Gunstar Heroes GENESIS

Gunstar Heroes is Treasure’s 1993 run-and-gun, the debut release from a studio founded by former Konami developers. You pick one of two Gunstar siblings and a weapon-combination loadout — four base weapon types that can be individually mixed into different combined effects — then fight through stages built around fast, over-the-top boss encounters and frequent set-piece gimmicks.

Its willingness to constantly change mechanics mid-level — a mine-cart chase here, a wrestling-style grapple boss there — became a defining trait of Treasure’s later catalog. Widely regarded as one of the best-designed action games on the Genesis, it helped establish Treasure’s reputation for high-energy, mechanically inventive action titles from its very first release.