[Very Top] Five classic games representative of the old west

The thing about cowboys and Indians in video games is almost as old as the era on which they are based. You know what we're talking about, the Old West, that turbulent period in North American history. Today we propose five classic games with all that flavor of gunpowder, tobacco and bad whiskey.

By the way, thank you sirFran Drumsfor the idea.

BLOOD BROS.

Indeed, it is the famous recreation of the Indian and the cowboy who shot a lot. From the year 1990,Blood Bros.is the work of Tad Corporation, who offered us a truly epic third-person shooting salad that reminds us, a lot,toThorough, his previous work. In fact, there are those who say thatBlood Bros.It is its spiritual sequel.

With a very marked steampunk aesthetic,Blood Bros.It is action without rest. Our objective is to defeat the most famous outlaw in the west: Big Bad John, and at the same time his entire band of criminals. We will do this throughout a series of phases in which we shoot at everything that moves.

The destructive component of the scenarios stands out, something quite elaborate for a 1990 arcade and that could already be seen inThorough. Yes indeed,Blood Bros.It greatly improves the formula and the technical aspect, making the scenarios look like foxes after each skirmish. By the way, we must also praise the design of the final bosses, true works of steampunk engineering.

Blood Bros.It is a great arcade, with large doses of action, without respite, that will test our skills at the controls. It's not too complicated, but there are really intense moments. A basic.

GONZZALEZZ

Let's go with something more patriotic.Gonzzalezz, a work by Opera Soft released in 1989 for Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, MSX, PC and ZX Spectrum computers, is a Spanish game starring the saltiest Mexican of the so-called "golden age of Spanish software."

Our protagonist, who likes to take a nap, is deeply asleep and immersed in the middle of a dangerous dream from which we have to escape. To do this we must cross a series of very difficult platforms to reach an alarm clock that will make us get out of that nightmare.

Once we have passed the first round we will immerse ourselves in the old west.GonzzalezzYou will have to go in search of a hammock to continue sleeping, but your journey will not be easy. In this second phase we must face evil rustlers, ill-tempered indigenous people and the occasional desert bug. Here the action takes on more weight and the mission will be nothing, nothing easy.

GonzzalezzIt is a classic of computers. A varied, friendly, extremely difficult title full of Mexican clichés. By the way, if you want to try it, any version is fine, but from here we recommend the Spectrum one, which is very well done.

GUN.SMOKE

Another recreational. This time from the almost always great Capcom and also the oldest game we are talking about today, being from 1985.Gun.SmokeIt is an aerial view shooting game with overtones of a vertical scrolling shoot 'em up, since the stage moves on its own.

We control a gunman who must save the city of Hicksville from bandits known as the Wingates. To do this we must go through a series of phases, dispatch all the enemies and face the final boss of each one. We will have the possibility of shooting forward and in the diagonals, and thank goodness, because gunmen will appear everywhere.

Gun.SmokeIt is a recreational game that can remind us in development of the classicCommando, but with a great aesthetic and personality. It is also quite a challenge, as it is difficult as he alone.

In addition to the arcades,Gun.SmokeIt came out on the domestic market, and could be seen on Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX and ZX Spectrum computers. It also came out on Nintendo NES, being one of the most elaborate versions we can find of this little gem from Capcom.

OUTLAWS

We change the third and we go until 1997 withOutlaws, an FPS from the legendary LucasArts exclusive to PC. Sheriff James Anderson has retired and now lives a quiet life on a farm with his wife and daughter. The problem? A certain Bob Graham wants the railroad to pass through Anderson's land, so he hires some ruffians who kidnap his daughter, so our hero must draw his revolver again.

And so, with this premise, the action ofOutlaws, one of the most original first-person shooters of its time. And we say that it is original in part thanks to its technical aspect, which mixes cartoons on the graphics engine that LucasArtshad already used in the gameStar Wars: Dark Forces.

Of course, the development is typical for this type of games. We must navigate the labyrinthine levels that comprise it, defeating the enemies we find and looking for the exit that will lead us to the next level, collecting keys that will give us access to other areas. And this is one of its problems, that it did not contribute anything to a genrewith other representatives as brutal as Quake.

OutlawsIt is repetitive, bland and unambitious in terms of playability. Despite its nice graphics, its engine was already outdated in 1997, and this took a serious toll on LucasArts. However, the passage of time has served it well and today one could say that it is a cult game that is well worth trying.

SUNSET RIDERS

No podríamos olvidar en una selección de juegos basados en el viejo oeste, a LA RECREATIVA (así, con mayúsculas) de indios y vaqueros más famosa de todos los tiempos. Por supuesto hablamos deSunset Riders, obra maestra que Konami lanzó en 1991 a los arcades y que tiempo después se vio en Super Nintendo y Mega Drive.

En este run and gun para cuatro jugadores simultáneos debemos ir a por una serie de forajidos, y cada uno nos esperará al final de cada nivel, ejerciendo de jefe de fin de fase. Nos iremos abriendo a base de tiros en un juego que cuenta con un desarrollo de scroll lateral, pero también habrá momentos para montar a caballo o fases de bonus en primera persona.

A nivel audiovisual,Sunset Riderses una joya en toda regla. Sus gráficos son coloridos, muy en la línea de otras producciones de Konami de la época comoThe SimpsonseitherTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, y están plagados de guiños y detalles que nos sacarán más de una sonrisa. Además el sonido acompaña perfectamente, ofreciéndonos una atmósfera única que combina con una jugabilidad a prueba de bombas.

Sunset Riderses uno de los mejores exponentes del salvaje oesteque podemos encontrar en recreativas. Toda una bomba jugable, divertida y llena de momentos únicos como la estampida. Perfecto para jugarlo en compañía, que es cuando se disfruta mejor.