Gunstar Heroes: 1HN Overrated Mess

Back in my college days in the 90s, I bought a game about which I had read a few very favorable reviews: Gunstar Heroes. This rock 'em, sock 'em shoot-em-up side-scroller was hailed as one of the finest games of its genre for the Sega Genesis or any game system at the time. Initially, the game was fun and amusing with the main characters and their abilities to combine gun types, punch and kick villains, climb across platforms, and even throw foes or each other. At the time, it seemed to be like Contra, but wrapped up in a slightly cutesy, Japanese anime-like look. However (and this should say something about the game), a few months after I bought it, I remember selling Gunstar Heroes so that I could buy some EA Sports game.

Why? Because the game is a farce. Amidst all the explosions, throwing robot bad guys, blowing the tar out of foes, and comically animated bravado, you begin to realize that the game is all about blowing up stuff. Imagine playing a game in which, suddenly, you're mobbed by bad guys. Then, you throw these bad guys here and there, blowing away a bunch more with explosion after explosion happening. After a while, it ceases to be amusing and becomes tedious; no strategy, but just mashing buttons as quickly as you can to wreak aimless havoc. The only amount of strategy you need is when fighting the various end-stage bosses, but after learning the trick that beats each boss, anyone could beat this game and move on.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't have patience for this game so I got rid of it; but, if I had held onto that game, I could've sold the cartridge for close to its purchase price now. Years later (actually, a few months ago), I read about this game again and decided that I wanted to give it another chance. I played it again, and I felt the same way: explosions, bodies thrown, ugh. So, once and for all, I turned my back on Gunstar Heroes. My advice: avoid this cartoonishly violent game, even if it is just throwing robots, and play Super Mario 3 or something more worthwhile like that.