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Gunforce

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Gun Force is a 2D side-scrolling run and gun game. The player takes control of a soldier who is dropped off onto an island and must fight his way through hordes of enemy soldiers until he gets to the final showdown in order to protect Mother Earth from the invaders. Gameplay consists of moving...

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Developer
Irem

Released on
1991

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Platform

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Cooperative
Yes

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Description

Gun Force is a 2D side-scrolling run and gun game. The player takes control of a soldier who is dropped off onto an island and must fight his way through hordes of enemy soldiers until he gets to the final showdown in order to protect Mother Earth from the invaders.

Gameplay consists of moving forward and blasting all the enemies who get in the way. The player starts out with a normal gun, but can find other weapons throughout a level, such as a flamethrower or a laser gun. While the normal gun has an infinite amount of bullets, the other types of weapons will eventually run out of ammo. With these weapons, the player can shoot either straight, up, or on a diagonal. The player will also have the opportunity to commandeer a vehicle, which they can also fire bullets from.

The player starts with 5 lives and 3 continues. Each of the stages must be defeated in a certain amount of time or the player loses one of those lives.

Outside of Japan, it later received a sequel titled GunForce II, originally known in Japan as Geo Storm.

Gunforce

Overview & History

Released by Irem in 1991 for arcade cabinets, Gunforce: Battle Fire Engineered Corps is a frantic, military-themed run-and-gun shooter that serves as a vital historical stepping stone for the genre. Directed by Kazio Yamada, the game acts as the conceptual predecessor to Irem's legendary Undercover Cops and heavily influenced technology that later birthed Konami's Contra III: The Alien Wars. Set in a dystopian future where an alien-cyborg race has decimated Earth's military forces, players control elite commandos sent on a desperate suicide mission to infiltrate enemy strongholds and obliterate the biomechanical threat. While visually and mechanically rooted in classic 80s arcade action, Gunforce introduced innovative vertical scrolling sections and vehicle piloting that pushed the limits of Irem's M72 hardware architecture.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Gunforce distinguishes itself through its heavy emphasis on tactical movement and vehicular combat. Across six diverse stages—ranging from collapsing industrial complexes to dense jungles and alien motherships—players can jump in and out of operational military vehicles, including tanks, armored mechs, and helicopters, drastically altering their firepower and defensive capabilities. The arsenal includes standard machine guns, flamethrowers, homing missiles, and laser cannons, each capable of being upgraded by collecting power-ups dropped by defeated enemy commanders. Character mobility is crucial; players can fire in eight directions, perform a localized dodge roll, and climb ladders to gain high ground against swarming alien infantry, devastating boss units, and intricate traps that test reflex-heavy timing.