A Japanese Gunners Heaven platformer with fast shoot action. 2D run and gun by Media.Vision, heavily inspired by Gunstar Heroes, polished animations, snappy gameplay. A forgotten PSone run and gun gem, absolutely worth rediscovering.
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Category
Action1 player12+
Description
Fast 2D horizontal scrolling run and gun. Published by Media Vision, released in Japan in 1996. Two playable characters, six sustained-action levels, over ten interchangeable weapons, imposing bosses, detailed sprites and energetic rock soundtrack in neo-arcade style.
Gunners Heaven review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Punishing"
A brisk run-and-gun in the vein of Treasure classics, it blends multidirectional fire, a grappling hook and on-the-fly weapon swaps under a hail of projectiles. Reading the cluttered screen and using the right tool at the right moment make all the difference against stubborn bosses. Fast and relentless, it offers a straight challenge that will please fans of muscular 2D action.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
The Japanese version of Gunners Heaven, Media.Vision's snappy run-and-gun often described as the PlayStation answer to Gunstar Heroes, known in Europe as Rapid Reload. A fast two-character action that stayed quiet, it holds a respected value among fans of rare 2D shoot-action on the machine. Desirability blends this underrated-gem status with interest in the original Japanese version.
An underrated gem
An unabashed clone of Gunstar Heroes, this Japanese run-and-gun bets on speed, on-the-fly weapon swapping and an acrobatic grappling hook. Short, derivative and technically uneven, it failed to convince and never left Japan. But its frantic action and infectious energy make it an honest stress-reliever for fans of the genre.
