<s>
Set	O
on	O
the	O
fictional	O
planet	O
of	O
Gloria	O
in	O
the	O
22nd	O
century	O
,	O
where	O
an	O
alien	O
race	O
of	O
space	O
pirates	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Wild	O
Lizards	O
have	O
invaded	O
the	O
location	O
and	O
enslaved	O
its	O
inhabitants	O
for	O
gold	O
extraction	O
,	O
players	O
assume	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
settlers	O
who	O
were	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
planet	O
's	O
colonization	B-Application
team	O
taking	O
control	O
of	O
revolver-shaped	O
fighter	O
aircraft	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
overthrow	O
the	O
invaders	O
and	O
free	O
their	O
surviving	O
civilization	O
from	O
slavery	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conceived	O
by	O
Takatsuna	O
Senba	O
during	O
his	O
time	O
working	O
at	O
Taito	O
,	O
which	O
served	O
as	O
his	O
first	O
original	O
work	O
under	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
both	O
designer	O
and	O
producer	O
,	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
became	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
several	O
projects	O
created	O
to	O
promote	O
the	O
then-newly	O
released	O
Taito	O
F2	O
System	O
hardware	O
and	O
had	O
a	O
turbulent	O
development	O
cycle	O
,	O
undergoing	O
through	O
various	O
changes	O
before	O
its	O
eventual	O
launch	O
to	O
the	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
launched	O
for	O
the	O
arcades	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
later	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
by	O
GOO	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
and	O
published	O
exclusively	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Xing	O
Entertainment	O
on	O
25	O
September	O
1997	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
their	O
Arcade	O
Gear	O
series	O
of	O
releases	O
for	O
the	O
console	B-Device
,	O
and	O
it	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
re-released	O
through	O
compilations	O
such	O
as	O
Taito	O
Legends	O
2	O
across	O
various	O
platforms	O
in	O
2006	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
one	O
featuring	O
several	O
changes	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
has	O
been	O
met	O
with	O
mixed	O
critical	O
reception	O
from	O
video	O
game	O
magazines	O
and	O
dedicated	O
outlets	O
since	O
its	O
initial	O
launch	O
in	O
arcades	O
and	O
later	O
on	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
garnering	O
mixed	O
response	O
from	O
the	O
audience	O
,	O
Senba	O
and	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
members	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
would	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
horizontally	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
for	O
Taito	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
;	O
Metal	B-Application
Black	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
produced	O
under	O
the	O
internal	O
working	O
title	O
"	O
Project	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
2	O
"	O
,	O
although	O
its	O
actual	O
connection	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
entry	O
is	O
very	O
loose	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battle	B-Application
Garegga	I-Application
and	O
Recca	B-Application
programmer	O
Shinobu	O
Yagawa	O
has	O
since	O
referred	O
it	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
his	O
favorite	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
is	O
a	O
space	O
Western-themed	O
vertically	O
scrolling	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
assume	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
planetary	O
settlers	O
who	O
formed	O
part	O
in	O
the	O
colonization	B-Application
team	O
of	O
planet	O
Gloria	O
taking	O
control	O
of	O
revolver-shaped	O
fighter	O
aircraft	O
through	O
six	O
stages	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
last-ditch	O
effort	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
Wild	O
Lizards	O
and	O
free	O
their	O
surviving	O
people	O
from	O
enslavement	O
by	O
the	O
space	O
pirates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
also	O
start	O
with	O
a	O
set	O
number	O
of	O
bombs	B-Device
that	O
can	O
be	O
upgraded	O
to	O
deal	O
further	O
destruction	O
against	O
enemies	O
and	O
scenery	O
by	O
collecting	O
gold	O
bars	O
from	O
destroyed	O
ground	O
forces	O
and	O
once	O
a	O
player	O
accumulates	O
25	O
bombs	B-Device
,	O
they	O
are	O
granted	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
Bomber	O
Max	O
,	O
the	O
strongest	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
bombs	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
direction	O
of	O
the	O
blast	O
radius	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
bombs	B-Device
correspond	O
to	O
their	O
movement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
player	O
moves	O
their	O
plane	O
to	O
the	O
lower	O
right	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
and	O
launches	O
their	O
bombs	B-Device
,	O
then	O
the	O
direction	O
the	O
bomb	B-Device
will	O
travel	O
in	O
the	O
opposite	O
direction	O
of	O
the	O
aircraft	O
's	O
movement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
feature	O
can	O
only	O
be	O
used	O
however	O
when	O
a	O
player	O
has	O
a	O
large	O
bomb	B-Device
count	O
as	O
only	O
having	O
one	O
or	O
two	O
bombs	B-Device
will	O
result	O
in	O
a	O
small	O
directionless	O
explosion	O
and	O
like	O
most	O
bombs	B-Device
found	O
in	O
other	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
ups	O
released	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
bombs	B-Device
also	O
work	O
as	O
a	O
shield	O
against	O
incoming	O
enemy	O
fire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
if	O
the	O
player	O
collects	O
the	O
coin	O
on	O
its	O
gold	O
side	O
,	O
then	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
firepower	O
and	O
bomb	B-Device
supply	O
will	O
be	O
maximized	O
to	O
their	O
full	O
power	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
futuristic	O
sci-fi	O
setting	O
during	O
the	O
22nd	O
century	O
,	O
where	O
mankind	O
has	O
managed	O
to	O
expand	O
into	O
the	O
stars	O
beyond	O
the	O
Milky	O
Way	O
galaxy	B-Application
and	O
have	O
started	O
to	O
colonize	O
uninhabited	O
planets	O
through	O
different	O
solar	O
systems	O
,	O
among	O
them	O
being	O
the	O
Earthlike	O
planet	O
known	O
as	O
Gloria	O
,	O
which	O
happened	O
to	O
harness	O
an	O
enormous	O
natural	O
supply	O
of	O
gold	O
and	O
this	O
discovery	O
would	O
later	O
prove	O
to	O
be	O
pivotal	O
in	O
the	O
emigration	O
towards	O
Gloria	O
,	O
so	O
much	O
that	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
expensive	O
cost	O
of	O
reaching	O
the	O
location	O
,	O
immigrants	O
would	O
be	O
impoverished	O
but	O
life	O
on	O
the	O
planet	O
thrived	O
in	O
an	O
ambient	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
American	O
Old	O
West	O
and	O
although	O
they	O
were	O
poor	O
,	O
gold	O
trading	O
aided	O
the	O
Glorians	O
in	O
advancing	O
their	O
technology	O
and	O
knowledge	O
a	O
lot	O
that	O
talented	O
inventors	O
and	O
engineers	O
lived	O
among	O
the	O
inhabitants	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
creation	O
of	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
was	O
helmed	O
by	O
Takatsuna	O
Senba	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
anime	O
animator	O
whose	O
previous	O
game	O
development	O
works	O
at	O
Taito	O
included	O
Battle	B-Application
Shark	I-Application
,	O
Darius	B-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Weapon	I-Application
,	O
becoming	O
his	O
first	O
original	O
project	O
under	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
both	O
designer	O
and	O
producer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
low	O
budget	O
the	O
project	O
would	O
be	O
approved	O
with	O
,	O
Senba	O
and	O
his	O
team	O
were	O
tasked	O
on	O
creating	O
a	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
game	O
that	O
featured	O
a	O
level	O
of	O
quality	O
akin	O
to	O
an	O
in-house	B-Architecture
project	O
but	O
with	O
a	O
budget	O
that	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
taken	O
to	O
outsource	B-Architecture
it	O
under	O
a	O
deadline	O
,	O
which	O
could	O
potentially	O
laid	O
the	O
groundwork	O
for	O
future	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
ups	O
from	O
Taito	O
if	O
the	O
team	O
were	O
capable	O
of	O
performing	O
such	O
task	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
being	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
many	O
titles	O
made	O
to	O
promote	O
the	O
then-newly	O
released	O
Taito	O
F2	O
System	O
arcade	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Members	O
of	O
the	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
development	O
team	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
originally	O
a	O
small	O
number	O
of	O
people	O
,	O
also	O
worked	O
previously	O
on	O
other	O
Taito	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Cadash	B-Application
,	O
with	O
Senba	O
and	O
his	O
crew	O
wanting	O
to	O
push	O
the	O
F2	O
System	O
hardware	O
as	O
much	O
as	O
they	O
could	O
but	O
the	O
project	O
would	O
go	O
through	O
a	O
turbulent	O
development	O
cycle	O
until	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
his	O
experience	O
with	O
Darius	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
Senba	O
and	O
the	O
development	O
crew	O
were	O
constantly	O
struggling	O
in	O
getting	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
optimized	O
as	O
possible	O
when	O
creating	O
graphics	O
and	O
sprites	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
not	O
exceed	O
the	O
memory	O
limit	O
,	O
with	O
members	O
using	O
calculators	B-Application
to	O
constantly	O
check	O
if	O
such	O
limit	O
was	O
reached	O
or	O
not	O
,	O
while	O
also	O
slowly	O
learning	O
how	O
to	O
harness	O
the	O
F2	O
System	O
's	O
capabilities	O
and	O
keeping	O
the	O
budget	O
below	O
what	O
Majestic	O
Twelve	O
originally	O
cost	O
to	O
produce	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
other	O
Taito	O
productions	O
and	O
despite	O
both	O
Hisayoshi	O
Ogura	O
and	O
Yasuhisa	O
Watanabe	O
being	O
credited	O
as	O
sound	O
directors	O
in	O
the	O
staff	O
roll	O
of	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
,	O
the	O
music	O
was	O
not	O
composed	O
by	O
any	O
member	O
of	O
Zuntata	O
,	O
instead	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
subcontractor	O
Hidetoshi	O
Fukumori	O
,	O
who	O
could	O
not	O
see	O
the	O
project	O
in	O
motion	O
due	O
to	O
internal	O
policies	O
but	O
the	O
team	O
would	O
manage	O
to	O
let	O
Fukumori	O
test	O
the	O
game	O
through	O
an	O
unconventional	O
method	O
of	O
doing	O
so	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Release	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
was	O
initially	O
only	O
launched	O
for	O
the	O
arcades	O
by	O
Taito	O
in	O
1990	O
across	O
Japan	O
,	O
making	O
an	O
appearance	O
on	O
some	O
trade	O
shows	O
for	O
attendees	O
to	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
later	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
by	O
GOO	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
Programmer	O
Toshiaki	O
Fujino	O
stated	O
that	O
developing	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
version	O
proved	O
to	O
be	O
troublesome	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
could	O
not	O
implement	O
the	O
hidden	O
bonus	O
secrets	O
due	O
to	O
Taito	O
not	O
informing	O
him	O
about	O
their	O
existence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
Saturn	B-Device
release	O
improves	O
the	O
explosion	O
animation	O
seen	O
after	O
defeating	O
a	O
boss	O
and	O
the	O
packaging	O
includes	O
a	O
strategy	O
guide	O
from	O
video	O
game	O
magazine	O
Gamest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
,	O
a	O
nearly	O
arcade	O
perfect	O
port	O
was	O
also	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
compilation	O
Taito	O
Legends	O
2	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reception	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
has	O
been	O
met	O
with	O
mixed	O
critical	O
reception	O
from	O
reviewers	O
since	O
its	O
initial	O
release	O
in	O
arcades	O
and	O
later	O
on	O
Saturn	B-Device
as	O
part	O
of	O
volume	O
2	O
from	O
the	O
Arcade	O
Gears	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
2010	O
interview	O
,	O
composer	O
Manabu	O
Namiki	O
regarded	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
shoot	O
'	O
em	O
up	O
games	O
he	O
enjoys	O
the	O
most	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
initial	O
release	O
of	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
in	O
arcades	O
,	O
Senba	O
and	O
some	O
members	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
would	O
later	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
horizontally	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
for	O
Taito	O
titled	O
Metal	B-Application
Black	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
produced	O
under	O
the	O
internal	O
working	O
title	O
"	O
Project	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
2	O
"	O
but	O
its	O
actual	O
connection	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
entry	O
is	O
very	O
loose	O
at	O
best	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
science	O
fiction	O
third-person	O
shooter	O
PlayStation	B-Device
game	O
Cosmo	O
Warrior	O
Zero	O
features	O
a	O
fictional	O
planet	O
that	O
bears	O
a	O
resemblance	O
to	O
Gloria	O
as	O
its	O
main	O
setting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
2010	O
self-published	O
book	O
by	O
Cave	O
,	O
which	O
chronicled	O
their	O
past	O
and	O
most	O
recent	O
works	O
up	O
to	O
that	O
point	O
,	O
Battle	B-Application
Garegga	I-Application
and	O
Recca	B-Application
programmer	O
Shinobu	O
Yagawa	O
regarded	O
Gun	B-Application
Frontier	I-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
his	O
favorite	O
titles	O
,	O
with	O
Yagawa	O
revealing	O
in	O
a	O
2011	O
interview	O
with	O
Monthly	O
Arcadia	O
that	O
he	O
wanted	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
game	O
similar	O
to	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
compilation	O
album	O
containing	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
soundtracks	O
for	O
Metal	B-Application
Black	I-Application
and	O
Dino	O
Rex''	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
