Gunbird Special Edition brings together the two Gunbird games in one bargain Shoot ‘em Up package.
Visually, the Gunbird game’s show their age, especially on the PlayStation 2's hardware. It’s more noticeable in the cut scenes and character select portraits, but in actual gameplay, the visuals look a lot smoother. That said, the graphic’s are all bright and vibrant and convey the light hearted anime styling of the game. Audio wise, Gunbird’s music is nice, but ultimately forgettable, and all the characters have the occasional “Power Up” and attack yells, but there’s not much else to break up the barrage of bullets and explosions.
Both the games in this Special Edition are pretty standard Shoot ‘em Up fare, but they’re pretty good examples of the aging genre. Neither overly complicated nor too simple, they strike the right balance, and rarely ask for more than a player can handle. Control wise, both games play pretty much the same, with Buttons for Shots that could be charged, Rapid Fire and Bomb’s. Gunbird 2 added a close range attack, that’s useful for cutting a path through a swarm of incoming fire.
As with most Shoot ‘em Up’s, difficulty in Gunbird is generally based on how fast you’re reactions are. The better you are at dodging incoming fire, the easier you’ll find the game’s, however with infinite continues, it’s easy to plough through even if you’re not well versed in the genre. However, there’s not an awful lot to play through, seeing as both games are basic arcade ports, and an infinite supply of continues makes them easy to get through.
Both of the games have simple stories, told through mid level and end level cut scenes, however, the mildly humorous story is pretty much just there to string the levels together. As long as you’re not expecting anything ground breaking, it’s enough to entertain, whilst never getting in the way of the action.
Gunbird Special Edition doesn’t break any new ground, but it stands as a solid marker for Shoot ‘em Up’s. While it may not have the cult status of something like Ikaruga, it’s certainly worth your time, even if it’s just a rental. However, if you’re a fan of the genre, this is an absolute must, as its mindless blasting fun, that’s easy to pick up and play.