Gunslinger Stratos is a series of Third Person arcade Light Gun Hero Shooter video games. They are developed by Byking and Taito, and published by Square Enix.
The main draw of Gunslinger Stratos that sets it apart from most other arcade shooters is the fact that a single player must use BOTH of the gun controllers provided, indeed every character's default weapon set employs Dual Wielding in some form. The Gun Controllers also feature magnets allowing you to combine the guns in 2 different ways, switching the weapon you're using in-game. Furthermore, instead of being a rail shooter, the gun controllers have joysticks and buttons to allow free movement and camera control in addition to having to point at the screen and shooting. With a focus on online multiplayer, the game rewards those who stick with it with deep, engaging competitive gameplay that employs almost as many elements from the Fighting Game genre as it does with shooters.
The plot of Gunslinger Stratos focuses on two opposing factions. In the year 2115, there exists two versions of the country known in the present as Japan: Frontier S (Stratos) and the 17th Far East Imperial City Management District. When the timelines appear to begin merging, each side begins Operation Stratos, sending a group of soldiers back in time to the year 2015 to eliminate the other side and prevent the creation of the other universe.
There have been 3 games in the series, as well as an updated rerelease for the third game and an anime known as Gunslinger Stratos The Animation. The games have, so far, only been released in Japan, with seemingly no plans to localize the games, making it necessary for fans across the world to have to go to import arcades to get a chance to play it.
After a failed "Alpha Test Entry" for a PC version was released and quickly shut down in 2016, a new entry was announced for PC and Consoles with hopes of reaching a wider global audience, with more info coming some time in 2020.
- Gunslinger Stratos
- Gunslinger Stratos 2
- Gunslinger Stratos 3
- Gunslinger Stratos Σ an Updated Re-release of the third game with new characters, weapons and gameplay changes.
This Arcade Game makes use of the following Tropes:
- Alternate Universe:
- Alternate Timeline: What the two universes seem to be.
- Alternate Self: The two universes are represented by alternate versions of the same characters. Gamewise the difference is merely aesthetic and players are free to choose which universe's version of a character to play as.
- Combos: Despite being a shooter, this is an important part of the game, necessary to maximize the amount of damage you can deal in a short time. Different weapons and melee attacks can apply different types of hitstun and knockback, which can set up shots with other weapon types or even more melee attacks.
- Dual Wielding: Every character in the game Dual Wields for their default weapon set.
- Guns Akimbo: How you're required to hold the Gun controllers and what most of the characters' default weapons are.
- Sword and Gun: Also possible depending on your loadout.
- Hero Shooter: An early example of the genre, having been released in 2012.
- Knockback: Different kinds too! Different Weapons and Melee attacks can knock an opponent down or launch them into the air to set up a combo. Furthermore, landing too many of one type of attack in a short time causes an opponent to spin out with Mercy Invincibility, preventing a Cycle of Hurting from happening.
- Light Gun Game: Uses two guns that must be aimed at the screen. The guns feature joysticks and buttons, and can be combined into a single gun.
- Mercy Invincibility: Knockdowns and spin-outs give you this for the duration of the animation and even for a short time after you get up, giving you a chance to escape an assault and fight back. You can tell when an opponent has this if their targetting indicator is grayed out.
- Third-Person Shooter: Unique for a Light Gun Game to be.
