Gunstar Red
One of the two playable Gunstar siblings. Red uses the same core abilities as Blue and is central to the rescue mission.
Documented for this version
D-pad | Move and aim Directional input controls movement and shooting direction. |
|---|---|
A | Fire Press to use the equipped weapon. |
B | Jump |
C | Change weapon Cycles through available weapons. |
The game supports one-player and two-player play on Genesis.
Weapon combinations are created by collecting and combining weapon types.
How it plays
Gunstar Heroes is viewed primarily from the side. The goal is to clear four main stages, defeat their bosses, and eventually confront the central threat. The opening stages can be tackled in different orders, while later events follow a fixed progression.
Players run, jump, aim in multiple directions, fire, select weapons, and use close-range attacks. Four basic weapons can be combined to create additional effects, encouraging experimentation with different loadouts. A two-player mode lets each player control one Gunstar sibling, while difficulty settings change the pressure placed on health and combat.
Plan your run
Choose stage order according to the weapon combinations you want to test. Homing and spread-style combinations are useful when enemies approach from several directions, while focused attacks are safer against bosses.
Keep moving, use jumps to cross hazards, and learn when a boss is vulnerable rather than attacking continuously. In two-player mode, divide attention between enemy groups and avoid standing directly beneath large bosses.
Meet the cast
One of the two playable Gunstar siblings. Red uses the same core abilities as Blue and is central to the rescue mission.
The second playable Gunstar sibling, who joins Red in opposing the Golden Silver crisis.
The kidnapped Gunstar sibling whose rescue drives the main story.
The Gunstars’ father and a key figure in the conflict surrounding Golden Silver.
A powerful android whose revival threatens the Gunstar homeworld.
A major enemy weapon and boss that changes form during battle.
Before you begin
Experiment with the four weapon types because combinations can be more useful than any single weapon.
Use the stage-select freedom to leave difficult encounters until you have a better weapon setup.
Against bosses, prioritize learning attack patterns and safe positions over constant firing.
Gunstar Heroes is a fast-paced run-and-gun action game developed by Treasure and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis in 1993. Players control one of two Gunstar siblings, Red or Blue, as they fight to rescue their kidnapped brother Green and stop the android Golden Silver from being revived. The game combines horizontally scrolling stages, responsive shooting, close-range attacks, weapon combinations, and large multi-phase bosses. Its selectable stage order, cooperative two-player mode, and unusually fluid animation gave it a distinctive play style on the Genesis. Critics and players praised its technical ambition, energetic combat, and dense action, and it is widely regarded as one of the system’s standout action games.
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