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Post by benjammin on Oct 23, 2014 0:59:14 GMT -5
I am kind of new here, but I thought I would create a thread about this certain niche genre of games because I didn't see a thread like this, there are so many hidden gems in this genre and I find a lot of people have tons of memories attached to it despite it being almost a dead genre outside of japan.
There is nothing quite like lightgun shooters because they are so simple yet so fun because of the physicality of actually pointing a plastic gun at a screen and pulling the trigger, and even since duck hunt it was always kind of satisfying in a way. (the awesome sound effects and feedback of the guns in almost all of these games are amazing).
I also don't think any other genre except beat-em-ups really had such a sense of side by side cooperation, I have tons of fond memories of standing next to my friend trying to beat House of the Dead 2 without spending a fortune because we played it so many times.
It's a shame it's pretty much a dead genre, mainly because a good peripheral is required, and ever since CRT televisions have become outdated it hasn't really been possible to create a true 1:1 point and shoot technology outside of the arcades. And even then I don't think a lot of modern gamers really appreciate simple yet fun style of games.
Anyone got their favorite lightgun game? My favorite is probably carnevil, but it's a shame it's so short. That game is one of the best arcade games ever made.
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Post by vetus on Oct 23, 2014 2:22:25 GMT -5
Niche,dead genre? Quite the opposite, this is one of the most mainstream/casual genres due to their simple, pick-and-play gameplay. New arcades we see now outside Japan are either racing games or light gun shooters. Light gun shooters in Wii like House of the Dead Overkill were kinda popular since you did't need an extra accessory to enjoy them (since Wii Remote was working perfectly as a light gun) and even if you wanted to buy one for better feeling they were very cheap and easy to be found.
Since Nintendo DS was ideal for ports of light gun shooter I'm surprised that Poink Plank DS was the only release of this kind. Same goes for smartphone where only House of the Dead was released. Talking about wasted potential.
Here are some of my favourite light gun shooters:
- House of the Dead series
- Point Plank series (one of the best and most underrated party game, they should release the trilogy for Wii)
- Time Crisis series (the reason that made me bought G-Con 45 for PSX, the other reason was Point Plank)
- Virtua Cop series (I need to pick Virtua Cop: Elite Edition someday)
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Post by Weasel on Oct 23, 2014 2:46:04 GMT -5
Under Fire by Taito is occasionally a favorite, if only because of how absurd the English is at times. "Change magazine! Change magazine! Change magazine!" And the occasional woman diving in front of you shouting "Kill you!" Or a random thug yelling "Whaddaya think of that?" as they throw a knife at you.
It's basically Lethal Enforcers with a machine gun.
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BdR
Junior Member
Posts: 94
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Post by BdR on Oct 23, 2014 4:00:57 GMT -5
I was a big fan of Operation Wolf and Space Gun in the arcade, but my favourite by far is Point Blank especially 1 and 2.
That game was the reason I bought a Playstation + guncontroller back in the day and it's a real shame it only works with CRT tv's.. And, like vetus pointed out, I find it a bit puzzling that Point Blank was never released on the Wii.
Lightgun games were never big business on homeconsoles to begin with, and they seem to be decline. The PS1 had a bunch of lightgun games but by contrast the only PS3 games that support a lightgun (as far as I know) are Deadstorm Pirates and two Time Crisis games. But they're still big in arcades I guess. I've recently been in arcades with HotD4 and Terminator Salvation which are ok games, but I think they don't quite have the appeal and variety of Point Blank.
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Post by retr0gamer on Oct 23, 2014 6:53:55 GMT -5
I really hate the sensor bar based lightguns. They just aren't accurate enough. On CRT based games I could aim down the sights for tricky shots. Anything that is sensor bar based seems to need a cursor on screen or works with machineguns/shotguns so you can get your bearings with the first few shots or accuracy isn't as big a deal.
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Post by moran on Oct 23, 2014 8:35:57 GMT -5
I love a good a light gun game. I spent many hours with Lethal Enforcers and Mad Dog McCree when I was younger. My favorite would be tied between House of the Dead and Time Crisis though. I played HotD 4 recently and I don't like the move to machine gun style. I'm a much bigger fan of the single shot guns. I've also always been a fan of the Big Buck Hunter games, Midway's Area 51, Police Trainer, Battle Clash,and the Die Hard 2 portion of the Die Hard Trilogy.
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Post by strizzuth on Oct 23, 2014 12:57:54 GMT -5
I still love Revolution X. :/
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Post by benjammin on Oct 23, 2014 18:50:20 GMT -5
I love a good a light gun game. I spent many hours with Lethal Enforcers and Mad Dog McCree when I was younger. My favorite would be tied between House of the Dead and Time Crisis though. I played HotD 4 recently and I don't like the move to machine gun style. I'm a much bigger fan of the single shot guns. I've also always been a fan of the Big Buck Hunter games, Midway's Area 51, Police Trainer, Battle Clash,and the Die Hard 2 portion of the Die Hard Trilogy. Yeah, the only automatic light gun shooter that REALLY loved was Crisis Zone, the gun that came with the cabinet was so heavy and satisfying to use because of the automatic recoil. It also used destructible environments really well, I felt like I was shooting an automatic 50 cal sub machine gun tearing up offices and stuff. However still prefer doing that little fast action trigger technique with the guncon for single shot games, makes me feel like clint eastwood popping off quick pistol shots and nailing every enemy without missing a shot. |
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Post by benjammin on Oct 23, 2014 18:53:51 GMT -5
Niche,dead genre? Quite the opposite, this is one of the most mainstream/casual genres due to their simple, pick-and-play gameplay. New arcades we see now outside Japan are either racing games or light gun shooters. Light gun shooters in Wii like House of the Dead Overkill were kinda popular since you did't need an extra accessory to enjoy them (since Wii Remote was working perfectly as a light gun) and even if you wanted to buy one for better feeling they were very cheap and easy to be found. Since Nintendo DS was ideal for ports of light gun shooter I'm surprised that Poink Plank DS was the only release of this kind. Same goes for smartphone where only House of the Dead was released. Talking about wasted potential. Here are some of my favourite light gun shooters: - House of the Dead series - Point Plank series (one of the best and most underrated party game, they should release the trilogy for Wii) - Time Crisis series (one of the reasons that made me bought G-Con 45 for PSX) - Virtua Cop series (I need to pick Virtua Cop: Elite Edition someday) Yeah but the problem is that arcades are extremely rare in America, so at least here it's kind of dead. It was nice to see that little resurgence when the Wii was out. Sometimes there is a cool old school lightgun shooter at some random movie theatre or pizza place, but most "arcades" now in america usually feature those new really crappy western developed light gun games where the gun is stuck in place. |
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Post by vetus on Oct 23, 2014 20:49:15 GMT -5
By America you mean USA? Because as far as I know there are still arcade stores in USA (even if they don't have the glory of yesterday) and you can still find arcade machines in shopping centers.
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Post by moran on Oct 24, 2014 8:44:13 GMT -5
Its rare to find anything worthwhile though. Especially the newer light gun type games.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2014 20:54:20 GMT -5
By America you mean USA? Because as far as I know there are still arcade stores in USA (even if they don't have the glory of yesterday) and you can still find arcade machines in shopping centers. America has a lot of different types of regions. Some people live in big cities, but most of us are in small towns or suburbs. That kind of area almost never has an arcade, and even if they do, it's mostly just a DDR machine and maybe Pac Man. If you were talking about America in the 80s, I would agree with you. At any rate, I'd really like to get the chance to play Silent Hill Arcade and Castlevania: The Arcade, as they're both lightgun games for two of my favorite franchises (even if SHA absolutely shits all over the series canon). The T2 arcade game is definitely a favorite out of the ones that have officially been released in America, though. Hogan's Alley was probably the first arcade game I ever played, as well. |
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Post by The Great Klaid on Oct 24, 2014 21:21:23 GMT -5
I've got no shortage of hunting games around here. In fact if there is an arcade around here it's a couple of claw machines and a hunting light gun thing. It's been a long time since I've seen Pac-Man. That said, there is actually a proper Arcade in town here, but the machines are pretty beat up. Tekken 3 doesn't really have any color... They used to have a 6-man X-Men machine here. But, that was before I moved here.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2014 21:30:43 GMT -5
It's sad to see a run down arcade. It always feels like child abuse to me. These are your babies, people! Take care of them!
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Post by The Great Klaid on Oct 24, 2014 21:35:56 GMT -5
While I don't feel quite so melodramatic about it yeah, I feel a bit depressed walking in there nowadays. 10 years ago it was a pretty cool place. But then again, that mall seems all but deserted.
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