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Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       22nd July 2005: Gunbird Special Edition  Shooting everything that moves takes us back to 1994. Not that times were rough then, that's just when Gunbird came out. Posted by Chris Barnett - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe Gunbird and Gunbird 2 have a place in gaming history in the way that they shaped the 'near impossible' shooter genre. If you have played Ikaruga on the GameCube then you will have some idea of what we mean. That game is inspired by the Gunbird games quite a bit (not in the usage of the black and white collection dynamic though, that was Ikaruga's own conception). Since the original was released in 1994, it was a doubt of ours that it would appear as dated and possible tedious even. But having played quite a few poor shooters on the PlayStation 2 recently (no names mentioned) it is a pleasure to see that our former friend is still good. Sure the graphics are not 3D and the enemies are sprites, but the dynamic of dodging the shots of enemies whilst powering up is an amazing sensation. As you kill certain opponents you are given a power-up that floats around the screen, awaiting collection. But these often float off into danger and require a risk to collect them. When you finally do get them though, they add a new fire mode to your weapon (which is added without need for inventory systems and what not) which gives the game a feeling of accomplishment. When you die, you lose all the power-ups that you have collected, so there is incentive to stay alive as long as possible to see exactly what is on offer in the later stages of the power-ups. As well as offering a two player mode (which is the same as the one player, with two of you on screen) there are multiple characters to choose from. This allows you to choose from a variety of shooting modes (due to the different nature of the different character's vehicles) to suit your play style. This is quite good for replay value as you can play the game through as a different character for personal goal-seeking smugness. The choice of character also alters the cut scenes that you will see (which simply take the form of still shots of characters with some poorly translated quotes that are much funnier than they should be) and the type of bomb that your ship fires (the 'X' button fires a bomb, which is limited in supply, but often destroys all enemies onscreen). The enemy types are quite generic in the first game, with simple ships and trains being the standard fodder. But the bosses are a little more inventive as they change as they are destroyed. In one particular battle a skull morphs into a dragon as you fire at it! This kind of logic could only happen in this kind of game, and adds a 'crazy retro' feeling to events. The second game is very much of the same, with the graphics at a better level and the difficulty upped somewhat (the characters are also different). The locations are livelier too; one sees some American Westerners lolling around as you battle overhead, their pitchforks waving. There is also an introduction of a charge shot, built up by killing enemies without being killed yourself. This is fired using the square button to charge up a shot and usually homes in on enemies. Both of the games in this collection have options to alter the difficulty and display ratio (to fit a widescreen TV, although it does look stretched somewhat) of the action. This allows any player to get into the game at some level and a training mode allows perfection of stages (attempting to get through certain stages on a single life is a great way to show off to non-gamers) for complete satisfaction. As a classic game, this falls slightly short in the fact that is not too original. But as an enjoyable shooter that makes you feel like a god at times (when you are fully powered up and killing everything in seconds) this is a great experience. At just £9.99 it is well worth it just to play it as a 'score beater'. Chris Barnett             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  Shooting and dodging never ages (look at Stallone and Schwarzenegger, just as lively in their later films!) and this proves it. At £9.99 it is cheaper than all those glasses of Vimto that you would have drank playing it in the arcades. Get it is you like a shooter to literally shoot you up.  Related Games:  Gunbird Special Edition for PlayStation 2  7  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
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