Player reviews: 72% positive11 reviews
Steam Deck: Unsupported
Runs on: Windows
Price: US$6.99

Where to get it

Steam

2019 · Indie · Racing

Gun Beat

Beat enemies to the beat. Avoid bullets to survive. ‘Gun Beat’ is a VR game that combines rhythm and shooting. Beat the enemy with a rhythm! Oh, don't forget to avoid bullets, too!

Released: 14 January 2019
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Indie Racing
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Themes: Action
Country: Japan
Languages: English

About

Gun Beat is an unreleased action-racing video game previously under development by Treasure for the Sega NAOMI arcade platform. The game was revealed in February 1999 at an arcade trade show in Japan alongside several other games to promote Sega's new arcade board. Gun Beat was not playable, but a gameplay video was on display. The demo reel was well received by critics who felt the game carried the same quirky characteristics and quality artwork of previous Treasure offerings. Development on the game was ceased indefinitely in May 2000 with little explanation.

Treasure hatched the initial idea for Gun Beat when the NAOMI arcade board was revealed. The team looked to Wacky Races for inspiration to develop a disjointed and slapstick action-racing game. The game features players racing against each other while also having the ability to fire shots capable of slowing down rival players and destroying traps and enemies littered across the race course. It supports up to four players competing across locally connected cabinets.

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The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Gun Beat was billed as an "action-racing" game for arcades. The goal of the game is to complete a race while destroying enemies and obstacles on the course. There are three modes: a single-player race, a score attack mode, and a versus mode. In the versus mode, up to four players can compete across four arcade cabinets linked locally to each other.

Each player can choose one of four characters: Carmine, Mirabelle, Squad-Man, and Cunyanya. Carmine drives a hover bike, Mirabelle rides a witch's broom, Squad-Man is a biped robot that can fly and run, and Cunyanya is a young boy riding atop a giant Siberian flying squirrel. Each character can only be picked by one player, and each has its own unique characteristics such as handling, shot power, size, etc. Only three stage concepts were ever shown: a city, a snowy mountain, and ancient ruins.

Development

Gun Beat was to be Treasure's second arcade game after Radiant Silvergun (1998) and their first for the Sega NAOMI arcade board. The idea for the game came when the NAOMI board was unveiled. Their idea could not be realized with current hardware, so the NAOMI board arrived at an opportune time. Sega's new arcade board allowed them to develop the race tracks as they envisioned them, with four player models along with enemies moving smoothly across a fully polygonal race track.

The initial concept was to make a disjointed and slapstick racing game in the likeness of Wacky Races. They also held a concept from the beginning to make it unlike previous Treasure games. Once they established the racing elements, they added action, which at first was only punching and kicking. A programmer then thought of using shooting mechanics instead.