Criminally Overlooked Games #5: GUN*NAC

In this series, I hope to bring to light a few games overshadowed by more popular titles.

Instead of getting preachy, I let the games speak for themselves. These segments aim to highlight what makes these games worthy of mention, and hopefully a few more people will get to experience them.

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First off, let me state that this is my favorite NES game. That doesn't necessarily mean the following is biased.

GUN*NAC is the spiritual successor to the progenitor of Compile's entire library of shooters - Zanac.

Technically, it is one of the most impressive games on the NES platform. It has some of the fastest gameplay with the most sprites on the screen of any game in the period, and does it without missing a beat. It's got some damn fine music too.

Every time I play this, no matter how good I get at it, it's always a challenge, and I never feel cheated if I lose. there's several difficulties and even a bullet hell mode where everything you destroy fires a bullet your way in addition to all the normal dangers you need to avoid.

It has some nice features as well. There's a money and upgrade system, you have the ability to deliver bombs to future levels and collect them when you arrive. You have 4 speeds and all are available without upgrades just by pressing select. There's is literally never a point in the game where 5 seconds pass without a power up floating by and there are eight levels of power for each weapon. In addition the fully upgraded vulcan cannon has several variations. You will be exploring the capabilities of each for a while.

It's a very strange game. Some people find that to be a big part of it's appeal, but between that and an anemic advertising campaign, plus a general lack of enthusiasm for shooters led to it becoming another obscurity, lost to the ages. It didn't even get a half page review in Nintendo Power.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• criminally
• overlooked
• nes
• nintendo
• video
• game
• gun
• nac
• big
• bang
• blitz

[StarFoxAutobot]

3:32 to 3:53 Why didn't you shoot them?

[BigBangBlitz]

I'm a soldier, not a monster.

[bitesh]

0:35 what kind of factory is that?

[BigBangBlitz]

A fish factory.

[Solaces96]

reason i asked is because of the little blue lander.. i seen them in a game called zanac also..

[BigBangBlitz]

Yeah they are like Compiles mascots.

[UoBtExFODA]

This is the best vertical shooter of the 8 bit era

[SDRockman]

I have NEVER seen a shooter that looks so bad ass as this one...Life Force is NOTHING compared to this!! The graphics are quite detailed for the NES! And theres so much happening you would expect the game to slow down, but it doesn't!

I wish I had the chance to play this when I had my NES at the time man...Ive missed one of the best games for the NES...It just twists my heart knowing that THIS piece of genius was out there and not getting a chance to get a go on it. Best NES shooter ever!

[StarFoxAutobot]

@BigBangBlitz But they're still evil, bunnies or not. If something shoots at you, then you shoot back.

[chosentonessournotes]

This game is absolutely fantastic. STILL trying to find a copy of it for less than $45. But I vow, if I can find Little Samson for $0.89 in a Goodwill, I WILL find this game!

[MercenaryCobra1]

Man...You know you played a game a lot when you see a video like this, and all I kept saying was "Show the lucky cat boss...SHOW THE LUCKY CAT BOSS!". Still, I'm getting a kick out of your videos and enjoy seeing more obscure titles emerge. It's definitely one of the lesser known, though, hence why I stuck it in my NES Trivia video.

[FireBomberBassist]

I used to love this game!

[RokuroCarisu]

OMG! It's like Aero Fighters meet Parodious and still it's an awesome game! For the NES! :D

[bboysince87]

the music on this game sound like the person who pruduced the music for batman returns and ninja turtles 2 for (nes)