The Good
- Incredible graphics and special effects that rival the next-gen handhelds.
- 2 colorful playable characters to play.
- 3 levels of difficulty - easy, normal and hard.
- Good replayability- story and ending is different depending on which character you're using and the difficulty level.
- Levels are varied so it never gets dull and you never quite know what to expect next.
The Bad
- Short game; easy mode can be beaten in one sitting.
- Some levels are very frustrating (i.e. the "Save the chicks" mini-game and the board game level).
- Story is a dull and predictable version of beat up the bad guys and save the world.
Features
- 6 levels with 2-5 stages each.
- Mini-bosses and bosses galore.
- Two playable characters with different weapons.
- Each character has 3 different weapons, a super mode for each weapon and various moves such as sword slashes and power slides.
- 3 levels of difficulty that allow the game to be playable by gamers of all skill levels.
The Game
Gunstar Super Heroes is the sequel to Gunstar Heroes which came out for the Sega Genesis, and recently rereleased on the Wii Virtual Console). A cult favorite, it involved intense action, fun and varied gameplay, and fans will not be disappointed in the GBA sequel. However it is not necessary to have played the first Gunstar to appreciate this one.
In the original, two heroes rise up against Golden Silver, the God of Ruin that threatens the Earth. The resulting explosion after defeating Golden Silver created four new moons that orbit the earth. These moons have been colonized and an age of prosperity for mankind has begun. However a fifth and sinister mechanical moon has appeared and a mysterious agency plans to resurrect the Gold Silver once again. An elite unit with the codename "Gunstar Super Heroes" must rise to fight this growing menace.
To start off you get to choose between Red and Blue Gunstars and your difficulty level. (Game tip: Recommended starting off with Red on easy level. Her main gun is more powerful than Blue's.) After an introductory level on Earth, the four moons will open up and can be tackled in any order. This is convenient when you get frustrated with a particular stage or boss, you can try a different level and come back any time. The levels are broken down into various stages, each of which are extremely different.
After beating the game you can try the other character or a harder difficulty level. The game rewards you with more of the story depending on the difficulty level, and Red's story is slightly different from Blue's. The game is very short and the easy difficulty mode can be beaten in about 20 minutes or so by an experienced gamer. However, the hard mode will challenge even the most experienced gamer and took me about 2 hours and numerous retries. Gunstar Super Heroes makes up for its shortness by offering replayability as there are 6 slightly different stories to follow.
A couple of the levels are very frustrating especially one where you must save baby chicks and guide them to an exit. Every time you get hit by an enemy you lose your chicks and have to collect them again, and since some of the enemies can't be destroyed it's a very annoying level.
The boss battles is where the game really shines, they're each very different and range from a morphing puck with 7 deadly forms to a gigantic mechanical spider. They each have their own subtle weak points and it may take a few tries to figure out how to defeat them.
If you enjoy fast-paced actions and amazing visuals this game is for you!
Parent Tips
Rated E10+ Everyone 10 and older by the ESRB.. Has fantasy violence and mildly suggestive themes. As for killing, you blow up a lot of mechs and humanoid creatures, but some of the bosses are human. No blood just a lot of explosions. As for the suggestive themes, one of the bosses, Pink, wears a skimpy outfit and is a bit on the flirtatious side.
Editor’s Note
Gunstar Super Heroes is so good that it landed #1 spot on your Game Boy Guide’s picks for the Top 10 Action Games for the Game Boy Advance.
