DESCRIPTION

The only game of the era to truly give the Contra series a run-and-gun for its money, Gunstar Heroes is a frantically paced, thoroughly entertaining game. Running, jumping, and shooting are the obvious attractions here, but players can also kick, body slam, and slide-tackle the near-constant onslaught of enemies (which include some wildly original bosses). There are just four different standard weapons (force, lightning, chaser, and fire), but any two weapons can be combined to form a high-powered attack. (For example: force plus fire equals exploding fireball.) Frenetic sounds, humor, and rich, anime-style graphics add to the explosive gaming experience, as do mine cart and spaceship stages. Gunstar Heroes could use a couple of more levels to extend the experience, but nicely balanced two-player simultaneous action and near-unparalleled gameplay makes the title a must-own. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide