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The Definitive Top 20 – arguably the best Light Gun Games of All Time
Light gun emulation is bringing arcade’s greatest shooters back from the dead. These legendary point-and-shoot arcade machine lightgun classics that once ruled arcade floors are now playable again with modern lightgun technology. From PC retro game emulation to Pandora Box light guns, While we all have our favourite or best retro shooter titles, here’s our countdown of the most cherished trigger-happy games that defined an entire generation of arcade gaming. I’m sure you’ll find one if not a few of your favourite Shooters liste below.
20. Wild Gunman (1984)
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: NES, Arcade
What Made It Great: Pioneered quick-draw mechanics with Western-themed duels requiring lightning reflexes. The simple concept of outdrawing opponents created intense one-on-one confrontations that captured the essence of classic Western films.
19. Elemental Gearbolt (1997)
Publisher: Working Designs
Platforms: PlayStation
What Made It Great: Brought anime-style storytelling to light gun gaming with RPG elements and multiple storylines. The unique fantasy setting, character development, and branching narratives created a deeper experience than typical arcade shooters.
18. Maximum Force (1997)
Publisher: Atari Games
Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
What Made It Great: Delivered over-the-top action movie scenarios with impressive digitised graphics. The variety of missions, from bank robberies to alien invasions, kept gameplay fresh whilst the cinematic presentation enhanced immersion.
17. Crypt Killer (1995)
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: Arcade, Sega Saturn, PlayStation
What Made It Great: Combined horror themes with adventure game elements, featuring puzzle-solving alongside shooting action. The Egyptian setting and supernatural enemies created a unique atmosphere that differentiated it from military and zombie shooters.
16. Police Trainer (1996)
Publisher: P&P Marketing
Platforms: Arcade
What Made It Great: Created realistic police training scenarios with varied challenges beyond simple shooting. Target identification, hostage situations, and accuracy tests provided educational value alongside entertainment, making it popular in actual training facilities.
15. The House of the Dead III (2002)
Publisher: Sega
Platforms: Arcade, Xbox, PC
What Made It Great: Refined the series’ horror formula with improved graphics and more varied enemy types. The prequel storyline filled in series lore, whilst the introduction of different weapon types added tactical variety to zombie combat.
14. Crisis Zone (1999)
Publisher: Namco
Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation 2
What Made It Great: Advanced the Time Crisis formula with fully destructible environments and enhanced cover mechanics. The urban setting and anti-terrorism storyline felt contemporary, whilst technical improvements delivered the smoothest light gun experience yet.
13. Virtua Cop 2 (1995)
Publisher: Sega
Platforms: Arcade, Sega Saturn, PC
What Made It Great: Refined the original’s 3D graphics with improved enemy AI and more destructible environments. The branching paths and multiple difficulty levels provided replay value, whilst the smooth frame rate maintained precise shooting mechanics.
12. Operation Thunderbolt (1988)
Publisher: Taito
Platforms: Arcade, Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, NES
What Made It Great: Enhanced Operation Wolf’s formula with two-player cooperative gameplay and varied mission objectives. The helicopter sequences and diverse environments expanded the military action template whilst maintaining the resource management tension.
11. House of the Dead (1996)
Publisher: Sega
Platforms: Arcade, Sega Saturn, PC
What Made It Great: Pioneered horror-themed light gun gaming with zombie enemies and branching storylines. Multiple paths through the mansion encouraged exploration, whilst the scientific storyline provided context for the supernatural mayhem.
10. Revolution X (1994)
Publisher: Midway
Platforms: Arcade, SNES, Genesis, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, 3DO
What Made It Great: Pure 90s excess featuring Aerosmith’s music and the band members themselves. The audacious concept of shooting CDs as weapons whilst battling to hard rock created an audiovisual assault that knew exactly how ridiculous it was.
9. Area 51 (1995)
Publisher: Atari Games
Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC
What Made It Great: Delivered sci-fi B-movie thrills with impressive digitised graphics and full-motion video. The conspiracy storyline, weapon upgrades, and genuinely creepy alien designs created an engaging atmosphere that balanced thrills with cheese.
8. Lethal Enforcers (1992)
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: Arcade, Sega Genesis, SNES, Sega CD
What Made It Great: Added moral complexity to shooting games, requiring players to distinguish between criminals and innocent civilians. The digitised graphics created realistic environments, whilst the police theme elevated it beyond mindless violence.
7. Point Blank (1994)
Publisher: Namco
Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation
What Made It Great: Threw traditional shooting conventions aside for carnival-style mini-games. The variety of challenges kept players guessing, whilst its accessibility made it perfect for parties and casual gaming sessions.
6. Duck Hunt (1984)
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo Entertainment System, Arcade
What Made It Great: Introduced millions to light gun gaming with the NES Zapper, becoming a cultural phenomenon. Its simple yet addictive gameplay transcended gaming demographics, creating shared family experiences that defined a generation.
5. Operation Wolf (1987)
Publisher: Taito
Platforms: Arcade, NES, Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
What Made It Great: Established the military shooter template with limited ammunition creating genuine tension. The mounted machine gun controller provided physical immersion, forcing strategic thinking about resource management during intense firefights.
4. Virtua Cop (1994)
Publisher: Sega
Platforms: Arcade, Sega Saturn, PC
What Made It Great: Pioneered 3D polygon graphics in light gun games, creating smooth scalable environments. The auto-reload system maintained constant action flow, whilst destructible environments and precise hit detection set new technical standards.
3. Time Crisis (1995)
Publisher: Namco
Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation
What Made It Great: Revolutionised light gun gaming with the foot pedal cover system, allowing players to duck behind barriers to reload and avoid enemy fire. This tactical element added strategic depth previously unseen in the genre.
2. House of the Dead 2 (1998)
Publisher: Sega
Platforms: Arcade, Dreamcast, PC
What Made It Great: Combined horror atmosphere with arcade action, featuring memorable boss battles and branching paths. The deliberately cheesy dialogue and voice acting became beloved features, whilst multiple endings encouraged repeated playthroughs.
1. Time Crisis 2 (1997)
Publisher: Namco
Platforms: Arcade, PlayStation 2
What Made It Great: Perfected cooperative gameplay with dual light guns, refined the cover system mechanics, and delivered cinematic action sequences. The two-player experience created unmatched arcade social gaming, with players working together to overcome spectacular boss battles and rescue scenarios.
Honourable Mentions
Confidential Mission (2000) – Dreamcast exclusive that refined light gun mechanics with spy thriller themes.
Ghost Squad (2004) – Modern military action with branching mission paths and weapon customisation.
Dead Space: Extraction (2009) – Brought survival horror to motion controls with atmospheric storytelling.
Mad Dog McCree (1990) – Full-motion video Western that pioneered live-action light gun gaming.
This list represents the evolution of light gun gaming from simple arcade experiences to complex interactive entertainment, showcasing how the genre pushed technical boundaries whilst maintaining accessible, engaging gameplay.
