Guardian Heroes

by Sega

Product Features

• ONE TO SIX PLAYER
• 45 CHARACTERS PLAYER VS PLAYER BATTLE MODE

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004SVZT
• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,230 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

USE MARTIAL ART SWORDS AND MAGIC

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem for any Saturn collection, July 6, 2007

By 

Lazlo Gutierrez - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Guardian Heroes (Video Game)

One might wonder why a two-dimensional game for a defunct, decade-old system is still getting rave reviews. Simply put, Guardian Heroes' 2D gameplay still exceeds the quality of most present day games where style is a higher priority than substance.

Brought forth by Treasure, the same group responsible for classics like Gunstar Heroes, Silhouette Mirage, and Alien Soldier, Guardian Heroes allows up to four players to wreak havoc on an oppressive empire led by a tyrannical wizard. For the quest mode, players could choose to play as a headstrong knight, a female defensive mage, a young offensive mage, or a lithe ninja. Each character has its own specialties and weaknesses, which players will have to balance out to get far in the game.

Gameplay is similar to that of a 2-D beat-'em-up like Streets of Rage, except on three parallel planes: the middle ground, foreground and background. Players can switch to any of these planes at the push of a button, and movement between these planes is absolutely vital for escapes and sneak attacks. Special attacks and magic spells are executed by a combination of directional pad commands and a specific button a la Street Fighter. Combinations and juggles are easy to pull off, and with four players on the battlefield, things get hectic real quick.

At the end of every stage, the performance of each player is awarded experience points. These points are used to enhance specific traits, like Strength, Vitality, Intelligence, etc. And players are going to want to get as much exp. points as they can because Guardian Heroes is NOT an easy game. Later in the game, regular baddies pack quite a punch and can quickly surround you. In addition, some bosses will not hesitate to unleash multi-plane spells that will absolutely drain your life meter. Button mashing might get a player far in any other beat-'em -up, but players will have to learn how to block effectively and get multi-plane movement down in order to manage what Guardian Heroes throws at them.

In terms of replay value, Guardian Heroes has it in spades. The main quest has multiple paths leading to different enemies and endings involving some drastic changes. Treasure also put in a versus mode where up to six players can rumble as ANY character encountered during quest mode. From wolves to main bosses, they can all be found in the versus mode and each can be leveled up every time they're used. If you can manage to find six Saturn controllers and a Saturn Multi-tap, I highly recommend trying the 6-man rumble at least once.

It's really a shame this game is so hard to find; anyone who enjoys video games should give Guardian Heroes a run-through. If you do track a copy down, consider playing it on an older TV because LCD and plasma TVs have such a high resolution that it makes all the sprites look jaggy and garish.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insane in the membrane!, July 17, 2003

By 

Philip Ng (New York City, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guardian Heroes (Video Game)

What the hell were the designers thinking when they created this game?!!! Seriously. This game is so addictively fun, that I still play it. The branching storylines in the game are just hilarious, as are the members from the villains to the heroes. The layers of interaction are great, as you can move from the background to the midground to the background, interacting with different enemies and players. The storylines go from the mundane evil creation to the high-end up-and-up Celestial beings who control the fate of the world, all depending on which path of the braching storyline you choose to take!

The graphics are funny and done in a cartoon-like manner, and despite the amount of action on-screen, the details are great. There is no slowing down or loss of resolution!!! You can see everything as clear as day! the expressions of the characters are hilarious, from when they are scared to when the just walk around. I mean you have everything from the ignorant, but strong muscleman to the whiny lackey to the hamster martial artist! Yes, I said a hamster that uses a martial art. The opening sequence is a short anime video, music video even, and I think this would've been a great cartoon series!

Each chapter of the game does well in utlizing the game's graphics and merging it with the story at hand. From fighting in a burning building to fighting the infernal forces in the underworld, all the backgrounds do a good job of making you feel in the environments, while occasional elements limit your interaction with each layer, from obstacles to burning objects.

Also after playing the game, comes the greatest thing of them all. As you play through the game, you'll encounter a horde of enemies and characters. Each character you encounter becomes a playable character in the versus game, which is separate from the storyline version of the game. In the versus game, it's a straight-up fighting game, capable of supporting up to six simulataneous players!!! As the versus mode continues, you can power-up the characters by playing the regular game, which will give them points to use in the versus game. The versus game will become a game of unbridled chaos once all the characters are powered up to their max by spending all your points to raise everything from hit points to the amount of damage they deal!

It's a shame this title was never brought to Sega Dreamcast or any other systems after the demise of the Sega Saturn. I've thrown parties before with this game as entertainment, and it does not disappoint!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best brawler ever made for a console, February 27, 2009

By 

Jeffrey Nevins "animator/designer" (oakland, ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Guardian Heroes (Video Game)

If you haven't seen it in action, just search it on YouTube.

If any game deserves a remake, it's this one.

If you love brawlers, buy a Saturn for this game alone.
I find this game much better than most games for the current consoles!