Sunset Riders

A side-scrolling Shoot'Em Up released for the arcades in 1991, Sunset Riders is one of several four-player arcade games that Konami released in the wake of their success with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the Arcade Game. The game centers around four bounty hunters (Steve, Bob, Billy, and Cormano) who must hunt down various fugitives during the Wild West to collect monetary rewards. Essentially a Wild West-themed version of Contra, as its director Hideyuki Tsujimoto worked on both arcade Contra games.

Sunset Riders was ported to both the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993.

Tropes used in Sunset Riders include:
  • And the Adventure Continues...: Even after you beat the game, if you still have credits left, you'll be taken straight back to the first stage, no "Press Start" prompt.
  • Arrows on Fire: Used by some of the enemy Amerindians.
  • Badass Beard: Cormano.
  • Bottomless Magazines: As usually dictated by Video Game logic.
  • Bowdlerise: The SNES version faced some censorship, including removing all references to alcohol, adding some modesty to the female NPCs, changing a boss' name from Chief Scalpem to Chief Wigwam, and replacing all the Native American enemies in one stage with white outlaws. Additionally, El Greco no longer says "Die, gringo!" before battle.
    • In both console ports, the female dynamite throwers are replaced with dynamite-wielding variants of the male bomb throwers.
  • Clean Dub Name: Chief Scalpem to Chief Wigwam in the SNES port.
  • Color-Coded Multiplayer:
  • Cool Horse: Dark Horse's steed is fitted with metal plates on its head and legs, which block your bullets directly from the front.
  • Damsel in Distress: The saloon dancers in Stage 4 of the arcade and SNES versions.
    • In the Genesis version, the player has to rescue a brown-haired girl in a yellow dress at the end of every odd-numbered stage. In a 2-Player game, the player who gets to the girl first will receive the stage clear bonus.
  • The Dragon: Paco Loco, again. For the Genesis version, it's Chief Scalpem.
  • Dual Boss: The Smith Bros.
  • Dumb Muscle: Paco Loco.
  • Evil Brit: The final boss.
  • Fat Bastard: Paco Loco, yet again.
  • Flash of Pain: The bosses flashes white upon hit, and red when in critical health.
  • Flunky Boss: All bosses except El Greco and Scalpem.
  • Gatling Good: Paco Loco uses one. There's also one in the arcade game's final stage, usable by both player and Mooks.
  • Great Way to Go: The last Smith brother blows himself up after you defeat him.
  • Greed: 1st boss Simon Greedwell.
  • Groin Attack: Step on a rake and see what happens.
    • Also when you walk into a plastic arrow planted on the floor. Yup. That's in the Amerindian stage.
  • Guns Akimbo: With a powerup. Two of them even Dual Wield SHOTGUNS. Well, Sawed Off Shotguns, but still.
  • The Gunslinger: The whole team.
  • Hair of Gold: Steve, Billy, Bob, the dynamite-throwing female mooks and Sir Richard Rose.
  • Ironic Echo: El Greco has "Adios, amigo!" as both his entry and death phrases in the SNES version.
    • El Greco's entry phrase in the Arcade version was "Die, gringo!" which was censored out by Nintendo as it was considered inappropriate.
  • It Was a Gift: In the arcade version, El Greco gives his red sombrero to Cormano upon defeat. Cormano wears this hat for the rest of the game. With the other characters though, he'll just throw it away.
  • Just Following Orders: Chief Scalpem's sister saves his ass with these words, as opposed to all the rest of Richard Rose's thugs who were also "just following orders". Presumably they didn't have pretty sisters to speak in their defense.
  • Kaizo Trap: When Paco Loco dies, he fires off a few last rounds from his gatling gun after he falls off his perch. You can avoid them by ducking.
  • Knife Nut: Chief Scalpem, of course.
  • Licking the Blade: Chief Scalpem does it before you fight him.
  • Mad Bomber: The Smith Brothers. One of them has enough sense to talk, but the other is completely Axe Crazy. Their boss fight (the only one without a preceding stage) could be dangerous to play if you're epileptic.
  • Man of Wealth and Taste: Sir Richard Rose.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Chief Scalpem.
  • Nintendo Hard: Despite the lighter overall look, this will kick the players' butt just as hard as Contra does.
  • One-Hit-Point Wonder: Played straight mostly. Averted in the Genesis version's versus mode where players have a Life Meter.
  • One Name Only: The four main heroes. Averted in the Genesis version which only featured Billy and Cormano and gave them full names ("Billy Cool" and "Cormano Wild").
  • Quick Draw: The 2nd boss, Hank "Hawkeye" Hatfield. In theory, atleast.
  • Quintessential British Gentleman: Sir Richard Rose has quite the modals for the Big Bad. Noted specially in his intro:

"Cheerio, old chap!"

    • He'll make you cry on harder difficulties.
  • Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner/Famous Last Words: All the bosses start and end with one each.
  • Pyromaniac: One Smith brother. The other is a fan of dynamite.
  • Real Men Wear Pink: Cormano. [3]
  • Recycled in Space: Contra IN THE Wild West!
  • Reformulated Game: The Genesis version is missing Steve and Bob, and only four of the arcade version's bosses are included. However, the stages are completely redesigned and are now divided into two segments, while the bonus rounds are different as well, so it's not a complete lost.
  • Riding Into the Sunset: The end image, unsurprisingly enough.
  • Slasher Smile: Richard Rose has one all throughout the Boss Battle.
  • Spiritual Successor: Two in particular. Mystic Warriors was made by the same team and even features a cameo by Steve, while Konami's arcade game version of Wild West Cowboys of Moo Mesa is a very similar western-themed side-scroller. The game also acts as a spiritual successor to Konami's earlier western-themed shooter Iron Horse.
  • Squashed Flat: The death sprite used when anyone, be it either player characters or enemies, gets crushed by falling rocks.
  • Storming The Fort: The final stage.
  • Suck My Rose: The final boss, Sir Richard Rose.
  • Sweet Tooth: Paco Loco if the Genesis port is to be believed, as all money on his stage is replaced with candy, including the large amount he drops upon defeat.
  • Token Minority: Cormano is the only Hispanic in a team of blond-haired white cowboys.
  • Traintop Battle: The boss fight against El Greco. But that's not the only stage where you have to walk through a moving train.
    • In the Genesis port, Paco Loco is the one fought atop a moving train.
  • "Wake-Up Call" Boss: Hawkeye Hank Hatfield. His henchmen shoot fast,he is very fast too and just to surprise you he will JUMP into your zone and shoot you while ducking, way different from Simon Greedwell who just stood there taking shots, Hank moves around like crazy.
  • Whip It Good: El Greco.
  • You No Take Candle: Dark Horse says, "You in big heap trouble!" when you fight him, and "Me in big heap trouble!" when you defeat him. Chief Scalpem also introduces himself with, "Me ready for powwow!" and croaks, "Me powwowed out!" when defeated.
  • Your Princess Is in Another Castle: So you've killed Richard Rose? Get ready for the real thing! He was wearing a body plate.
  1. ↑ Also plays the role of The Hero in the Genesis version.
  2. ↑ Also plays the role of The Lancer in the Genesis version.
  3. ↑ Pink is also the color of Steve's hat, neckerchief and boots.
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