History Main / HomingProjectile

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations "THAT LOOKS LIKE]] [[CaptainObvious A HOMING SHOT!"]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations "THAT LOOKS LIKE]] [[CaptainObvious A HOMING SHOT!"]][[note]]"BE CAREFUL, SONIC!"[[/note]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations "THAT LOOKS LIKE]] [[CaptainObvious A HOMING SHOT!"]][[note]]"BE CAREFUL, SONIC!"[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations "THAT LOOKS LIKE]] [[CaptainObvious A HOMING SHOT!"]]]][[note]]"BE CAREFUL, SONIC!"[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations "THAT LOOKS LIKE]] [[CaptainObvious A HOMING SHOT!"]]]]

[[AC: Music]]

* Nearly all secondary weapons in ''VideoGame/FreeSpace'' — and some ''do'' LeadTheTarget.

* ''VideoGame/SkunnyKart: There is a missle pickup which can be used to target and hit other players.

** As their CISW doctrine calls for larger and longer-ranged guns in place of faster-firing but shorter-ranged weapons, the Italian firm OTO Melara (through its Otobreda branch) developed guided shells for their 76mm [[MoreDakka Super]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Rapid]] multi-purpose guns used by both navies, and, as the Italian Navy wanted more, [[UpToEleven developed a 127mm-caliber version and the new 127/64 Lightweight gun to fire it]].

* ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'': While most torpedoes are guided, and therefore should be guided InSpace, this movie had a particular photon torpedo that was explicitly modified to counter an [[InvisibilityCloak invisible enemy]]. The torpedo had a scientific instrument used to "catalogue gaseous anomalies" grafted into its systems. After being fired, it did what it was designed to do and brought the "probe" it was attached to up to the gaseous anomaly that was the cloaked ship's impulse engine ionized exhaust trail, and then the torpedo warhead did what ''it'' [[StuffBlowingUp was designed to do.]]

* ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand:'' [[DownPlayedTrope Downplayed]], If you shoot a star bullet near an enemy from far enough away, it will drift towards the enemy, however if you simply shoot and don't try to aim it towards an enemy, it won't activate.

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'': All games have this as an available shot-type, usually held by Reimu. They also occasionally have homing projectiles as enemies' attacks -- most often in the form of bullets that periodically reorient themselves, but there are also projectiles with true homing, like Seiga's ball lightning.

* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' has had multiple projectiles of this type, including the Thunder Orbs used by Sypha in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'' and Yoko in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'', the Spirits summoned by Alucard in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' and Charlotte in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'', Carrie's magical fireballs in ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania 64}}'', and the Homing Daggers used by Nathan in Shooter Mode of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCircleOfTheMoon''.

** ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}''[='s=] Rocket Launcher can home in on vehicles, turrets, and Sentinel Enforcers.
** ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/Halo3ODST'' have the Missile Pod, which is capable of {{Roboteching}}.

* If you get your Dark-Elf's Disease Bolt spell high enough in ''Videogame/ChampionsOfNorrath'', it will home in and hit the nearest enemy.
* ''Videogame/DarkSouls'': Projectile sorceries usually home on the locked enemy. And in this game, even arrows veer mid-flight to better hit you.

* Missile-type weaponry in both ''[[Videogame/BattleZone1998 BattleZone]]'' FPS/RTS games generally have some homing mechanic. Fire-And-Forget missiles and [[MacrossMissileMassacre Swarm missiles]] can be dumbfired and will home in on the nearest target, whereas the Shadower and Comet require a target lock. Depending on the missile type, they require either a visual or radar contact, allowing infrared or [[InvisibilityCloak visual cloaking]] to fool certain types of missiles. Seeker mines will float towards the nearest enemy and detonate on contact.
* ''Videogame/{{Warframe}}'''s Buzlok rifle can fire a homing dart onto an enemy, which then causes all subsequent shots to arc towards the dart - even if the gun is fired in the opposite direction.

* Several of VideoGame/{{Kolibri}}'s weapons have a homing feature.

* [[{{BFG}} Gun-type God Arcs]] in ''VideoGame/GodsEaterBurst'' can be loaded with homing bullets and ''lasers''. Saves some frustration when you're trying to hit something fast-moving, but homing attacks target center of mass and so [[AttackItsWeakPoint can't be used to aim at specific points on the Aragami]].

* ''Film/Dune2021''. When Paul and Jessica escape from Kyne's Sietch in an Ornithopter, they're followed by Harkonnen troops in three other Ornithopters whom they attempt to evade by flying into a sandstorm. The Harkonnens aren't crazy enough to TryAndFollow them, so fire off homing missiles before turning away. As he's flying a civilian Ornithopter he can't use flares to divert them, so has to flying into the sandstorm (instead of skirting the edge) so the missiles will be destroyed by the high-velocity winds (hopefully before his Ornithopter is).

* In ''Gold in the Sky'' by Alan E. Nourse, a spacecraft of the evil asteroid-mining corporation fires "homing shells" to blow up the rocketship owned by the heroes ([[FakingTheDead fortunately the ship is on autopilot]]). They're basically guided missiles, but as the story was written in 1958 the term hadn't entered the popular vernacular yet.

** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'': A big beeping missile with a face is used by the upgraded Army Dillo during his boss rematch in Crystal Caves. The Kongs can also find limited amounts of Homing Ammo for their guns, but they must learn how to use them in Funky Forest.

* ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'' has an Homing Egg code. It's earned after you deliver a special blue-colored egg to Heggy the Hen in Isle O' Hags. When you enter the code and then enable its effect in Mayahen Temple, your eggs will home onto the closest enemies, which becomes handy when you're dealing with fast flying mooks.

* One of Gruntilda's spells in ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' can't be avoided without using [[InvincibilityPowerUp invincibility]].

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Goku (Kamehameha twin dragon shot), Krillin (Double Tsuihikidan), and Piccolo (Chasing Bullet) have all used homing Ki attacks at one time or another.

* ''Manga/OnePiece''. Nami's Thunder Breed Tempo (a homing lightning bolt). Franky also claims that his shoulder cannons do this, but subverts it when it's really just himself running after the opponent.

%%* ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'' has an Homing Egg code.

* ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' has a variety of missiles for the player, ranging from the standard generic Missiles that can target anything and come in large numbers to more specialized long-range missiles that may do extra damage or lock on to multiple targets. Enemy pilots, especially ace pilots, can evade shots that aren't lined up properly.

* The Bullet Bills in various 3D ''Franchise/{{Mario}}'' games home in on Mario to varying degrees.
** As well as the Missile Bills in the 2D games.
** In ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', Ludwig Van Koopa can shoot homing fireballs (thankfully much slower than regular fireballs).
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry''

** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'': A big beeping missile with a face (of course) is used by the upgraded Army Dillo. The Kongs can also find limited amounts of Homing Ammo for their guns.

* ''Videogame/DarkSouls'': Projectile sorceries usually home on the locked enemy.
** And in this game, even arrows veer mid-flight to better hit you.

* In the meantime, the Italian and French navies already field it in their artillery: as their CISW doctrine calls for larger and longer-ranged guns in place of faster-firing but shorter-ranged weapons, the Italian firm OTO Melara (through its Otobreda branch) developed guided shells for their 76mm [[MoreDakka Super]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Rapid]] multi-purpose guns used by both navies, and, as the Italian Navy wanted more, [[UpToEleven developed a 127mm-caliber version and the new 127/64 Lightweight gun to fire it]].
** And to continue the long Italian tradition of CombatPragmatism in an era where some of the earlier tricks are done by everyone or would be war crimes, Iveco (maker of the Centauro tank destroyer) and OTO Melara gave us the [[http://www.military-today.com/artillery/porcupine.htm Porcupine]]: a prototype consisting of a Centauro chassis mated with a 155mm howitzer capable of firing homing shells to targets up to 60 km away. And the ability to hit the poor target with four of them ''at the same time''. Let's face it, when the Italians go at war they're assholes.
*** Multiple Rounds, Simultaneous Impact is common in modern artillery systems.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations "THAT LOOKS LIKE]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvxjz_UFnhs A HOMING SHOT!"]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:"[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations THAT LOOKS LIKE]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvxjz_UFnhs A HOMING SHOT!]]"]]

[[caption-width-right:350:"[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations THAT LOOKS LIKE]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeUe2L-CJ2Y A HOMING SHOT!]]"

* ''VideoGame/MarioKart'': While regular green shells bounce randomly around the track, red shells lock in on the driver that's in front of when they're shot, while blue shells infallibly head over to the driver in front.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'': Sonic can become this through the Homing Attack. Other characters can do it as well, such as Shadow, Amy, and Espio.

* An example NOT involving firearms occurs in ''VideoGame/AkujiTheHeartless'', with one of Akuji's first spells, the Soul-Seeker, which fires a blue-coloured energy blast that homes into his enemies.
* The homing missiles from ''VideoGame/{{Apocalypse}}'', first obtained in the prison levels to target out-of-reach enemies, and later shows up in the rooftop, city and war factory levels. They're VERY useful in taking down jetpack mooks.

* The Red Shells and Spiny (aka. "Death-on-Swift-Wings-Comes-for-You") Shells in ''VideoGame/MarioKart''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Worms}}'', of course, offers homing missiles as well as exploding homing pigeons and a magic bullet that spell's instant death to who-ever is locked onto. ''Worms 2'' had some special weapons that included a homing airstrike and a ''homing cluster grenade''.
* VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog himself can become this through the Homing Attack. Other characters can do it as well, such as Shadow, Amy, and Espio.
* The upgraded single missile in ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing''.
* In ''VideoGame/ChimeraBeast'' your eater could evolve to have ExtraEyes on its body, which could then be fired out when you did your ChargedAttack. They homed in on enemies.

* The homing laser beams and balls in ''VideoGame/{{Recca}}''.

* The chaser weapon in ''VideoGame/GunstarHeroes'' and ''VideoGame/AlienSoldier''.
* The homing missiles in ''VideoGame/BangaiO Spirits''.
* The H weapon in ''VideoGame/{{Contra}} III'' and subsequent ''Contra'' games.
* 'Homing' is one of your three weapons in ''Over Horizon'', but with Weapon Edit you can give your other weapons minor homing tendencies as well.
* The high-level missiles in ''VideoGame/{{Darius}} Gaiden'' and ''VideoGame/RType III'' home in on targets.
* ''VideoGame/InTheHunt'' had the missiles weapon, which would home in on targets above the water surface.
* The central mechanic of ''VideoGame/{{Rayforce}}'' is its lock-on laser beams. Similar beams appear in ''VideoGame/{{Ikaruga}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Genetos}}''.
* Two of the weapons in ''VideoGame/RadiantSilvergun'' shoot homing projectiles.
* Anti-Aircraft missiles are one of the more useful subweapons in ''Tetrastar''.
* Pretty much all of the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' games have this as an available shot-type, usually held by Reimu. They also occasionally have homing projectiles as enemies' attacks — most often in the form of bullets that periodically reorient themselves, but there are also projectiles with true homing, like Seiga's ball lightning.
* ''VideoGame/BubbleTanks 2 and 3'' have seeker missile [[SecondaryFire sub-weapons]], which do a good amount of damage.
** There's also the [[TheVirus Doomsday Infector]], which infects an enemy with a homing virus. The virus then starts sapping the enemy of health, and when the enemy dies, it releases 1-3 more of the virus to infect more enemies.
* ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad'' has, what else, the Heatseeker.
* One of the weapons in the arsenal of ''VideoGame/{{Descent}}'' is homing missiles.

* Creator/{{Rare}}'s ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'' featured a Homing Egg code.
* The ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series has had multiple projectiles of this type, including the Thunder Orbs used by Sypha in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'' and Yoko in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'', the Spirits summoned by Alucard in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' and Charlotte in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'', Carrie's magical fireballs in ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania 64}}'', and the Homing Daggers used by Nathan in Shooter Mode of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCircleOfTheMoon''.
* The Sharpshooters in ''VideoGame/DragonNest'' combine this with BeamSpam.
* Missile type weapons in ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' will just home in on targets, which can be good or bad depending on who's shooting them.