If you're relatively new to the gaming scene, you may wonder what the big deal is regarding developer Treasure. Why is this little company--whose game catalogue is comprised of niche shooters like Ikaruga and bizarre junk like Stretch Panic--such a sacred cow to message board fanboys everywhere? The answer, my friends, is Gunstar Heroes.

Treasure's first game, Gunstar Heroes was released on the Sega Genesis back in 1993, and thanks to word of mouth and incredible hype from the gaming media--and almost no help from Sega's marketing department--it was one of the most loved, most intense shooters of the 16-bit era. And now, finally, Treasure and Sega have teamed up again to try and recapture that magic and show all you young whippersnappers what all the fuss was about.

A Fine Pedigree

Fans of the original game might find that Treasure's tried a bit too hard to capture that old magic, though, as it quickly becomes apparent that this new Gunstar Heroes is more of a remake than a sequel to the old Genesis game. Each level takes most of its cues from the old cartridge, albeit with shiny new graphics and a new challenge here or there. Even the boss battles--like Pink's mecha and the morphing Seven Force--are recycled.

But it's hard to hold that against Super Heroes, considering the original game is a dozen years old, and most of today's gaming crowd has probably never played it anyway.

Besides which, Gunstar Heroes was popular for good reason. The intense action, unique level design, and mixture of hand-to-hand and gun-based gameplay were a winning combination then, and still are now. Even on the easiest difficulty, Super Heroes offers a decent challenge in the later levels. On the highest of the three difficulty modes, this game is downright crazy, a throwback to a time when most games were not single-sitting experiences, requiring lots of practice and technique.

If there is any complaint, it would be that the action doesn't last long enough. Gunstar Super Heroes is only a handful of levels long. But it's one hell of a ride while it lasts.

The Showpiece

When Gunstar Heroes was released on the Genesis, it did things with the old system that most people didn't think possible. The special effects were spectacular, featuring segmented enemies, screen-filling explosions, lots of scaling and rotation--things that were right on the bleeding edge back in 1993.

Similarly, Gunstar Super Heroes is easily one of the most impressive Game Boy Advance cartridges you'll ever witness. The sheer amount of action on-screen at once is impressive enough, but the special effects going on at the same time really put this game into a category all its own.

Brief Taste of Greatness

The omission of a co-op mode and the lack of longevity hurt Gunstar Super Heroes a bit, but overall it's still a fantastic game that deserves a spot in anyone's Game Boy Advance library. It's nice to see such a showpiece come out just as the system is enjoying its final days.