History VideoGame / SunsetRiders

* NintendoHard: Despite the lighter overall look, this will kick the players' butt just as hard as ''Contra'' does.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Two in particular. ''VideoGame/MysticWarriors'' was made by the same team and even features a [[TheCameo cameo]] by Steve, while Konami's arcade game version of ''WesternAnimation/WildWestCowboysOfMooMesa'' is a very similar western-themed side-scroller. The game also acts as a spiritual successor to Konami's earlier western-themed shooter ''Iron Horse''.

A side-scrolling ShootEmUp released for the arcades in 1991, ''Sunset Riders'' is one of several four-player arcade games that {{Creator/Konami}} released in the wake of their success with ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheArcadeGame''. The game centers around four {{bounty hunter}}s (Steve, Bob, Billy, and Cormano) who must hunt down various fugitives during the WildWest to collect monetary rewards.

* YouNoTakeCandle: Dark Horse says, "You in big heap trouble!" when you fight him, and "Me in big heap trouble!" when you defeat him. Chief Scalpem also introduces himself with, "Me ready for pow wow!" and croaks, "Me pow-wowed out!" when defeated.

** Smith Brothers: "We're gonna blow you away!"

* MadBomber: The Smith Brothers. Their boss fight (the only one without a preceding stage) could be dangerous to play if the player's epileptic. The brother in blue slings a mean MolotovCocktail] and the one in green uses regular bombs. When one of them is killed, the other one will go AxCrazy and start tossing his weapon of choice all over the room, so it's HIGHLY recommended that you kill the green brother first.

* MadBomber: The Smith Brothers. Their boss fight (the only one without a preceding stage) could be dangerous to play if the player's epileptic. The brother in blue uses [[MolotovCocktail]]s and the one in green uses regular bombs. When one of them is killed, the other one will go AxCrazy and start tossing his weapon of choice all over the room, so it's HIGHLY recommended that you kill the green brother first.

** Smith Brothers: "That was a bang!"

* MadBomber: The Smith Brothers. One of them has enough sense to talk, but the other is completely AxCrazy. Their boss fight (the only one without a preceding stage) could be dangerous to play if the player's epileptic. The brother in blue uses molotovs and the one in green uses regular bombs. When one of them is killed, the other one will start tossing his weapon of choice around like crazy, so it's HIGHLY recommended that you kill the green brother first.

''Sunset Riders'' was ported to both the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis and the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, in 1993. A port of the arcade version for the UsefulNotes/Playstation4 and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, via Hamster's Arcade Archives series, was released June 11th, 2020.

* TheGunslinger: The whole team.

* QuickDraw: The 2nd boss, Hawkeye Hank Hatfield. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation In theory, at least.]] In practice, that's only once he is [[TurnsRed very close to being deaten.]]

** ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Since all regular enemies are {{One Hit Point Wonder}}s, Bob and Cormano's shotguns make them far more useful most of the time over sixgun-toting Billy and Steve. However...

* FaceDeathWithDignity: Sir Richard Rose.

** El Greco won't put his shield down until you stop firing. His reflexes with his whip are also really fast.

** Cormano: Red

* DumbMuscle: Paco Loco is presented this way, banging his chest and speaking his lines with a very simple-minded accent.

* EasyModeMockery: If you beat the game on Easy difficulty in the SNES port, you're treated to [[http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/snes/a/sun-4.png this message]] saying "Are You yella?! Now try the Normal mode!"

* FatBastard: Paco Loco, [[RuleOfThree yet again.]]
** Also, Simon Greedwell.

* MirrorBoss: Sir Richard Rose. After you destroy the barrier protecting him on his balcony, he'll to begin dash, jump and slide around the stage with agility that rivals that of the players. One difference is that his slide can do CollisionDamage to the players.
* MolotovCocktail: Some mooks, and one boss, will throw molotov cocktails around. Anyone caught in the fire, whether friend or foe, gets burned to death.
* MoreDakka: Paco Loco uses a MACHINE GUN. Mind you, it doesn't fire like a machine gun, the bursts come in threes and the bullets are bigger than normal but still.

* QuickDraw: The 2nd boss, Hawkeye Hank Hatfield. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation In theory, at least.]]

* SpreadShot: You get this by picking up the DualWielding power-up. However, Bob and Cormano had these right off the bat.

* [[StormingTheCastle Storming the Fort]]: The final stage.

* WeaponSpecialization: The four playable characters are distinguished by their firearms of choice. Billy and Steve wield revolvers, while Bob and Cormano use shotguns. This mean that at least two characters are duplicates, which allow at least two players to use the same weapon in multiplayer mode (unless you're playing the Genesis version, in which you are stuck with Steve or Cormano).

* MusicalSpoiler: An alert player will realize the fight with Sir Richard Rose isn't over after they gun him down the first time, because his boss theme is still playing.

* NeverBareheaded: All four playable characters wear cowboy hats, which remains on them even when engaging in high-speed chases, running on horseback, and performing all sorts of stunts. Same goes for bosses who wears hats - Simon's hat remains on him as he falls off a balcony, as does Dark Horse's while chasing the players on horseback, whilst Chief Scalpem's feather never drops.

* PlayingWithFire: Some mooks, and one boss, will throw molotov cocktails around. Anyone caught in the fire, whether friend or foe, gets burned to death.

* WhipItGood: El Greco's main weapon, a combination of shield and a whip giving him insane range.

* GreatWayToGo: The last Smith brother blows himself up after you defeat him.

* NeverBareheaded: All four playable characters wear cowvoy hats, which remains on them even when engaging in high-speed chases, running on horseback, and performing all sorts of stunts. Same goes for bosses who wears hats - Simon's hat remains on him as he falls off a balcony, as does Dark Horse's while chasing the players on horseback, whilst Chief Scalpem's feather never drops.

* MoreDakka: Paco Loco uses a MACHINE GUN ([[AluminumChristmasTrees which really were a thing in the Old West]]). Mind you, it doesn't fire like a machine gun, the bursts come in threes and the bullets are bigger than normal but still.

* WeaponBasedCharacterization: The four playable characters are distinguished by their firearms of choice. Billy and Steve wield revolvers, while Bob and Cormano use shotguns. This mean that at least two characters are duplicates, which allow at least two players to use the same weapon in multiplayer mode (unless you're playing the Genesis version, in which you are stuck with Steve or Cormano).

* WeaponOfChoice: The four playable characters distinguished by their firearms of choice. Billy and Steve wield revolvers, while Bob and Cormano use shotguns. This mean that at least two characters are duplicates, which allow at least two players to use the same weapon in multiplayer mode (unless you're playing the Genesis version, in which you are stuck with Steve or Cormano).