Play Gun Nac Online

Summary

The universe’s flashiest spot, IOTA Synthetica, is a gleaming artificial solar system that’s suddenly gone haywire—every harmless object turns into a rabid giant and the residents are under siege. Only the renegade commander Gun‑Nac can pierce the chaotic energy field and restore order, though his exact whereabouts are a mystery, perhaps even Earth‑bound in search of a new Game Pak.

In the eight scrolling stages, you pilot Gun‑Nac’s ship, which can snag a “wing” to become a larger vessel that survives two hits instead of one. Five primary weapons—ranging from a standard gun to a flamethrower and a guided boomerang—are collected via numbered circles, each upgrade stacking up to five levels, while four secondary bombs are gathered with lettered circles and can be doubled in power at the cost of double ammo. Money drifts through the void, letting you buy upgrades between levels, and the ship’s wing lets you push weapon upgrades further than the base craft permits.

The North American version trimmed the intro, ending, and the first phase of the final boss, a change that didn’t dampen its impact. AllGame’s Skyler Miller even called it perhaps the best NES shooter, though Famitsu’s 26/40 rating shows opinions were split.

Storyline

In the distant future Earth’s resources have run dry, prompting humanity to relocate to the sleek, artificial planetary system IOTA Synthetica, a flagship creation of the Galactic Federation. Everything seems high‑tech and upscale until a mysterious wave of cosmic radiation sweeps through the system, animating ordinary objects and turning them into hostile attackers.

The Federation, unable to contain the chaos, summons Commander Gun‑Nac—son of the legendary Xan—to defend IOTA Synthetica. As the sole pilot of his namesake starfighter, Gun‑Nac must battle the rogue, radiation‑infused machines and restore peace to the fledgling colony.