GunMaster is an obscure Arcade Action Game developed by Metro Corporation (creators of the latter Bust a Groove) in December 1994. The game was influenced by the earlier Gunstar Heroes from Treasure, but with some Fighting Game and Beat 'em Up mechanics included.
The objective is for the players to defeat fourteen opponents and...that's all. One (or two) player(s) must defeat all the bosses in single-screen levels. Every enemy (except the "tutorial" and the last one) can be challenged in any order, and some enemies are harder than the others.
This game provides examples of:
- A Winner Is You: Don't expect anything about the story after you defeat the Final Boss. Although you get to watch the player and boss characters unite and blast away the demon man in charge of the invasion and the Demonic Possession on Queen Dia.
- Boss Game: Just like Alien Soldier and the two Mega Man arcade games, every Boss is fought in their own stage.
- Dual Boss: Pearl and Onyx fight as a team for both their on-foot fight and, fittingly, their fight as pilots for the two Gemini mechs.
- Fiery Redhead: The Hero.
- Inexplicably Preserved Dungeon Meat: Once per battle, the player can find one bird or pig frolicking around the stage. Attacking them will turn them into a roasted chicken or pig that you can pick up to restore your health.
- Mini-Mecha: The Aquarius, Aeries, Gemini, Leo, Cancer, and Taurus fights are against mechs piloted by their owners. Capricornus, meanwhile, uses a spell that transforms himself into sentient goat armor on a long snake-like body before the start of the battle.
- No Name Given: Both player characters do not have official names listed on any promotional material or in-game and are simply referred to as "P1" and "P2" on the title screen after inserting a credit.
- Palette Swap: The muscular axe-wielding twins Pearl and Onix are palette swaps of each other. Same goes for the two Gemini mechs the twins utilize in their second battle.
- Powered Armor: Virgo fuses with the statue in the background of her stage, transforming it into combat armor that she pilots from inside.
- Spin Attack: One of the Heroine's attacks, it also covers a long distance, making it a necessity due to the difficulty of the game.
- Stripperiffic: The Heroine wears only a breastplate, a cape, and pink panties. Even Tolmarine the Witch is slightly more covered.
- Theme Naming: Many bosses are named for constellations or gemstones.