Plot: What’s it about?
Guardian Heroes was, is, and always will be a video game masterpiece. I’ve played a metric ton of side scrolling brawlers in my life, but few could even hold a candle to Guardian Heroes. The premise is simple, just beat the hell out of your enemies, survive the onslaught, and progress to the next area. Of course, this game makes things more interesting, as you have branching progression paths, varied playable characters, and a level-up system. Similar games also offer more than one brawler to play as, but not many have the kind of variance you’ll find here. This isn’t the choice between an axe and a sword, so you’ll need to adjust your play style as you switch characters. The level up system allows you to enhance your brawler in various ways, so make sure to soak up the XP and you’ll be more powerful with each conquered area.
This game has been rather hard to acquire in recent years, with second hand copies of the Sega Saturn disc going for well over a hundred dollars at times. So just to be able to own Guardian Heroes for this insanely low price is great news, let alone with the enhancements made for this release. You can toggle between the original graphics and some shiny new HD visuals, experiment with some new combat mechanics, and experience an expanded competitive mode that allows up to 12 (!) people to battle it out in one arena. Guardian Heroes remains an excellent game, with fun combat, a wild story, and addictive game play that makes you never want to put down the controller. While some doubted the new elements, all of the enhancements work and do nothing but make a great game even better. And being able to play both co-op and competitive over X-Box Live is simply a miracle and a godsend. In the end, Guardian Heroes is a timeless game that has earned a remarkable following, so this new revamped treatment earns a high recommendation.
Video: How does it look?
As I mentioned above, you can choose between the original graphics and an HD makeover. The widescreen expansion is great, as it opens up the areas and lets you soak in more of the backgrounds at once. As cool as the new visuals look, the classic look still holds up and is well worth a chance. But whether you remain faithful to the old look or experience the HD wonderment, Guardian Heroes looks awesome.
Audio: How does it sound?
The sound design is well replicated here, with no audible issues I could detect. The music sounds good and gives you a nice rhythm to flatten enemies to, while the sound effects are as bashtastic as ever. While perhaps not the deepest or most memorable sound design, the game still sounds great here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
N/A
