Line #12 Main/LightGunGame


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5	[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/DuckHunt https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nes_zapper_duck_hunt.png]]]]
6
7	->''"You play by aiming the gun at the screen, right? That actually seems somewhat realistic."''
8	-->-- '''Makoto Niijima''', ''VideoGame/Persona5''
9
10	A type of video game where the player uses a pointing device in the shape of a gun to shoot at targets onscreen. In many cases, the targeting sensor is built into the gun itself, and the moving targets light up, instead of the other way around. Most light gun games double as [[{{RailShooter}} Rail Shooters]], in that the player's path is fixed and they can proceed only after all hostiles have been eliminated, although older examples tend to not feature player movement of any kind, making them akin to gallery shooting.
11
12	The first commercial electromechanical light gun game was [[http://web.archive.org/web/20100927191850/http://marvin3m.com/arcade/rayolit.htm the Seeburg Ray-O-Matic]], introduced [[OlderThanTelevision in 1936]]. The player's weapon fired a beam of light; if it hit the photosensitive tube mounted on the moving duck-shaped target, a circuit was completed and the player scored. Like many other arcade games, electromechanical light gun games were generally replaced by more versatile, fully electronic models (which used the sensor-gun design mentioned above) during TheSeventies and [[TheEighties Eighties]].
13
14	The light gun shooter genre is popular in arcades, some of the most popular being ''Lethal Enforcers'', ''Virtua Cop'', and ''Time Crisis''. Console light gun shooters have also popped up from time-to-time, but fell out of favor in the early 2000s with the rise in popularity of {{First Person Shooter}}s. It should also be noted that many older lightgun games won't work on modern televisions, as the guns relied on the way CRT TV sets refreshed the screen to tell where you were aiming. Instead, current gun games, particularly those in arcades, use infrared sensors tracked by the gun (which is an infrared camera designed to resemble a gun), so that the monitor and the gun aiming are completely independent of each other; this allows for modern gun games to use plasma and LCD screens. The Platform/{{Wii}} is similar, using a "sensor bar" that is tracked by the Wii Remote to determine the location of the on-screen cursor (if any), making it an affordable platform for native gun games and arcade gun game ports. The [=PlayStation=] Move add-on for the Platform/PlayStation3 is also compatible in the same fashion.
15
16	Some of these arcade games are technically not light gun games but "joystick gun" games, as the aiming mechanism is actually a joystick firmly mounted on the face of the cabinet, upon which the gun is mounted. This makes holding and aiming the gun as if it were real simply impossible, but makes keeping your aim steady a hell of a lot easier. In ''VideoGame/SilentScope'', ''VideoGame/RevolutionX'', and ''[=T2=]'' the gun requires calibration as part of its boot sequence, though this is not true of other "joystick gun" games like the sprite-based ''Jurassic Park'' motion seat game. The later 2010's saw a resurgences of mounted light gun games in arcades due to them allowing for faster gameplay plus being cheaper to produce than the plasma screen sensors though there are some occasional instances of the traditional set up.
17	----
18	Notable arcade light gun games:
19
20	[[index]]
21	* ''VideoGame/ActionDeka''
22	* ''VideoGame/AfterDark''
23	* ''VideoGame/AkumaMortisImmortal''
24	* ''VideoGame/Alien3TheGun''
25	* ''VideoGame/AliensExtermination''
26	* ''VideoGame/AliensArmageddon''
27	* '' VideoGame/{{Area 51}}''
28	** ''VideoGame/MaximumForce'', its sequel / SpiritualSuccessor
29	* ''Attack of the Movies''
30	* ''VideoGame/BazookaBlitzkrieg''
31	* ''VideoGame/BigBuckHunter''
32	* ''Behind Enemy Lines''
33	* ''VideoGame/BornToFight''
34	* ''VideoGame/BraveFirefighters'': Sort of. You use a simulated firehose to put out fires, but the principle and hardware are the same kind as those of gun games.
35	* ''VideoGame/{{CarnEvil}}''
36	* ''VideoGame/{{Chiller}}'': Produced by Creator/{{Exidy}}, was known for its early use of graphic content in an arcade game. Ported to the NES by American Game Carts Inc., also supporting the Zapper.
37	* ''VideoGame/{{Cobra}}'' - based on [[Manga/SpaceAdventureCOBRA the anime of the same name]]. With a gameplay format lifted from ''Time Crisis''
38	* ''VideoGame/ConfidentialMission''
39	* ''VideoGame/CorpseKiller''
40	* ''VideoGame/CrimePatrol'': InteractiveMovie Light Gun game
41	** ''Crime Patrol 2: Drug Wars''
42	* ''VideoGame/CrisisZone1999''
43	* ''VideoGame/{{Crossbow}}'': Another, less graphic arcade title by Exidy.
44	* ''VideoGame/CryptKiller'': First non-mounted gun game to allow three players.
45	* ''VideoGame/DarkEscape4D''
46	* ''VideoGame/DeadlyTide''
47	* ''VideoGame/DeadstormPirates''
48	* ''VideoGame/DieHardTrilogy'' for the Playstation have levels which are in Light-Gun format
49	* ''VideoGame/DinoStalker''
50	* ''[[VideoGame/DinoStrikeWii Dino Strike]]'' - for the Platform/{{Wii}}, not to be confused with the BeatEmUp game ''VideoGame/DinoStrike'' for the PC
51	* ''VideoGame/DragonGun''
52	* ''VideoGame/DreamRaiders''
53	* ''VideoGame/ElevatorActionDeathParade''
54	** ''VideoGame/ElevatorActionInvasion''
55	* ''VideoGame/EvilNight'': Konami's answer to ''House of the Dead'', also allows three players to play at once, similar to Crypt Killer.
56	* ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters: Ultimate Invasion'' - based on the cartoon of the same name, with a gameplay format lifted from ''Time Crisis''
57	* ''VideoGame/FarCry: Paradise Lost''
58	* ''VideoGame/{{Friction}}''
59	* ''VideoGame/GaiaAttack4'' -- before anybody asks, NO, there isn't a ''Gaia Attack 1'', ''2'' or ''3''.
60	* ''[[VideoGame/GallaghersGallery Gallagher's Gallery]]'': [[Creator/{{Gallagher}} The fruit-smashing comedian]] stars in a laserdisc-based collection of light-gun challenges.
61	* ''VideoGame/GhostSquad2004''
62	** ''VideoGame/OperationGHOST''
63	* ''VideoGame/GhoulPanic''
64	* ''VideoGame/Golgo13'' (For the light gun games from 1999 to 2001)
65	* ''VideoGame/{{Gumshoe}}''
66	* ''[[VideoGame/GunbladeNYLAMachineguns Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns]]''
67	* ''VideoGame/GunfighterTheLegendOfJesseJames'' (and its sequel, ''Revenge of Jesse James'')
68	* ''VideoGame/GunslingerStratos'': Has two guns you must dual wield by default, that can be combined into a larger gun, and is a HeroShooter instead of a RailShooter.
69	* ''VideoGame/GuntuWesternFrontJune1944''
70	* ''VideoGame/HardLine'', a FMV Shooter
71	* ''VideoGame/HauntedMuseum'' (''Panic Museum'' in Japan)
72	** ''Haunted Museum II: Shh! Welcome to Frightfearland'' (just the subtitle for exports)
73	* The ''VideoGame/HeavyFire'' series
74	* ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead''
75	* ''VideoGame/InvasionTheAbductors''
76	* ''VideoGame/JohnnyNeroActionHero''
77	* ''VideoGame/JurassicParkArcade'': The first three games at least. Fourth game is a mounted gun game.
78	* ''Film/JudgeDredd'' have a light-gun adaptation for the arcade based on the film
79	* ''VideoGame/LaserGhost''
80	* ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcers''
81	** ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcers1''
82	** ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcersIIGunFighters''
83	** ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcers3''
84	* ''[[VideoGame/LetsGoJungle Let's Go Jungle: Lost on the Island of Spice]]''
85	** ''[[VideoGame/LetsGoIsland Let's Go Island: Lost in the Tropics]]''
86	* ''VideoGame/LineOfFire''
87	* ''VideoGame/LordOfGun''
88	* ''[[VideoGame/LockedNLoaded Locked 'n' Loaded]]''
89	* ''VideoGame/LostLandAdventure''
90	* ''VideoGame/LuckyAndWild''
91	* ''VideoGame/LupinThe3rdTheShooting''
92	* ''VideoGame/{{Mad Dog McCree}}'': InteractiveMovie Light Gun game
93	** ''Mad Dog II: The Lost Gold'' and ''The Last Bounty Hunter''
94	* ''VideoGame/ManicPanicGhosts'' - a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Ghoul Panic'' above
95	* ''Martian Panic''
96	* ''VideoGame/TheMazeOfTheKings''
97	* ''Film/MechanicalViolatorHakaider: Last Judgement''
98	* ''[[VideoGame/MobileSuitGundamSpiritsOfZeon Mobile Suit Gundam: Spirits of Zeon]]''
99	* ''VideoGame/MonsterEye''
100	** ''Monster Eye 2'': Despite being listed as a numbered sequel, it's more an expansion on the first game with a few new stages.
101	* ''VideoGame/NinjaAssault'': Ninjas with guns.
102	* ''VideoGame/TheOceanHunter''
103	* ''VideoGame/PointBlank1994''
104	* ''VideoGame/Police911''
105	** ''VideoGame/Police9111''
106	** ''VideoGame/Police9112''
107	* ''VisualNovel/{{Policenauts}}'' [[note]]VisualNovel-InteractiveMovie-PointAndClickAdventure with light gun segments.[[/note]]
108	* ''VideoGame/RangerMission''
109	* ''VideoGame/SailorZombie''
110	* ''VideoGame/SegaGoldenGun''
111	* ''VideoGame/SilentHillTheArcade''
112	* ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'' [[note]]VisualNovel-InteractiveMovie with light gun segments.[[/note]]
113	* ''Star Trek: Voyager - The Arcade Game''
114	* ''VideoGame/TargetTerror''[[note]]The first game released by Raw Thrills, a company founded by Eugene Jarvis, who co-developed many of Williams' earliest arcade games.[[/note]]
115	* ''[[VideoGame/TerminatorSalvationArcade Terminator: Salvation]]''
116	* ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis''
117	** ''VideoGame/CrisisZone''
118	** ''VideoGame/RazingStorm''
119	* ''VideoGame/TooSpicy'' (notable as it also is a third-person, versus multiplayer lightgun game)
120	* ''VideoGame/TotalVice''
121	* ''VideoGame/TombRaiderArcade'': A repacked version of the [[VideoGame/TombRaider2013 2013 game]] made into a rail shooter. Standard cabinets allows up to four players.
122	* ''VideoGame/TransformersHumanAlliance''
123	** ''VideoGame/TransformersShadowsRising''
124	* ''VideoGame/UnderFire''
125	* ''VideoGame/VampireNight'': A joint game from Sega and Namco under the WOW Entertainment Label.
126	* ''VideoGame/VirtuaCop''
127	* ''VideoGame/WartranTroopers''
128	* ''VideoGame/WhoShotJohnnyRock''
129	** Most games by American Laser Games count
130	* ''VideoGame/ZombieRaid'' A 1995 zombie shooter from Sammy Corporation, notable for its animated gore and [[NintendoHard intense difficulty.]]
131
132	Notable arcade joystick gun games:
133	* ''VideoGame/Alien3TheGun''
134	* ''VideoGame/AliensExtermination''
135	* ''VideoGame/AliensArmageddon'' (Sometimes labeled ''Alien Covenant'' in a rather rushed attempt to tie in with the then upcoming 2017 movie. Other the then title change, though, it's still the same game).
136	* ''VideoGame/BeastBusters''
137	** ''Beast Busters: The 2nd Encounter'', jump from 2-D to 3-D.
138	* ''Cheyenne'' (a Wild West themed game released by Exidy)
139	** ''Crossbow'' (which, true to it's name, is set in Medieval times, and features a crossbow as the controller)
140	** ''Combat'' (a military themed game)
141	* The laserdisc game ''Galaxian 3'' is this on a large scale. Originally a theme park attraction with support for up to 28(!) players, it was later released as a 6-player arcade game using the "Theater 6" system (this version is subtitled "Project Dragoon")[[note]]It was later released for the original Playstation in Japan, but without light gun support.[[/note]]
142	** ''Attack of the Zolgear'', a sequel to the above game.
143	* ''VideoGame/GunBuster''
144	* ''VideoGame/HaloFireteamRaven'': Four player shooter.
145	* ''VideoGame/MechanizedAttack''
146	* ''VideoGame/OperationWolf''
147	** ''VideoGame/OperationWolfReturnsFirstMission''
148	* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies: The Last Stand''
149	* ''VideoGame/RevolutionX'': Featured Music/{{Aerosmith}}. Not just on the soundtrack, but also as part of the resistance against the oppressive NON. Find them all in the places they've been hauled off to for score-multiplying "Wings" and the best ending.
150	* ''VideoGame/SilentScope''
151	* ''VideoGame/SpaceGun''
152	* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTrilogyArcade''
153	* ''VideoGame/SteelGunner'' (and it's sequel, 'Steel Gunner 2'')
154	* ''VideoGame/{{Teraburst}}''
155	* ''[[VideoGame/Terminator2JudgmentDay T2: The Arcade Game]]'' (used a mounted machine gun as its controller; the Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem and Platform/SegaGenesis ports, however, ''were'' light gun games)
156	** The ''[[VideoGame/TerminatorSalvationArcade Terminator: Salvation]]'' arcade game is a unique example, as it's available as either a joystick gun version (the 32-inch compact version) ''or'' a traditional light gun version (the 42-inch deluxe and 100-inch super-deluxe models).
157	* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadArcade''
158	* ''VideoGame/WildPilot''
159
160	Notable console light gun games:
161	* ''VideoGame/BabyBoomer'': An unlicensed Zapper game, released by Color Dreams for the NES.
162	* ''VideoGame/BarkerBillsTrickShooting''
163	* ''VideoGame/BattleClash'' and its sequel, ''Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge''
164	* ''[[VideoGame/DeadSpaceExtraction Dead Space: Extraction]]'', for both being a well-designed game by itself and a good continuity nod to all previous ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' material, almost too good to be called ContinuityPorn.
165	* ''VideoGame/DeathCrimson''
166	* ''VideoGame/DuckHunt'' is one of the best-known examples because it was packaged as one of the NES's flagship titles.
167	* ''VideoGame/ElementalGearbolt'', featuring some beautiful music and environmental design and an attempt at something beyond the usual ExcusePlot, via anime cutscenes between each level.
168	* ''VideoGame/{{Endgame}}'', one of the lightgun titles that proves what the Platform/PlayStation2 was made for.
169	* ''[[VideoGame/FreedomForce1988 Freedom Force]]'' (NES)
170	* ''VideoGame/GhostReconWii''
171	* ''[[VideoGame/GotchaTheSport Gotcha! The Sport!]]'': A rare example of a ''licensed'' NES game that calls for the Zapper.
172	* ''VideoGame/{{Gumshoe}}'': An NES game where, surprisingly, you want to shoot ''the protagonist'', as it effectively acts as a jump button that way.
173	* ''VideoGame/HogansAlley'': One of the NES launch titles.[[note]]Along with Duck Hunt, this game was also released for arcades on the "Vs." system.[[/note]]
174	* ''VideoGame/LaserInvasion'': Made ''not'' just for the Zapper, but also was released alongside Konami's head-mounted take and fixture of ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'', the Laser Scope. Their modes are interchangeable as well--The difference is the special weapons being relegated to a controller or the accessory.
175	* ''VideoGame/LinksCrossbowTraining'': Bundled with the Platform/{{Wii}} Zapper peripheral.
176	* ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion (Arcade)''
177	* ''[[VideoGame/MedalOfHonor Medal of Honor Heroes 2]]'' has an arcade mode, which turns the game into an on-rails shooter.
178	* ''VideoGame/{{Menacer}}'': A collection of games for the Platform/SegaGenesis accessory of the same name.
179	* ''VideoGame/ProjectHornedOwl'': A [[SpiritualSuccessor spiritual predecessor]] to ''Elemental Gearbolt''.
180	* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilGunSurvivor'' had its [=GunCon=] compatibility removed from the first game for its US release, but it's intact in sequels ''Survivor 2'', ''[[VideoGame/DinoCrisis Dino Stalker]]'' and ''Dead Aim''.
181	** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheUmbrellaChronicles'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheDarksideChronicles'' are more traditional arcade-style rail shooters.
182	* ''VideoGame/SinAndPunishmentStarSuccessor''
183	* ''Super Scope 6'' (a mini game collection that was originally packaged with the Super Scope)
184	* ''[[VideoGame/ToTheEarth To the Earth]]''
185	* ''VideoGame/WildGunman'' (a remake of an earlier, lesser known electromechanical game that used motion picture film[[note]]It was one of the earliest games to use PreRenderedGraphics via [[LiveActionCutscene Live-Action cutscenes]], predating even ''VideoGame/DragonsLair''[[/note]])
186	* ''VideoGame/YoshisSafari''
187	[[/index]]
188
189	Other:
190	* From the makers of Lazer Tag, the VHS-driven Action Max console. Games were score-based and played by firing the gun at flashing targets throughout each tape--And there were only '''five'''.
191	* ''Astro Blasters'' is a [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Disney Theme Park]] variation of this.
192	* ''VideoGame/BioCrisisReturn2TheLab'', an upcoming Steam release {{Retraux}} Nineties style rail shooter modelled after light gun games of the era.
193	* The core combat system of ''VideoGame/DisasterDayOfCrisis'' plays like a RailShooter similar to the ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis'' series.
194	* While ''[[VideoGame/GameTengoku GUNbare! Game Tengoku 2]]'' plays like a VerticalScrollingShooter, the second player can use the [=GunCon=] as light gun support.
195	* "Hero's Duty" in the movie ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' is a sci-fi themed light gun game.
196	* The LCD ''Film/IndependenceDay'' game was played with a wireless gun peripheral.
197	* ''Ride/MenInBlackAlienAttack'' at [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Studios Florida]] is this in ride-form.
198	* The Platform/SegaSaturn port of ''VisualNovel/{{Policenauts}}'' supported the Stunner light gun for the shooting segments.
199	* ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'' on the Platform/SegaCD supported the Justifier light gun for the shooting segments.
200	----
201	->[[Film/BackToTheFuturePartII "You mean you have to use your hands?! That's like a baby's toy!"]]

Context Main / LightGunGame