Unfortunately, the adventures of the pint sized, pistol-packin' stars of Gunstar Heroes ended the moment their first game did.  The reason that Treasure's programmers left Konami in the first place was that they were fed up with making dozens of spinoffs and sequels.   Now that they had declared their independance, they had no intention of chaining themselves down to any one play mechanic or cast of characters.

Treasure has stuck firmly to its no sequels policy since the company first debuted over a decade ago.  They haven't even designed a remake of Gunstar Heroes for the Game Boy Advance, although several companies have expressed interest in distributing it.  This may be distressing news to fans of the game, but as dark as this cloud may be, there is a silver lining.

That silver lining comes in the form of a Gunstar Heroes prototype.  This early version of the game has been floating around the Internet for a few years now.  Although it's not complete, it's fun to play just to see how much was changed in the final release.

So just what's so different about the Gunstar Heroes prototype?  Well, the first thing you're likely to notice is the dialogue... most of it's in Japanese, with the rest being the kind of awkwardly phrased English you've come to expect from Treasure.  When you defeat one of the game's many bosses, the message "BREAK DOWN" flashes on the screen, leaving you wondering if you're supposed to celebrate your victory by hitting the dance floor for a little electric bugaloo!

The dialogue gets even more confusing as you progress.  In Black's Dice Maze, the board game at the end of the fourth round, the computer implores you to "Shoot The Dice".  Sure, that makes plenty of sense to the average blackjack player, but not so much when you've got a gun in your hand.  Finally, after a confrontation with Colonel Red in one of the later rounds, the dastardly villain angrily shouts, "I AM NO DEAD!"  Uh, yeah... I'll just pretend I understood that.

The less polished translation isn't the only difference in this prototype version of Gunstar Heroes.  There are also graphics and enemies that were removed from the final release.  While you're sliding down the hill in the first stage, you'll notice that in addition to the droids taking potshots at you, there are flocks of wispy yellow... uh, things floating overhead.  I'm not even sure what the heck they are... they look like tildes, or discarded hankerchiefs blowing in the wind.  They're not especially threatening or charismatic enemies, so you can understand why Treasure ultimately decided to remove them.

Perhaps the most bizarre feature in the Gunstar Heroes prototype is in Black's Dice Maze.  There are not one, but two doors in the Happy Item Rooms... the one on the right is still the exit, but the one on the left is a mystery.  It's labelled as the path to heaven, but it doesn't actually LEAD anywhere.  Were the designers just making a religious statement, or did they actually intend to double the size of the Happy Item Rooms?  The world may never know...

I can't offer the Gunstar Heroes prototype on The Gameroom Blitz due to the terms of service set by Overclocked, the host of this web site.  However, one thing I can do is share a handful of pictures from the game... they'll give you a pretty good idea of how it differs from the official release.  Also, you should be able to locate the ROM with a Google search, or on the Planet Emulation web site.  Use the search term "Gunstar Heroes Sample" for best results.

The best part of the Gunstar Heroes prototype is that you can cheat your way through it... just pause the game and press the B button for a whopping health bonus.	It's boss time for the wobbly, seed-spitting plant known as "Papaya Dance".  And you thought that was one of those tropical drinks with a paper umbrella sticking out of it!
After a long, hard day of being stuck on top of the letter "N", these tildes take a break from Spanish literature and hang out in the world of Gunstar Heroes.	Dammit, I've been shooting at these dice for over an hour now, and nothing ever happens!  My copy of this game must be defective... I'm calling Sega to complain.
There's not enough cash in the world to buy this stairway to heaven.  Go ahead, try to kick down the door.  Use every weapon at your disposal.  Whatever you do, you're still not getting though.	Danger... danger, Will Robinson!  Crappy English translation detected!  Say what you will about localizations, but I for one am glad that Sega fixed the dialogue in the US version of this game.
Notice the advertisements for the smooth and refreshing "Gunstar Light" in the background.  Sega changed the signs to read "Gunstar Gum" when Gunstar Heroes was released in America.	You have no chance to survive, make your time!  (Feel free to groan if you like, but please, try not to throw any tomatoes.  They stain my clothes!)