Gunstar was hardly a big-name title, so it didn't get much of an advertising push in any region. However, many players who discovered it became fast fans, and it benefited somewhat from word of mouth (not to mention the free Fruit Roll-Up packed in with the American release). Given its quality and quirky nature, it's no surprise that it soon found cheerleaders within the gaming press. One magazine in particular -- Die Hard GameFan -- would do a lot to influence players' perceptions of Treasure and its games, with the effects (and sometimes misinformation) lasting beyond the demise of GameFan itself.
It all started because GameFan really liked Gunstar Heroes. 20/20 hindsight shows that GameFan really liked a lot of games, some of which weren't very good. But it happened to be on the money with Gunstar, and did its best to promote the game to its decidedly hardcore readership. GameFan was so enthralled by Gunstar that it secured the first English-language interview with Maegawa, which was published in October, 1993.
Among the myths established in GameFan was that Treasure would not do sequels. As recent history has shown, this is not the case. Other fan-fueled rumors tied Treasure to the development of games like 1994's Contra Hard Corps (Genesis), 1989's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) and 1991's Sunset Riders (Arcade). In reality, Treasure staff had nothing to do with any of these, but in this age of instant information old rumors die hard.
Throughout the rest of the '90s, GameFan continued to be Treasure's number-one booster, greatly influencing the tastes of a generation of enthusiast gamers. The rest of the press followed at a respectful distance, but GameFan's blindly devoted advocacy was more than enough to enshrine Maegawa's little studio as an untouchable sacred cow in the minds of many. It goes without saying that the reality would prove considerably more complex.
