Gunhound EX

About

Gunhound EX is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up game where players control powerful mechs in a post-apocalyptic world. With various weapons and abilities, pilots must battle against enemy forces and colossal bosses to complete missions. The game features hand-drawn graphics and intense combat, testing the skills and strategies of even the most seasoned shoot 'em up veterans.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 140 reviews

story6 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Gunhound EX is a nostalgic throwback to classic mech games like Cybernator and Metal Warriors, offering a fun and challenging arcade-style experience.
The game features solid pixel art, a great soundtrack, and enjoyable gameplay mechanics that make players feel like they are piloting a heavy mech.
Unlocking new weapons and customizing your mech adds replay value, and the game rewards players for mastering its controls and mechanics.

The port suffers from significant control issues, requiring a controller for optimal play, and the keyboard controls are awkward and unchangeable.
The game is short, with only five main missions, and the unskippable cutscenes can become tedious during retries, detracting from the overall experience.
There are numerous technical problems, including compatibility issues with certain systems and a lack of optimization for modern hardware, leading to frustrating gameplay.

story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
85%
7%
The story in this game is generally viewed as weak and generic, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Many players found the dialogue tedious and often skipped it, indicating that the plot lacks depth and engagement. While some appreciate the anime-style presentation, the overall consensus is that the story does not significantly enhance the gaming experience, making it more suitable for those focused on action rather than narrative.
- “In the end, the story concludes appropriately and nothing feels amiss.”
- “The game also has a rockin' and bombastic soundtrack that adds to the game's fast-paced nature with some pretty good voice-overs for the dialogue that takes place before and during missions.”
- “As well, those of you just rolled out of the anime conventions like Otakon, and want to see an anime-type story unfold, the more realistic types using decent pseudo-science, not screaming for five episodes type, this is a platformer shooter with a very anime-style background, and an unfolding story that you would expect from the likes.”
- “If you are here for the plot, you’ll be disappointed because it is very plain and quite generic.”
- “The story is a run-of-the-mill and an unsalvageable mess that never becomes remotely interesting.”
- “The plot is harmless, stereotypical fluff.”
graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
67%
11%
The graphics of the game are generally described as low-resolution and reminiscent of older consoles like the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, with a focus on pixel art and parallax scrolling backgrounds. While some players appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and solid performance, others criticize the lack of optimization and the overall mediocrity of the visuals, especially given that it is a port of a PSP game. Overall, the graphics may appeal to retro fans but may disappoint those expecting modern, high-definition visuals.
- “The graphics look pretty solid for what they are, and some larger-than-life boss battles are definitely the highlights of the game.”
- “The game definitely feels like a successor to Assault Suits Leynos 2 in terms of aesthetics; visuals definitely feel like they came from the PlayStation or Sega Saturn era with its low-res but eye-pleasing pixel-art graphics along with some nice parallax scrolling backgrounds and sprite rotation, all while running at a slick frame-rate.”
- “Gunhound EX hits all the high points, with colorful graphics, countless enemies, frustrating boss fights, and even a countdown on the 'replay' screen similar to old NES games like Contra.”
- “Very low resolution graphics.”
- “The graphics are mediocre at best.”
- “Graphics were mediocre at best, extremely blurry and low res.”
gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
68%
12%
The gameplay is a blend of fast-paced, arcade-style action reminiscent of classic titles like Metal Slug and Contra, with mechanics that encourage quick decision-making and strategic risk-taking, such as the ability to eject armor for increased speed at the cost of defense. While the game offers a satisfying challenge and engaging mechanics, some players find certain sections overly difficult and the controls can be awkward. Overall, it appeals to old-school gamers who appreciate its retro feel and responsive gameplay, despite some criticisms regarding difficulty spikes and unique mechanics that aren't consistently utilized.
- “The game does a fantastic job at making you feel like you’re piloting a tanky mech, but the game can be as fast-paced as you want to be. It has a mechanic that allows you to eject your armor, making you faster but more susceptible to damage, which works with the game trying to be challenging.”
- “Contrast to the slower-paced and methodical gameplay of Astro Port's Gigantic Army, Gunhound EX's time attack-styled gameplay encourages you to act and shoot quickly throughout the game's 5+ stages. If the timer reaches zero, you won't be able to score points for the remainder of the stage; however, you can't be reckless unless you prefer seeing the game over screen.”
- “Sick side-scrolling shmup (think Metal Slug) that nails the anime/mecha feel with heavy mechanical controls and really cinematic, visceral arcade action scenes.”
- “Despite a few problems, I would stand a better chance of finding decent gameplay in the latest Mega Man.”
- “Don't be fooled, this game has some of the worst gameplay I've ever experienced.”
- “The gameplay can be difficult to learn, and even then is challenging.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
29%
14%
The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring a rocking and bombastic soundtrack that complements the fast-paced action and retro aesthetic. While some players find the tunes enjoyable and fitting for the gameplay, others note that they may not be memorable outside of the game context. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the experience, though it may not stand out as groundbreaking.
- “The game sports a pretty rocking soundtrack which fits perfectly with the overall theme of piloting a giant heap of metal, though I doubt you'll be humming it to yourself when not playing.”
- “The music is great, with some awesome tunes to get you pumped for the next stage or boss.”
- “Old school Japanese action with an awesome soundtrack.”
- “The OST is okay, nothing to write home about.”
- “The music's fitting enough and the graphics get the job done.”
- “If you're a shooter/stg fan, enjoy mechs and big explosions with fierce head-banging music and lots of pew pew, or just kawaii uguu anime, this game is for you.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers a moderate level of replayability through an unlock system tied to player scores, allowing players to earn new weapons as they progress. However, while the grind for achievements can enhance replay value, the overall experience may feel limited for those not deeply invested in mastering the game, making it less appealing for casual players.
- “To add replay value, the game comes with an unlock system that is attached to your score; every single point you earn (even if you die) will be gradually added to a score meter, and you’ll unlock new weapons after you reach certain milestones.”
- “While it may be grindy (especially if you want to unlock all achievements), it is an interesting way to add replayability, and the game will reward you accordingly depending on how well you play.”
- “Replay value is high due to unlocking new weapons for your mech.”
- “While it's not as good as those classics, it's a really fun game despite being really short and, unless you're really into mastering these types of games, not very replayable.”
- “It's singleplayer-only with limited replay value (achieve high scores to unlock extra weapons).”
- “To add replay value, the game comes with an unlock system which is attached to your score; every single point you earn (even if you die) will be gradually added to a score meter and you’ll unlock new weapons after you reach certain milestones.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that the game involves significant grinding, particularly for unlocking achievements, which can lead to repetitive gameplay as they must replay limited levels to accumulate points. While this grind adds a layer of replayability and rewards skillful play, it can also become tedious, especially when players face frequent failures without the option to skip cutscenes or dialogues. Overall, the grinding aspect is a double-edged sword, enhancing replay value but potentially detracting from the overall experience.
- “Considering the fact that you'll need millions upon millions of score points in order to unlock them all, you're in for a heck of a lot of grinding of the limited number of levels.”
- “There is a lot of grinding involved.”
- “Without spoiling the game, the unlock system requires blatant in-game grinding, and since the game is so short, you'll just be grinding one mission over and over again to rack up the points.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users reporting compatibility issues on Windows 10 with NVIDIA graphics, though some have found workarounds by disabling the Steam overlay and fullscreen optimizations. Overall, the PC optimization is considered poor, particularly regarding graphic modes.
- “Windows 10 and NVIDIA do seem to have compatibility issues, but I got it running without any problems by disabling the Steam overlay and fullscreen optimizations from the executable properties.”
- “The game definitely looks fun, but the PC optimization could use some improvement.”
- “It definitely looks like a fun game, but the PC optimization is pretty bad.”
- “Graphic modes are not optimized.”
- “Win10/Nvidia does seem to have compatibility issues, but I got it running with no problem by disabling the Steam overlay and fullscreen optimizations from the executable properties.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The game generally runs smoothly and offers an enjoyable experience, though players have noted some glitches and unclear objectives. Overall, it is considered stable and visually appealing, making for a fun playthrough of about four hours.
- “Runs great, looks great, fun to play.”
- “The game maintains a smooth performance even during intense action sequences.”
- “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a seamless gaming experience.”
- “Overall, the game has some glitches, and some objectives are not clear, which affects the overall experience.”
- “The game frequently crashes, making it frustrating to progress.”
- “I encountered several bugs that disrupted gameplay, leading to a less enjoyable experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the varied and challenging enemies, which are often positioned in amusingly frustrating locations, adding a comedic twist to the gameplay experience.
- “The enemies are varied and challenging, and sometimes placed in hilariously annoying but doable spots.”
- “Funny thing.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere is characterized by a tight and immersive experience, enhanced by challenging missions and effective mech customization. Players appreciate the controls, which become intuitive with practice, particularly in managing the constant switching of weapon subsystems.
- “The atmosphere is tight, with challenging missions that keep you engaged.”
- “The mech customization adds depth to the experience, enhancing the overall atmosphere.”
- “The controls feel pretty nice once you get accustomed to the constant switching of the weapon subsystems.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is generally viewed as decent, with effective character design and strong Japanese voice acting contributing positively to the overall experience.