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Retro|Spective 123: Guardian Heroes

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    Retro|Spective 123: Guardian Heroes



    History in Games:
    1996 - Guardian Heroes
    2004 - Guardian Heroes


    Overview:
    Bringing the walk along beat em up into the 32bit era as it had just fallen out of favour was a big job but naturally one that many gamers felt was safe to entrust to Treasure. Giving players an initial standard starting point, the gamer would begin their journey being impressed by the scaling sprite action as they followed the storyline to their own choosing, branches in your path coming up as you progressed. This branching system would then lead to the realisation that the game contained multiple endings which encouraged repeated play but those additional runs themselves revealed that conditions meant even more branching paths and characters became available. This meant that what seemed like a simple hack and slash increasingly turned into a big adventure with a versus mode where pretty much every character in the game could be unlocked and used. The game was largely landlocked to the Saturn until a release on Xbox Live leaving fans with the sequel as the only way to further indulge however that game arrived on the humble Gameboy Advance but suffered due to the limits of the chosen hardware and so failed to make much of an impact.








    Share your thoughts and memories of Guardian Heroes

    #2
    One of my favourite ever games; I actually still own my PAL Saturn copy despite not having owned a Saturn in many years.

    Got it on a whim. My dad had bought Die Hard Trilogy for me as a surprise, but when we tried it out, there was a black spot on the disc and the ...With A Vengeance portion of the game wouldn't load, so we took it back. They would only exchange it and they had a sale on, so I got Guardian Heroes and Gungriffon; these were among my two favourite games on the platform so to say this went down well would be an understatement.

    Guardian Heroes is a strange beast. I think it's unique. There's been a bit of a resurgence in scrolling fighters in the last decade, and there are a few indie ones I've enjoyed (I should call out Fight'n'Rage here) but I still believe that GH is up there with the genre's other top titles (those being Final Fight Arcade, Streets of Rage II, Aliens Vs Predator arcade).

    I played it for months, and I'm still not convinced I'd seen everything there was to see in it.

    Superb characters, great (if chaotic) anime aesthetic, just fantastic fun.

    Comment


      #3
      I remember thinking "This is 2D gaming taken to another level" and being really impressed with the bold graphics and chaotic action. It felt like a big step up from 16-bit beat 'em ups. I also liked how you could choose your path, which was another improvement over the linear gameplay often seen in previous genre titles. The anime style game world and rousing music really captivated me and kept me coming back for more and more. A very special game.

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        #4
        Someone has to say it - just blowing up small sprites to make big enemies was ugly.

        I found the game itself to be quite samey, but then I find pretty much every beat em up to fall into that trap. But the thing about Guardian Heroes was that branching mechanic, that gorgeous intro, that amazing music and lovely backgrounds and I think it rises far above its beat em up mechanics. It just feels good to play it.

        It’s definitely a big Saturn memory for me (as is Gungriffon actually, like [MENTION=5941]Asura[/MENTION] mentioned) and I loved it back in the day.

        I was really excited for the GBA sequel but it didn’t quite capture whatever the original had, in my view.

        Also what in the heck is going on with those screenshots posted?!

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
          Also what in the heck is going on with those screenshots posted?!
          I assume they're from the Xbox 360 version, with smoothing turned on :| You can turn it off, though.

          The Xbox 360 version was pretty good; unfortunately I think Microsoft funded it, so it never made its way to Steam or other platforms.

          If people are looking for something sort-of similar, there's a game on Switch called Phantom Breaker:

          Comment


            #6
            This is one of the very top things Treasure made for me, though they often get quite a list of games that people praise them for it's actually quite hit or miss as to whether I'm that bothered with the games but Guardian Heroes is an instant where the final game really landed.

            It's a shame that it ended up being trapped in a position whereby it could be released on Steam as I could imagine it would have done quite well on that platform. Instead we're at a point where Treasure still exists but can't get anymore games out the door.

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              #7
              Originally posted by Neon Ignition View Post
              Instead we're at a point where Treasure still exists but can't get anymore games out the door.
              I don't follow Treasure -- what is the situation with them not being able to release games? I agree that Guardian Heroes should be on Steam.

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                #8
                One of the most overrated games IMO . A amazing showcase for the Saturn's 2D might, but I found the game rather dull after a while, with each stage pretty much looking and playing exactly the same as the last. I enjoyed Die Hard Arcade so much more

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Leon Retro View Post
                  I don't follow Treasure -- what is the situation with them not being able to release games? I agree that Guardian Heroes should be on Steam.
                  Not really sure, after the Wii Sin and Punishment I think the continued hard drive of 3D gaming squeezed them out and they became more portable based until they just stopped releasing games at all. Not sure how they still make their money but given the way Steam etc carries small indie titles etc it's a shame they couldn't shift their output successfully to those outlets.

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Leon Retro View Post
                    I don't follow Treasure -- what is the situation with them not being able to release games? I agree that Guardian Heroes should be on Steam.
                    Maybe its because they own so little of the IP rights, to the games they've made and worked on?. Also in the days of C++ and CPU's running at 3 Ghz and more, it's hard for true old school coding skills to stand out.

                    Not like in the old days when Assembly coders could stand out in the pack.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Team Andromeda View Post
                      Maybe its because they own so little of the IP rights, to the games they've made and worked on?. Also in the days of C++ and CPU's running at 3 Ghz and more, it's hard for true old school coding skills to stand out.
                      Well, there are plenty of 2D indie games that have been big hits over the past 10 years, so you'd think Treasure would have the creative talent to produce some special games that would appeal to gamers looking for something retro-inspired.

                      Of course, it's not as simple as that, but I'm sure that Treasure could use something like Kickstarter to get funds and publicity. It's a shame that some Capcom or Konami don't work with them to create some shoot 'em ups.

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                        #12
                        I think most of the staff have left and these days its so hard to stand out and its not like the kind of shooters Treasure makes are popular anymore saldy

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Team Andromeda View Post
                          I think most of the staff have left and these days its so hard to stand out and its not like the kind of shooters Treasure makes are popular anymore saldy


                          So it sounds like Treasure are finished. I'll cherish their best games.

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