Arcades have sadly been on the verge of complete obliteration due to the ever-changing times and evolution of video game hardware since their heyday. One of the shining stars of this scene was the light gun game, which allowed players to use a peripheral to actually aim at the screen.
Some of these games made it into homes along with peripherals. The genre has since left the limelight, though some could argue that traces of it are in many VR titles. The following classics listed below all make us yearn for the fun arcade days. Maybe they will come back in the future.
10 Time Crisis
Perhaps the most popular light gun series, Time Crisis added an extra dynamic of letting players duck behind cover. This added an extra layer of intensity and engagement. The series had several spin-offs and numerous sequels, all the way up to Time Crisis 5 in 2015. Time Crisis 4 on the PlayStation 3 even had support for the PlayStation Move controller, eliminating the need to buy another peripheral.
9 Silent Scope
In the arcade, Silent Scope utilized a unique sniper rifle peripheral. Players looked into the scope to simulate looking through a real scope within the game. Translating this unique mechanic to a home console was certainly a challenge, and some argue the home versions never quite captured the same feeling. All the same, the older Silent Scope games are classics. Since Konami published these titles, it is unlikely we’ll ever see a continuation unless it is in the form of a pachinko machine.
8 Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
Umbrella Chronicles was not the series’ first foray into the light gun game. Resident Evil: Survivor is a game most would like to forget about, however. Umbrella Chronicles takes players through the classic Resident Evil games from a new perspective. It is also playable cooperatively. The Wii version uses the Wiimote, while the PS3 version supports the Move controller in addition to the Sixaxis and DualShock 3.
7 Ghost Squad
Ghost Squad also featured a wholly unique controller in its arcade form. Players clicked different switches on the peripheral, which was shaped like an assault rifle.
Certain arcade versions even had purchasable cards to save character data and unlock new upgrades and character skins. While there are only three levels, they have several non-linear moments, encouraging replayability. In 2012 the game came to the Nintendo Wii.
6 Dino Stalker
Add dinosaurs into any mix and the product immediately becomes cooler. The story follows a World War II pilot who is transported to a dangerous land filled with dinosaurs. After a little while, the game turns out to be a backdoor sequel to Dino Crisis 2, directly following up on the PS1 game’s events. This is great news for people who were disappointed by Dino Crisis 3, which barely resembles a Dino Crisis game.
5 Police 911
This arcade game was unique for its motion-sensing mechanics. Instead of going into cover with the use of a pedal, Police 911 actually tracked players’ movements, making them duck and shift their body in real life to go into cover in the game. With VR, games like Super Hot have taken this mechanic even further, with players moving out of the way of moving bullets. As previously mentioned, traces of the genre are evident in VR.
4 Area 51
As the name implies, Area 51 had players defend themselves against an alien menace. Released in 1995 in the arcades, the environments are in 3D while enemies and other NPCs are 2D digitized sprites.
The arcade version was well-received, but console conversions were not nearly as beloved. After a direct sequel, two first-person shooters bearing the series’ name were made for the PS2 and Xbox and then the subsequent generation. Most fans just want another light gun game, though.
3 Dead Space: Extraction
Much like Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, the Dead Space series also took advantage of the Wii to craft a unique spin-off. While Extraction works well as a light gun game, it does not capture the intense horror of the mainline series. Still, it is a fun way to go through the Dead Space universe cooperatively with a friend. Considering the Dead Space series has been dormant for over half a decade, fans would even settle for a Dead Space: Extraction re-release.
2 Virtua Cop
Mario may have had Sonic beat, but Nintendo could not match Sega when it came to light gun games. The Virtua Cop series was easily one of the best things to do in an arcade in the 90s. The console ports were also considered faithful versions, although the short length was a point of criticism. Virtua Cop 3 sadly never saw release on home consoles, making it hard to find these days in any form.
1 House Of The Dead
Zombies may seem cliche now, but they were extremely exciting for gamers in the 90s thanks to hits like Resident Evil. House of the Dead saw players in the arcade mowing down hordes of the undead. The zombies here are fast, which distinguishes them from Resident Evil’s enemies. The most recent entry came out in 2018, making for five mainline games and several spin-offs, including the grindhouse-inspired House of the Dead: Overkill.
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