Sunset Riders | ROM-DOWNLOAD

Sunset Riders is a classic run and gun action game with a western theme, developed and published by Konami. Originally released in arcades in 1991, the game was later ported to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in 1992. The story is set in the American Old West, where bounty hunters travel dangerous lands searching for wanted criminals and the rewards offered for their capture. In the Genesis version, Billy Cool and Cormano Wild are two bounty hunters that go from dangerous place to dangerous place. The Genesis version focuses on these two characters, unlike the original arcade version which had four main characters. Each character has a different weapon style, offering players a slightly different way to engage enemies and boss fights. The adventure takes place in a string of outlaw-controlled towns in the West. At the start of each major section, players are introduced to a wanted criminal, who is the target for that part of the journey. The bounty hunters must fight their way through waves of enemies, avoid environmental dangers, and finally confront the outlaw at the end of the stage. The story is simple, but works well for a classic arcade style action game. It doesn’t have a complicated dialog system or a big RPG story. Instead, it’s the wanted posters, the introductions on stage, the boss encounters, and the Western setting that give you a reason to keep going. But the object is just the same, to best the outlaws and win the rewards. The adventure is split into four main chapters in the Genesis version, with each chapter split into two stages. This creates a longer stage structure, but removes some of the content from the original arcade game. The Genesis release is a more trimmed version, missing some arcade bosses and areas.

Sunset Riders is a side-scrolling run-and-gun action game that takes place in the Wild West. Players take control of a bounty hunter and move horizontally through stages populated with gunslingers, bandits, animals, environmental obstacles and bosses. The game is basically about running, jumping, shooting, climbing, picking up power-ups and surviving attacks from enemies. Players can shoot in different directions so they can deal with enemies coming from different directions. The Genesis version also has two shooting buttons, which give different firing behavior. One allows the character to move and shoot, the other allows the character to stay still and shoot. This gives the Genesis version a nice control difference from the arcade original. Power-ups are an integral part of gameplay. Players can upgrade their weapons, improving their ability to deal with groups of enemies. Good positioning is more important here than in other games as enemies can spawn from many directions and projectiles/environmental hazards can take away health very quickly. The levels are at different elevations and have various platforms. Players can jump from platform to platform and use ladders to move around the environment. Some parts require fast moving, some are more concentrated on shooting enemies before they attack. The experience is largely built around boss fights. The Genesis version has four major bosses: Simon Greedwell, Paco Loco, Chief Scalpem and Sir Richard Rose. During these encounters players need to memorize enemy patterns, dodge attacks and keep shooting whenever there is an opening. The Genesis version also has 2 player mode. Players can co-operate through the main adventure, and a versus mode allows two players to fight each other by shooting until one player is out of health.

Start the game and choose between Billy Cool and Cormano Wild. If there are 2 players then they each can select a bounty hunter to take control of from the available ones. Use the directional controls to navigate the stage. Enemies will come from all directions, so stay mobile and shoot often. Staying too long can leave the character open to attack, especially when multiple enemies appear at once. Use the jump button to dodge attacks and reach higher platforms. Ladders are used to move between levels of the stage. Some enemies are positioned above or below the player’s current location, so it might be necessary to change elevation to be able to proceed safely. Always pick up weapon power-ups if possible. These upgrades can increase the power of the character's attacks and make it easier to defeat enemies. Extra lives and helpful items can also aid you through hard sections. Getting close to a boss? Study their movement and attack pattern. Instead of shooting away without a stop, learn when the boss is weak and get out of the way of incoming attacks. Once you get the hang of the player’s movement and shooting timing, boss battles are much easier. Players can also play in two-player mode for co-op gameplay. With two players the game is easier to fight large groups of enemies as they can cover different parts of the screen. The Genesis version has bonus sections too. Collecting the necessary star-shaped items throughout the levels opens up bonus levels where the players have to chase a moving wagon and gather coins and extra lives.

D-Pad: Move Character / Aim A: Jump / Action B: Shoot While Moving C: Stationary Aim / Shoot Start: Pause Game