Home Gaming Insert Coin – Sunset Riders

Insert Coin – Sunset Riders

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Sunset Riders (3)

They say he came from parts unknown, dragging hell behind him and a fistful of coins that could sway the hearts of any Greek corner cafe owner. He was a man with no name, a pilgrim that whistled Dixie and tamed any arcade cabinet that crossed his path. But the stranger met his match one day, when he ran afoul of Sunset Riders…

Sunset Riders (4)

One of the greatest genres that was relatively untapped during the arcade cabinet boom, had to be westerns. The idea of saddling up and riding off into a sunset of six-shooters and outlaws, was an idea that was made for these machines. It gave birth to some classics such as the choose your own adventure duels of Mad Dog McCree, the vertical scroller that was Gunsmoke and Fast Draw Showdown.

Sunset Riders (1)

But the very best western game ever made, had to be Sunset Riders. It wasn’t a serious game, it wasn’t anything new really. But what it had going for it, was some of the tightest action ever coded into an arcade stand, polished to a degree that is sorely lacking in games today. The only patching done in this gem, were the band-aids attached to your bloody thumbs after having dropped many Rands into the stand in order to finally take down the various outlaws who stood in your way.

It was pure platforming action, but with enough depth to give the levels a sense of style as you wrangled your way through stages. It was also filled with plenty of humour, as running a marathon on top of a herd of stampeding cattle never got old, while seeing varmints get cartoonishly blown up when you tossed their dynamite back at them was pure fun.

Sunset Riders (1)

The game was also very much like sex. Between two people, it was special. Between four players, it was magical. Sunset Riders came in the usual flavour of two-player action, but nothing compares to actually deputising three other friends to join you in the game and spread bullets until the screen looked like it was about to burn out. I spent countless hours playing the game, and its fantastic port on the Sega MegaDrive.

Sunset Riders (2)

Fast, deadly and always fun, Sunset Riders will remain one of the greatest western games ever made for all time. And home to one of my all-time favourite chiptunes:

Last Updated: February 10, 2015

16 Comments

  1. This thing gobbled up, what was it back then? 20 cents?
    I could never get past the bulls 😛

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 10, 2015 at 13:48

      Ask the Sharks how to get past the Bulls 😛
      Jokes aside. If you’re referring to the bulls on the first level I just jumped to the right if I got to close to the edge of the screen.

      Reply

      • Matewis Jubilai

        February 10, 2015 at 13:50

        Lol yes, go sharks!
        I think part of my problem was that this was, most likely, my very first arcade game, and I sucked at the controls 😛

        Reply

      • Admiral Chief

        February 10, 2015 at 14:18

        Bwhahahahaha

        Reply

  2. Hammersteyn

    February 10, 2015 at 13:46

    For a second I thought we were getting a sequel! I would have gone to college but I blew it all on arcade games like these.
    *Fires up Mame, screw work!

    Reply

  3. Blood Emperor Trevor

    February 10, 2015 at 13:47

    I thought he came from a land down under?

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      February 10, 2015 at 13:49

      Oh you.

      Reply

      • Blood Emperor Trevor

        February 10, 2015 at 13:49

        😀

        Reply

    • Raptor Rants A Lot:Original #7

      February 10, 2015 at 13:49

      Where women glow and men plunder?

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        February 10, 2015 at 13:49

        Can you hear the thunder?

        Reply

        • Raptor Rants A Lot:Original #7

          February 10, 2015 at 13:50

          Do you speaka my language?

          Reply

  4. Blood Emperor Trevor

    February 10, 2015 at 13:50

    tee hee…

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief

      February 10, 2015 at 14:18

      Oh you

      Reply

  5. Matewis Jubilai

    February 10, 2015 at 14:00

    Damn, this took me a long time to find: http://www.lazygamer.net/general-news/what-happened-todata-east/
    in the comments 😉

    Reply

  6. Avi

    February 10, 2015 at 14:00

    Haaa, good old days i had this back on my 8 bit system as well

    Reply

  7. Treezle

    February 11, 2015 at 12:27

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