Arcade Archives The Tin Star

Genre: 2-Stick Shooter

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local), Online Leaderboards

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Review:

The Tin Star, not to be confused with the 1994 game Tin Star, is a multi-directional Action game (reworked here with 2-Stick Shooter controls, which work far better) released in 1983 in arcades, with this modern release sees the game coming to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in 2020.

The gameplay here has players taking the role of a sheriff in a Wild West shootout with a gang of outlaws taking cover in a saloon. Players must dodge enemy attacks while taking out enemies once they reveal themselves.

While I think the gameplay here is pretty clever for the time it was released, it has the problem of being too difficult thanks you your relatively slow movement speed and your only evasive maneuver being a jump straight up into the air, which can still catch bullets in your path. One hit kills, you only have a paltry few lives, and there are no continues, making this a very unforgiving game

This release of the game includes a new “Hi-Score Mode” that challenges players to score as much as they can in one run before seeing a game over screen. There is also a new “Caravan Mode” that does much the same, but with the limit being five minutes. In addition, this release of the game includes various display options, sound options, challenge modifiers, button mapping, and online leaderboards.

Overall, while I think there’s potential in The Tin Star’s gameplay, I can’t get past the fact that this game consistently made choices with its gameplay to make the game punishingly difficult. Unless you’re a big fan of “old-school hard”, I’d skip this one.

tl;dr – The Tin Star is an Action game reworked here with much-improved 2-Stick Shooter controls, where players take the role of a sheriff in a shootout with outlaws. For its time, there was some inspired gameplay here, but it is all undone by numerous choices that make this game punishingly difficult. Unless that’s your thing, I suggest you mosey on to some other game.

Grade: C-

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