Sunset Riders
Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Region: USA
Media: Cartridge
Controller: Gamepad
Genre: Action, Side-Scrolling
Gametype: Licensed
Release Year: 1993
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Players: 1
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Sunset Riders for the SNES is better than the version for Genesis for many reasons, and I hope to give you dozens why!

Sunset Riders is a classic run'n'gun shooter by Konami, creators of other such games such as the most popular example Contra. The SNES version is as faithful as you can get to the Arcade version, although Nintendo did censor it a little bit. The game-play remains strong and as addictive as it was in Arcades, and no major elements are removed.

Sure, Clint Eastwood might not be a playable character, but you'll still feel drawn into this fast paced Wild Wild West world! Konami did some great work bringing every piece of what it means to be a Cowboy together! You'll shoot your way through 8 stages of tough, bullet dodging, speedy madness as either Steve, Billy, Bob, or Cormano, all four Western bounty hunters out for blood, money, and women. Each of the four characters are slightly different. Steve and Billy use revolvers which are fast, but require a bit of accuracy. Bob and Cormano use shotguns requiring less accuracy, but are therefore slower.

Dash through 8 stages of bliss, receiving power-ups from barflies and dead enemies as you fight your way to claiming your reward. Take time to perfect your timing and aim, and you'll be blazing through this western game in no time at all. Have fun jumping to balconies to shoot enemies or shoot dynamite to blow them off the screen! Keep your eyes peeled and be sure to see every bullet and its trajectory, moving accordingly to save your life but take theirs. Move through each invigorating stage, getting closer and closer to eliminating the big boss and claiming all the gold and the maiden!

I cannot stress how solid this game is for a 1991 shooter, especially coming off the heels of Contra. This game is a great stand-alone shooter that was mainly overlooked for its cowboy theme. Rumor was they were making a pirate one next, but it never came to see the light of day since Sunset Riders never took off as they anticipated. The controls in this game are solid and tight and you have a much higher precision shooting than in most other shooters. The Genesis version was addicting, but misses some of the best aspects, especially levels and characters, each cut in half! The sound and graphics aren't on par with their Arcade counterparts either! If you haven't played Sunset Riders or played the Genesis instead, you have sorely missed out and should play now. If I had to bring about one bad thing the SNES version lacked, it was 4 player or the fact that the controller at the time was miserable for control, but now that shouldn't be a problem! 

Still remaining two players and insanely fun, bring a friend for the ride!

Sunset Riders shoots up an 8 out of 10!

Directions:

Shoot, slide, ride, and jump your way into becoming rich, through tough bosses with bounties on their head. Choose one of the four characters (Steve, Billy, Bob, and Cormano) and let loose on the baddies disturbing the Wild West.

Fierce accuracy is almost required throughout the game, especially if you make it beyond stages 3 or 4.

This is great and adds to the determination you will have to want to master the game's 8-directional shooting as well as sliding to dodge bullets and take out your enemies in a safer proximity. Though jumping is not as prominent as in other Konami shooters, your players can pull off some rather amazing leaps on to rooftops and ledges, and jump between moving train cars. Beware though, enemies will follow, so use levels to your advantage quickly!

As you progress through the stages, you will find new enemies that present an ever-increasing danger! Some will have dynamite ready to blow you up, others will be fast with the draw, and some will offer you power-ups if you manage to take them down. To make it a fair fight, enter bars, a barmaid will wave you goodbye and you gain a power-up. You will either receive:
Rapid Fire - Golden badge that makes whichever character's weapon, much faster!
Dual-Wield -Silver Badge, that allows you to carry two weapons firing it about a 45 degree angle!
1-Up - A 1up symbol for extra life
And sometimes just a coin to increase your score!

Each stage, like all other games, ends with a boss, and each boss has a money reward that you will receive for killing them. Be careful, each boss gets increasingly difficult and painful. As you reach the end, bosses will become so infuriating you're likely to get a headache if you're not at the proper skill level! The monetary reward is much like score points in MegaMan when you select a boss. Each level varies widely, throwing you in many different parts of a Wild Wild West and placing you right in the middle of the action that never stops. This aspect of the game will keep your heart racing and your mind eager to see the next stage. As I said, you get to play many parts of the cowboy role, gunning, running, and even Riding?! Make it to stage 2 and enjoy the thrill of riding horseback, taking out the enemies on the train! You'll fight in towns big and small, saloons, on trains, Indian mountain territory, a forest and finally the Big Boss's Territory! 

Every once in a while you will also get a bonus stage to increase your score wildly!

Bring a friend in the adventure and fight over whose gold is whose and which girl will be yours! 

Controls:

A Button - Slide (While Moving)
B Button - Jump (hold to jump from/to balconies)
X Button - N/A
Y Button - Fire
Start Button - Start/Pause
Select Button - N/A

Tips:

Advance directly to final level
Enter the 'Options' screen and use the d-pad to enter the code 
Left, Left, Left, Up, Up, Right, Right, Right, Right, Right

Extra Continues
Start a one player game. When you run out of continues, before your last man dies, press START on controller 2 so you can play as Player 2 with a full set of continues!

Play as same character
Start a game with player one then get yourself killed.  Continue on the game over screen with player two and select the same character as player one did.  During gameplay press start on controller one and player one will join as the same character.

Reviewer: Aggort
http://www.consoleclassix.com/snes/sunset_riders.html
