Guardian Heroes XBLA Trailer Is Short And Sweet

[Earnest Cavalli]

Guardian Heroes XBLA Trailer Is Short And Sweet

The first trailer for Sega's re-release of Guardian Heroes may be the most important half-minute of your day.

For those of you who missed Guardian Heroes when it first hit the Saturn back in '96, allow me to explain why you should be so incredibly excited about the title's upcoming Xbox Live resurrection [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109800-Saturn-Beat-Em-Up-RPG-Guardian-Heroes-Marked-for-XBLA-Upgrade].

Guardian Heroes is an attempt by Gunstar Heroes creator Treasure to leave its mark on the beat 'em up genre. Essentially the Japanese developer saw the Final Fights and River City Ransoms of the world, and said "that's good, but they need a whole lot more insanity."

[video=3256]

Treasure took the basic "walk forward and assault people" template of the beat 'em up genre, added simple roleplaying game mechanics, covered that in the developer's trademark hyper-kinetic yet witty gameplay and nearly psychedelic aesthetics, and dumped the whole thing on the then-still-relevant Sega Saturn. The game was brilliant and is widely hailed by fans as the ultimate example of its genre [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/guardianheroes/guardianheroes.htm], but since the Saturn didn't exactly set sales charts ablaze, few people have ever actually played the original Guardian Heroes.

No matter though, as its upcoming Xbox Live Arcade iteration brings updated HD graphics, online co-operative play, a time attack mode and an arrange mode in addition to all of the original title's gameplay options.

Now do you understand why this trailer is so wonderful? This is your chance to punch people in a modern update of the most perfectly-crafted people punching simulation of the last century.

What's that? Hyperbole, you say? Listen pal, I'm a gaming journalist. We don't do hyperbole.

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[Snotnarok]

I may have this game on the Saturn, but I still want this version because I suspect it remedies the massive slowdown, and of course overcomes the saturns 2 controller ports.

 

[Earnest Cavalli]

It's only eight seconds longer than the LA Noire trailer they showed before it!

Guardian Heroes is 8 seconds BETTER than LA Noire. Confirmed.

 

[WorldCritic]

Hm, a gem on the Saturn that I missed out on? That thought alone pretty much sold it to me, the trailer helps though.

 

[chemicalfire]

I was quite recently looking for this on ebay when I first heard about it coming to XBLA! Now, if they'd announce that Dragonforce is also going to hit the XBLA, then I'd be all grins!

 

[TitanAtlas]

I acctually played a sequel to this game for GameBoyAdvance....

It was called AdvanceGuardian Heroes and i cant tell you how much time ive spent playing that game... i mustv beaten it over 30 times.... awesome costumization/Rpg element, and i love how you could unlock a character or a monster and play the game has that monster/enemy,/character/creature...

And it has a good ending and good story line (its very straight forward but very detailed for the GBA era), and its a awesome beat 'em up/ smash everything...

Spoiler: this will explain the events of the game in the GBA sequel... its a spoiler

In this game, in the future you go with this princess to unlock a hero from "another world"... in these events you will be reborn has a selected character (robot/hero/enemy/wizard/goblin or whatever you unlock... my fav were the gargoyles).

You will adventure youreself into the "heavens" where a creature from another world is plotting to destroy the world youre in and taking everyone along with it. You will make great enemies and nemesis (basicly awesome bosses), has you re.incarnate has one of the many powerfull heroes with a long array of magical powers for youre mission.

See those heroes in the trailer (the ninja, warrior and fighter), those are some of the "fallen heroes" in AGH, and youll have to free them from theyre black taint, has they will help you on youre quest.

Its a tremendously good game and i recommende it heavily...

Advance Guardian Heroes for the GameBoyAdvance...

 

[Strixvaliano]

Bring it to steam then we shall begin negotiations Sega.

Until then I'm going to have to suffer from a case of the do-want's.

 

[Zero_ctrl]

Well this is a bit more loose than the usual Escapist News format.
That being:

---
Title (Sometimes with a snarky twist)
Intro summarizing article (Author's opinion often sneak into here as well)
Body containing straight information
Final editorial paragraph
---

This is:

---
Title
Intro (Which is just straight opinion)
Body explaining why the original was awesome
Final paragraph that is more opinion
---

Look, you're a good writer, but could you please make your opinion a little less prevalent in future articles?
From my outsiders view (I've never heard of Guardian Heroes), the trailer (though it's more of a teaser) was underwhelming, only to be reinforced by your hype.

Disclaimer: This is intended to be constructive criticism, not an attack at the author and/or The Escapist.

 

[F-I-D-O]

You had me at "made by the guy who made gunstar heroes {because the actual quote is all the way at the top of the page}"
Give me co-op
Bring it to PS3
NOW
I need something to fill in the beat-em up gap in my library. And if it's made by the people who did gunstar, I know it's at least half-decent

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Undead Warrior FTW! My brother and I were getting nostalgic over it the other day, recalling all the wacky and bizarre enemies you fought, like the flamboyant Super Zur.

 

[Quellist]

This had better be coming to the UK, Guardian Heroes was the best thing that ever happened to my Sega Saturn. I'll sell my Xbox to buy a second ps3 if it doesn't (well, probably not but you get the picture).

 

[000Ronald]

It's time like this I get pissed off that all my gameboy stuff got stolen. I never played Guardian Heroes, but I played Advance Guardian Heroes, for the GBA; I've loosely described it as Super Smash Brothers meets Dragonball Z.

I wish I still had this. I'm still looking for copies of most of my old games, including this game, the first Fire Emblem, all my Megaman Zero games, and a couple of Final Fantasy games (although I got another copy of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance).

On the plus side, my Gamecube and PS2 collection is more or less intact. And, of course, this game is out on...XBL?

...goddamn it.

 

[Voxgizer]

You had me at "made by the guy who made gunstar heroes {because the actual quote is all the way at the top of the page}"
Give me co-op
Bring it to PS3
NOW
I need something to fill in the beat-em up gap in my library. And if it's made by the people who did gunstar, I know it's at least half-decent

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[venn2011]

How come PS3 doesn't get this gem? Makes me a sad panda. =/

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Bring it to steam then we shall begin negotiations Sega.

Until then I'm going to have to suffer from a case of the do-want's.

Enjoy Gunstar Heroes on Steam for now. They'll likely move this to PS3/PC.

 

[hazard99]

I may have this game on the Saturn, but I still want this version because I suspect it remedies the massive slowdown, and of course overcomes the saturns 2 controller ports.

Although you could get multi adaptors to play a game of 8-player free for all. ( I wonder if they will have 8 player on-line).

And for those of you that only played the gba version. In my opinion the Saturn original is alot better than that. It takes along time to 100% complete the game, what with all the branching levels in the game.

 

[Snotnarok]

I may have this game on the Saturn, but I still want this version because I suspect it remedies the massive slowdown, and of course overcomes the saturns 2 controller ports.

Although you could get multi adaptors to play a game of 8-player free for all. ( I wonder if they will have 8 player on-line).

And for those of you that only played the gba version. In my opinion the Saturn original is alot better than that. It takes along time to 100% complete the game, what with all the branching levels in the game.

Anytime I found the adapter it'd cost something like $60-$100+, I blame Bomberman for that.