Part of Sega's Vintage Collection, Gunstar Heroes is a port of Treasure's classic 1993 shooter, which is still revered as one of the finest games to ever grace the Genesis/Mega Drive.

So, as far as ports go, how does it hold up in 2009?

LOVED
If It Ain't Broke: As far as side-scrolling shooters go, Gunstar Heroes is almost perfect. So Sega were smart to leave the game well enough alone, the only changes being some new display options (the adjustment ones welcome, the graphics filter less so) and, in a welcome move, the addition of online co-op.

Analogue-Friendly: Some retro games – like Bionic Commando: Rearmed – were woeful on 360 thanks to its terrible d-pad. Gunstar Heroes, you'll be happy to know, doesn't suffer from this, as control via the analogue stick is smooth and responsive.

HATED
Premature Evacuation: It's a little unfair to knock a fault with the original game when reviewing a port, but I'm going to vent anyways: Gunstar Heroes' biggest problem is that it's too damn short. The customisable weaponry and co-op adds a bit of replay value to the game, but with only a few levels on offer, you'll be done just as you were getting into the swing of things.

Gunstar Heroes was my favourite game on the Mega Drive. And, thanks to this slick and (mostly) faithful port, it's now one of my favourite downloadable games this generation. The best part: it's cheap, cheaper even than the recent Virtual Console port that didn't include as many features. Treasure fans – or anyone looking to kill a few hours with some mindless, vintage carnage – should definitely look into it.

Gunstar Heroes was developed by Treasure, and originally released in 1993. Reviewed version published by Sega, and released on June 10 (XBLA) and June 11 (PSN). Retails for 400 MS Points on Xbox 360, $5 on PlayStation Store. Played Xbox 360 version to completion, tested online co-op.

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In fact, the only game in Vintage Collection 2 coming to the PlayStation 3 is GunStar Heroes, which hardly qualifies it as a collection in the case of Sony's console, but it doesn't seem like PS3 owners will be missing much. As expected, the collection consists of GunStar, Altered Beast, Shinobi arcade, Comix Zone, Phantasy Star II, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, with Sonic & Knuckles coming later in the year.

The only difference between these releases and the versions of the games included in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is network play for Sonic, Altered Beast and GunStar and online leader boards, so unless you cannot live without those features you're probably better off picking up the retail collection.

My weekend is going to consist of a quick attempt to learn the mechanics of EEE, plus a few hours of playing through the Sega Ages Treasure Box on my finally unpacked ceramic white Japanese PlayStation 2. Saturday night also marks my first L.A.-based gaming get together, with plenty of booze, fattening snacks, co-op Gears of War, and maybe even a little Samba de Amigo to cap the night off.

What about you, lords and ladies of the Kotaku kingdom? Will you play the Wii and PS3 waiting game? Did you pick up any of this week's new releases? Let us know what you're gonna get freaky with in the comments. Michael McWhertor

Ice Hockey (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points): Ice Hockey is hard-hitting, fast-action competition that re-creates all the excitement of the sport from faceoffs to penalty shots. Players pass the puck and shoot to score while using defensive tactics, including fake shots and ice brawls to crush adversaries. It's up to the player to find the best strategy to win the game - finesse or power.

Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): The Gunstar 9 planet was peaceful for many years until the vicious dictator, Colonel Red, kidnapped the Gunstar twins' older brother and used mind control to make him
his slave. Players face many different enemies and bosses while battling to stop the dictator from unleashing "Golden Silver the Destructor" with apocalyptic consequences.

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points):Dr. Robotnik is stamping out music and fun in Mobius with his giant robotizing Mean Bean Steaming Machine. Before he turns all the citizens of Beanville into robots, players must save the day by gathering up beans in matching colors and defeating Robotnik's guards.

Alien Crush (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): Alien Crush is a fan-favorite pinball game that features a sinister sci-fi theme. Play through a two-level playing field that comes to life with pulsating alien creatures.
Rack up a high enough score, clear the board of these extraterrestrials and discover secret bonus stages. The game features realistic pinball action, complete with a tilt function and two selectable soundtracks. Do you have what it takes to fight back against this alien infestation?

I don't know if I'll be downloading any of these. Is there something I'm missing? Brian Crecente

Huh. Not sure how I'd feel walking around with a big Adolf Hitler head on my chest, especially if I had to tell people the tee was an Advanced Dai Sen Ryaku promo item. I suppose the inclusion of Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill, and Mussolini gives it a bit more context, softening the potential neo-Nazi implication, but it's really the hardcore nerdery that puts it over the top.

The shirt is one of three (others include Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Deka) released by Mars 16 to promote the recent Sega Ages budget remakes for the PlayStation 2 in Japan and is available via the Sega Direct online store.

Sega Mars 16 Tees