Gunstar Heroes (Genesis)

Gunstar Heroes

Developer: Treasure
Publishers: Sega (JP/US/EU/AU), Samsung (KR), Tec Toy (BR)
Platform: Genesis
Released in JP: September 10, 1993
Released in US: September 9, 1993
Released in EU: 1993
Released in AU: 1993
Released in KR: 1993
Released in BR: 1994

This game has a hidden developer message.
This game has unused graphics.
This game has unused music.
This game has regional differences.
This game has revisional differences.

This game has a prototype article

Blow up everything.

Unused Graphics

This stylized Nataraja was actually used - in the prototype. This was on the left side of the Happy Item Room found in Black's stage, along with a door that cannot be entered. In the final version, the left side is featureless.

This sign, which also appeared in the prototype, was used in stage 5 before being replaced by the Outrun billboard.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Unused Music

The ending of the game is 20 seconds too short to play this track in its entirety.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Timeron Challenge

In Stage 6, the player runs into Timeron from Stage 4 again. The player is challenged to see how long they can last, as a timer appears on-screen and a hail of homing bullets is unleashed. Timeron can easily be taken out in a few shots, leaving this challenge largely optional. However, if the player somehow manages to survive 100 in-game minutes, Timeron will admit defeat, self-destruct, and the following messages will appear on-screen:

GIVE UP!!

YOU OPEN THE
- SATORI MIND -

REPROGRAMMED BY
1993-NAMI

Afterward, the player is awarded with a Soul Bonus of 930,410 points. This number appears to be a date: April 10, 1993.

"NAMI" refers to designer and enemy programmer Hideyuki Suganami, who also led the development of Alien Soldier, Mischief Makers, and Sin and Punishment. It's unknown what exactly "Satori Mind" is supposed to mean, though "satori" is a Buddhist term for "enlightenment".