Gunstar Heroes

Gunstar Heroes is a run and gun game which is played from a side-scrolling perspective similar to Contra . The game can be played in single-player , or cooperatively with a partner. The players take on the role of Gunstar Red and Gunstar Blue as they battle with an evil empire for control over a set of powerful gems. The game features seven stages, of which the first four can be played in any order.

The stage formats vary. While some feature a left-to-right format, others include the player riding in a mine cart along walls, fighting enemies on a helicopter, or playing a board game. Completing a level grants the player an extension to their maximum health, known as vitality in the game. When starting the game, the player can choose either a free or fixed firing stance; the free stance allows the player to move in the direction they are firing, while the fixed stance immobilizes the character when shooting.

The player also has a choice of starting weapon. There are four shot types in the game: a homing shot, lightning blaster, flamethrower, and machine gun. Every weapon has its strengths and weaknesses, and can be swapped with others from item drops. The weapons can be combined with each other to produce unique shot types.

For example, the homing shot can be combined with the machine gun to add a homing effect to the latter, or two lightning shots can be combined to create a more powerful lightning gun. In addition to firing their weapon, the player characters can perform a series of acrobatic maneuvers including jumping, sliding, and grabbing and throwing enemies.