Light gun gamesused to be the star of the arcade. There was something really immersive and engaging about handling an obviously fake, plastic weapon to point at the screen and shoot targets. Many of these titles received home ports which also allowed for light gun peripherals.
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The games listed below were all either ports ofarcade light gun gamesor were designed specifically for consoles. Don’t expect epic adventures here - light gun games are generally short adventures - but these are all good times to have either by oneself or with buddies. Finding a light gun peripheral for some of these consoles might prove challenging, however.
10Time Crisis
This arcade classic franchise received solid home conversions fans could play with a light gun peripheral at home. The series lasted way longer than other 90s arcade franchises, withTime Crisis 5coming out as late as 2015.
The main mechanic distinguishingTime Crisisfrom other light gun games is the ability to go into cover, giving an extra sense of control to players. Later titles also introduced multiple weapons and even small freedom of movement.
With the difference in power and utility from the Nintendo Wii, many franchises did not directly port games to Nintendo’s wildly popular platform, but instead made spin-offs.Dead Space: Extractionis a light gun spin-off of the terrifying science fiction horror series.
It was eventually ported to PlayStation 3 where players could use the PS Move to aim at the screen. Even without the peripheral, the game is fun to go through in a night cooperatively with a friend.
8Ghost Squad
Ghost Squadgoes above and beyond other light gun games with a specific peripheral designed with unique features. Players flick switches on the peripheral to change options in the game such as firing mode and more realistic feedback.
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Released in 2004, the game was eventually ported to the Nintendo Wii in 2008 and uses the Wii Zapper. It may not be as fully functional as the arcade peripheral, but it definitely gets the job done.
7Starsky & Hutch
Based on the popular 1970s TV show,Starsky & Hutchdid not receive the warmest reception upon release but still deserves attention for its unique asymmetrical multiplayer. One player drivers while the other uses either the controller or a light gun peripheral to shoot.
Multiplayer games today generally don’t have the same level of asymmetry in their multiplayer mode. Oddly enough, it doesn’t seem like the demographic who lovedStarsky & Hutchin the early aughts would have any interest in a game adaptation.
6Lethal Enforcers
This 1993 game used digitized photos to portray the NPCs and enemies on screen, similar to thecharacters inMortal Kombat.
For the SNES and Sega CD, a special peripheral called the Konami Justifier was sold and packaged with the game. A bundle with the sequel also came out on the original PlayStation. The game shows its age, but the graphics give it a charm that makes it worth playing today.
5T2: The Arcade Game
Terminator 2is one of the most beloved movies of all time, so it only makes sense for it to receive a video game adaptation. The arcade version is a light gun game taking players through various scenes in the iconic film.
The SNES version was praised as being fairly close to the arcade version and could be played either with the mouse or the Super Scope. Don’t confuse this game with the several other adaptations made to cash in on the movie’s popularity.
It is hard to go wrong withHouse of the Dead;just avoid the Uwe Boll film adaptation from the early 2000s.House of the Dead: Overkilloriginally came out on the Nintendo Wii and puts a 1970s grindhouse spin on the franchise.
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Like many spin-offs for the Nintendo Wii, it eventually came out on the PS3. It is recommended to play the PS3 version since it features new levels, HD resolution, and compatibility with the PS Move.
3Die Hard Trilogy
The two games in this franchise are special because they pack in three disparate genres into one. One movie is a traditional 90s third-person shooter, while another film is a driving game, and the last film is a light gun game where players can utilize the peripheral.
The first game follows the story of the first three movies, while the sequel,Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegasis an original story. In terms of games based onDie Hard, it is difficult to get any better thanDie Hard Trilogy.
2Dino Stalker
Dino Stalkerhad an average critical reception, but it deserves attention because it ends up being asequel toDino Crisis 2,a game that had a cliffhanger that begged for resolution.
The island the protagonist ends up on turns out to be the same island from the late PS1 game. Even though theDino Crisisseries received aDino Crisis 3, this feels more like the true sequel.
1Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles
These two light gun games came out on the Nintendo Wii before being ported to the PS3.Umbrella Chroniclesretells the story ofResident Evil 0,Resident Evil,andResident Evil 3, while the next game retellsResident Evil 2andCode Veronica.
They actually serve as great ways to catch up on the storyfor those who cannot handle the classic titles' tank controls. These days, however, the recent remakes ofResident Evil 2and3arguablymake these light gun games obsolete in that respect.
