Your Favorite Home Console Light Guns & Games

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I'm a bit of a light gun fanatic, and looking through the forum history it seems that it's been over a decade since there was a thread like this, so I thought it might be fun to see what the current AtariAge forum population liked in terms of light gun games and the hardware they play them with. Feel free to use this thread to talk about any classic era light guns and games, as well as the occasional newer light gun games that show up every now and then on some of the more modern consoles (I'm looking at you, Nintendo Wii).

 

 

I'll start things off by going over a few of my personal favorite home console light guns and a some of the games for them that I like best, then any other light gun enthusiasts that may be lurking around these parts can chime in and add their own reviews and/or recommendations. My favorites happen to be (from left to right, top then bottom):

 

 

 

NES Zapper

Light guns just don't get any more classic and elegantly designed than the original NES Zapper. The "clang" sound of the trigger spring alone will instantly transport almost an entire generation directly back to their childhoods, and the comfortable ergonomics are nothing to sneeze at either. While it may be slow on the trigger compared to my other favorite light guns, and a little tricky to track down one in good working order, there's no doubt that the NES Zapper has made it's mark in the history books as an iconic piece of gaming hardware.

 

Favorite NES Zapper Games: Freedom Force, Hogan's Alley, Operation Wolf, and Mechanized Attack

 

 

Best Electronics Atari Light Gun

This is one that you don't hear people talking about too often, but if you're looking to play some light gun games on the Atari 2600, 7800, or any Atari 8-bit computer then I don't think you'll find a better light gun to play them with than this. It feels solidly built and is vastly more accurate than any other light gun I've seen for the Atari lineup. At 3 feet you could hammer a nail with the shots from this thing; drilling one shot on top of the other for as long as the game lasts. It also has a very comfortable microswitch trigger, with the lightest and most responsive trigger pull I've ever felt on any light gun. The only real downside to it is the lack of a rear sight, but in spite of that shortcoming I've never had a problem hitting what I was aiming at with it. I sincerely hope homebrew developers make some more light gun games to support this wonderful peripheral at some point.

 

Favorite Best Electronics Atari Light Gun Games: Sentinel and Shooting Arcade for the Atari 2600

 

 

Nyko Perfect Shot for Nintendo Wii

I'm not sure this really counts as a "light gun" so much as it is a pistol grip attachment that converts a Wii remote into a light gun, but I'll be darned if it isn't the best light gun option out there that I've seen for the one modern console that revitalized light gun gaming in recent years. The ergonomics and aesthetics are very similar to a real double stack 1911 pistol, and the pass-through port on the bottom of the pistol grip allowing you to connect a nunchuck controller to it was just a brilliant addition for some of the more complex light gun shooters on the Wii. This pistol grip does suffer from the opposite problem as the previously mentioned Atari light gun, lacking a front sight rather than a rear sight, but since every light gun game that I know of on the Wii gives you an on-screen targeting reticle it's never been an issue to me. If you're looking to play some more modern light gun games then the Nyko Perfect Shot for the Wii gets my highest recommendation.

 

Favorite Nyko Perfect Shot Wii Games: The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return, Dead Space: Extraction, and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles / Darkside Chronicles

 

 

Nyko Super Cobra for PlayStation

I think the PS1 and Sega Saturn were the first systems to really bring the full arcade light gun gaming experience to home consoles without any compromises, and the Nyko Super Cobra may be the most full featured and arcade-authentic light gun to play them with. Weighing in at a hefty 15 ounces, this beast of a light gun packs a heavy force feedback motor that jars your hand a little with each shot, a series of red LED lights that flash in sequence along both sides of the frame every time you fire, ambidextrous auxiliary buttons for grenade activation and reloading, and some nice extra features like toggle switches for auto-fire and auto-reload. As if that wasn't enough, this also happens to be one of the very few light guns out there for the PS1 that works perfectly with games made for both the Konami Justifier and Namco GunCon. There's also a Saturn version available, and did I mention that they're both dead accurate to boot? This is one light gun that I just can't say enough good things about!

 

Favorite Nyko Super Cobra PS1 Games: Area 51, Crypt Killer, Time Crisis, and Lethal Enforcers I & II

 

 

 

I think that about covers it for my current favorite light guns and games! How about you? What are some of your favorites?

Edited September 29, 2015 by Jin

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Nes Zapper: You can't go wrong with Duck Hunt as it is a classic. I also enjoy Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman. Makes me want to watch Back to the Future part 2.

 

Sega Light Phaser: Safari Hunt is not that bad of a game and I get a kick out of the enemies reactions when you shoot them. Gives a little comic relief. Birds turn into a roasted chicken, etc.

 

Guncon: There are some great light gun games for the original Playstation. Mostly Point Blank 1, 2, and 3. If you have a large group of friends over and hosting a party, it is a great game to play. I used to play it a lot at an arcade joint called Time Out in the late 90's during my high school years. And never knew it was ported to the Playstation.

[Austin]

For me it's the Saturn Stunner gun, and the SMS Light Phaser. Both have very good accuracy and feel good. Gangster Town is my favorite compatible game on the SMS, with both Virtua Cops being my most-played light gun games on the Saturn.

 

I'd comment on the PS1 GunCon more, but I haven't used it that much over the years. Although, I did just pick up another with Time Crisis recently, so maybe I'll be able to weigh in on that further at a later date.

[Algus]

I agree with you on the Perfect Shot. The light gun games they were experimenting with on Wii was one of the highlights of that console for me and probably 1/2 my Wii collection is "light gun" games. The Perfect Shot was a great shell and I've got three or four of them lying around. The one issue I found - the connector was really tight and it was easy to pull out when I took the Wiimote out. I ended up buying a pair of Wiimotes and just leaving them in the Perfect Shots since I broke a couple shells.

[robotwo]

From a technical standpoint I think the SMS Light Phaser is my favorite as it walks a fine line between being very simple and slightly complex in nature.

 

It does require a white color to properly track on the screen, but it does return the specific point at which it hit unlike let's say the NES Zapper which only returns if it hit or not.

So theoretically if a game has a bright enough scene it can track where you point the gun in realtime, but it would have to be REALLY bright to the point where it's not aesthetically pleasing.

 

But games like "shooting gallery" for example uses this precision tracking to place decals on the backdrop if you miss your targets, which IMO is really neat

[byonddrivn]

I still love the NES Zapper the only games I've ever played with it are Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley.

The Nyko Perfect Shot is a wonderful addition. I have 2 so I can use the Dual Wield in House of the Dead: Overkill. I also use it for Dead Space: Extraction. If anyone has some other good Wii light gun games I'd love to hear them.

 

Unfortunately that's the only 2 light guns I've ever tried. Always wanted a Justifier for the Genesis but have never gotten around to buying one or any games.

[Asaki]

I'd like to get some of the Sega light guns (SMS, Saturn, maybe DC), but it seems like such an investment for a small handful of games, especially if I want to play two players.

 

I really like the wealth of games on the Wii, and the fact that I don't have to buy a special controller for it, but I might have to look into some of those shell things, because it would be nicer if it felt more like a gun, with actual aiming and everything.

 

If you guys like Duck Hunt, you should try VS Duck Hunt. There's a patch to make it work on a real NES, it mixes the duck and clay shooting games together, alternating, and has the infamous "you can shoot the dog" bonus rounds. I thought it was way more fun than the original game.

[Greg2600]

I personally own a grey NES Zapper, SMS Phaser, Atari XG-1 (for 26/7800), blue Konami Justifier (Genesis), green Konami Justifier (Playstation), grey Namco GunCon (Playstation), black Namco GunCon 2 (PS2), blue Sega Stunner (Saturn), MadCatz Dream Blaster (Dreamcast), and the Wii Zapper. Frankly I should register for the NLGA (National Light Gun Association)!

 

I would say the 32-bit arcade rail shooters are the most fun. I spent countless hours in arcades playing them in the 90s, along with the arcade racing games. That being said, I find the Dreamcast games to be the best of all, and many are just flat out a "blast!" Obviously there's a nostalgic reverence for the NES Zapper, particularly Wild Gun and Hogan's Alley (my favorite). Outside of the Atari XG-1, which of course works terribly on the 7800, they all perform really well on a CRT.

 

I've thought about getting a TopGun but felt setting up the bars was a pain, unlike the easier Wii one.

[BydoEmpire]

I always liked the Phaser, and IMHO the SMS has the best overall light gun game support of any home console: Rescue Mission is my favorite, but Rambo III, Wanted, even Safari Hunt was fun.

 

Not a huge fan of the Zapper (the button is too stiff) or the NES light gun library, although I did like Gumshoe.

 

Dreamcast HotD2 is pretty awesome, that's right up at the top.

 

Crossbow on the 7800/XE is great, although that might be because it's one of my favorite arcade games of all time.

 

If we include the Wii, then RE: Umbrella Chronicles is my favorite home gun game of all time (yes, technically it's not a light gun) - it's the perfect blend of gun action, branching paths, hidden stuff, unlockables, story, good difficulty ramp. It takes all the things that make an arcade shooter great, and adds all the things that make console games great.

[Opry99er]

NES Zapper... Orange gun.

 

Duck Hunt

Wild Gunman

Hogans Alley

 

 

Only gun and games I ever had. Loved them all.

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Just did a review of my fave......

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDbXvyQoVnk

[Asaki]

That being said, I find the Dreamcast games to be the best of all, and many are just flat out a "blast!"

I used to want one or two for the DC, but not so sure anymore. I'd have to pay extra to import one from Europe or Japan, and most of those games I can play on Wii or Saturn.

 

I should probably try out some of the SMS games on the Wii, and see if it's worth getting a Phaser.

[Greg2600]

I used to want one or two for the DC, but not so sure anymore. I'd have to pay extra to import one from Europe or Japan, and most of those games I can play on Wii or Saturn.

 

I should probably try out some of the SMS games on the Wii, and see if it's worth getting a Phaser.

 

The Inter Act gun is the cheapest, probably will cost around $20 shipped within the USA. I thought the Mad Catz version was much cooler looking than the Sega edition, which looked really odd. I got mine by purchasing a full DC lot on ebay a few years ago. They run around $25 shipped. Probably can find one eventually on the cheap in the wild. If you play DC moderately I think you have to go with the light gun! As opposed to the steering wheel which is nice but takes up way too much room.

Edited September 30, 2015 by Greg2600

[+atari2600land]

ActionMax.

[Asaki]

As opposed to the steering wheel which is nice but takes up way too much room.

A wheel would be awesome, especially with how much Crazy Taxi I play.

 

I wonder if it would make Daytona USA playable, though... =|

[Greg2600]

A wheel would be awesome, especially with how much Crazy Taxi I play.

 

I wonder if it would make Daytona USA playable, though... =|

 

I've been told that yes, it does. Most racing games are terrible with the stock DC controller.

[Lord Innit]

Not really into lightgun games but I do enjoy a bit of Silent Scope and House of the Dead 3 on the original Xbox now and then. The rifle is perfect for both as it can be disassembled into a shotgun for HotD 3.

[high voltage]

 

This is the boss, I was walking down the street one day with it, hiding the cord. People thought I was walking around with a real rifle, how cool is that. In US I probably would've been shot.

 

I like NES Zapper and Down to Earth, on SMS Safari Hunt (classic), on A8 Operation Blood (a.n.g. software),

 

and this sucker rocks, with that game, played it for hours way back:

Edited October 3, 2015 by high voltage

[Eltigro]

I have

 

NES Zapper - Who hasn't used one of these? Duck Hunt was a favorite "back in the day".

 

SMS Phaser - Nice gun, like it better than the Zapper. As has been mentioned, Safari Hunt is a pretty fun game for the Phaser. More variety than Duck Hunt.

 

The Menacer - Meh... this was produced to counter Nintendo's Super Scope. The 6 in one game is the only one I ever played and it was also Meh.

 

A third part light gun named "The Pursuer" for Saturn - Feels cheap, but worked okay for VirtuaCop. Looks like same mold as the Justifier.

 

 

Honestly, I've never been a huge fan of light gun games for home consoles. Too many of the old ones I've played are kinda boring and repetitive and too many of the new ones are just the same on-rails type game play with different visuals. Kind of a "played one, played 'em all" deal. I have enjoyed some arcade light gun games, though. Operation Wolf Arcade was pretty fun back in the day with the Uzi shaped controller (and I think it was two-player simultaneous, too, wasn't it?). The NES version of Operation Wolf doesn't compare. Just not as fun without the Uzis. Also, there was an arcade game with a foot switch that made your onscreen character hide or duck that was pretty fun... can't remember the name, though. And then there was another (again, can't remember the name, but played it at a Dave and Busters around ten years ago) where it sensed your body position and you had to duck behind objects and things. Those were more fun than the home console light gun games in my opinion. More to do, more immersive, and better looking/feeling guns to hold.

[Gabriel]

Guncon. Time Crisis

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Not really into lightgun games but I do enjoy a bit of Silent Scope and House of the Dead 3 on the original Xbox now and then. The rifle is perfect for both as it can be disassembled into a shotgun for HotD 3.

 

I was on the fence about getting one of those guns for my XBox but there don't seem to be too many light gun titles for it. Am I missing some hidden list?

[UberArcade]

I liked a lot of the NES games. Operation Wolf, Gotcha, Freedom Force.

Crossbow on Atari XE is great.

The Sega Saturn Stunner with Virtua Cop is awesome.

Dreamcast Mad Catz gun and HOTD 2 also great.

House of the Dead Overkill on Wii is fantastic. Had so much fun playing that.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

It's been nearly a year since I updated this thread, and after spending a good bit of time with some new light guns and games this summer I thought I'd share my thoughts on a few of my new favorites.

 

 

 

 

Konami Hyper Blaster (Justifier) & Namco GunCon for PlayStation

Up until this summer I had been using third party PlayStation light guns like the Nyko Super Cobra that were compatible with both Justifier and GunCon games to get my light gun gaming fix on the PlayStation, and while they all worked fine they never seemed to have precise enough accuracy in Justifier or GunCon mode to do really well in any given game. So when I decided that I wanted to add Time Crisis to my list for the Games Beaten in 2016 thread I knew that it was time to try out the official Namco GunCon to see if it would offer any improvement in accuracy over the third party PlayStation light guns that I had used. The short version of the story is that the improvement was massive and within a day of ownership I had gone from barely being able to get halfway through Time Crisis to beating it with continues to spare.

 

Initially I wasn't sure how I'd feel about using a light gun like the GunCon that didn't have any special features like auto fire or force feedback, and I thought that the very light weight of the GunCon might hamper the realism of my gaming experience in comparison to using heavier weight third party light guns. But it turned out that the superb accuracy and excellent ergonomics of the GunCon more than made up for the lack of extra features, and the light weight of the gun allowed me to go from feeling exhausted and needing a break after 20 minutes of play to being able to play for an hour or more without my arms getting fatigued. I was so impressed by my experience with the GunCon that I decided to spring for the official Konami Justifier light gun to play the non-GunCon compatible PlayStation light gun games with, which account for about half the light gun games worth playing on the system. I wasn't too thrilled with the lime green color of the Justifier that we got over here in the US though so I decided to track down the Japanese version of the Justifier (known as the "Hyper Blaster" over on that side of the pond) that came in a cool looking gun metal blue color with red buttons instead. It took a while to arrive in the mail, but once I got my hands on it I've adored it ever since. My experience with the Hyper Blaster / Justifier was exactly the same as with the GunCon. Vastly greater accuracy, more comfortable ergonomics, and much lighter weight than any of the third party PlayStation light guns.

 

The lesson I learned from all this is that if you're going to get into light gun gaming on the PlayStation then don't cheap out with third party light guns. Spend a little more to get an authentic GunCon and Justifier and you're sure to get the most enjoyment (and best scores) out of your games.

 

Recommended Konami Justifier Games: Area 51, Crypt Killer, Lethal Enforcers I & II, Die Hard Trilogy, Project Horned Owl, Maximum Force, and Elemental Gearbolt

 

Recommended Namco GunCon Games: Time Crisis, Time Crisis: Project Titan, Point Blank, Point Blank 2, Point Blank 3, Maximum Force, and Elemental Gearbolt

 

 

 

 

 

CTA Sure Shot for Nintendo Wii

The Wii has no shortage of third party light gun conversion shells, and this one along with the previously recommended Nyko Perfect Shot have become my favorites. There's quite a few shotgun and rifle style shells out there for the Wii remote and nunchuck, but what separates the CTA Sure Shot from the rest is the addition of C & Z buttons on the sides of the receiver that activate the C & Z buttons on the nunchuck when pressed and the excellent built quality. This thing is seriously built like a tank and feels like it could stand up to some pretty heavy use in a real arcade setting. The size feels very realistic, the aiming sights work pretty darn well in games like Ghost Squad where you can earn extra points by turning the on-screen aiming reticle off, and I've found that the shoulder stock allows for much more precise and stable aiming than simply using the Wii remote by itself or with a pistol grip attachment. Where this accessory really shines though is in games that require frequent in-game use of the controls on top of the Wii remote, since the positioning of the Wii remote in the gun shell allows you to reach your thumb up over the foregrip for easy access to all the buttons on top of the Wii remote without disrupting your aiming and shooting. The only complaint I could really make about the Sure Shot is that while the C & Z buttons on the sides of the receiver do work, accessing them requires reaching your hand back from the foregrip and Wii remote controls; which can be difficult to do quickly and precisely without taking your focus away from what's happening on-screen. For that reason I'd only recommend it for games that don't require frequent use of the C & Z buttons.

 

Recommended Games: Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles, The House of the Dead III, The House of the Dead: Overkill, Ghost Squad, and Dino Strike

 

 

 

 

 

Nintendo Wii Zapper

Lastly, there's the official Nintendo Wii Zapper! At first I was pretty turned off by Nintendo's gun conversion shell offering for the Wii, since it doesn't look anything like a real gun and the bullpup configuration (meaning that the trigger is up front rather than back towards the rear of the gun) just seemed really odd and cumbersome to someone who has been shooting real firearms for most of their life. Fortunately Nintendo proved me wrong and there's actually a couple games on the Wii that I wouldn't want to play with anything other than the official Wii Zapper! The ergonomics of the Wii Zapper are excellently crafted, and the direct connection between the trigger up front and the Wii remote's B button not only allows for an extremely short and fluid trigger pull but also makes the Wii Zapper the only light gun accessory for any system that I've never had to open up to lubricate the trigger spring or (in the case of most Wii gun conversion shells) the bar that links the trigger to the Wii remote's B button. It's a very well designed piece of hardware and should last a lifetime without requiring any maintenance whatsoever.

 

As far as the games that I think are best suited to this bit of kit go, the Wii Zapper is really the perfect gun for a couple games. The first of which is the surprisingly good Link's Crossbow Training that originally came bundled with the Zapper, and the second is the cinematic sci-fi horror masterpiece that is Dead Space: Extraction. I could probably fill up at least half a dozen paragraphs babbling on about how Dead Space: Extraction is the most deep, immersive, and downright unsettling light gun game ever made, but for the the sake of this post I'll just say that it's a "must own" title for Wii owners; and that the Wii Zapper is (in my ever so subjective opinion) the best light gun to enjoy this pinnacle of on-rails shooting design with. The reason for this being that all of the controls in Dead Space: Extraction were designed specifically with the Wii Zapper in mind, and because most of the weapons you'll be using in the game are futuristic industrial power tools (Rivet Guns, Arc Welders, Line Cutters, etc.) rather than what we would normally think of as "guns" the Wii Zapper doesn't feel at all out of place in your hands when you compare it to what your character is using on-screen. The Wii Zapper very much feels like some kind of futuristic piece of industrial machinery when you're holding it in your hands, and that design choice really works well for Dead Space: Extraction. There are a few other games that I think the Wii Zapper works nicely with, but for Dead Space: Extraction and Link's Crossbow Training, well... I wouldn't play the game with anything else.

 

Recommended Games: Dead Space: Extraction, Link's Crossbow Training, Ghost Squad, and Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns Arcade Hits Pack

Edited August 23, 2016 by Jin

[BurritoBeans]

I absolutely love gun stuff, so of course light gun games are some of my favorites. In the arcade they're just a lot of fun - the guns feel solid, have good force feedback, and if they're calibrated good are just fun. At home though, I've had tons of guns but can rarely find any good ones. So, here's just a bunch of the stuff I've tried.

 

-Alright, I'll start off with my favorite light gun I've had at home - the NES Zapper. It's probably the most basic light gun, and while it doesn't have any of those special features that I love it's the most reliable light gun I've had. The gun is solid in my hand, it just works on any CRT I throw the NES on, the gun is accurate and I can use the sights with no trouble, and it has some good games to go with it. For games, yeah I just own two - Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley - and I can say that I like both except that they get a bit boring after a while

 

-When it comes to the Wii, the first gun I had was the Zapper, and I can't say I'm that big of a fan. The design feels like the middle half of a Styer AUG from the grip to the foregrip, but without the stock to shoulder I just don't like it. The trigger placement is awkward to me as it was placed on the foregrip to me, it's not that stable as I have no way that I exactly like holding it/have nothing to shoulder, and mine is just a bit creaky. There's also the CTA SureShot. I got this when I bought CoD 4 on the Wii as I thought it'd be cool to play CoD 4 again (already owned it on PC for years when I got the Wii one) with a gun for controls, and after not liking the zapper I had to try this out. The thing felt alright, the stock was a bit short and it ticks me a bit that they put sights on it but they're nowhere near accurate, but I liked the feel better than the Zapper. My only issue is that all the games that require controls on the top of the gun require you to wrap your hand over the stupid thing, and the C/Z buttons got stuck a good bit on mine making them not exactly reliable. The HOTD ports/Overkill and CoD 4 are all the games I own for the wii that I'll use these in, and while all the HOTD stuff is good, CoD 4 wasn't that great of a port and I can't say I'm a fan of it

 

-On the original xbox I owned two guns. Starting off with the bigger one, there's the Pelican Light Rifle, a giant neon green abomination. The gun looks a bit funny but overall it felt alright, it was good on the shoulder but the grip being straight up was a little awkward. The scope I kept on for looks but didn't use much, and the pump-action reloading worked but would stick a bit for me. It had a little bit of a force feedback element to it, just kinda kicked backwards at you, but it wasn't that hard so I didn't feel it all too much when using it. Overall it looked funny and kinda worked. The other lightgun I had was a MadCatz Blaster which looked like a raygun with a magazine sticking out the bottom. It had force feedback, that's a plus to me even if it was just a vibration motor, and the grip did feel alright to me. The control stick thing on the back ended up snapping at the stem on mine, so that sucked, but we just glued it back on eventually and it holds alright now. Nothing else really to say about it, it worked and that's all I cared. The big Pelican rifle was used for Silent Scope Trilogy, which is yeah just all the games bundled into one big disc of joy - they worked fine, but I had to turn my brightness up to uncomforatable levels on some of my TVs to get it to even work, making the snow levels impossible. There was also the House of the Dead 3, which had 2 as a bonus on the side, and I like it just as much as the arcade.

 

-The Playstation series overall has some great light guns for it. On the PS1, I own two Guncons, and I like them a good bit. The gun feels solid, has a shape like a SIG pistol, and is accurate from my experience. It feels good in my hand, and is pretty comfortable. For PS2, again Guncons, except yeah Guncon 2 controllers. More buttons are alright, the feel of the gun is still good, and again it's pretty accurate. I'm not going to write out feelings on all these light gun games, so here's a list:

• Area 51
• Crypt Killer
• Gunfighter
• Judge Dredd
• Lethal Enforcers
• Resident Evil Survivor
• Time Crisis
• Ninja Assault
• Police 24/7
• Resident Evil Survivor 2
• Time Crisis 2
• Vampire Night

 

-The Dreamcast has been fun for light guns. I have a Hais DC Lightgun, and it's pretty alright. It looks like a Desert Eagle, has a slide which actually recoils when you shoot it (I wish I had more that did this) and like the real Desert Eagle feels good in my big hands. It's blocky, it's a bit heavy, but overall it's good. I also have an SRC Biogun, which looks like the Saturn light gun in beige. It also feels good, and looks like a Mateba which is a plus to me since I like those revolvers. No real complaints with this gun either. I have The House of the Dead 2 and Virtua Cop 2 on Dreamcast, and let me say I love playing both of them with both guns - they're good ports and a lot of fun.

 

So yeah, I like light gun stuff. Overall I'm on the hunt for a solid light gun that has force-feedback, is accurate to the sights, and feels solid in the hand. I like collecting the games for these even if I don't have a ton, and they're always pretty fun.

[Flojomojo]

The Virtua Cop games on the Saturn were terrific, as was House of the Dead 2 on the Dreamcast.

 

These games seem like a dead genre, sort of like laserdisc games such as Dragon's Lair.

 

Now that the novelty is gone, they seem like an exercise in "here's a piece of technology, now make a game around it," never to return again. Agree/disagree?