Gunhead Star Fighter
The player's combat ship, equipped with lasers and bombs for the main assault.
Documented for this version
D-pad | Move the fighter |
|---|---|
Button I | Fire the main weapon |
Button II | Cycle weapon power-ups |
Run | Pause the game |
Button names follow the standard PC Engine controller labeling.
The exact pause behavior can vary by release documentation.
How it plays
The game uses a fixed vertical perspective. Each stage scrolls automatically, placing the fighter against waves of ground and airborne enemies, hazards, mid-stage threats, and a large end-of-stage boss.
The player steers the ship, fires its primary weapon, and changes weapon types by collecting numbered power-ups. Different weapons alter shot spread, direction, or behavior, while option-like satellites increase firepower and may absorb or add attacks. Progress is organized into a sequence of stages, with lives and continues supporting repeated attempts.
Plan your run
Stay near the lower-middle area of the screen so that incoming threats remain visible while leaving room to dodge. Collect weapon items deliberately; a stronger weapon is not always safer if its firing pattern is difficult to control.
Learn the movement and firing patterns of bosses, and prioritize enemies that create bullets or restrict the available route. Preserve satellites when possible, since their extra firepower can shorten dangerous encounters.
Meet the cast
The player's combat ship, equipped with lasers and bombs for the main assault.
The enemy force responsible for the eight super weapons and the main opposition throughout the game.
Before you begin
Use short horizontal movements instead of holding one direction continuously.
Watch the top of the screen for enemies entering before they become immediate threats.
Choose weapons according to the stage layout rather than collecting every power-up.
Blazing Lazers is a fast vertically scrolling shoot 'em up developed by Compile and published by Hudson Soft for the PC Engine. The player pilots a heavily armed fighter through mechanized environments, alien formations, and large bosses while collecting weapon power-ups and support options. Its play style emphasizes constant movement, rapid target selection, and memorizing enemy patterns rather than exploration or story scenes. The game is closely associated with Compile's high-speed shooter design, combining dense bullet patterns with responsive controls and a wide range of weapons. It was highly regarded for its technical presentation, smooth scrolling, energetic soundtrack, and demanding but fair arcade structure. The Japanese release is known as Gunhed, while Blazing Lazers is the title used for the English release.
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