies, Jonti (April 2008). "The Making Of: Gunstar Heroes". Retro Gamer . No. 50. pp. 56–61.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "前川正人「ガンスターヒーローズ」スーパーバイザー". Sega (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 22, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2018. (Abridged translation Archived December 1, 2018, at the Wayback Machine )
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "An Interview With: Treasure". GameFan. Vol. 1, no. 11. October 1993. p. 60.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stuart, Keith (2014). Sega Mega Drive/Collected Works. Read-Only Memory. p. 291. ISBN   9780957576810.
  11. ↑ Robinson, Martin (January 12, 2014). "Contra 3 retrospective". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 5, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Treasure Factory Special - ガンスター＆マックふっかーい思い入れのあるシーン". Beep! Mega Drive (in Japanese). No. 49. SoftBank Creative. October 1993. p. 112. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2019-03-30 at the Wayback Machine ).
  13. 1 2 Horowitz, Ken (October 23, 2013). "Interview: Mac Senour (SOA Producer)". Sega-16. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  14. ↑ "ガンスターヒーローズ バーチャルコンソール メガドライブ 公式サイト". Sega. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  15. 1 2 McFerran, Damien (October 31, 2017). "Treasure's Masato Maegawa Wants Sega To Make A Mega Drive Mini". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Turner, Benjamin (March 25, 2016). "13 Years of Treasure: A Retrospective from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  17. ↑ "「3D スペースハリアー」インタビュー 「SEGA AGES」から「バーチャルコンソール」、そして3DSにいたるまでの道のり". GAME Watch (in Japanese). December 26, 2012. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018. (Translation)
  18. ↑ "Game Gear Shock: ガンスターヒーローズ". Sega Saturn Magazine (in Japanese). April 1995. p. 126. Archived from the original on January 2, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  19. 1 2 "「SEGA AGES 2500シリーズ Vol.25 ガンスターヒーローズ ～トレジャーボックス～」～奥成プロデューサーに再びインタビュー!～". GAME Watch (in Japanese). March 14, 2006. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  20. ↑ Kalata, Kurt. "Gunstar Heroes Treasure Box". Siliconera. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  21. 1 2 "SEGA AGES 2500 | Gunstar Heroes Treasure Box". Sega. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 Town, Jonathan (August 20, 2015). "Review: 3D Gunstar Heroes (3DS eShop)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Sega's Newest Title in their 3D Remaster Project: "3D Gunstar Heroes" Interview Part 1". Sega Blog. August 18, 2015. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Sega's Newest Title in their 3D Remaster Project: "3D Gunstar Heroes" Interview Part 2". Sega Blog. August 20, 2015. Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  25. ↑ Hatfield, Daemon (June 10, 2009). "Gunstar Heroes Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  26. ↑ Hatfield, Daemon (June 11, 2009). "Gunstar Heroes Review". IGN. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  27. ↑ Frank, Allegra (February 20, 2016). "Sega offers up Gunstar Heroes and more on Steam for free". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  28. ↑ Stedman, Alex (September 30, 2021). "Nintendo Switch Online Expanding With N64 and Sega Genesis Games in New Membership". IGN. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 Keen, Steve; Anglin, Paul (August 15, 1993). "Review: Gunstar Heroes" (PDF). Computer and Video Games . No. 142 (September 1993). pp. 38–40.
  30. 1 2 3 4 "Test Screen: Gunstar Heroes". Edge . No. 1. October 1993. pp. 86, 104–105.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Review Crew: Gunstar Heroes". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 52. November 1993. p. 38.
  32. ↑ "ガンスターヒーローズ [メガドライブ]". Famitsu (in Japanese). ASCII Corporation. September 17, 1993. p. 38. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Gunstar Heroes". Game Informer . September 1998. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bro' Buzz (February 1994). "ProReview: Gunstar Heroes" (PDF). GamePro. p. 52. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mega Drive Review: Gunstar Heroes". Mean Machines Sega. No. 12. October 1993. pp. 68–71.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Gunstar Heroes". Sega Force. Vol. 2, no. 5. November 1993. pp. 48–51.
  37. 1 2 3 "Out Now: Gunstar Heroes". Sega Magazine. No. 1. January 1994. p. 125.
  38. 1 2 "GameFan's 2nd Annual Megawards". GameFan. Vol. 2, no. 2. p. 58.
  39. ↑ "Gunstar Heroes Review". MegaTech (21): 36–41. September 1993.
  40. ↑ "Gunstar Heroes". Game Fan. Vol. 1, no. 10. pp. 14, 28–29.
  41. 1 2 "Game Gear Review: Gunstar Heroes". Mean Machines Sega. No. 40. February 1995. pp. 62–63.
  42. 1 2 "Hands On Portables: Gunstar Heroes". GameFan. Vol. 3, no. 6. p. 113.
  43. ↑ "IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time". IGN . 2003. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  44. ↑ "IGN's Top 100 Games, 2005". IGN . 2005. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  45. ↑ "The Top 200 Games of All Time". Game Informer . No. 200. January 2010.
  46. 1 2 "100 Best Games of All Time". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 100. Ziff Davis. November 1997. p. 141.
  47. ↑ "HG101 Presents: The 200 Best Video Games of All Time". hardcoregaming101.net. December 5, 2015. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  48. ↑ Polygon Staff (November 27, 2017). "The 500 Best Video Games of All Time". Polygon.com . Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  49. 1 2 Kalata, Kurt. "Classic Review Archive - Gunstar Heroes". GameSpy. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  50. ↑ "Top Ten Mega Drive Games". Retro Gamer. January 7, 2014. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  51. 1 2 Parish, Jeremy (July 22, 2015). "A Reminder (or is it a Memorial?) of Gaming's Original Hardcore Developer". USgamer. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  52. ↑ Stuart, Keith (2014). Sega Mega Drive/Collected Works. Read-Only Memory. p. 326. ISBN   9780957576810.
  53. ↑ Stuart, Keith (2014). Sega Mega Drive/Collected Works. Read-Only Memory. p. 300. ISBN   9780957576810.
  54. ↑ "Interview: Gamings Treasure". Gamers' Republic. No. 3. August 1998. p. 90.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.