
When a Platform Game uses gameplay mechanics borrowed from the Shoot 'Em Up genre. Or a Shoot 'Em Up with platformer elements, that works too. Also known as Action Platformer.
It is characterized by its hordes of vicious enemies who cannot be harmed by Goomba Stomping them. The player fights back with long-ranged weaponry that can come in any form and with any perks, such as Cool Guns, Bottomless Magazines, and various Power Ups changing the weapon or its function. Expect a Spread Shot as a weapon type to deal with swarms of Mooks. Close combat moves are sometimes available, bringing the game closer to the Beat 'em Up genre, which is also about going forward and beating up bad guys.
The genre originates from Arcades in the 1980s, dating back to Taito's Front Line (1982) before being codified by Capcom's Commando (1985), Konami's Rush'n Attack (1985) and SNK's Ikari Warriors (1986), generating tons of clones with various degrees of success. On consoles, it was mostly codified during the NES era with various popular titles like Capcom's Mega Man and Konami's Contra. Because of this time period, games like this are expected to be Nintendo Hard.
The genre is a staple of 2D video games as it never really successfully passed the Video Game 3D Leap, although one can argue that it stealthily evolved into the Third-Person Shooter genre (thanks to games like Cabal and Wild Guns) and Hack and Slash (which is historically a cross between Third-Person Shooter and Beat 'em Up, but some also include platforming sections and firearms). Platformer subgenres like Platform Fighters and Elimination Platformers could also be considered run-and-gun games if they mostly focus on gunplay and/or range combat.
It should not be confused with Metroidvania, a close cousin more focused on adventure and exploration with light RPG Elements and the opposite side of the Action Platformer genre. In Run-and-Gun, RUN is the key word. It implies moving forward and not looking back which can be enforced by a Ratchet Scrolling, and going for a more traditional linear level structure with one-hit-and-you-lose-it power-ups to emphasize the feelings of stress and urgency, where Metroidvanias offer an open world filled with locks and permanent upgrades unlocking those locks. It's not absolute though, and some games are able to balance the two by borrowing some mechanics from the other side. But it should be clear: having a gun in a platformer doesn't necessarily turns your game into a Run-and-Gun.
Note that Run-and-Gun is also a name given to Shoot 'Em Up games with a top-down perspective where players can control a character or a grounded vehicle (contrasting the usual Space Fighter, usually a tank) with a 360 degrees liberty of movement, unlike traditional Shoot 'em Ups which lock the facing of the shooter in a single direction. The Trope Codifier of this specific genre from The Golden Age of Video Games should be Commando, and the success of The Binding of Isaac brought a wind of fresh air to the genre by adding Procedural Death Labyrinths into the mix.
Do not confuse with the game Run 'n' Gun, nor with Do Not Run with a Gun (a piece of advice that is largely ignored here). Also not to be confused with the tactic used in the sport of Basketball.
Examples:
Platformers:
- Abuse
- Act-Fancer: Cybernetick Hyper Weapon
- Air Fortress
- Alien Hominid
- Alien Soldier
- Aliens
- Alien Rampage
- Alien Splatter: Redux
- A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda
- Armored Hunter Gunhound
- Assault Suits Valken - Assault Suit Leynos and Assault Suit Cybernator
- Astro Marine Corps
- Atomic Robo-Kid
- Atomic Runner Chelnov
- Awesomenauts is a run-an-gun MOBA.
- Azure Striker Gunvolt Series
- Balacera Brothers — released in 2020, but contains plenty of Retraux to old Arcade-style shooters
- Baraduke — Bakutotsu Kijuutei
- Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night
- Batman (Sunsoft)
- Battle Princess Madelyn
- Bay Route
- Bio Lab Wars
- Biomechanical Toy
- Bio Menace
- Blaster Master
- Blazing Chrome
- Bleed
- Blow Out
- Bonanza Bros. — a run-and-gun with heavy Stealth-Based Game elements.
- Boogie Wings — at least, levels which are on foot
- Broforce
- Bucky O'Hare (arcade version)
- Castlevania before receiving a genre creating shift inspired by Metroid starting with Castlevania II: Simon's Quest and completely embracing it with Symphony of the Night. Its categorization as run-and-gun is anbiguous in the first place, as the protagonists mostly use their whips and the ranged attacks are in very limited quantities.
- Clash Force
- The Cliffhanger: Edward Randy — more like whip-and-run, but you get the idea
- Code Name: Viper
- Commando: Steel Disaster
- Commando 2 (do not confuse with the top-down R&G Commando)
- Contra (a.k.a. Probotector) and its numerous sequels.
- Copy Kitty, albeit levels tend to be more compact than usual. While Boki's controls are platformmer-based, Savant's are top-down.
- Crime City
- CT Special Forces — the tetralogy consisting of CT Special Forces, Back to Hell, Bio-Terror and Fire for Effect
- Cuphead
- Cyber-Lip
- Cyborg Kuro-chan — based off the anime of the same name
- Deathwish Enforcers
- Demolition Man — based off the movie of the same name
- Demon Front — Taiwanese Metal Slug clone
- Demon's World
- Desert Assault
- Dinosaurs For Hire — in which you're an andromorphic dinosaur shooting stuff with a machine gun. Why? Rule of Cool, that's why
- Divine Intervention
- Dolphin Blue — another Taiwanese entry, but now it's in 3D
- Doom Troopers
- Duke Nukem before shifting to First-Person Shooter starting with Duke Nukem 3D.
- Dyna Gear
- Earthworm Jim
- Elevator Action depending on the title. Certain games are more puzzle-focused although you still shoot enemies, while others focus on the shooting and platforming.
- Enchanted Portals
- ESWAT note — it's a better NES adaptation of the Robocop movies than the actual Robocop game
- Exit the Gungeon
- Gal Guardians: Demon Purge
- Ghosts 'n Goblins is a run-and-gun, despite its Fantasy aesthetic, as most of the weapons are long-ranged.
- Gigabuster — a retraux that plays out like Megaman
- Gigantic Army — Spiritual Adaptation to Assault Suits Valken
- Gunbrella
- Gun Devil
- The GunForce duology
- The second game is notable for being the spiritual predecessor to Metal Slug but plays more like Contra.
- Gunlord
- Gun Master
- Gunman Clive
- Guns, Gore & Cannoli
- Gunstar Heroes
- Hardcore Mecha
- Hargrave
- Hive Jump
- Huntdown
- Intrusion 2
- Iron Horse - a cowboy-themed arcade game that pre-dates Sunset Riders by 4 years
- Iron Meat
- Jazz Jackrabbit
- Jewel Master
- Journey to Silius
- Jet Gunner
- Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues
- Karnov
- Katana ZERO
- Kero Blaster
- Kid Icarus is almost a Metroidvania, but the lack of backtracking forbids it to be considered that.
- Kid Icarus: Uprising is one of the rare examples of 3D run-and-gun.
- The Killing Game Show
- The Krion Conquest
- Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! Fukkatsu no Beldia
- Leaden Sky
- Lilo & Stitch for Game Boy Advance (primarily the side-scrolling Stitch levels)
- Lilo & Stitch 2: Hämsterviel Havoc (also the side-scrolling Stitch levels)
- Madshot
- Majyuo - a.k.a King of Demons
- Maldita Castilla
- Matter Fall
- Mechstermination Force
- Mega Man is somewhere in-between run-and-gun and Metroidvania, as the Power Ups received during the game aren't temporary and can sometime be used to access specific places in the levels. Some of its sub-series continued this crossed genre, but Mega Man ZX is however a complete Metroidvania.
- Mega Man (Classic)
- Mega Man
- Mega Man 2
- Mega Man 3
- Mega Man 4
- Mega Man 5
- Mega Man 6
- Mega Man 7
- Mega Man 8
- Mega Man 9
- Mega Man 10
- Mega Man 11
- Mega Man & Bass
- Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge
- Mega Man II
- Mega Man III
- Mega Man IV
- Mega Man V
- Mega Man Powered Up
- Street Fighter X Mega Man
- Mega Man (DOS)
- Rockman & Forte: Mirai Kara no Chousensha
- Mega Man X
- Mega Man Zero might be the last extreme from this franchise to be considered a run-and-gun before being called a Metroidvania, with its central hub leading to linear levels and permanent upgrades.
- Mega Man (Classic)
- Mega Man Network Transmission
- Mercenary Kings
- Metal Shinobi Assassin a.k.a Metal Assault
- Metal Slug
- Metal Slug Code J
- Metal Warriors
- Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
- Midnight Resistance
- The Mighty Switch Force! series, mixed with Puzzle Platformer.
- Mighty Goose
- Mighty Gunvolt
- Mighty No. 9
- Mirai Ninja - sort of, except you're a futuristic Cyber Ninja, so it's more like "Run-and-throw-shurikens"
- Mutant Mudds
- Mutant Night - in which you're an Oni cyclops blasting stuff with your Eye Beams
- My Friend Pedro
- Mystic Defender
- Mystic Warriors
- Nightmare Busters - and now you're a Leprechaun blasting stuff with your magic
- NARC
- Ninja Spirit – when you get to throw shurikens on enemies
- Noitu Love
- No Time to Explain
- Oplitak, a Reference Overdosed game where you're a kid shooting various Captain Ersatzes based on pop-culture characters.
- Plazma Burst
- Prison City
- Psycho-Nics Oscar
- Pulseman, although the gunplay is rather downplayed.
- Raid 2020
- Ranger X
- Rapid Reload
- Rendering Ranger: R2
- Revenge of the Bird King
- Rise And Shine
- Robocop has a duology of games on the NES made by Data East that follows the side-view format that turns the movie's storyline into a borderline Excuse Plot with you shooting generic human mooks and some occasional ED-209 Giant Mooks.
- RoboCop Versus The Terminator
- Rogue Stormers
- Rolling Thunder
- RosenkreuzStilette
- Running Voltgun - probably the lowest-budgeted item on this list. It's made in 3 days!
- Rush'n Attack (a.k.a. Green Beret)
- Savage Halloween
- The arcade version of Scud the Disposable Assassin follows the side-view format
- Shieldmaiden Remix
- Shadow Blasters
- Shoot Many Robots
- Shootas, Blood & Teef
- Silhouette Mirage
- Sly Spy
- Soda Crisis
- Special Project Y a.k.a Espionage
- Spectacular Sparky
- Spidersaurs
- Spinmaster
- Spiritual Assassin Taromaru or Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru
- Steel Assault
- Steelborn
- Sunset Riders
- Super Alloy Ranger
- Super Cyborg
- Super Star Wars
- Super Time Force
- Surprise Attack
- Tanuki Justice - what's that? A game where your an andromorphic tanuki who battles demons and stuff? Awesome.
- Target Earth
- Thing-Thing
- Three Wonders - the "Midnight Wanderers" segment.
- Thunder Fox
- Thunder Hoop (and Thunder Hoop Strikes Back)
- ThunderJaws
- Time Slip
- Toki - Run and Spit
- Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy
- Turrican
- Valfaris
- Vectorman and its sequel, Vectorman 2.
- Vice: Project Doom
- Voidigo
- Western Front 1914
- Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
- Wolf Fang - a.k.a Rohga: Armor Force
- Wonder Boy
- Xain'd Sleena - segments with Sleena on foot
- Yokai Hunter Shintaro
Top-down view:
- Agent Armstrong
- Alien Breed
- Alien Syndrome
- Apocalypse
- Assault Retribution — 1998 Contra clone, with insectoid mutants in place of aliens (inspired by Starship Troopers a year ago)
- Aurail — alternates between top-down and first-person
- Bloody Wolf
- The Binding of Isaac (PDL)
- Bullet
- Caliber .50
- Cannon Spike
- The Chaos Engine
- Chaos Heat and it's sequel, Chaos Break
- The Commando trilogy - Mercs and Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3
- Dark Adventure
- Dead Connection
- Desert Breaker
- Elemental Master — Ikari Warriors, High Fantasy edition
- Enter the Gungeon (PDL)
- Expendable
- Final Zone
- Fixeight
- Flame Gunner
- Full Metal Furies
- Gang Busters
- Garyo Retsuden
- God's Trigger
- Guerrilla War
- Gundhara
- Gunsmoke
- Heated Barrel
- Heavy Barrel
- The Hong Kong Massacre
- Hotline Miami
- Hyper Princess Pitch
- Ikari Warriors is often described as a run-and-gun game despite not being able to shoot in multiple directions, mostly due to the fact that you control an on-foot soldier which was mostly unseen at the time.
- Isolated Warrior — plays out like Zaxxon or Viewpoint, but you're on foot instead of piloting a ship
- Jackal
- Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman: The Shooting
- Last Alert
- Machine Gun Fury
- Mamoru-kun Curse!
- Milanoir
- Ninja Commando — Ikari Warriors with Ninjas
- Ninja Emaki
- Nitro Ball
- Nuclear Throne (PDL)
- Out Zone
- One
- Pocky & Rocky
- Purikura Daisakusen
- The Real Ghostbusters (1987, Data East)
- Rock n' Rage — music-themed action game where your character's projectile-firing electric guitar blows up assorted enemies.
- SAR: Search and Rescue — an SNK shooter where you shoot robots, zombies, and robot zombies
- Sega Ninja — initially released as Ninja Princess, with the player assuming the role of the titular kunoichi and throwing shurikens at assorted foes. Comes with an Expansion Pack simply titled The Ninja, with a new ninja hero named Kazamaru replacing the princess as a playable character.
- Serious Sam - various spin-offs, including Greek Encounter and Bogus Detour
- Shock Troopers
- Soldier Girl Amazon
- Skeleton Krew
- Soul Knight
- Smash TV
- Steel Force
- Steel Harbinger
- SturmFront: The Mutant War - how much gorn does a game need? Yes.
- SYNTHETIK
- Thunderflash
- Time Soldiers
- Total Carnage
- True Lies - based on the movie of the same name
- Twin Caliber
- Twinkle Tale
- Undead Line
- Vandyke
- Wildcat Gun Machine
- Xeno Crisis
- Zombies Ate My Neighbors
- Zunzunkyou no Yabou
Behind-the-back view:
- Aqua Jack
- Alligator Hunt
- Army Men — Green Rogue
- Blood Bros
- Cabal
- Charge'N Blast
- Devastators
- Dynamite Duke
- G.I. Joe
- Gungage
- Lone Soldier
- Meatgrinder - combined with FPS
- NAM-1975
- Pirates (NIX) — a pirate-themed Cabal clone made by the Spanish company, NIX, not to be confused with Sid Meier's Pirates
- Riot
- Sin and Punishment
- Space Raiders - the Space Invaders spinoff
- Spinal Breakers
- SWAT Police
- Warstride Challenges
- Wild Guns
Non R&G games with R&G elements:
- Cave Story is very much a Metroidvania. However, its mechanic of dynamic upgrade/downgrade of Quote's weapon thanks to enemy drops are inspired by traditional run-and-gun games.
- The level "Honeycomb Starway" from Super Mario 3D World is a Shout-Out to traditional Shoot 'Em Up games, with its top-down view, Auto Scrolling, and lines of flying enemies defeated thanks to the boomerang Power-Up.
- Super Mario Maker allows the creators to take the classical Mario formula and turn the action up a notch by throwing tons of power-ups and enemies at the player. One particular trend was to use the Koopa Clown Car and a Flower Flower to give to the game a Shoot 'Em Up flavor. Nintendo noticed it, and later included a fire-shooting Clown Car in an update.
- A quick shot
◊ of an Inkling in a seemingly run-and-gun retraux Mini-Game was featured in an early Splatoon trailer, but there is no trace of it in the actual game. It is unknown if this was just an early concept of an actual retraux mini-game intended as part of the title's collection of such, or if it was made only for the trailer.
- The Puzzle Platformer series Trine has a very slight run-and-gun vibe at some points with its occasional waves of enemies and long-ranged attacks you could unlock, though permanently.
- The hunting sections of The Oregon Trail could actually be considered the Ur-Example of overhead view run-and-gun games. Parody games like Organ Trail and Super Amazing Wagon Adventure still feature them.
- In some respects, the Ratchet & Clank series could be considered a 3D run-and-gun due to the focus on crazy gun fights, unlike its two Sony platformer brothers Jak and Daxter and Sly Cooper even though they both started to integrate gunplay in their sequels. Up Your Arsenal also features a series of Mega Man-like Games Within a Game starring Captain Qwark.
- One of the arcade machine in Overwatch's level Hanamura is named Siege Mode 3 and looks like a Metal Slug-like run-and-gun featuring characters from Blizzard's StarCraft franchise.