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Mobile Light Force

Gunbird
Gunbird.png
Sega Saturn cover art
Developer(s) Psikyo
Publisher(s) Arcade
Psikyo
Sega Saturn
Atlus
PlayStation
XS Games
Yahoo Mobile
Cave
PC (Steam)
Console Classics
Artist(s) Hirofumi Nakamura
Series Gunbird
Platform(s) Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Yahoo Mobile, PlayStation Network
Release Arcade
  • JP: 1994
Sega Saturn
  • JP: December 15, 1995
PlayStation
  • JP: December 15, 1995
  • EU: 2002
  • NA: March 19, 2003
Yahoo Mobile
2002
PlayStation Network
  • NA: June 25, 2009
Steam
  • NA: July 17, 2015
Genre(s) Scrolling shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, two-player co-op
Cabinet Upright
Arcade system Psikyo 1st Generation
CPU Motorola 68EC020, PIC16C57
Display Raster, 224 x 320 pixels (vertical), 4096 colors

Gunbird (ガンバード?) is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up developed and published by Psikyo and released in Japanese arcades in 1994. It has been re-released multiple times, including on the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Steam. When originally localized outside Japan by XS Games, Gunbird was retitled Mobile Light Force. The game was followed by Gunbird 2 in 1998 and was included in Gunbird Special Edition.

When a player collides with the body of an enemy unit, the player loses a shot power level, and a power up flies around the screen and disappears as soon as it reaches the edge. If a player is at the lowest level of shot, the player loses a bomb instead.

There are seven stages in each of the game's two loops. The first four stages are randomly chosen from possible five. In the second loop enemies fire denser bullet patterns moving at faster speeds. Stage 2-1 takes place at the only stage not available in first loop, instead of the 1-1 counterpart. The remaining three stages are chosen in random, but does not include the replaced stage. After completing first loop with only one player, player can choose one of two choices for a wish with magic potion, with unique ending for each choice. If first loop is completed with two players, a combination-specific ending is played.

The cutscenes between the battles with two players fighting cooperatively are frequently packed with hilarious dialogue and situations. This is often a recurring theme with Psikyo games, the Gunbird games being no exception. There are no cutscenes when playing second loop stages. The Korean arcade version contains English dialog but some sound samples are missing during play.

Gunbird uses manga-styled character as the player's chosen craft. A story plays out in between levels and before boss fights, telling a tale of how the protagonists are trying to collect pieces of a magic mirror to make a wish.


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