The CoCo Show: A TRS-80 Color Computer Podcast · Amigos Retro Gaming

GunStar is the premiere SHMUP on the Color Computer 3! It's the CoCo Show Episode 57

·41 min·3 clips

Aaron calls Gunstar potentially better than any arcade shoot-'em-up he has played.

1. The CoCo Show Episode 57 examines Gunstar, Nick Marentes's Color Computer 3 shoot-'em-up. 2. Hosts Migo Aaron and Brent review Gunstar as players, while Curtis Boyle contributes a technical assessment of Marentes's 6309-focused programming. 3. Aaron frames the review around whether Gunstar could be better than arcade shoot-'em-ups he has played. 4. The hosts report that Gunstar requires a Color Computer 3 with 512K of memory. 5. Aaron says the 6309 processor upgrade provides roughly a 7% to 10% speed increase. 6. Gunstar gives the ship three standard bullets, screen-clearing bombs, shield charges, and temporary six-shot or double-laser weaponizers. 7. The game's four levels are named Exodus, Stargate, Battle Zone, and Abattoir. 8. Exodus places the Gunstar over city streets and buildings before the ship leaves Earth. 9. Stargate requires players to shoot green boxes until their symbols match an activation sequence. 10. Wimp mode uses eight glyphs, while Hero mode requires sixteen glyphs and preserves scoreboard eligibility. 11. Aaron and Brent identify the Stargate glyph sequence as Gunstar's most unusual departure from standard shooter design. 12. The hosts say Gunstar's screen can scroll roughly one-third left or right under player control. 13. Battle Zone increases pressure through more aggressive enemies, fewer pickups, and threats that can approach from behind. 14. Aaron reaches the later portion of Battle Zone, while Brent describes a crash that forced him to restart. 15. The Gatekeeper appears after the Stargate glyph sequence as a large ship with a visible life bar. 16. Curtis Boyle calls Gunstar “buttery smooth” and credits its multi-channel digital sound, puzzle elements, and weapon power-ups. 17. Aaron and Brent praise the title screen, enemy patterns, scrolling, digitized explosions, and the option to reverse the color set. 18. The episode uses a conversational two-host game review with gameplay footage, live reactions, hardware advice, and comments from the chat. 19. Color Computer 3 owners seeking demanding homebrew shooters will appreciate this review. 20. Listeners uninterested in 8-bit hardware upgrades or shoot-'em-ups may skip it.

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