One of the forgotten gems of the Genesis era, Gunstar Heroes is a great game and feels like Contra......on steroids.
When you first start playing Gunstar Heroes, you will no doubt be reminded of Contra. Gunstar Heroes definately has it's own visual style (and the game still looks great, by the way) and it might even be a bit harder than Konami's classic. But the comparisons are undeniable, and they play very much alike. The thing I like about Gunstar Heroes is that it at least tries to give you a little bit of a story. It also tries to change things up a bit with the way you can combine your weapon upgrades. And I already mentioned that I love the visual style of the game and the graphics still hold up pretty decent even to this day.
The only problem I have with this game is the fact that it's way too short. There are only a few levels and if you get good at the game, they don't last long. Don't get me wrong, the game is excellent and definitely worth the time and effort. But some people may find the game's short length annoying, so I thought I would mention it. Other than that, I would definitely recommend downloading this from XBLA. This version comes with a very handy 'save anywhere' feature. This comes in handy while trying to beat this very difficult game.
Gunstar Heroes is one of those underrated, cult-classic kind of games. It was reviewed very well by critics when it came out, but sales of the title weren't outstanding. Well now here's your chance to rectify your mistake if you missed it the first time around. This is one of the best 'classic' games on XLBA.