| Gunstar Super Heroes review |
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Few Japanese software houses can match the level of respect that is granted to Treasure. This tiny company, sprung from the loins of super-developer Konami, has a dedicated worldwide fanbase which awaits each new release with clammy-palmed expectation. Regardless of the relatively poor commercial performance of its product (in worldwide terms at least) Treasure has arguably crafted some of the finest videogames of the past decade. It all started with the high-octane platform shooter Gunstar Heroes – a game that called upon the Sega Mega Drive to perform feats of graphical excellence that it simply should not have been expected to do. From that moment onwards the staff at Treasure gained a reputation as innovators who seemed hell-bent on squeezing every last drop of performance from each machine they worked on. The intervening years have brought mixed results for the company: for every Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga, there’s a Stretch Panic or Silpheed: The Lost Planet. Thankfully Treasure has scored some notable (critical) hits on Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance in the shape of Hajime No Ippo and Astroboy (let’s try to forget Guardian Heroes Advance) and has now come full circle by ‘re-imagining’ the game that started it all.
Let’s get this straight – although Gunstar Super Heroes (GSH from hereon in) is billed as a sequel to the original 16-bit epic, it’s actually more of a remix than a totally original experience. Anyone who has played the first game will be instantly struck by the bold similarities between the two. The player assumes the role of either Red or Blue (the game features a Reservoir Dogs-style naming system, just like GH), but this time around there are subtle differences between the two characters, not just in design and animation, but in weapon loadup as well. Although the game is an advancement in terms of plot (taking place after the events of the original game), several elements, including level design and boss characters, are near identical. Level one of GH appears here (with some notable embellishments) and the famous battle against Green and his legendary ‘Seven Force’ machine is present and correct. Rather than give the depressing feeling of déjà vu, this intentional re-use of existing themes serves to strengthen rather than weaken the experience. Warm feelings of friendly familiarity wash over the player as they duke it out with Pinky Roader, fling their robot-steed (thankfully evolved from the humble mine cart found in GH) around a fast-moving railway tunnel and tackle the ingenious ‘Black’s Maze’ level.
Before the wrong impression is given, it must be stressed that there are several new elements here too – although it’s actually something of a falsehood to describe them as ‘new’. Treasure has referenced several classic Sega games, such as Afterburner, Flicky and Thunderblade and has created levels based around these titles. There was quite a buzz when early screenshots were published - unfortunately the ‘Afterburner’ stage doesn’t quite live up to that heady expectation – it’s more of a graphical homage than a straight copy, with the player simply controlling the rotation of the craft they ride on. However, the ‘Flicky’ stage is handled excellently. The aim is to collect several chicks and lead them safely back to the exit, and this provides a welcome respite from the trigger-happy action that surrounds it. Sadly the ‘Thunderblade’ level (arguably the ‘tribute’ with the most potential) leaves a very sour taste in the mouth thanks to slow and sluggish control, annoying (and often unavoidable) enemy attacks and a woefully constrained viewing area. Tackling this stage is the only instance when playing the game feels like a chore.
Graphically the game ensures that Treasure more than live up to their aforementioned reputation. Nintendo’s aging handheld is called upon to perform some pretty impressive visual tricks and it copes admirably. There’s plenty of scaling and silky-smooth rotation to be witnessed, and all without the slightest hint of slowdown. The first-level boss is particularly impressive, appearing in a mass of flame and smoothly scaling in and out of the screen as it attempts to crush the player – with their own landing craft no less! Similarities can be drawn between this encounter and one found in Treasure’s N64 platformer Yuke! Yuke! Troublemakers but again this feels too much like a fond allusion for Treasure fans to be a negative point. Sonically the link between the old and new is cemented further by the presence of original (albeit remixed) tunes, which emulate the primitive sound of Sega’s 16-bit console and end up sounding suitably retro and cool in the process.
One element that may aggrieve veteran GH players is the simplification of the weapon system. In the original, weapon properties could be combined (a concept that was expanded on in Radiant Silvergun). Now, the player is limited to three basic weapon types per character (there are actually four different weapon types in the game, with Red and Blue having a different ‘primary’ weapon each). A power gauge charges when in combat and once filled allows the player to take advantage of the super-powerful version of each weapon variant – unleashed by quickly double-pressing the right shoulder trigger. This dumbing down of the weapon system removes the many of the tactical options that were presented in the original game. As a result the player will find themselves rarely switching weapons – the standard shot attack, used in combination with the ‘super’ variant is often enough to progress through each stage. The upside is that the player is able to quickly settle into the action without having to worry about which weapon they should be packing. Weapon system aside, the controls are tight and responsive. The ability to fire in one direction and move in the other is granted by holding down the right shoulder button.
In addition to the standard ballistic attacks, there are a series of punches, kicks and even a slide/side-step attack (the animation of which is different depending on which character is being used). The wonderfully chaotic ‘throw’ move found in GH has been sacrificed, which is a terrible shame – being able to grab hold of an enemy in the middle of a tense firefight and simply hurl him into other assailants was a highlight of the first game. Thankfully its absence is made somewhat easier to stomach due to a sword-slash manoeuvre (executed by simply tapping the fire button) which allows the player to bat certain projectiles out of the air and knock enemies into each other. The aforementioned close-quarter attacks, accessed by a combination of the jump button and direction pad, also soften the blow (no pun intended) a little.
In terms of game structure, GSH follows the system of the original to a degree – after completing the first stage, the player is able to tackle the subsequent stages in whatever order they please. However this time round each stage is also divided into further sub-sections which once completed can be tackled at will. This method of progression is perfectly suited to portable ‘burst’ gaming. At first glance the game appears to be incredibly short – on the easy difficulty a decent player will breeze through the stages in a day or two of moderate play – but merely finishing the game on the standard setting is not enough to consider it ‘complete’. On the hardest setting GSH offers a stern challenge that will keep even the most competent player busy for some time. Red and Blue both have different storylines so you’ll have to complete the game twice to see everything that’s on offer. Even when the player has experienced all there is to see, the game’s short levels encourage further play in order to boost personal high scores. On the subject of challenge, it would be unfair to review this game without commenting on the bizarre fluctuation in the difficultly of the boss encounters. While most of them put up a decent fight, others such as Pinky Roader and Bravoo Man are ridiculously easy (the latter doesn’t attack at all). Why Treasure decided to neuter these particular boss characters is a mystery.
GSH carefully sidesteps out of the shadow of its imposing ancestor and manages to be one of the most addictive and unadulterated blasters on Nintendo’s handheld. Treasure has successfully taken the relentlessly addictive feel of the Mega Drive original and retooled it for portable play. With the DS now taking up the lion’s share of Nintendo’s first- and third-party support, developing such a high-profile title for the GBA was a brave move, but in hindsight it was the right one. GSH is better suited to the GBA’s traditional ‘pad-and-buttons’ control scheme and it’s hard to see how such a frantic game could benefit from the DS’s touch screen interface, or even a second display. It’s not without its faults and some fans will probably feel it is inferior in many respects, but it’s easily one of the most blissfully entertaining 2D arcade shooters that has been seen for some time.
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System: Nintendo GameBoy Advance
Genre: Action
Developer: Treasure
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
Version: Japan
Reviewed: Jan 2006
Writer: Damien McFerran
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Pros:
- Graphically impressive
- Brilliantly entertaining
- Plenty of challenge across the different Difficulty levels
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Cons:
- Rather short
- Simplified weapon system
- Not quite as good as the original
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Gunstar Super Heroes Video: 9.8MB
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