Bunch of Heroes

Bunch of Heroes is a top-down action shooter with a strong emphasis on multiplayer, featuring a cartoonish visual style and a variety of playable characters armed with diverse weapons. The game blends pulp and pop culture references, offering three distinct acts with zombie-themed enemies and missions focused on rescuing cheerleaders. Designed for 4-player co-op, it includes unique ultimate attacks, turrets, and various grenades to enhance gameplay.

Bunch of Heroes: Review

Introduction

Bunch of Heroes is a top-down action shooter with a focus on cooperative multiplayer. Released in 2011 by NGD Studios, it promised over-the-top combat against aliens and zombies with a roster of quirky heroes. However, despite its initial appeal, the game failed to gain significant traction due to a combination of technical issues and shallow gameplay. This review delves into the game’s development history, narrative, gameplay systems, world-building, reception, and legacy to provide a comprehensive analysis of its place in video game history.

Development History & Context

NGD Studios, an Argentine developer, set out to create Bunch of Heroes as a cooperative arcade-style shooter that would capture the essence of pulp fiction and zombie “”){
horror. The game was heavily influenced by pop culture references and features four unique heroes armed with a diverse arsenal. The development took place during a era when co-op focused games like Left 4 Dead and Aliens: Colonial Marines were popular, but Bunch of Heroes distinguished itself with its cartoonish art style and tongue-in-cheek humor.

Technological constraints at the time meant that the game had to balance performance with visual flair. Running on a custom engine, Bunch of Heroes features detailed character models and environments but suffers from occasional frame rate drops and graphical bugs. The studio’s focus on online multiplayer was commendable but later proved problematic due to server population issues.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The story of Bunch of Heroes serves more as a backdrop for the missions rather than a driving force. The Earth is under attack by aliens who have unleashed a zombie army. The heroes must rescue cheerleaders, protect key areas, and eliminate waves of enemies across three distinct acts. Each act features three missions with varying objectives, from rescuing VIPs to defending bases against waves of zombies.

The characters themselves are archetypal but well-designed:
1. Agent Liu: The stealthy ninja with a powerful ultimate attack.
2. Jared Joe: The muscle-bound marine with a rocket launcher.
3. El Camarada: The Mexican revolutionary with a tesla gun.
4. Captain Smith: The British officer with a gravity bomb.

Their dialogue is peppered with pop culture references and humorous quips, adding a layer of charm to the proceedings. However, the plot is intentionally thin, prioritizing gameplay over narrative depth. The underlying theme of camaraderie and teamwork shines through the missions, especially when players cooperate to overcome challenging objectives.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Bunch of Heroes revolves around fast-paced, top-down shooter gameplay. Players control one of the four heroes, each armed with a standard Uzi (with unlimited ammo) and a selection of weapons that can be picked up from fallen enemies or supply boxes. These include assault rifles, rocket launchers, flamethrowers, and more fantastical weapons like the Tesla gun. Grenades and turrets provide additional tactical options.

Key gameplay mechanics include:
1. Combat:Fast-paced shooting with pickups for new weapons and ammo.
2. Power-ups: Collecting power-ups enables each hero’s unique ultimate attack.
3. Turrets: Deployable, time-limited defense systems.
4. Co-op: Up to four players can team up online to tackle missions together.
5. Character Progression: Experience points unlock attribute upgrades between missions.

The game’s level design varies from urban streets to overrun military bases, each presenting different environmental challenges. Mission objectives are typically linear but require coordination, especially when multiple cheerleaders need protection.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The visual art style of Bunch of Heroes is vibrant and cartoonish, with exaggerated character proportions and vivid colors. The environments are detailed and varied, with each act featuring distinct architectural styles and enemy types. For example, Act 1 might feature Nazi zombies in a war-torn city, while Act 2 pits players against redneck zombies in the countryside.

The sound design complements the visuals with funk-infused rock music that pumps up the intensity during battles. Sound effects for weapons, explosions, and character abilities are satisfyingly beefy, adding to the over-the-top combat experience. The audio cues for power-ups and turret deployments help players stay aware of their surroundings.

Reception & Legacy

Upon release, Bunch of Heroes received mixed critical acclaim. Critics praised the game’s art style, humor, and co-op gameplay but criticized its technical issues, repetitive missions, and lack of depth. The market was already saturated with similar co-op shooters, making it a challenge for Bunch of Heroes to stand out.

The multiplayer component, although the game’s main selling point, became a double-edged sword. The online matchmaking system struggled to find matches beyond launch, leading many players to abandon the game. The release of free DLCs like Holiday Pack and Horror Pack helped retain some interest but couldn’t reverse the trend.

In the years since its release, Bunch of Heroes has faded into obscurity. While it has a small, dedicated fanbase, its influence on the industry is minimal. The game serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by independent developers in a crowded market and the importance of solid gameplay mechanics beyond visual appeal.

Conclusion

Bunch of Heroes is a mixed bag: visually stunning and fun in cooperative bursts, but hampered by shallow gameplay, technical issues, and an inability to retain player interest post-launch. While it captures the spirit of cooperative arcade gaming, it ultimately fails to deliver a lasting experience. For those willing to overlook its flaws, Bunch of Heroes offers a brief taste of over-the-top zombie-slaying action, but it’s unlikely to be remembered as a classic of the genre.