Shooter
Here we have all the games in the Shooter Section.
Game Gear
Shooter
Sound conversion of the 360 degree rotating arcade machine that came with appropriately placed panic button for those not quite up to making it in Top Gun. Each level demands a quota of enemy fighter planes or tanks be taken out to progress within the time limit. Deft pilots will find themselves able to stash away a few hard earned greenbacks to bolster weaponry and boost armoury.
Playstation
Shooter
Early PSX 3D shooter which adopts a Blade Runner style cityscape for the G Police to explore in futuristic copters. The cut scenes are plentiful, de rigueur at the time.
Sega Saturn
Shooter
Giant robot themed first person shooter in which you take on the Ghen race out in space. Plenty of cheesy FMV with a few switches thrown in to keep you on your toes.
Sega Saturn
Shooter
Tricky controls at first, but thats the real beauty of this mech sim as the training mode eases you into the cockpit soon you’ll have mastered the buttons giving a great feeling of acomplishment as you lay waste to other mecha. The controls also feel clunky like the weight of the machine adding to the realism. Clever use of lighting and weather effects keep the realism whilst reducing the draw distance and visually its a joy to behold.
Playstation
Shooter
Light gun game full of fun and a real pleasure to play as a result. The conversion doesn’t betray its arcade roots and the levels are zippy with players being thrown into the fray to stop a car heading straight for them, keep a can up in the air in a shooting version of keepy upy or shooting the fleeces off poor sheep that scamper by. Known in the West as Point Blank 2.
Dreamcast
Shooter
Mech suited robot battling action with freedom to explore arenas and getting stunning visual performance out of the hardware. No Gundam game would be complete without mystery man in eyepatch avatar looking like a sinister extra from Galaxy Express 999. Subtitled Rise from the Ashes.
Sega Saturn
Shooter
All the dramatic tension of a Gundam game, played from the in-cockpit view. Who says the Saturn can’t do polygons – this works a treat and the frame rate is rapid.
PS2
Shooter
Gungrave Overdose proves you can’t have too much of a good thing with its overhead third person perspective adding to the gameplay and adrenalin. Not that it need cranking up: the tension is high from the very off with the introduction. The story is full oof twists and intrigue – not that there’s much need to ponder it. Top end (Red) Entertainment.
Famicom Cart
Shooter
Vertically scrolling helicopter shooter with the heli sounding a little kaput as it takes down enemy bases and tanks, planes ships: pretty much an entire battalion.
Nintendo 64
Shooter
Fantasy first person shooter with appropriately eerie music and dark, dank cavernous levels where switches must be activated to progress. Plenty of weapons to help and they are needed with many a beasty hid behind secret doors.
Famicom Cart
Shooter
Run and gun action from the past masters SNK as players can almost feel the grenade pin gripped between their teeth. Being from the day when games were a challenge rather than a steady progression, the action is tough and the onslaughts relentless. Thankfully tanks and helicopters can be commandeered in order to progress.
XBOX 360
Shooter
A very North American feel to the first person shooting action as players use flash manoeuvres to get through the levels and let rip at the opposition. Hiding behind preferably bullet proof columns and utilising stealth helps, but the rock soundtrack encourages a trigger happy approach. Nice to see the scope being used on the gun, harking back to Goldeneye on the 64.
Switch
Shooter
Few will forget their first blast on Kikikaikai. The initial barrier was to be able to pronounce it to the local importer in the pre-internet days. And despite being just the early nineties, few gamers were sufficiently cross-pollinated with games of its ilk to understand the ensuing cultural chaos. Not that it requires understanding with fast paced shooting fury the order of the day. Yet a randy raccoon tanuki friend that can deflect shots with his tail did raise a few eyebrows. The Shinto inspired Japanese blaster draws on mythology as necks extend inexplicably and one-eyed umbrella ghosts hop past. Cultural references aplenty all in a luscious sprite-based world driving gamers on to see more. Unrelenting pace as you the priestess battle against all the evil of underworld armed with nothing more than a purification branch. A Super Famicom classic well-worthy of this fine update and hopefully new and old audience with new playable characters. Known in the West as Pocky and Rocky Reshrined.
PS4
Shooter
Few will forget their first blast on Kikikaikai. The initial barrier was to be able to pronounce it to the local importer in the pre-internet days. And despite being just the early nineties, few gamers were sufficiently cross-pollinated with games of its ilk to understand the ensuing cultural chaos. Not that it requires understanding with fast paced shooting fury the order of the day. Yet a randy raccoon tanuki friend that can deflect shots with his tail did raise a few eyebrows. The Shinto inspired Japanese blaster draws on mythology as necks extend inexplicably and one-eyed umbrella ghosts hop past. Cultural references aplenty all in a luscious sprite-based world driving gamers on to see more. Unrelenting pace as you the priestess battle against all the evil of underworld armed with nothing more than a purification branch. A Super Famicom classic well-worthy of this fine update and hopefully new and old audience with new playable characters. Known in the West as Pocky and Rocky.
Playstation
Shooter
Impressive draw distance and frame rate as someone has found the light switch for this zippy sequel. Attentive looks at the map radar are a must as false walls have to be blown down from time to time besides the odd switch to flip. Luckily our mecha packs a decent punch of weaponry to survive the claustrophobic levels. Known as Epidemic in the West.
Famicom Cart
Shooter
Fantasy themed scrolling shooter of the Gauntlet ilk that allows you to play each level as a different character: from Knight to ogre, thief and Wizard. Gameplay is old school and unforgiving, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. Ahead of its time in that the environments can be destroyed too revealing some welcomed power ups that have pleasing graphical effects when utilised.
PS3
Shooter
Cinematic shooting action as Capcom blends the boundary between Hollywood blockbuster and triple A gaming. Plenty of nice surprises as players run and gun anything that moves. The Japanese version has Japanese subtitles to the cut scenes and uses English for the audio.
Famicom Cart
Shooter
Stylish gangster shooter with the whiff of prohibition in the air along with plenty of gunpowder. The players gun is represented by a cursor and moving through the city makes for a hazardous occupation as reprobates take pot shots at you. Nice animations warn of imminent danger and it make s worthy tribute to a tidy coin op.
Mega Drive
Shooter
The sheer pace of Mercs makes for a fun run and gun where the run is at a good pace. As such the players has to think fast in this old school combat game and be wary of dynamite instead of power ups. Thankfully there are plenty of weapon upgrades on offer. Known in Japan as Senjou no Ookami II.
PS4
Shooter
The survival battle action of the like of FortNite where players can co-operate or go it alone, Rambo-style against the hordes of zombie invaders. The use of materials to build bases or block gunfire is a must, along with unleashing brutal bursts of firepower, but the use of stealth in chucking a grenade or using the sniper rifle is a nod to the Metal Gear license.
Playstation
Shooter
Early Playstation mecha shooter with similarities to Metal Head on the 32X and Iron Soldier for those familiar with Ataris big cat. The cross hair surveys the landscape but the tranquillity only lasts briefly before a barrage of missiles hone in. Coming under attack causes glitches to the gamers view to simulate the damage being incurred. It must have been nice for the developer to be allowed a glitch in the actual game.
Playstation
Shooter
SNK truly mastered the ability to produce fun games in 2D such as Metal Slug which reminded the gaming cognoscenti there was life and gameplay without polygons. Pure refined game mechanics to bring a smile to the face of the most grizzled gaming veteran.
Wii
Shooter
Exquisite lighting effects, a rising soundtrack, a dank, moody atmosphere that feels straight from the creative genius of Ridley Scott, fluid, intuitive controls and gameplay worthy of the weighty license which respects the heritage whilst pushing the boundaries of the modern FPS.
XBOX
Shooter
So named from the flash of light from the barrel when the sniper pulls the trigger in this fine shooter with accuracy and stealth paramount to progress. Very exciting in terms of building the pressure – similar to the seminal Goldeneye on the N64.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Switch
Shooter
Four fabulous shooters from the coin-ops of old whose charm would no doubt lure you in through the tobacco smoke and neon. Operation Wolf needs no introduction and its sequel Operation Thunderbolt is also included which is like Wolf but as driven along in a 4×4 wheel drive. Space Gun is also a light gun game, but with self-explanatory out of this universe setting. Night Striker is a real gem cherished by many of the Playstation and Saturn as what looks like Michael Knight’s KITT car takes on the role of drive and gun blaster.
🏆Brilliant!
Brilliant Switch
Shooter
Four fabulous shooters from the coin-ops of old whose charm would no doubt lure you in through the tobacco smoke and neon. Operation Wolf needs no introduction and its sequel Operation Thunderbolt is also included which is like Wolf but as driven along in a 4×4 wheel drive. Space Gun is also a light gun game, but with self-explanatory out of this universe setting. Night Striker is a real gem cherished by many of the Playstation and Saturn as what looks like Michael Knight’s KITT car takes on the role of drive and gun blaster.
PC Engine HU Card
Shooter
Nicely done conversion of the arcade smash, unfortunately missing the Uzi controller. Uses a cross hair marker instead of light gun in a similar vein to the Neo Geo classic Nam 75. The gun toting hero is hard as nails.
Famicom Cart
Shooter
Nicely done conversion of the arcade smash, unfortunately missing the Uzi controller. Uses a cross hair marker instead of light gun in a similar vein to the Neo Geo classic Nam 75. The gun toting hero is hard as nails.
PC Engine HU Card
Shooter
The arcade classic R-Type gets the near perfect home conversion (albeit of only the first four levels…) The sheer originality of Irem’s opus has yet to be bettered. Who can forget the level one alien embryo boss?
Sega Saturn
Shooter
Subtitled Music is the Weapon. Aerosmith offer encouragement to players in the form of their on screen, FMV persona and also in terms of their back catalogue which gets a good airing. Players control the on screen cursor and must take down the bad guys often using a flying CD as ammo. Lots of digitisation and no doubt air guitars, if given a brief respite during this nineties coin-op shooter.