Sunset Riders

Download Sunset Riders and saddle up for a wild ride in this classic arcade-style shooter. Choose your gunslinger and take down the most notorious outlaws in the Wild West. Face off against waves of enemies, dodge bullets, and collect bounties in this action-packed adventure. Can you restore order to the Wild West? Play now!
a game by Konami
Genres: Action, Arcade Classics, Shooting Games
Platforms: Sega GenesisGenesis, SNESSNES
Editor Rating: 7.9/10, based on 11 reviews, 10 reviews are shown
User Rating: 6.8/10 - 26 votes
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See also: Arcade Games, Wild West Games

Howdy, pardners, welcome to the hard-ridin', straight-shootin' posse known as the Sunset Riders. Get ready for some fun and challenging shootouts that put the "Wild" in Wild West.

Best in the West?

The classic arcade original made a smooth transition to the Genesis late last year, and now the Riders have successfully ambled over to the SNES. Like on the Genesis, you play a gun- totin' bounty hunter, walkin' an' ridin' the range in search of bad guys like Poco Loco, Simon Greedwell, and Sir Richard Rose. The chase takes you through Old West towns, to fast-moving trains, and out to the rugged mountains. Unlike the Genesis version the SNES game gives you a choice of four bounty hunters (Steve and Bob have now joined Billy and Cormano).

There is still a two player option and some Bonus Stages, but regrettably the quick-draw Versus Mode has been dropped along the trail.

ProTip: Watch tor the chickens naming from an approaching stampede.

The challenge is tough! Nasty varmints are hiding behind every tree and in every haystack, packin' pistols or heavin' dynamite. Smooth controls enable you to fire rapidly, but your man's not very fast on his feet, so he eats a lotta lead. You get limited continues, which unfortunately means you'll be startin' from scratch purty regular. A password feature would've made the Old West more hospitable for young players.

Sights and Sounds on the Lonesome Prairie

Clear, crisp graphics and rousing Western music make this an easy ride to enjoy. The large, cartoony sprites have nice detail, and the backgrounds have strong colors. There's also a lot to see in the action sequences.

The music propels the action with Old West rhythms that have been pumped up for the'90s. The sound effects can be helpful, too, as when you hear the thundering steers long before they hit the screen.

Sights and Sounds on the Lonesome Prairie

Clear, crisp graphics and rousing Western music make this an easy ride to enjoy. The large, cartoony' sprites have nice detail, and the backgrounds have strong colors. There's also a lot to see in the action sequences.

The music propels the action with Old West rhythms that have been pumped up for the '90s. The sound effects can be helpful, too, as when you hear the thundering steers long before they hit the screen.

  • As Level 2's train passes you, stay to the right of the screen to see who's about to shoot at you from behind.
  • Keep moving when you square off against the main outlaws.

Rootin'-Tootin' Riders

Fans of the arcade game will enjoy taking Sunset Riders home on the range. Gamers who have both 16-bit systems won't need this game if they've already got the Sega version. However, anyone else with a hankerin' for a spirited shoot-em-up can ride happily into the sunset with these Riders.

Download Sunset Riders

Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

SNES

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Pentium II (or equivalent) 266MHz (500MHz recommended), RAM: 64MB (128MB recommended), DirectX v8.0a or later must be installed

Game Reviews

Hearken back to the days of yesteryear when men were men and justice blazed forth from the barrel of a gun. It's time to saddle up that Genesis, pardners, and take a ride with Sunset Riders by Konami.

How the West Is Won

Konami's rounded up the classic cowboy, shoot-em-up coin-op and herded it into this game. Sunset Riders dishes out thumb-blisterin', six-shootin', fun-and- gun action. You play a Bounty Hunter, either six-gun totin' Billy Cool or Cormano Wild, who's out to clean up this one-horse game with his scattergun (that's a shotgun, Tenderfoot). ou're out to make a bundle of loot. The side-view, horizontally-scrolling shootout covers four lengthy levels in town, across a train, and in the mountains.

One gunfighter can fight solo or two gunslingers can form a posse. Two hombres can also have a showdown in Versus mode.

Clear, Cool Graphics and Sound

The graphics are crystal clear and Konami clean. The character sprites feature cool, cartoony, bright colors. Take a good gander at the nicely-detailed, multi-scrolling backgrounds, too. The game even manages to rustle up some above average sounds.

Slap Happy Trails

This Old West is wild, wooly, and weird. You're after four hard cases -- Simon Greed Well, Paco Loco, Chief Scalpen, and Sir Richard Rose. These varmints have pulled a passel of dastardly deeds, such as hoarding the town's underwear, stealing a year's supply of toilet paper, and clear cutting a forest to make cheap tourist souvenirs.

ProTip: Railroad overheads wipe out bad guys as well as you. However, you can slide under them.

Yes, the game's humor is straight from the Silly Saloon, and the game's definitely RC.; that's "Pro-cowboy" not "politically correct". The gals are all dance hall babes or damsels in distress, and the Indians look like they ought to be Tomahawk Choppin' for the Atlanta Braves.

Git along on those little doggies. Hop across the backs of the stampeding Longhorns.

Gunfight at the Okay Corral

Don't worry, though, you don't mess around in this gunfight. The controls respond like your life depends on 'em -- and it does. You've got to admire Konami's notion of fair odds. The levels are overrun with bad guys, who attack you from all angles, and it only takes one hit to send you to Boot Hill. The game's as tough as saddle leather. The mangy polecats bushwhack you from windows and doorways, stab you, dynamite you, fry you, and, of course, blow your brains out.

Dynamite blasts can reach you through barriers, and you can shoot dynamite sticks out of the air.

At least, you get help. You can set up the game for three, four, or five lives with five continues, and there are power- ups aplenty for life-saving aides such as rapid fire and a second gun. A slick bonus stage also enables you to ride your faithful horse after bonus lives.

When you're galloping after the Bonus Wagon, catch bonus items by riding over their shadows on the ground.

Thank You, Masked Boy

Sunset Riders is a straight shooter all the way. If you've got a hankerin' for an intense, barrel-melting shootout, put out the call for Sunset Riders, and smile when you say that.

The dust of the roads, the stomp of horses' hooves and the endless wilderness of the wild west and an unquenchable thirst for justice will meet you in the saddles of mustangs in the arcade universe of Sunset Riders. Saddle your horses and strive to stamp out crime among the pixelated cacti of this game.

Search for the criminal in a sea of similar

Four bounty hunters use all their detective and fighter skills to root out crime in the Wild West. At the beginning of each game run, a poster appears with the appearance of the target. The round is considered complete only when the target is caught and a reward is received.

There are four playable characters:

  • Steve and Billy - characters with quick attacks and revolvers as weapons.
  • Bob and Carmano - have high damage, but long attacks. Their weapons are shotguns.

No indulgences

Petty thieves and small rewards quickly bore justice hunters, so they aim for more famous targets. Enemies are now valued at weighty rewards such as $10,000 or more. After defeating one such boss, a new name, Sir Richard Rose, comes off for the foursome of hunters. The cutthroat, valued at $100,000 and the land baron is the final boss of the game.

A little Sheriff's Aid

While battling mini-bosses and the main boss, heroes can use special bonuses:

  • Rapid Fire - a gold sheriff's badge with an engraved revolver. Shoot faster simply by pressing the attack key.
  • Dual Fire - A silver sheriff's badge engraved with two revolvers. Allows you to use two weapons simultaneously.
  • Monetary Award - a pile of gold dust or fried chicken, which gives bonuses to money.
8

Sweep the crime zones and save the Wild West from an influx of crime, become glorified bounty hunters and collect a decent payday for the final boss. Feel like a western protagonist in a pixelated shooter - Sunset Riders.

Konami made hit after hit in the 80s and 90s and one I love is Sunset Riders. The arcade game is fantastic as is the SNES port that was released in 1993, which is pretty damn close to being arcade perfect. Today, I am taking a look at the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis port which was released in 1992. Let me start by saying right away that this is not as good as the SNES version. However, it is still a fun time in its own right and a game I enjoyed playing with my old man back in the day.

How The West Was Won

The story of the game is that you can play as one of two cowboys. In Sunset Riders you can play as Billy or Cormano. The plot of the game is that there are four big bad guys and they are wanted. You want to get them so that you can bring them to justice, but also so that you can get your hands on that sweet reward money.

Like A Saturday Afternoon Western

The presentation of the game is great. Each level feels like it is taken from an old Western movie or TV show and there is a fair bit of variety to them as well. The two main characters are animated pretty well and you can even sneak into a saloon and get it on with a lady, something that was missing from the SNES version.

While I like the visuals, the game has a tremendous soundtrack. It is lacking the voice of the arcade and the SNES. However, the soundtrack really does rock. Sunset Riders makes great use of the Sega sound chip and it has that classic Genesis/Mega Drive sound that we all know and love.

Bury Me With My Money

The gameplay is awesome. Billy has two guns and Cormano has a shotgun type thing. You walk along a 2d plane shooting any cowpokes that dare try and get in your way. You can get upgrades for your gun as you play and these will make you shoot faster. One hit kills you so you always have to be on the lookout for bullets on the screen. One button jumps, another shoots with you standing still and the other button allows you to shoot and move at the same time.

This is quite a challenging game. Getting to the bosses is quite easy, but some of them can be really tough. It is all about learning their patterns and that is part of the fun. If you find a special emblem on a level, you can take part in a mini-game where you are on horseback and you have to collect things thrown from the back of a wagon. No matter if you are playing in single-player or with a buddy, this is a lot of fun to play through. There is also a two-player battle mode which while it is nice they added it, does not offer much fun.

I love Sunset Riders. While the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version of the game is most certainly the weakest of the three. This is a game that is still a ton of fun to play. It is the kind of game that I love playing through by myself if I am looking for something, I can beat in one sitting. It is also a game that I enjoy playing with my son. While many people will dump all over the Sega version of the game. Even with its imperfections, I still think this is a fun game.

7.5

Final Score

Pros:

  • Playing as a cowboy is always a lot of fun!
  • The game moves at a fast pace
  • It looks fantastic
  • I enjoy pretty much all of the music from this game
  • It is fun in both single and multiplayer

Cons:

  • It is missing a fair bit of content in comparison to the SNES and arcade
  • Sometimes it can be hard to see a bullet coming at you

When Konami announced they were producing Genesis games it wasn't surprising that Sunset Riders was selected as one of their premiere titles!

In a time when cowboys and Indians were the West, men who had the power would take over towns, harass townspeople and force them to obey their every wish. They manipulated towns for their own evil purposes. They were wrong...

Four men pledged their lives to stop these men before the Great West became a war zone. These men were Steve, Bob. Billy, and Cormano. Together, they are the Sunset Riders.

This new two player simultaneous adventure faithfully captures its arcade counterpart. The levels are identical to the coin-op in every way! In each mission you must search for a specific bad guy from a Wanted poster. If you and your comrades capture the criminals, great rewards will be yours.

  • Manufacturer: Konami
  • # of players: 1 or 2
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Available: November 1993
  • Number of Levels: 7
  • Theme: Action

Those Sunset Riders have finally made it around the Genesis bend to the Super NES! This time there are more levels, more gunslingers to choose from, and for some pretty tough stuff - two-player simultaneous shootin'! Look out, though, 'cause there'll be some pretty mean varmints on the trail ahead and being a one-hit wonder definitely is a downer! Keep your head and you may avoid the coach to Boot Hill!

TWO-PLAYER SIMULTANEOUS ACTION

With two players, things get even better! When you fight the Bosses, the person with the most shots hitting him wins! If you tie, you both share the reward money! You each have your own continues.

BONUS STAGES

Here you must shoot the bad guys as they pop up on the screen! Move your crosshairs around the screen and get them in your sights. There are 50 bad guys to be blasted. If you are in the two-player mode, you will compete for kills!

LEVEL 1: Simon Greedwell

This is a simple side-scrolling level. Push up in front of the open doors to get some icons! There are also two cattle drives which begin at point 1 on the map that you must avoid. Simon Greedwell is the first Boss. Shoot the barrels in front of him first, then blast him to bits!

LEVEL 2: Hawkeye Hank Hatfield

Here you must ride a horse and shoot bad guys! Look out for the covered wagon - logs will fall from it. The Boss hides behind crates and gets help from his goons. Take the goons out first - they shoot faster than the Boss. Then go for him, guns blazing!

LEVEL 3: Dark Horse & The Smith Bros.

There are two Bosses here: The first rides a horse - jump onto the 2nd floor and blast him! The second two throw bombs. Don't stay in one place too long - they will get you!

AND MORE LEVELS AWAIT...

There are four more Bosses to go for really big cash rewards! These are the hardest levels in the game, and look out for Rose - he has a truly nasty rick that he is ready to play on you when you think you have defeated him. These last four levels will also test your jumping, climbing, and sliding skills. So get ready partner. Ya-hoo little buckaroo!

  • Machine: SNES;
  • Manufacturer: Konami;

Hee-yah! Gitty-up, pardners! The rootin', tootin' folks at Konami are bringin' ya Sunset Riders, the arcade hit and recent Genesis release. Hoo-wee, it looks dam good! Then graphics are lookin' a-might prettier then they did on that thar Sega machine, and them sound effects ain't bad, either.

Your posse is made up of four of the most-feared bounty hunters in the West. The very sound of their names - Steve, Billy, Bob, and Cormano - strikes fear into evil hearts. Can you help the gunslingers get rid of Poco Loco and them other varmints?

This version is almost identical to the arcade version, so longtime fans should definitely check this one out! Being a one-hit wonder does get a bit frustrating, but the Two-Player Simultaneous Mode is a blast. A Konami winner!

The Wild West comes alive on the Super NES. Konami's cool arcade game, Sunset Riders, is an exact replica of the coin-op. Unlike the Genesis version, this game has all of the levels and characters. This game is a real treat, especially in the two-player simultaneous mode.

The action will get pretty hairy, with bullets whizzing around you at every turn. Avoid stampedes and apprehend the criminals. Bring them to justice and win the game. Sunset Riders is a great translation. It is one of the better two-player games around.

For gunslinging action, Konami's Sunset Riders sure packs a wallop. Konami put a lot of time into this one, and it shows. Are you up to the challenge to be the toughest in the West?

Saddle up for the best western-theme shooter that's mosied down the pike in a very long time! The western territories are being terrorized by some of the nastiest varmints you've ever laid eyes on, and good, decent folks' only hope rests in the holsters of the four sharpest bounty hunters this side of the Grand Canyon: Steve, Billy, Bob, and Cormano!

Sunset Riders is a four-player interactive action game in the same format as Konami's smash hit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The bounty hunters must work through horizontally scrolling levels, jam-packed with villains and obstacles, until they reach the Boss for an all-out fire fight. They ride galloping horses cross town by jumping onto roofs, climbing across clothes lines, and even hitching s on steaming locomotives. Each player is totally interactive with his surroundings. He can shoot ropes that suspend wooden kegs over villains and grab sticks of dynamite. Bonus Stages provide a first-person perspective, timed shooting exercise.

Excellent graphics highlight this fast moving game. A fine soundtrack and digitized voices round out this instant arcade hit. Gunslingers and cowpokes alike are in for a knee-smackin', feet-stompin', grits- spittin' heck of a good time!

ProTips:

  • Bosses only shoot 2-3 bullets at intervals.
  • Bosses are immobilized when they shoot; you are not.
  • Accuracy is more important than speed in the Bonus Rounds.

Snapshots and Media

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

SNES/Super Nintendo/Super Famicom Screenshots

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    Andy said on Forum:

    This game is a true classic arcade side scroll shooter with a sence of humour, Get more than a kiss from the ladies of the saloon, Yes "GUNS!", lol. Their is nothing to taxing here just good old retro fun.