As every fortnight, you can take part in a new challenge on the Recalbox Discord. This challenge is open to everyone. The principle is simple: try to achieve the best score on a game drawn at random, often from the arcade catalogue.

🚀 For this third challenge of 2025, the game selected is Sunset Riders

Released in 1992 on arcade terminals, Sunset Riders takes you to the Wild West. A side-scrolling shoot ‘em up developed by Konami, Sunset Riders features four “cowboys” who have to shoot faster than their shadow to hope to reach the end of each level. The game is set in a world taken from westerns, with all the familiar codes: a Wild West town, a saloon, a ride on a train...

You'll need to search the boards, which hold a few secrets that will give you bonus scores and additional, more powerful weapons.

The game's colourful art direction makes it difficult at times to distinguish enemy projectiles, as the scenery is so full of detail. Enemies are fairly easy to kill, but you can quickly get trapped by obstacles.

Each level ends with a boss with a nice ‘dead or alive’ bonus.

🏆Challenge rules

In control of your cowboy, your aim will be to achieve the highest score in a single credit.

The game is less impressive than Gunbird 2, our previous challenge, in terms of enemy projectiles, but don't be fooled: if you get swamped or trapped by a barrel or dynamite, your chances of survival are slim.

**The challenge runs from 18 February to 3 March **.

How do I take part?

🕹️ Launch the game (rom ‘ssridersubc.zip’)

🏹 Play and try to beat the best score.

📸 Take a screenshot or photo of your final score.

📤 Share your score on the Discord #challenges channel or use the /submit score leaderboard command on the same channel.

⚖️ Rules to follow

To ensure a fair challenge: The score must be achieved in a single credit, without save state, rewind, cheats, or auto-fire (unless provided for in the game).

Rewards and fair play

The challenge is all about discovering games, sharing tips and, of course, having fun, all in a spirit of competition that's always welcome!

The winner will receive a game key (GOG, Steam, etc.) to choose from a list of over 80 titles. Note that if you've won a challenge in the last three months, the reward will go to the next one 🥇🥈🥉.

Congratulations to R3DeMoN who won the previous challenge on Gunbird 2 (at least at the time of writing, as the battle is still raging on the challenges channel).

Good luck to you all, and may the highest score win! 🕹️ 🔥