Gunstar Super Heroes
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| Gunstar Super Heroes | |
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| Developer(s) | Treasure Co. Ltd |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Designer(s) | Hideyuki Suganami |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release date |  October 6, 2005 October 25, 2005 November 4, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Run and gun |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) CERO: All ages |
| Media | 64-megabit cartridge |
Gunstar Super Heroes (Japanese: ガンスタースーパーヒーローズ; Gunstar Future Heroes in Europe) is a Game Boy Advance title created by Treasure Co. Ltd. It is the sequel to the Sega Genesis/Game Gear action title Gunstar Heroes. Gameplay is similar to that of the original title, but with a fixed set of weapons and the addition of close combat techniques.
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[edit] Story
Taking place after the destruction of the "God of Ruin" (also known as Golden Silver, the final boss) at the end of Gunstar Heroes, the explosion created four moons orbiting the Earth. However, many years later, the creation of a fifth moon reveals a plan to resurrect the malevolent Empire and Golden Silver once again.
Most of the new characters bear both the names and likenesses of their equivalents in the original game (such as Blue, Yellow, Green, Pink, Kain, Kotaro, Orange, Black, Gray, and Smash Daisaku). The main characters combat the Empire under the organization called The Third Eye, (abbreviated "3YE") under the names Red (female in the North American version, ambiguous in the Japanese) and Blue in recognition and tribute to the characters from the original game, and along with Yellow on the team, they are known as Gunstar Super Heroes. The Gunstars must travel to the moons, stop the resurrected Empire, and recapture the Treasure Gems, four mystical stones with an unknown power that had driven the story in the last game.
[edit] Characters
- Gunstar Red
A red-haired girl with a temper, she is an expert marksman, and relatively new to 3YE as an operative. She's very impulsive, but optimistic and a little naive in nature. She's definitely not afraid to show her emotions. According to the manual, she lost her parents when she was just a child, and joining the organization, has considered Blue as her bigger brother. In the original Japanese version, Red is a male character, as was Red in the Genesis and Game Gear titles. As stated by the four Treasure Gems, she is the chosen hero for the world.
- Gunstar Blue
Blue is a level-headed Gunstar who rarely shows much emotion. He tends to be sarcastic about things, although he actually does have a strong sense of responsibility. He likes to alleviate stressful moments by teasing Red, whose personality is quite different from his own. According to the manual, Blue was also an orphan, so he can relate to Red. Blue also has a crush on Red which he hides very well.
- Gunstar Yellow (Yellow Shadow Light)
The commander in charge of the Gunstar Super Heroes, she relays the orders of 3YE to Red and Blue. She tends to worry, and she thinks of herself as the mother figure for both Red and Blue, despite all of them being of similar age. She is the daughter of the late Dr. Shadow Light, who discovered the Megalith.
In the story path for Blue's hard difficulty, Yellow joins her brother Green in hijacking the Empire in their father's name.
- Gunstar Green (Green Shadow Light)
Yellow's brother, the son of Dr. Shadow Light, and a member of Gunstar Super Heroes, he has mysteriously abandoned the rest of the team to join the Empire. As a citizen of Earth, his support has allowed the Empire access to the planet's latest military technology. He also helped General Gray to invade 3YE's headquarters and steal the data regarding the location of the four Treasure Gems.
In reality, Green has infiltrated Gray's organization with ulterior motives, and in the story paths for Red's hard difficulty and Blue's normal and hard difficulties, he kills the General and takes control of the Empire, citing the position as his birthright. Afterwards, he seeks to use the Megalith to transform Golden Silver into a savior of mankind, thereby fulfilling his father's wishes and ushering in a new age of prosperity for both Earth and the moons.
- Pink
Pink is a well-known bounty hunter and the only female member of the Empire. As a native citizen of the first moon, she holds a grudge against the Earthling regime, which commandeered her lush homeland and forced the original residents into the deserts.
- Kain
He is the tall member of Pink's group, who would do anything for Pink.
- Kotaro
He is the small member of Pink's group, who would obey Pink without question.
- G.I. Orange
The Captain of a huge warship, Orange loves melee combat and is known for his incredible fighting skills and strength. A citizen of the second moon, he is angered by the Earth government's exploitation and refuses to agree that their relationship can change without the force of armed conflict. Trusting solely in the Empire, he has renounced his name for the color orange.
- Black
The owner of a casino on the fourth moon, Black is another follower of the Empire. He used to be Dr. Shadow Light's right-hand assistant, but when General Gray moved to steal the Megalith and killed the doctor, Black surrendered his allegiance and converted their laboratory into an Imperial fortress full of ingenious traps.
- Smash Daisaku
Not much is known about Smash Daisaku except that he obediently follows General Gray. He is eager to challenge the Gunstars and prove his worth to the General. He's known for his trademark laugh and somewhat comical theatrics.
On a non-diegetic note, in the American manual for the original Gunstar Heroes, the character with this name is referred to as "Colonel Red," and the American manual for this game alludes to this by dubbing the new character "Colonel Smash." However, in the games themselves, both of them have only ever been known as Smash Daisaku.
- General Gray
The leader of the Empire, Gray issues commands from the fifth moon, an enormous armed satellite of his creation. In the past, he had used his high economic standing to support Dr. Shadow Light's research, but he ultimately betrayed the doctor and took the object of his studies, the Megalith, for himself.
Now, Gray has mobilized the Empire in a campaign to secure the four moons' independence from Earth. After obtaining the four Treasure Gems, he plans to summon Golden Silver, then use the Megalith to manipulate its actions, killing all but those he personally considers "worthy" or "pure."
- Golden Silver
Also known as the Destructor and the God of Ruin, Golden Silver is an ancient destructive entity who was defeated by the original Gunstar Heroes generations ago. It can only be summoned by uniting the four Treasure Gems, and despite its potently violent behavior, there are several parties who wish to see it awakened. It is said that Golden Silver reflects humanity's behavior.
Golden Silver is a symbol of power for the Empire, a means to take over the Earth. For the Megalith it reflects a weapon for Outside Space, and even more for the Treasure Gems it is also a weapon however it is the exact opposite in they believe it can be used against Outside Space.
- Dr. Shadow Light
Once a member of the Earth's science division, he pursued the secrets of the four moons that suddenly appeared in Earth's orbit generations ago. Noticing that the positions of the four indicated a missing fifth moon, traveled to this empty space, where he discovered that this was the site where Golden Silver had first impacted on Earth's original moon. What he found then was the mysterious object known as the Megalith, which he took back to Earth to examine. His experimentation with the relic revealed that the Megalith itself possessed sentience and could communicate telepathically.
The Megalith told him that it was actually a "fifth gem" intended to complement the four known Treasure Gems, all of whom sought to aid the evolution of human beings. Convinced that no one would believe him, he relocated with Black to a new laboratory on the fourth moon.
Following the Megalith's instructions, the doctor was able to momentarily manifest a life form from a different dimension. It was at this time that he sought additional funding to continue his studies, drawing the attention of Gray, an Earthman. With Gray's backing, he was able to conclude that the key to the gems' benevolence was Golden Silver. Supposedly, if it were to be summoned using all five gems, it wouldn't necessarily wreak havoc--and could even act as mankind's guide toward peace and enlightenment.
Unfortunately, Gray sought to use Golden Silver for his own militant ends. Sensing his impending betrayal, the doctor recorded his writings onto discs and entrusted them to his children, Yellow and Green. Soon afterwards, Shadow Light died at Gray's hands, as he had feared.
- The Treasure Gems
The Treasure Gems are a group of four legendary stones that are largely a mystery to mankind. Generations ago, they were used by the previous General Gray in an effort to resurrect the Destructor, Golden Silver. Once Golden Silver was defeated by the original Gunstar Heroes, the gems were assumed to have been destroyed along with it. However, after the battle, four moons appeared around Earth, and the gems were reborn deep within them, slowly regenerating over the course of generations.
The true nature of the gems is that of four entities originating from four different dimensions, each with its own incarnation of Earth and the human race. Upon gaining the ability to travel the dimensions, they learned of Outside Space. Seeking a means of eliminating this menace, each of them traveled to the dimension where Golden Silver slept, hoping to use their collective powers to awaken it so it could eliminate Outside Force.
Because the gems need a human to gather them in one place, they cooperate with the Megalith, who has the power to beguile humans into doing its bidding with promises of their own ambitions made real.
- Satoa
The blue Treasure Gem, Satoa is an entity from an Earth where humans had become exceedingly savage. While it was powerless to remedy their violent behavior, it could not help but love them. Soon after it began harvesting its powers, gaining the ability to transcend dimensions. However, upon arriving, it learned of the powers of Outside Space.
- Ruks
The yellow Treasure Gem, Ruks hails from an Earth where humans were often heroes, but it was disappointed by the heroes who disappeared when their labors were finished. It believes Red's actions can put an end to Outside Space, saving not just her own Earth but every Earth across the dimensions.
- Alioto
The green Treasure Gem, Alioto comes from an Earth where humans survived a harsh environment by learning to edit their genetic code, but this only caused them to become no different than monsters. While fighting for its humanity, Alioto learned of Outside Space.
- Miko
The red Treasure Gem, Miko was created as a peacemaker in a world torn apart by war, but after accomplishing its task, it lost consciousness. During this time, it evolved and learned of the existence of other Earths, as well as Outside Space. When encountered by Red, Miko strongly hints that the Megalith is actually a "false savior" and urges her to destroy it.
- The Megalith
Despite the beliefs of Green, Gray, and Dr. Shadow Light, the Megalith is actually a minion of Outside Space, sent to destroy Earth and the human race. It uses its powers of transcending time and space to deceive people with misleading information, ultimately convincing them to summon Golden Silver, who will only cause their own destruction.
- Outside Space
Like the Treasure Gems, this force has the power to bypass dimensional barriers. However, while the gems seek to aid humanity, its only intent is the destruction of all life and matter in every dimension. While it lacks the ability to do this for itself, it uses objects like the Megalith to achieve its grim ends.
While Outside Space is an integral figure in the overall plot of the game, it never makes a direct appearance, and it is only even mentioned in the story paths for Red and Blue's hard difficulties.
[edit] Stages
[edit] Stage 0 (Earth's Stage)
The 3YE HQ is under attack by the Empire. Yellow attempts to reach them, but cannot get a returning signal. As you delve into the base, you meet General Gray in the control room. He mentions the Megalith but the Gunstar's must leave to save the captured Yellow. You must then rescue Yellow from a giant Mech Suit which is an Earth robot for Blue's story and an Empire robot for Red. After defeating him, you can access the four moons.
[edit] Stage 1 (Pink's Stage)
The level encompasses a small jungle village. Within, there is a mini level which is just like the Sega game "Flicky". Then you will climb up a large pyramid. After defeating Bravo Man at the top, our heroes will fall into the large pyramid to face off Pink, Kain, and Kotaro.
[edit] Stage 2 (Orange's Stage)
The stage starts with a small helicopter stage done by an eagle's eye view. The stage gets progressively more difficult with the difficulty. After following the giant flying battleship with your ship, our heroes create all sorts of havoc on the deck. As they reach towards the right side of the ship, Orange flies into the air with a jet. The bulky Orange does battle with them on top of the jet, and the player can use the top of Yellow's ship as footing.
[edit] Stage 3 (Green's Stage)
Our heroes chase down and destroy the Empire's train, which is being manned by Smash Daisaku in the underground tunnels. After accomplishing this, Green shows up and attacks in his rapidly transforming relic, Seven Force, in one of the most intense battles in the game's early areas. The difficulty of the game determines the length of the fight against Green. On Easy, he battles you in three forms, five on Medium, and in Hard mode, he fights with all seven.
[edit] Stage 4 (Black's Stage)
Black has set up a board game security system. Anyone who can reach the end has to deal with him. After our heroes rush into the system, fight various foes (like Smash Diasaku), and defeat Black in his mech, he attempts to escape from them. When they hit him five times, Black is forced to give up.
[edit] Stage 5 (Smash Daisaku's Stage)
Yellow has been kidnapped by the Empire, and she will only be returned if all the Gems are surrendered! After fighting through the stage and besting Empire's robot, General Gray forces our heroes to comply and return the Gems to the Empire in exchange for Yellow's life. However, General Gray lied and was about to kill two birds with one stone when someone shows up to stop him. If you have the game on Easy or Red's Normal, the other Gunstar takes care of Gray (Blue for Red, Red for Blue). If the game is on Hard or Blue's Normal, Green will surprise General Gray and overthrow him, becoming the new leader (or as he calls it, "rightful heir") of the Empire. Yellow will also join him on Blue's Hard. As the Empire takes off to resurrect Golden Silver in outer space, our heroes board a spaceship and take the battleship head-on. After fighting the spaceships in space, our heroes enter the Empire's base.
[edit] Stage 6 (Final Stage)
Our heroes must take on Pink and her goons, Orange, Black, and Green (in each form of his Seven Force as well). The level is one large set of boss battles with no enemies other than each boss themselves. Pink is outfitted with a butterfly suit with massive wings which shoots fire, Kain has a laser cannon, and Kotaro throws bombs. Orange does not change, however Black has a new machine which resembles an elevator. The final battle is Green and the player fights on solid ground rather than the tracks back in the mine, and Green has one solid health amount rather than seven separate ones. The villains watch the action from the comfort of the control room and disappear as they go to fight the Gunstar's. Upon reaching it, General Gray or Gunstar Green or Gunstar Yellow attempt to revive Golden Silver. They are successful, but the power of the Gems stuns them and leaves them powerless. Our heroes then take on the evil Golden Silver directly by destroying the Gems that revived him. Each gem fires a power shot of its respective weapon. Green (Alioto) fires super chaser, blue (Satoa) fires super lightning, red (Miko) fires super force, and yellow (Ruks) fires super fire.
[edit] Storylines
The Game actually has different storylines depending on the difficulty and characters chosen
Easy: The storylines are near the same, however Blue's endings for the stages are usually comedic whereas Red's just end. The final enemy who awakens Golden Silver is General Gray, and Green sacrifices himself turning himself into a missile, against his sister's wishes, to stop Golden Silver (which is also the ending of the Genesis original).
Normal: The storylines deviate, as Red constantly begins to question if what they're doing is right or if they are the good guys. Blue's storyline is separate as the members of each organization begin to speak about their pasts. In the end Red's final enemy who awakens Golden Silver is Gray, however Green is the one who awakens Golden Silver in the end of Blue's story. In the end of Red's story, Green still saves everyone, but in Blue's story Yellow takes the Seven Force and sacrifices herself to stop Golden Silver.
Hard: The Storylines deviate with a happy and a sad ending. Red is told by each individual jewel about their homeworlds and where they hail from, and the Megalith isn't truly part of it. In the end Green sacrifices himself again, but the jewels save him and tell him Golden Silver has been taught some kindness and will be closer to being correct. The Story ends with Yellow, Red, Blue, and Green rocketing back to Earth after Green says " We are all truly Gunstars, Gunstar Super Heroes".
With Blue, every beaten level leaves behind a video journal which explains what the Megalith and the Four Jewels are. Yellow joins Green in resurrecting Golden Silver and Golden Silver rockets to Earth, however this time they are unable to reach it and Red decides they use their ship as a bomb. Blue reluctantly agrees, and as they head for it Blue tells Red that he loves her. Green and Yellow are inside the Seven Force holding the pilot jewel. All four dive-bomb Golden Silver yelling Dr. Shadow Light's motto "Absilio Mundus!" and are killed in the explosion. The final part of the ending shows each gem saying something next to the respective character of their color talking about humanity before it ends.
"Absilio Mundus!" from the context of the game should mean something in English that would closely resemble, absolute universe, perfect universe or something along those lines.
[edit] Gameplay
The gameplay makes a number of changes from the original Gunstar Heroes. The controls for Red and Blue no longer distinguish by the Free and Fixed Shot and both have more advanced, equal and versatile controls. The Throw from the original is taken out and replaced with more "melee" style close combat. (By pressing the A Button combined with different directions, your character can slide, uppercut and Jump Kick foes. You can also perform a Knife attack by tapping (as opposed to holding) the B button. It can also deflect any bullet or projectile.) You can also shoot in a fixed position by pressing the R Button alone, or hold R and B together to strafe. The ability to combine different weapons is absent (causing a bit of controversy among hardcore Gunstar fans). Instead, the player has the option to select from three weapon types at any time in the game.
Red:
- Force (Similar to the Force+Force combo gun from the original)
- Fire (Similar to the Force+Flame combo weapon)
- Chaser (Similar to the Lightning+Chaser combo gun)
Blue:
- Lightning
- Chaser
- Fire
Not only that, but the game also features a Supercharge Gauge that fills up as you fight enemies. When the Gauge is full the player can unleash a damaging Supercharge attack (which differs depending on which weapon you use) by double tapping R that can take out enemies and bosses much more quickly.
While the objective in the original Gunstar was to just finish the game, Super Heroes adds more replay value and incentive for the player. The game relies more on story and dialogue (although the plot still closely mirrors the original game), while most of the original Gunstar's story relied less on words and more on action. Super Heroes injects more personality into the characters. Not only that, but each of the challenge levels reveal new story revelations, dialogue and different endings. The dialogue and endings change depending on whether you select Red or Blue. Also, the game keeps up with the highest score and fastest time, much like a regular arcade game.
There are differences for each release of the game. Gunstar Future Heroes, the European release, has the most unusual changes. For example, it has a language selection that includes English near-identical to the American release, and Japanese text directly taken from the Japanese release, as well as other languages. There are also additional effects like in the Game Over screen. However, there are some odd changes, like having Earth represented by a motherly Goddess figure in the Stage Select, and the removal of the actual names of level divisions (which were different in both Japanese and American releases, most likely making it a change because of the languages). Sound effect and most graphical changes are also borrowed from the American release, even though the Japanese text remains unchanged in the name change from "Gunstar Super Heroes" to "Gunstar Future Heroes".[citation needed]
[edit] Reception
The game was almost universally praised by critics as a compelling action game and received high scores, even receiving several "Best GBA Game Of E3 2005" awards. However, the game still did not sell very well, and Nintendo Power has urged gamers on numerous times to get the game, disappointed that it did not appear in the top selling GBA games list.
[edit] Criticism
While most critics liked the game, many hardcore fans found Gunstar Super Heroes to be a disappointment. They claimed that the game was too short and essentially a remake of the original, with added levels that had nothing to do with the storyline and weren't much fun to play. The shooter level inspired by Thunder Blade was almost universally panned by both critics and fans due to its unreasonable difficulty. The lack of the ability to combine weapons and throw enemies and their weapons also made the game inferior to the original in the eyes of some gamers.
