new standard for action games on the Genesis, calling it "a stunning title both in appearance and the gameplay it offers." Electronic Gaming Monthly agreed, with one critic calling it "one of the most intense games I've seen on the home video game scene." Both Sega Magazine and Sega Force felt the game was a must-buy for Genesis owners. The game was praised for its fast and furious action. Electronic Gaming Monthly called it "one of the most intense carts to date [...] nonstop intensity from beginning to end." Mean Machines Sega agreed, commending the variety in level design and the "frantic, high-density blasting mayhem." Sega Force believed the game's variety prevented it from falling into monotony, and instead, reinvigorated the platform genre. Computer and Video Games agreed, feeling gameplay customization options kept it feeling interesting and original. Some critics praised the player characters' acrobatics and attack maneuvers for adding excitement. GamePro called Gunstar Heroes "chaos in a cart" with "murderous action, excellent controls, and imaginative game design." The game's two-player cooperative mode was praised, although some felt there was too much clutter on the screen to tell the player characters apart. The game's graphics were highlighted by several critics, with GamePro calling it "an assault on your senses." Mean Machines Sega felt the sprite rotating and scaling overshadowed the abilities of the Super NES. Sega Magazine also liked the sprite scaling, and highlighted its use on the boss "Seven Force." Other critics also felt the bosses were well animated and designed, with some also extending their comments to the player characters' animations as well. Computer and Video Games commended the graphical explosion effects, with other critics praising the sound effects they were paired with for enhancing the game's atmosphere. A critic from Electronic Gaming Monthly called it "one of the best looking carts I've seen from Sega in a while." Ports Critics lauded the Game Gear port as a great 8-bit conversion. GameFan felt it was graphically advanced for a Game Gear game. Mean Machines Sega agreed, thinking that the graphics remained true to the 16-bit original despite greater system limitations. The 3DS version was praised for the added options and enhancements, with USgamer and Nintendo World Report calling it the best version of the game. The mobile version was criticized for being difficult to play with touch controls. Legacy Gunstar Heroes was listed as one of the best