"Commando..Comanche....ah, it's all the same in the end..."

In the beginning, there was Commando, which threw out some overhead thrills while blowing people and things up on your way to the goal. Next came this little gem, Gun Smoke, which flows and plays the same way, except you're no longer in a war, you're in the wild wild west! You take on the role of a bounty hunter sheriff who is out to put away some big time bad guys in the old west. Through different elements, you'll track down your targets, and finally try to take them in and capture the bounty. Even though the game is rather stereotypical of the way that Indians are portrayed, it is worth a couple of bucks to play! The mechanics run the same way that Commando does, in which you have to move and dodge incoming bullets and attacks from various foes that are trying to stop you at every turn. The game is rather addicting and can turn anyone into a heavy Gun Smoke fool after just a couple of times through.

-Game Play 7/10-

You move from place to place, shooting at anything that is trying to kill you. You'll travel through several different stages, dodging bullets while attempting to take out a big bounty that is listed on your target sheet. Strategy is needed from time to time when facing off agaisnt the bosses, as they move and shoot differently than the regular enemies do!

-Control 7/10-

The same mechanics apply here, you use the joystick to move side to side while dodging incoming fire and use the firing button to take out whatever is hostile towards you. There isn't anything else that really needs to be learned, just the timing that you may from situation to situation!

-Audio 7/10-

Nothing here that would catch your attention, Gun Smoke focuses more on action than it does the music of the game. Your sound effects range from gun shots to the various taunts that your bosses may throw at you when you attempt to bring them in for the reward.

-Visuals 7/10-

If you've played Commando, then you're looking at the same type of visuals here. There isn't much detail in the different characters, but the landscapes are bright and colorful. The boss characters are large and well designed, and at least there isn't any similiarity between them and the enemy characters that permeate the different stages!

-Quarter Crunching 6/10-

In later stages, you'll find that the challenge goes up with each passing level. The bullets come flying after a point, and then they seem to fill the screen completely and you'll find that the continue screen comes up more often than you hope for.

-Overall 7/10-

Gun Smoke doesn't hit the top of the chain, simply because it's been done before, but now in a different fashion. Putting you in the shoes of a bounty hunter looking to bring in the bucks doesn't really clear out the fact that you're playing the same overhead action game that you've played several times before!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/01/01, Updated 10/01/01