Talk about your fave Light Gun games.

[Ketchup]

I've set up my Raspberry Pi with a whole host of lightgun only games for my Sinden light gun covering everything from Nes to Arcade. At least what it can handle anyways and apparently it can sorta handle Model 3. But i'd love to hear your fave light gun games, theres far more out there than i imagined and some rather fun or interesting ones too. So what do you recommend checking out?

 

My only disappointment is a Pi really can't do PS2 or PS3 and there is a lot of interesting games on there from the remake of Virtua Cop, to Deadstorm Pirates which has to be one of my faves.

[Ninja Doctor]

So HotD every day. It would have been nice for it to get a ps2 port when they were doing the whole Sega Ages thing in Japan. The Saturn port is ok and playable but an arcade perfect home version would be amazing. 

[Ivanho]

Point Blank, I bought a PS1 to play it.  Time Crisis a close second.  The PS2 game with the G-Con 2 was brilliant.

 

HOTD Overkill on the Wii was pretty good fun as well.

[phillv85]

I always used to gravitate to light gun games back when arcades had them. I love a bit of Time Crisis, Virtua Cop and Point Blank. Point Blank is one that my Mrs likes to play as well when we go to Arcade Club, so it gets bonus points for that.

 

I’ve been buying quite a few light gun imports recently in anticipation of getting my new games room which will have a dedicated light gun CRT. 

[megamixer]

1 hour ago, Ninja Doctor said:

So HotD every day. It would have been nice for it to get a ps2 port when they were doing the whole Sega Ages thing in Japan. The Saturn port is ok and playable but an arcade perfect home version would be amazing. 

I believe the OG HotD is one of those 90's games that Sega lost the source code for so there's little chance of that unfortunately. I seem to remember that it was unlockable as a bonus in the Xbox port of HotD 2 & 3 but THAT version was based on the 90's PC port...

 

Anyway, my arcade favourites would have to have been Point Blank, HotD 3 (the shotguns really make it - it's not my favourite HotD at all without them), Ghost Squad, and - even though it's a disgusting, cheap as f*** £1 coin muncher - the modern Terminator one by Raw Thrills with the big assault rifles.

 

Home-wise, it is easily HotD Overkill though I'm not sure it's strictly a lightgun game technology-wise. Certainly in spirit though.

[Ketchup]

I’ve always really enjoyed Confidential Mission as something a little different. It’s certainly got virtua cop vibes but the spy angle and the equipment you have to use at key points make it fun. Virtua cop 3 would steal a lot of these things and I do wonder why CM came out instead of VC3.

 

Time crisis 1 and 2 are personal faves as well as the Deadstorm Pirates above.

 

Gun blade and LA Machine guns are also great but they’re a different style of light gun game.

 

Ghoul panic is a lot of fun, I much prefer it over Point Blank as I find that series very stressful where as I want my gun games to be fun and always moving to spectacle.

 

What I have realised from going through a huge list of light gun games is it’s the more modern games I enjoy. Sure, Duck hunt was amazing at the time but horribly basic. Most pre 32 but games were horribly basic in this genre either going after static shooting gallery gameplay or just flooding the screen with enemies. Virtua cop I believe set a new standard where you had to have quick reactions or figure out the best route to take down the bad guys and avoid the innocent.

 

Playing some of these older games they just lack any excitement or pacing, just stuff constantly popping up. I even tried Mad Dog Macree, a game I’ve always wanted to play as seeing bits of the FMV on tv as a kid it looked cool and suited the light gun genre. Playing it now. Well. Firstly how anyone played it on a mega cd I don’t know, it’s such a pixelated mess I can’t tell who’s a bad guy and who’s not. Let alone when they’re about to shoot you. That’s also totally ignoring the gameplay, you can only shoot during set windows, too early and nothing happens. Too late and you’re dead, back to the start. Half the time I thought I was watching a cut scene when out of knowhere I’m shot. I guess that’s what makes it an FMV game. It’s an interesting concept for sure but the execution is pretty poor. 3DO faired little better, guess you need to play the arcade laser disc versions if you want to try them.

 

Im really looking forward to finding more games, especially more modern light gun games but I think anything pre 32 bit is either going to be tough to go back to or just not for me.

[SeanR]

The DH2 game in Die Hard Trilogy was good with a light gun.

 

Better with the PS mouse, but still fun.

 

DHT2 light gun game, set in Vegas, was ok, but…

 

anyway, I’m a fan of how light gun games have moved into VR, because of the way they move into the FPS realm that’s dominated gaming for 25 years, and make the science fiction of the lawnmower man and ready player one closer to reality.

[Ninja Doctor]

1 hour ago, megamixer said:

I believe the OG HotD is one of those 90's games that Sega lost the source code for so there's little chance of that unfortunately. I seem to remember that it was unlockable as a bonus in the Xbox port of HotD 2 & 3 but THAT version was based on the 90's PC port...

Sadly an urban myth. The pc version is ok but heavily stymied by needing a mouse. 

[Darwock]

I really like Deadstorm Pirates but I only ever played it with the PS Move - I did have the pistol attachment so it felt pretty much like it should, just not perfect.

 

My favourite is actually the shooting gallery mini game that was included with Time Crisis 2, in the arcades it was unique in having actual physical targets that got ‘broken’ if you hit them.. can’t remember the name though- ‘something’ and Crash? Simple is best.

 

Then I also loved a Sega one called Vampire Night, which I played with the Guncon 2. This is making me really miss light gun technology

[Popo]

Probably Time Crisis 2, although I absolutely rinsed Virtua Cop on the Saturn back in the day. TC2 holds up magnificently - I played it again recently in one of the NQ64 barcades; House of the Dead is insanely difficult, by comparison, and quite dissatisfying for it in hindsight, even though the game thrilled me when I first played it as a youngster. 

[ScouserInExile]

18 hours ago, Ninja Doctor said:

So HotD every day. It would have been nice for it to get a ps2 port when they were doing the whole Sega Ages thing in Japan. The Saturn port is ok and playable but an arcade perfect home version would be amazing. 

The DC and PC ports were pretty good, weren't they? Not sure about arcade perfect, but good none the less.

 

Though I seem to remember the PC version is actually a port of the DC game. I did the QA on the Xplosive version, which originally had obvious DC prompts in. Same with Typing of the Dead, which had the DC backpacks in the cut scenes.

[mechamonkey]

Although they arent really traditional HoTD style holding a gun games I love the Let's Go Jungle! titles
Also Dead Storm Pirates, Transformers  : Human Alliance, Luigi's Mansion are very similar and top fun. Think you'll need Teknoparrot on a PC to run those though.

[Popo]

5 hours ago, ScouserInExile said:

The DC and PC ports were pretty good, weren't they? Not sure about arcade perfect, but good none the less.

 

Though I seem to remember the PC version is actually a port of the DC game. I did the QA on the Xplosive version, which originally had obvious DC prompts in. Same with Typing of the Dead, which had the DC backpacks in the cut scenes.

There was no port of House of the Dead to Dreamcast; it came to Saturn, but it was absolutely dismal. 

[megamixer]

On 11/09/2022 at 23:13, Ninja Doctor said:

Sadly an urban myth. The pc version is ok but heavily stymied by needing a mouse. 

So no code loss, then? I can't remember where I heard it but it's also on the Wikipedia page for game (granted, Wiki isn't a bastion reliable information...)

 

"Sega reportedly lost the source code to the arcade version of The House of the Dead, requiring MegaPixel Studio to remake the entire game from scratch in the Unity game engine. Due to licensing issues, the original soundtrack by composer Tetsuya Kawauchi was replaced by a new soundtrack that is heavily inspired by the original."

 

It's weird - in that case - that the original hasn't been lumped in with the sequels more often. I mean, 2&3 released twice for Xbox and Wii instead of as a trilogy?

 

And why the heck has HotD4 only been released on the PS3 with the horrid Move controller? I think I only got the chance to play that in the arcade once. The cab was gone the next time I went back to that particular arcade.

[Noonanman]

As goofy as it is, I enjoyed Silent Hill Arcade a bunch with the Sinden. Some footage:

• https://twitter.com/SeanNoonan/status/1487551156016582659
• https://twitter.com/SeanNoonan/status/1487524974185361408
• https://twitter.com/SeanNoonan/status/1487553174852579342

[Ninja Doctor]

6 hours ago, megamixer said:

So no code loss, then? I can't remember where I heard it but it's also on the Wikipedia page for game (granted, Wiki isn't a bastion reliable information...)

 

"Sega reportedly lost the source code to the arcade version of The House of the Dead, requiring MegaPixel Studio to remake the entire game from scratch in the Unity game engine. Due to licensing issues, the original soundtrack by composer Tetsuya Kawauchi was replaced by a new soundtrack that is heavily inspired by the original."

 

It's weird - in that case - that the original hasn't been lumped in with the sequels more often. I mean, 2&3 released twice for Xbox and Wii instead of as a trilogy?

 

And why the heck has HotD4 only been released on the PS3 with the horrid Move controller? I think I only got the chance to play that in the arcade once. The cab was gone the next time I went back to that particular arcade.

I mean it being an unlockable in hotd3 on Xbox. Hotd2 was unlockable but hotd1 wasn’t. The source code was indeed lost. Stupid sega. 
 

The fact it only had one light gun port back in the day is criminal. 

[ScouserInExile]

On 12/09/2022 at 20:07, Popo said:

There was no port of House of the Dead to Dreamcast; it came to Saturn, but it was absolutely dismal. 

I didn't know that. I'd swear the first  version we did QA on had DC prompts. Might be getting confused with Typing of the Dead, though, it was 20 years ago. Seems slightly odd that Typing was on DC, but House wasn't.

 

 

[Popo]

5 minutes ago, ScouserInExile said:

I didn't know that. I'd swear the first  version we did QA on had DC prompts. Might be getting confused with Typing of the Dead, though, it was 20 years ago. Seems slightly odd that Typing was on DC, but House wasn't.

 

 

House of the Dead 2 came to Dreamcast, maybe that’s what you’re thinking of? That was a great, arcade perfect port, completely the opposite of the dreadful Saturn release of the original. 

 

Typing of the Dead was amazing! The Dreamcast had a keyboard and mouse for online use, so it was perhaps a happy coincidence that allowed for its release. 

[Ninja Doctor]

Typing of the dead was also based on hotd2 iirc. 

[merman]

I really enjoyed Dead Space Extraction on Wii, some clever use of motion controls and it acts as a prequel to the main game.

 

The one gun I do need to add to my collection is a Menacer.

[Popo]

2 hours ago, Ninja Doctor said:

Typing of the dead was also based on hotd2 iirc. 

It is HotD2! Just with shooting replaced with typing. 

[dataDave]

Ooh. I've never made a list before.

 

Does Sin & Punishment 2 count? I think it definitely should.

 

1) Sin & Punishment 2: Star Successor - Wii

Just look at this from 4:44

 

2) The House of the Dead 2 - Arcade/Dreamcast/Wii

3) The House of The Dead - Arcade/Saturn

4) Virtua Cop - Arcade/Saturn

5) Virtua Cop 2 - Arcade/Saturn

 

I try to be varied but can't. These are just my favourites.

[Ninja Doctor]

The Virtua cop collection on ps2 is also really good. 

[Protocol Penguin]

Virtua Cop is only home-based light gun game I’ve spent any significant time playing, so by default that wins! Played it on my friend’s Saturn, who thankfully owned two light guns; it was a fun two-player experience which felt “arcade in your home” in the positive sense of the term.

 

Played various light gun arcade games over years, didn’t last long on any due to poor aiming skills, but did manage to complete Laser Ghost, Sega’s not-Ghostbusters, once with two others playing.

 

* also played Duck Hunt on the NES that my Saturn-owning friend occasionally  fetched from his attic so his mum could play Tetris.

[megamixer]

One I played that I didn't think was great (although it was so bad it was actually funny) was Lethal Enforcers. I had the Japanese PS1 double pack of both games and a bright green Konami "Hyper Blaster" gun that I played it with.

 

All I remember is "EAT LEAD COPPER!!"

[SeanR]

I had the Megadrive version of Lethal Enforcers that came with both blue and pink Justifier revolver style guns.

 

something that apparently doesn’t exist…

[Anne Summers]

Point Blank is definitely the light gun game I've had most fun with over the years. Replaying it at Neon Nights (RIP) recently with my old mate who I used to regularly clear it with back in the day was the high point of my visit.

 

Time Crisis was another game that I had to play every time I saw a cabinet. The pedal mechanic put it a cut above most of the games in the genre. 

 

Special mention to Duck Hunt which I can't believe only one other person has mentioned. Yes it was super-simple but it was the first light gun game I ever saw and it was great fun playing with friends. That sniggering dog animation is burned into my brain. 

 

Edit: Just read the Wikipedia page and had completely forgotten that player 2 can control the ducks using the controller. Also didn't realise that in the Vs version you can shoot the dog. 

[ScouserInExile]

18 hours ago, Popo said:

It is HotD2! Just with shooting replaced with typing. 

God my memory is shite. I always thought it was HOTD not 2. Which is pretty bad when you consider I played it for a couple of weeks straight. 

[Popo]

I have vague memories of the Menacer being absolutely dogshit, are those memories accurate?

[Colonel Panic]

Decided to get my Dreamcast gun from storage for some HotD2 today, but I’ve also got Confidential Mission and Virtua Cop 2 on my Mode, so it’s light gun time!

 

I must suss out light guns with the MisTer PLayStation core!