Guardian Heroes remastered for XBLA this fall

by Ben Gilbert on May 5th 2011 9:05AM

If you've been intensely monitoring eBay, hoping to nab a factory-sealed copy of Treasure's rare Sega Saturn beat-'em-up, Guardian Heroes, it's time to relax. Sega revealed this morning that it intends to release the game for Xbox Live Arcade sometime "this fall," with flashier 2D visuals (HD!) and online play (both co-op and battle modes). And it won't cost upwards of $50 to get it, unlike that eBay auction you've been eying. (Our condolences to the sellers, though!)

"Players have been clamoring for this treasured favorite from the Saturn days, and we cannot wait to show them what we have got for them," Sega VP of digital business Haruki Satomi noted in the announcement, calling the fan response to previous Dreamcast re-releases "overwhelming." So overwhelming, in fact, that Sega had to step back to an older console.

Source: Sega

Tags: guardian-heroes, microsoft, q3-2011, release-date, saturn, sega, sega-saturn, treasure, xbla, xbox, xbox-live-arcade

Reader Comments (60)

YES! 1st Radiant Silvergun and Bangai-O, & now Guardian Heroes is coming to XBLA! I cannot wait to get this!

Now, let's hope this means other Saturn games will be remastered for XBLA/PSN as well (Burning Rangers & Nights into Dreams, anyone?)

& Panzer Dragoon Saga.

Oh god, Burning Rangers...

*YES*.

@zonic505

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

My dream has come true. Wait I have to check if I'm dreaming or something.

I paid 80 bucks for a Saturn copy after my own copy broke. I don't regret getting it, its sitting on its own stand on my desk.

Oh man, this is by far the one game I have been longing to see remade. I am proud to see Treasure put out there classics on XBLA and this one I will buy and make sure others will buy.

Such a classic game I can not wait to see the 6 player battle mode online on Xbox LIve. I can't wait to see 3 player online Co-Op. This is going to be sick and I can't wait!

@zonic505

Foooooooooooooook yes!

@zonic505 DREAMING that they put in 4 player story coop or online games with level cap for proper dueling UUUUHHHHHNG HELP ME

@Stevetrop Man of Mystery

It's only 2 players co-op, not 3.

@zonic505 powerstone and powerstone 2

@zonic505 If only.. If Panzer Dragoon Saga is ever confirmimed for XBLA (which would need to be built from scratch as the original code was lost) I would need to buy a few boxes of tissue & hire a hotel room with all night room servive.. well you need to stay hydrated

I... I... I...
*cries manly tears of joy*

Just this game will justify my purchase of a 360.

@Rauten
Yes it would. THat was almost poetic. I have been waiting for a worthy 360 exclusive.

It dont get no better than this

"Players have been clamoring for this treasured favorite from the Saturn days, and we cannot wait to show them what we have got for them"

...I think they misheard/misread the request. It was for GUNSTAR HEROES, not GUARDIAN. :p

@foxhound
Gunstar Heroes is already on XBLA, also Gunstar Hero's was never on the Saturn, so it is you my ill-informed poster that has misread/was misinformed.

Now, I can't wait for this! I still have my Saturn and this game, now if only we could get a remastered Dragon Force......

@foxhound
your attempts at witty were met with Great Resistance! Never stop fighting!

@Spookimitsu
-shakes fist-
I'll use my razor sharp wit... next time, Gadget! Next time! ;D

But seriously, it was a joke. Sorry it went over your head or wasn't well received, DarkRios. :\ We can't always hit'em over the fence.

@foxhound
Ah, well all is forgiven, now Dragon Force.......

If this doesn't come out on PSN, I will be forced to buy another X360.

@Malice215 I think SEGA should launched a DLC only micro-console fillable with all its classic and rare titles remastered in HD. I'd buy 7 if they'd pack in and English patched Princess Crown.

Nice!

What? No Clockwork Knight on the 3DS? Com'on SEGAAAAA

One step closer to getting a SEGA Saturn Collection...and revisiting my youth.

@SEGA Scream

I've been saying that for years. Sega released three dozen Genesis collections, skipped the Saturn completely, and is now releasing underwhelming Dreamcast collections.

I'm dying to play NiGHTS, Burning Rangers and Clockwork Knight again.

Not to mention a re-release of Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shining Force III.

Now they just need to announce NiGHTS Into Dreams. I'm one of the few who enjoyed the sequel, but that's probably because I've never played the original, and I've heard loads of people say that it's much better.

@Behonkiss There is an excellent Japanese PS2 port of the original NiGHTS, if that helps.

(And yeah, the original is better, but the sequel was still good.)

YES!! I honestly thought I'd never see it again unless I pulled out the Saturn. (Anyone else remember the 4MB RAM card that you had to get in order to play Marvel Superheroes vs. Street Fighter?)

@otakuzod oh yeah! just got one from amazon!

@otakuzod

I have three.

wtf... I just recently bought a saturn again... AND THEN PAID 100 BUCKS FOR A PRE-OWNED COPY OF THIS GAME! Oh well, vintage is better in my own opinion...

@kenninitro
sour grapes? no thanks

@kenninitro

This game is tits!!!!!! One of my all time favs on Saturn!

I just bought a modded Saturn last month for this game. My mind just blew.

I've been wanting to get a 360 for sometime now...Guardian Heroes just pushed me over the brink. I MUST have a 360 now.

YEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Dammit!!! I was free of consoles!! I was freeeeeeeee!

Does Treasure have some sort of exclusivity agreement with Microsoft???

First Ikaruga, then Radiant Silvergun, now Guardian Heroes?????

I am distraught. I bought a PS3 over a 360 simply because the console exclusives that interested me were on PS3. I wanted Heavy Rain, Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted and God of War far, far more than Halo or Fable.

If only I had taken XBLA into account...

Aside from some awesome PSOne classics, I haven't been at all impressed with Sony's PSN exclusives. I mean, I guess Dead Nation was kinda' cool, and Echocrome is still awesome...but that doesn't make up for the fact that games like Super Meat Boy, Limbo, Anything by Twisted Pixel, Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Perfect Dark and all this Treasure-developed goodness are XBLA-only titles.

It hurts my dick in the face.

Arrrrgh. Treasure's games are probably going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

God help me if Vanillaware releases a HD release of Princess Crown for XBLA...

@Urethra Alfredo

I just gotta say that is one heavy ass piece of straw to break a camels back.

@Stevetrop Man of Mystery

Really, the straw is the combination of Ikaruga, Radiant Silvergun and Guardian Heroes. Bullet Hell Shmups are my number one genre, and beat-em-ups (especially ones with RPG elements) hold a special place in my heart.

Really, anything by Treasure is a system seller to me...as long as it's in 2-D.

Stretch Panic was like having a dear and trusted friend shit in your mouth while you're sleeping. Wario Land, while not nearly as bad, was totally forgettable.

@Urethra Alfredo

i'm an early 360 owner (though i avoided the launch bs, i got one like a week after it came out) and, even though i've been through my share of consoles now, i still love it for the very reason you listed. XBLA games are awesome! at first there wasn't much to play on the arcade. geometry wars was just about it, but it has surprised me year after year with the consistent amount of quality that is released through the platform. limbo remains my favorite downloadable game ever...so awesome.

i got a ps3 last x-mas and am enjoying it for the exclusives and the whole bluray thing, but i agree whole-heartedly with you that PSN titles just don't compare with what you get on the 360. i only have a couple psn games (flower, echochrome, dead nation, pixeljunk eden), and probably around 30 or so xbla titles.

anyway, did you just say that you have a dick in your face?

@Liquidfingers

and just to add to what you said, halo and fable aren't the only exclusives that are worthwhile, even though reach is very, very worthwhile. gears of war and alan wake are also gaming goodness at its greatest.

@Liquidfingers

Yeah, I'm not big on first-person shooters. The last one that managed to keep my interest was Stranger's Wrath (which, strangely enough, is the only upcoming PSN-exclusive that I'm looking forward to).

As for Alan Wake, f*ck yeah. When I visited my sister last Christmas, we both played through it over the course of a week. The writing wasn't nearly as brilliant as Remedy seemed to think it was, but the entire experience was still awesome. In fact, it was neck and neck with Heavy Rain and Pac-Man CE DX as my GotY 2010.

This seriously is my favorite Sega Saturn game. Best xbla news ever!

Holy smokes! I busted out my Saturn last year and tried to play this but the pixellation on an LCD was just too much for me. I will buy an HD version immediately. I used to play this game so much...the branching storylines, the insane number of characters, the on-screen chaos, the kicking of ass...this really is the only Treasure game I care about.

I've been kind of disappointed lately at the classic games out there that aren't being remade for XBL, even after all these years. Where's Darkstalkers HD? Aliens vs. Predator (coin-op)? Panzer Dragoon Orta HD? Rival Schools? Tech Romancer? Mortal Kombat II? SFIII Third Strike (HD or not!)? World Heroes 2? I could find tons more. What are people waiting for?

WOW...a huge success in my book.

@Shadow Hog

You only excited me even more. A rose by any other name...

@Shadow Hog Seeing as the Genesis games & Sonic's UGC allowed you to switch the filter on or off, hopefully they'll do the same.

Awesome! This one eluded me in the past.

So when can we expect a new official Streets of Rage game?

YES! SeGa should just released HD-enhanced ports of its classics from Genesis Saturn and Dreamcast for XBLA (and that service formerly known as PSN) instead of wasting everyone's money trying to get Sonic games right...

@Shadow Hog

Damnit all I care about at this doing a charged up laser blast as randy. Or using Serena's ice magic.

For those who don't know what this is about, it's an extremely fun beat-'em-up with light RPG elements and a surprisingly large amount of stages and storyline branches. Guardian Heroes was pretty much the primary inspiration for Castle Crashers, so if you loved that, you'll love this.

NO F*CKING WAY!
Seriously, I have written on many posts and message boards stating my want for this. I do not belive this, I am in actual shock.

| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments

Guardian Heroes

Guardian Heroes remastered for XBLA this fall

Reader Comments (60)

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:17AM zonic505 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:20AM zonic505 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 12:01PM KazamaSogetsu said

Posted: May 5th 2011 12:17PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: May 5th 2011 1:51PM Fakeassname said

Posted: May 5th 2011 2:09PM Prestidigitator said

Posted: May 5th 2011 2:37PM Garfieldx said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:39PM Dacx said

Posted: May 5th 2011 4:51PM Mazrael said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:17AM Rauten said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:23AM Spookimitsu said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:22AM foxhound said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:41AM DarkRios III said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:31AM Spookimitsu said

Posted: May 5th 2011 1:13PM foxhound said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:44PM DarkRios III said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:24AM Malice215 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:29AM Deaths Hand said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:30AM quarlie said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:57AM Trilancer said

Posted: May 5th 2011 9:58AM SEGA Scream said

Posted: May 5th 2011 12:16PM Urethra Alfredo said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:02AM Behonkiss said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:14AM quarlie said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:10AM otakuzod said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:18AM kenninitro said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:42AM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:13AM kenninitro said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:22AM Spookimitsu said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:54AM xreadmore said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:17AM Typhonic said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:20AM (Unverified) said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:21AM Spookimitsu said

Posted: May 5th 2011 10:53AM yomachaser said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:12AM Urethra Alfredo said

Posted: May 5th 2011 12:21PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: May 5th 2011 1:34PM Urethra Alfredo said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:08PM Liquidfingers said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:09PM Liquidfingers said

Posted: May 5th 2011 3:20PM Urethra Alfredo said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:13AM stamps79 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:13AM Nitrate21 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:36AM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:37AM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:38AM zonic505 said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:48AM ChameleonX said

Posted: May 5th 2011 11:53AM Lordd G said

Posted: May 5th 2011 12:24PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: May 5th 2011 1:03PM Abob Lyndsae said

Posted: May 5th 2011 1:31PM bshido said

Guardian Heroes Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall

Featured Stories

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is a stranger in a strange land

Silver Lining: I Am Alive's unfeeling world

Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW