Line #66 VideoGame/SunsetRiders


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6	A side-scrolling RunAndGun 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.
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8	''Sunset Riders'' was ported to both the Platform/SegaGenesis and the Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, in 1993. A port of the arcade version for the Platform/Playstation4 and Platform/NintendoSwitch, via Hamster's Arcade Archives series, was released June 11th, 2020.
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10	----
11	!! The game provides examples of the following tropes:
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13	* AdaptedOut: Steve, Bob and half of the bosses in the Genesis version, along with a few of the {{mook}}s.
14	* AerithAndBob: Steve, Bob, Billy and... Cormano. Justified since he seems to be Mexican rather than American like the others.
15	* AndTheAdventureContinues: Even after you beat the game, if you still have credits left, you'll be taken straight back to the first stage, no "Press Start" prompt.
16	* AgentPeacock: The final boss and BigBad, Sir Richard Rose. He's a British pretty boy with an affinity for roses. He's also one of the toughest bosses in the whole game, due to his agility and the BulletproofVest he wears under his suit.
17	* AllOrNothing: The player who does the most damage to a boss collects the entire bonus for defeating him.
18	* ArrowsOnFire: Used by some of the enemy Amerindians.
19	* ArtificialBrilliance:
20	** El Greco won't put his shield down until you stop firing. His reflexes with his whip are also really fast. If you want to hit him, ''make him jump''.
21	** Richard Rose's fight starts out looking like he's content to stay on the balcony like the first boss... that is until his barrier is destroyed, at which point he immediately jumps down, moves all over the upper and lower height levels like a player character on crack and starts ''[[FinalBoss utterly destroying you]]''. The way he angles his shots also remove any blind spot where you can just sit tight and blast him to oblivion - you need to stay mobile to avoid his shots.
22	* BadassNative: ''Unfortunate'' name aside, Chief Scalpem can deflect waves of bullets with just his two knives and is easily ThatOneBoss of the game. Expect to lose lots of lives and credits fighting him.
23	* BigWordShout: The game lets out a [[NoIndoorVoice "YIPPEE!!!"]] whenever a new player joins or Steve or Bob did the most damage to a boss.
24	* BookEnds: The first boss, Simon Greedwell, is fought in front of a building's facade. He shoots the players from behind a barrier with mooks appearing from all directions to support him. The final boss, Sir Richard Rose, is fought under very similar circumstances, that is until you destroy his barrier.
25	* BossOnlyLevel: Stage 4 consists solely of the Smith Bros. boss battle in the saloon.
26	* BottomlessMagazines: As usually dictated by Video Game logic, no one has any trouble with ammo.
27	* BoundAndGagged: All of the rescuable women are tied up and gagged. The Salon girls in both the Arcade and SNES version, and the lady in yellow in the Mega Drive version.
28	* {{Bowdlerise}}:
29	** The SNES version faced some censorship, including removing all references to alcohol, adding some modesty to the female [=NPCs=], changing a boss' name from Chief Scalpem to Chief Wigwam, cutting his lines from [[YouNoTakeCandle "Me ready for pow wow!" and "Me pow-wowed out!"]] to "Ready for pow wow!" and "Pow-wowed out!" (though the subtitles say "Get ready for a pow-wow!" and "I'm pow-wowed out!") and replacing all the Native American enemies in one stage with white outlaws. Additionally, El Greco no longer says "Die, gringo!" before battle; he says "adios, amigo!" at both the beginning and end of his battle.
30	** In both console ports, the female dynamite throwers are replaced with dynamite-wielding variants of the male bomb throwers.
31	** The Arcade Archives version also changes Chief Scalpem's name to Chief Wigwam and makes El Greco say "adios, amigo" twice, but keeps everything else from the original arcade version.
32	** Oddly enough, the SNES version also censors out the dramatic scene of the rose being shot when you beat Sir Richard Rose, for after you beat him, he simply gets back up, says his last words, and dies like any other boss.
33	* BulletproofVest: Sir Richard Rose wears a steel plate under his suit. Shoot him until he collapses, and he'll stand up, throw if off, and let you have it all over again.
34	* CanCrushingCranium: Cormano shatters his bottles over his own head whenever he steps out of a saloon door.
35	* CantHoldHisLiquor: Try as he might, Bob doesn't have the taste buds for alcohol and immediately spits out what he takes in.
36	* CharacterSelectForcing: You can't play as Steve or Bob in the Genesis version. Only Billy and Cormano are available. This is most likely due to technical limitations rather than the Genesis version being 2-player only, as the SNES version, despite also being 2-player only, has all four player characters available.
37	* CleanDubName: Chief Scalpem to Chief Wigwam in the SNES port and the Arcade Archives version.
38	* CollisionDamage: Averted. The game takes care to give an actual explanation for why you got hurt, most notably enemies taking a moment to stop and try to stab you up close.
39	* ColorCodedMultiplayer
40	** Steve: Yellow
41	** Billy: Blue
42	** Bob: Green
43	** Cormano: Red and pink
44	* CoolHorse: Dark Horse's steed is fitted with metal plates on its head and legs, which block your bullets directly from the front. It also carries him off after you shoot him.
45	* DamselInDistress:
46	** The saloon dancers in Stage 4 of the arcade and SNES versions.
47	** In the Genesis version the player has to rescue a brown-haired girl in a yellow dress at the end of every odd-numbered stage. In a 2-Player game the player who gets to the girl first will receive the stage clear bonus.
48	* DepthPerplexion: In the train level, enemies looking out the windows of the train can see and fire at the players standing on the roof of the train, and vice-versa. From a 3D perspective, their bullets would have to be doing U-turns.
49	* TheDragon: Paco Loco, again. For the Genesis version, it's Chief Scalpem.
50	* DualBoss: The Smith Brothers are both fought at the same time.
51	* DuelBoss: El Greco and Chief Scalpem are the only bosses to never summon any minions, not that they need them.
52	* DumbMuscle: Paco Loco is presented this way, banging his chest, being strong enough to wield a machine gun and speaking his lines with a very simple-minded accent.
53	* DyingMomentOfAwesome: The last Smith brother blows himself up after you defeat him.
54	* EasterEgg: When fighting Hawkeye Hank Hatfield in the original arcade version, there's a wanted poster on the the wall with one of the Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles on it.
55	* 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 [[DirtyCoward yella]]?! Now try the Normal mode!"
56	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Once you defeat Chief Scalpem and have him dead to rights, his sister runs in to [[JustFollowingOrders beg you to spare his life.]] The player characters comply.
57	* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Smith Bros respectfully pause their bomb and fire throwing while you get a kiss from a dancer.
58	* EvilBrit: The final boss, Sir Richard Rose.
59	* ExcusePlot: Who are your characters? Who are the bandits they're hunting? Who knows why they're attacking innocent townspeople? Who cares?
60	* FaceDeathWithDignity: Every boss that does die.
61	** El Greco even throws his hat to you, and you can wear it if you are Cormano.
62	** Sir Richard Rose, despite blaming his luck, still counts.
63	--> '''Rose''': I say, bit of bad luck. dies
64	* FallingChandelierOfDoom: The fourth stage features a huge chandelier that dangles around and can be used by {{mooks}} as shooting platforms. The heroes can climb on it and either give it the same use, or simply hang from it to avert the bombs tossed by the bosses. [[spoiler:In a subversion, it stays in its place through the whole stage and, when the bosses are killed, it's "peacefully" taken away.]]
65	* FatBastard: Paco Loco, [[RuleOfThree yet again.]] He is overweight and a brutish minion of Richard Rose.
66	** Also, Simon Greedwell, a greedy outlaw who is also plump.
67	* FlashOfPain: The bosses flash white upon hit and red when in critical health. This also applies to other destructible objects: Simon Greedwell's barrels, the saloon signs in the fourth stage, the wooden gates in the final stage, and Richard Rose's balcony.
68	* FlechetteStorm: Chief Scalpem can throw up to four throwing knives at once.
69	* FluffyFashionFeathers: The lady in yellow in the arcade, Genesis and SNES versions wear white feather boas with their outfits. In the latter this very same lady has to be rescued in the 1st phase of stages.
70	* FlunkyBoss: All bosses except El Greco and Chief Scalpem summon additional enemies to fight with them.
71	* GagLips: Simon Greedwell has ''huge'' red, bright lips.
72	* GatlingGood: Paco Loco uses one. There's also two in the arcade game's final stage, usable by both player and {{Mook}}s. You need them to progress, since they're the only weapon that can blow down the gates.
73	* {{Greed}}: Simon ''[[MeaningfulName Greed]]''well. He even drops a huge bag of gold when he falls out of his door.
74	--> ''Bury me with my money!''
75	* GroinAttack: [[RakeTake Step on a rake and see what happens]].
76	** Also when you walk into a plastic arrow planted on the floor. Yup. That's in the Amerindian stage.
77	* GrievousBottleyHarm: Cormano will break his liquor bottle over his head after drinking it.
78	* GunsAkimbo: With a powerup. Two of them, even Dual Wield SHOTGUNS. Well, {{Sawed Off Shotgun}}s, but still.
79	* TheGunslinger: The whole team consists of gunslinger cowboys and some of the bosses like Richard Rose also qualify.
80	* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: The dynamite-throwing girls can have their dynamite thrown back to them (with predictable results), and the MolotovCocktail-throwing mooks regularly burn themselves and their fellow mooks up with their own attacks. [[spoiler:The Genesis Port of Richard Rose]] also leaves a dynamite after the first phase, which, if fired on quickly enough, will instantly kill him. [[spoiler:Doesn't explain how he can survive the explosion with a metal sheet under his clothes though.]]
81	* HostageSituation: Right after defeating the third boss Dark Horse, a girl is [[GetOut violently thrown out of the saloon right behind]]. The hero or heroes tend to her and she says that [[BashBrothers the Smith Brothers]] and their goons have taken over, keeping three other dancers as hostages. Then she begs the hero or heroes to save the other girls, the hero/heroes go inside, and the stage proper begins.
82	* ImprobableWeaponUser: In a wild west setting, El Greco uses a whip and shield.
83	* IronicEcho: El Greco has "Adios, amigo!" as both his entry and death phrases in the SNES version and the Arcade Archives version.
84	** El Greco's entry phrase in the Arcade version was "Die, gringo!" which was [[{{Bowdlerise}} censored out]] by Nintendo as it was considered inappropriate.
85	* ItWasAGift: In the arcade version, [[spoiler:if Cormano is involved in the fight with El Greco in stage 5, El Greco takes off his red sombrero upon defeat and tosses it away. Cormano will catch and wear it in place of his own for the rest of the game.]] In the SNES version, he just drops it.
86	* JustFollowingOrders: Chief Scalpem's sister saves his ass with these words, as opposed to all the rest of Richard Rose's thugs who were also "just following orders." Presumably they didn't have pretty sisters to speak in their defense.
87	* LastBreathBullet: Played with in regards to Paco Loco. After his defeat, he fires even more bullets before he finally falls down dead, but the bullets can’t actually harm you.
88	* LastWords: Every boss gives these after they are defeated.
89	** Simon Greedwell: "Bury me with my money."
90	** Hawkeye "Hank" Hatfield: "Ya got me!"
91	** Dark Horse: "Me in heap big trouble!"
92	** Smith Brothers: "Holy smokes!" (first brother defeated) / "That was a bang!" (second brother defeated)
93	** El Greco: "Adios, amigo!"
94	** Chief Scalpem: "Me pow-wowed out!" [[note]]However, his life is spared at the request of his sister, so these aren't his last words.[[/note]]
95	** Paco Loco: "Hasta la bye bye!"
96	** Sir Richard Rose: "I say, bit of bad luck!"
97	* LickingTheBlade: Chief Scalpem does it before you fight him.
98	* 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.
99	* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Sir Richard Rose. He lives in a HUGE mansion on top of a mountain, and is presumably in charge of the gang you just spent the game busting.
100	* MirrorBoss: Sir Richard Rose. After you destroy the barrier protecting him on his balcony, he'll begin to dash, jump and slide around the stage with agility that rivals that of the players, while also shooting with speed and accuracy. He also [[spoiler:has an extra life]]. One difference is that his slide can do CollisionDamage to the players.
101	* MolotovCocktail: Some mooks, and one boss (who is part of a DualBoss), will throw molotov cocktails around. Anyone caught in the fire, whether friend or foe, gets burned to death.
102	* MoreDakka:
103	** 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.
104	** The stationary gatling guns of the final stage shoot ''fast'', so kill their wielders quickly. They can also destroy the barriers blocking your way and decimate foes, so use them yourself.
105	* 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. Averted with the Genesis version, which stops the music until he takes off his body plate.
106	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Chief Scalpem, Paco Loco.
107	* NeverBareheaded: Three out of the 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.
108	* NonIndicativeName: El Greco has the elements of a Mexican stereotype, but none of a ''Greek'' one.
109	* NotSoAboveItAll: After defeating the Smith Brothers, the girls of the bar they took hostage put on a dance for the heroes. Steve, Bob, and Cormano stand by the stage cheering. Billy stands off to the side acting like he's above it, but you can see him give a side glance to the stage and blush.
110	* OffscreenKarma: Chief Scalpem. While they don't finish him off, his WantedPoster still gets crossed out, and said posters are labeled "Dead or ''Alive''".
111	* OneHitPointWonder: Played straight mostly. Averted in the Genesis version's versus mode where players have a LifeMeter.
112	* OneNameOnly: The four heroes.[[note]]Unless you're playing the Genesis version, where the only two playable protagonists were given last names (Billy Cool and Cormano Wild).[[/note]]
113	* PreAsskickingOneLiner: All the bosses start with one each.
114	** Simon Greedwell: "It's time to pay!"
115	** Hawkeye "Hank" Hatfield: "Draw, pilgrim!"
116	** Dark Horse: "You in heap big trouble!"
117	** Smith Brothers: "We're gonna blow you away!" "Yeah! Yeah!"
118	** El Greco: "Die, gringo!"[[note]]Except in the ports[[/note]]
119	** Chief Scalpem: "Me ready for pow-wow!"
120	** Paco Loco: "Ay, Chihuahua!"
121	** Sir Richard Rose: "Cheerio, old chap."
122	* ProfessionalKiller: The heroes.
123	* PyroManiac: One Smith brother. The other is a [[MadBomber fan of dynamite.]]
124	* 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 beaten.]]
125	* QuintessentialBritishGentleman: Sir Richard Rose has quite the modals for the BigBad. Noted specially in his intro:
126	--> "Cheerio, old chap!"
127	** He'll make you cry on harder difficulties.
128	* RealMenWearPink: Cormano. Pink is also the color of Steve's hat, neckerchief and boots.
129	* ReformulatedGame: The Genesis version is missing Steve and Bob, and only four of the arcade version's bosses are included. However, the stages are completely redesigned and are now divided into two segments, while the bonus rounds are different as well.
130	* RidingIntoTheSunset: The end image, so the game's title isn't lying to us.
131	* TheSavageIndian: Chief Scalpem, and the Native American mooks in the stage that he is the boss of.
132	* ShowdownAtHighNoon: The battle against Hawkeye Hank Hatfield has this feel to it.
133	* SlasherSmile: Richard Rose has one all throughout the BossBattle.
134	* SomethingAboutARose: The final boss, Sir Richard Rose.
135	* SoreLoser: Downplayed, but Sir Richard Rose blames his luck as much as the skills of his opponents for his defeat.
136	--> "I say, bit of bad luck."
137	* SoundtrackDissonance: The Game Over music is light-hearted Mariachi band music.
138	* SpreadShot: You get this by picking up the DualWielding power-up. However, Bob and Cormano had these right off the bat, and can spread further with the power-up.
139	* SquashedFlat: The death sprite used when anyone, be it either player characters or enemies, gets crushed by falling rocks or barrels.
140	* StationaryBoss: Simon Greedwell, the Smith Brothers, and Paco Loco don't move from their spots. All but Paco Loco have walls that can be destroyed.[[spoiler: Subverted with Richard Rose; he starts out as a stationary boss like Simon Greedwell, but once his barriers are destroyed he suddenly becomes ''very'' mobile]].
141	* StereotypeFlip: You would think Richard Rose, being a British stereotype, would be the typical greenhorn. Between his massive influence and his great skills in combat? '''Think again.'''
142	* [[StormingTheCastle Storming the Fort]]: The final stage, where you have to break into Richard Rose's mansion, defeat his guards and traps and use gatling guns.
143	* SweetTooth: Paco Loco if the ''Genesis'' port is to be believed, as all money on his stage is replaced with candy, including the large amount he drops upon defeat.
144	* TakingYouWithMe: After his defeat, Paco Loco sits up and attempts to shoot the Sunset Riders with his gatling gun, but misses, then dies for real.
145	* TokenMinority: Cormano is the only Hispanic in a team of blond-haired white cowboys.
146	* TontoTalk: Chief Scalpem talks this way in the arcade version. His sister, however, speaks perfect English.
147	* TooDumbToLive: The MolotovCocktail-throwing mooks have a tendency to throw their molotovs near them, which explodes into a large wall of flames... that they and their fellow mooks are ''not'' immune to. [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard Results are predictable]].
148	* TrainTopBattle: The boss fight against El Greco. But that's not the only stage where you have to walk through a moving train.
149	** In the ''Genesis'' port, Paco Loco is the one fought atop a moving train.
150	* UpgradedBoss: If you get to Chief Scalpem/Wigwam with 5 lives - the most you can get in the game - in the arcade version (including the Arcade Archives ports), he will move faster and throw 4 knives each time instead of 3, reverting to his "normal form" once you lose a life.
151	* VictoryFakeout: So you've killed Richard Rose? [[spoiler:Not so fast... He was wearing a body plate!]]
152	* VocalDissonance: Cormano, the Mexican gunslinger, has the exact same twangy Western accent as the other three heroes.
153	* WakeUpCallBoss: El Greco. He actively blocks your shots, only whipping you when he's not hiding behind his shield, and said whip has a ''lot'' of range. Players who thought they could get by just filling the screen with bullets usually end up losing a fair few quarters to this guy.
154	** Hawkeye Hank Hatfield. His henchmen shoot fast,he is very fast too and just to surprise you he will JUMP into your zone and shoot you while ducking, way different from Simon Greedwell who just stood there taking shots, Hank moves around like crazy.
155	* WarmUpBoss: Simon Greedwell does nothing but fire at you from the balcony with his rifle, even after you've removed his improvised barrier. He's more like a regular Mook with a massive HP boost.
156	* 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 Billy or Cormano due to Steve and Bob being absent).
157	** ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Since all regular enemies are {{One Hit Point Wonder}}s, Bob and Cormano's shotguns, which have spread, make them far more useful most of the time over sixgun-toting Billy and Steve. However...
158	** RevolversAreJustBetter: ...Billy and Steve's individual bullets do much more damage to the bosses. They also fire a bit faster.
159	* WeaponSpecialization: El Greco's main weapon, a combination of a shield and a whip which gives him insane range.
160	* AWinnerIsYou: Completing the SNES version of the game on anything besides Hard Mode nets you a hearty "Good job, ''podner''!"
161	* YouNoTakeCandle: Dark Horse says, "You in heap big trouble!" when you fight him, and "Me in heap big trouble!" when you defeat him. Chief Scalpem also introduces himself with, "Me ready for pow-wow!" and croaks, "Me pow-wowed out!" when defeated.
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Context VideoGame / SunsetRiders