Sunset Riders

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SunsetRiders MDTitleScreen.png

Sunset Riders
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Konami
Developer:
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code

Sunset Riders is a 1991 arcade run-and-gun by Konami, ported to the Sega Mega Drive and SNES in 1992 and released only in the US and Europe in 1993. This port was heavily remixed in terms of stage layout. The small rom size likely made a true to source arcade port impossible.

Gameplay

You play as one of two (reduced from four in the arcade version) American Old West bounty hunters, Billy and Cormano, who seek rewards for catching bandits and saving girls. Billy is armed with a peacemaker and Cormano with a shotgun that fires rather large shots; A is used for stationary fire and B is used to fire and walk at the same time, and both can collect various weapon upgrades along the way.

Aiming is done in the traditional Konami fashion (hold D-pad buttons diagonally to move while firing diagonally, hold Up to shoot straight up, hold Left and Right to shoot straight ahead while moving, or hold Down to shoot straight ahead while crouching). C jumps; you can latch on to ledges and climb up, pressing Down+C to get back down. Down+C and either Left or Right slides. Score is measured as currency; each gold coin is worth $200, while larger red coins with dollar signs on them are worth $2000. You will lose $1000 for dying, and you die with one or two hits.

Similar to often used practise in arcades, the game punishes players who stay in same spot for far too long, as the bird will fly on top of the screen and then swoop down at you. You can jump over it.

Note that the guns are removed from the PAL box. This is also done on the SNES PAL version. A case of the Sega Europe censorship and strict German laws probably.

Multiplayer

The game supports multiplayer for 2 players, which is less than on Arcade version, on same screen both in cooperative mode and competitive one.

To play competitive mode, just select "Versus" mode. The game will be played in few rounds, arenas changing slightly. Each player has a health bar and much lower rate of fire than in normal game, while a bird periodically coming in to drop extra items. Players have to shoot each other down in this mode.

To play cooperative mode you can either select "2 Players" mode or start the "1 Player" game and press  START  on controller of the second player. Though the first method is preferable, as it doesn't take away a continue point. There is no friendly fire and continue points are shared.

However, due to bug, if both players have Six Button Control Pad (Mega Drive) then "Versus" and "2 Players" modes will not be selectable, despite being higlighted in menu. Another player can still join during "1 Player" mode play. Hold  MODE  button when booting up the system to switch to 3 button mode and fix this issue.

Production credits

Program: K.Toyohara, K.Endoh
Graphic Design: H.Matsuda, N.Takemoto
Sound Design: M.Ikariko, H.Inoue
Package Design: M.Yoshihashi
Special Thanks: I.Akada, AC Team

Magazine articles

Main article: Sunset Riders/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

  • SunsetRiders MD US PrintAdvert.jpg

    US print advert

  • 1993 04 - Software Mega Drive.jpg

    ES print advert 1

  • 1993 05 - Software Mega Drive.jpg

    ES print advert 2

  • KonamiNewTitles MD UK PrintAd.jpg

    UK print advert

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
68 №19, p112/113
94
80 №43, p50[1]
71
60 №4, p52/53
60
82 №9, p62/63
79 №8, p44/45
82 №1, p38
87 №16, p38/39/40
84 №7, p68-70[2]
65 №30, p98
80
86
68 №42, p42/43
87 №18, p24/25
84 №6, p36/37/38
86 №19, p70-72[3]
Sega Mega Drive
 78
Based on
18 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
68
[4]
Alaab Alcomputtar (SA)
82
[5]
Consoles + (FR)
68
[6]
Cool Gamer (RU)
70
[7]
Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US) NTSC-U
82
[8]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)
60
[9]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 3 (RU)
60
[10]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
81
[11]
GameFan (US)
94
[12]
Game Power (IT)
71
[13]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
80
[1]
Gamers (DE)
27
[14]
GamesMaster (UK) PAL
60
[15]
Game Informer (US) NTSC-U
78
[16]
Joypad (FR) PAL
66
[17]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
82
[18]
Mega (UK) PAL
79
[19]
Mega Action (UK) PAL
82
[20]
Mega Force (FR)
90
[21]
Mega Fun (DE) NTSC-U
76
[22]
MegaTech (UK) PAL
87
[23]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL
84
[2]
Player One (FR)
65
[24]
Play Time (DE)
74
[25]
Power Up! (UK)
82
[26]
Power Play (DE)
48
[27]
Power Unlimited (NL) NTSC
80
[28]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
68
[29]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
87
[30]
Sega Zone (UK) PAL
84
[31]
Sega Force (UK) PAL
86
[3]
Sega Mega Drive Review (RU)
66
[32]
Todo Sega (ES)
87
[33]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
83
[34]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US) NTSC-U
70
[35]
Sega Mega Drive
 74
Based on
35 reviews

Sunset Riders

Mega Drive, US
SunsetRiders MD US Box.jpg
Cover
Sunsetriders md us cart.jpg
Cart
Sunset Riders MD US Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, EU
SunsetRiders MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
SunsetRiders MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 File:GamePro US 043.pdf, page 52 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:GamePro US 043.pdf_p52" defined multiple times with different content
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 File:MeanMachinesSega07UK.pdf, page 68 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega07UK.pdf_p68" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 File:SegaForce UK 19.pdf, page 70 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaForce UK 19.pdf_p70" defined multiple times with different content
  4. ↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 229
  5. ↑ Alaab Alcomputtar, "" (SA; 1995-06-xx), page 80
  6. ↑ Consoles +, "Avril 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 112
  7. ↑ Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 209
  8. ↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995), "February 1993" (US; 1993-01-12), page 96
  9. ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1, "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 362
  10. ↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 3, "" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 263
  11. ↑ Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 99
  12. ↑ GameFan, "Volume 1, Issue 2: December 1992" (US; 1992-xx-xx), page 8
  13. ↑ Game Power, "Maggio 1993" (IT; 1993-0x-xx), page 58
  14. ↑ Gamers, "August/September 1993" (DE; 1993-07-23), page 40
  15. ↑ GamesMaster, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-18), page 52
  16. ↑ Game Informer, "January/February 1993" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 6
  17. ↑ Joypad, "Avril 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 64
  18. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 62
  19. ↑ Mega, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-04-15), page 44
  20. ↑ Mega Action, "June 1993" (UK; 1993-05-20), page 38
  21. ↑ Mega Force, "Avril 1993" (FR; 1993-0x-xx), page 98
  22. ↑ Mega Fun, "02/93" (DE; 1993-0x-xx), page 39
  23. ↑ MegaTech, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-20), page 38
  24. ↑ Player One, "Avril/Mai 1993" (FR; 1993-04-10), page 98
  25. ↑ Play Time, "5/93" (DE; 1993-04-07), page 103
  26. ↑ Power Up!, "Saturday, May 29, 1993" (UK; 1993-05-29), page 1
  27. ↑ Power Play, "3/93" (DE; 1993-02-10), page 103
  28. ↑ Power Unlimited, "Nummer 2, September 1993" (NL; 1993-08-19), page 38
  29. ↑ Sega Power, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-04-01), page 42
  30. ↑ Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 24
  31. ↑ Sega Zone, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 36
  32. ↑ Sega Mega Drive Review, "1" (RU; 1995-04-03), page 155
  33. ↑ Todo Sega, "Abril 1993" (ES; 1993-03-15), page 50
  34. ↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 190
  35. ↑ VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "January 1993" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 67
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