Psikyo vertical shmup with a colorful character cast. Fast and fun gameplay, well-paced progressive difficulty. Excellent Saturn port. An accessible and immediately enjoyable Psikyo classic.
Your verdict
Category
Shooter1 player12+
Co-op
Description
Vertical shoot-'em-up by Psikyo featuring flying humanoid characters with comical traits. Published by Psikyo, released in Japan in 1998. Five playable characters with distinct firing configurations and magic, partner selection for two-character special attacks, memorable bosses, colorful visuals and an upbeat soundtrack. Saturn version of the 1994 arcade hit with additional content.
Gunbird review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Psikyo picks the comic register here and sticks to it: round-headed pilots perched on cobbled-together machines, stone towns and airships from a dreamed nineteenth century, enemies with deliberately rickety mechanics. The warm palette and generous sprites pull the shooter towards children's comics without ever hurting the readability of the bullets.
The score follows the game's tone: bounding melodies on bright timbres, waltzes turned sideways, fanfare brass accompanying the ascents. Each pilot has a theme of their own, and the boss tracks briefly drop into a graver register before finding their spring again. Light writing, but careful, cut for short and repeated sessions.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
Compare prices
Loading eBay listings…
Alert active — budget
$
Collector interest
Japan exclusive Saturn port of Gunbird, distributed by Atlus in December 1998, a conversion of the Psikyo shoot that set the humorous steampunk aesthetic of the sub franchise. Atlus Japan run was short, jewel case with intact obi, and Psikyo's pivot role in late nineties 2D shoot makes it for enthusiasts a collector market object systematically isolated from the second volume. Complete with obi marked Gunbird remains an identifiable landmark of the Psikyo Saturn branch.
An underrated gem
With its colorful cast of flying heroes and its punchy fire, this Psikyo vertical shooter radiates arcade good cheer. Stuck in Japan and unassuming next to the genre's giants, it never really broke through in the West. Accessible and brisk, it's an ideal gateway into shmups for anyone wanting to give the genre a try without getting discouraged.
Is Gunbird still worth playing in 2026?
A vertical shoot by Psikyo, Gunbird offers a fantastic vertical shoot with five playable characters of distinct abilities tracking a mysterious map. The vibrant steampunk fantasy art direction, accessible handling and energetic soundtrack make it a vertical shoot reference on Saturn. For anyone fond of Psikyo vertical shoots or seeking a genre classic, a warm recommendation still valid today without any hesitation on the Sega machine for fans of the classic Japanese fantastic shoot genre truly indeed here for any genre fan.
