Sunset Riders ROM

The game, which is set in a fanciful version of the American Old West, revolves around four bounty hunters named Steve, Billy Cool, Bob, and Cormano Wild, who are out to claim rewards offered for eliminating the most wanted outlaws in the West. At the beginning of each stage, the players are shown a wanted poster for the outlaw they will face at its end. Sunset Riders has gameplay that is similar to both Contra and Vendetta. This cooperative shooter can also be played up to two or four players simultaneously, depending on the version of the game.

In the two-player version each player can choose which of the four bounty hunters to play as at the start of the game, while in the four-player version each character is assigned to a different control panel. Steve and Billy wield revolvers, Bob carries a rifle, and Cormano uses a double barrel shotgun. The controls consist of an eight-way joystick for moving and aiming, and two buttons for shooting and jumping. The player(s) can jump between higher/lower floors and slide to avoid enemy attacks.

The objective of the game is to defeat a gang of outlaws in eight stages, with a fight against a strong boss character at the end of each. When two or more people are playing, the one who deals the most damage to a stage boss receives the entire bonus for defeating him. Five of the stages are played on foot, two on horseback, and one on a moving train. A bonus minigame is played after the second and fifth stages, in which the player(s) can earn additional points by shooting outlaws as they pop up. After all eight stages are cleared, the game restarts with increased difficulty.