Gunstar Heroes was developed by Treasure and published by Sega, released for the Genesis in 1993 as the debut title from a studio founded by former Konami developers. Players control one of two Gunstars, mixing and matching two weapon types on the fly, force, chaser, lightning, and flame, to create four unique combinations before fighting through wildly varied stages built around distinct mechanical gimmicks like a mine-cart chase and a giant dice-based board game boss fight. Up to two players can play cooperatively, and the game is best known for its relentless pace, huge sprite-based bosses, and technical showcase of what the Genesis hardware could do in the right hands. It is widely regarded as one of the finest run-and-gun games ever made and established Treasure’s reputation for high-energy, mechanically inventive action games that persists to this day.