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Light Gun Shooting

Not all video games are about shooting, which is something we often say to parents. But also, not all shooting games are the same. As you can see in the related lists here there are many ways these games offer competition, collaboration and a challenge to players.

On-rails shooting is one niche where you don't control the movement and instead are just tasked with targeting. This may seem like a niche, but there is a smaller niche within this of Light Gun shooting games. These not only task you with just targeting enemies but require you to do this with a pointing device similar to holding a real gun.

Light Gun shooting games game to popularity in the 90's arcades. These offered big cabinets sporting brightly coloured large plastic guns. Time Crisis, House of the Dead, Operation Wolf and Virtua Cop were popular examples.

These games have become harder to find, but recently are seeing a resurgence. On a console, you need a way to target the screen:

Motion Controller: Games use the Wii Remote, Switch Joy-Con and PlayStation Move controllers in place of a gun,
Mouse Controls: Some games offer mouse targeting as an alternative.
Kinect: Some games used the Kinect camera or similar devices to let you shoot at the screen with your body.
Light-Guns: You can purchase a light gun (such as the Sinden) for use with PC games.

This list includes 19 games from the last 27 years, with 140 likes. They come from a range of different genres and play-styles and are all good games if you want to play with light-gun style aiming.

List Details

PEGI Ratings: PEGI 3 to PEGI 18
ESRB Ratings: ESRB EVERYONE to ESRB MATURE 17+
Australian Ratings: G to R 18+
Genres: Action, Adventure, Brain Game, Collecting, Fighting, Narrative, Physically Active, Platform, Point-and-Click, Puzzle, Race, Rhythm, Role-Play, Sequencing, Shooting, Simulation, Sports and Traversal
Total Likes: 140

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Nintendo Land

Release Date: 30/11/2012

Out Now: Wii U

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person and 3D Third-Person

Nintendo Land is a collection of Nintendo games that was created for the Nintendo Wii U launch. It uses the console’s tablet screen to create specific roles for different players. In Mario Chase, the hiding player uses the tablet controller screen...

Ridiculous Fishing

Release Date: 14/03/2013, updated in 2023

Out Now: iOS

Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Hand-Made

Ridiculous Fishing is a fishing and shooting game. Unlike any other fishing game, this isn't a sedate wait for the fish to bite. You frantically collect fish on the hook, and then when they reach the surface it turns into a clay pigeon shoot, where you...

New Pokemon Snap

Release Date: 30/04/2021

Out Now: Switch

Skill Rating: 5+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person and Cartoon

New Pokemon Snap is the latest in the series of Pokemon Snap games. It's a puzzle safari where you are guided through the natural world of Pokemon creatures to take pictures of them in the wild. The aim is to time your photos to capture them in specific...

Penko Park

Release Date: 23/10/2020

Out Now: PC

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person, Cartoon and Hand-Made

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Ghost Squad

Release Date: 18/01/2008

Out Now: Wii

Components: 3D First-Person

Ghost Squad is a shooting game where you use a light-gun or Wii Remote for shooting. This was converted from an Arcade game to the Wii (also playable on Wii U) to create a convincing and highly skilled light-gun shooting challenge for up to four players.

The Gunstringer

Release Date: 13/11/2011

Out Now: Xbox 360

Components: 3D Third-Person

The Gunstringer is an Xbox Kinect camera game where you use your body to control a cowboy puppet and shoot the villains by forming a gun with your fingers. You can play with two people working together, with one player controlling the character’s...

Resident Evil 4

Release Date: 11/01/2005, updated in 2023

Out Now: Android, GameCube, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, Switch, Wii, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and iOS

Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person

Resident Evil 4 is a survival shooting game where you play U.S. government special agent Leon S. Kennedy, on a mission to rescue the President's daughter from a cult. You play by exploring the different areas, searching for equipment and fending off...

Western 1849 Reloaded

Release Date: 11/02/2017, updated in 2018

Out Now: PC and Switch

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person and Hand-Made

Western 1849 Reloaded is a shooting game designed to imitate light-gun games of the 90s. It's a fast-shooting gallery through different Western locations. The Western 1849 Reloaded version brings it to Switch where it feels at home with Joy-Con...

Art's Dream

Art's Dream (Dreams)

Release Date: 11/02/2020, updated in 2021

Out Now: PS4 and PS5

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person

Art's Dream is an adventure game featuring different game styles, including running and jumping, combat and puzzle solving. It's particularly unusual as it has music threading through it like a musical. You play as Art, a depressed double bass player,...

Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved

Release Date: 15/10/2014

Out Now: Xbox 360 and Xbox One

Components: 2D Side-On

Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved is an Xbox Kinect camera dancing game using your whole body. Its narrative follows Disney’s Fantasia film as you take a musical journey to earn your sorcerer’s hat. Sweeping your arms to trigger the orchestra, pointing...

Ethan Goes to Work

Ethan Goes to Work (Dreams)

Release Date: 26/02/2020, updated in 2020

Out Now: PS4 and PS5

Skill Rating: 9+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person

Ethan Goes to Work is an action adventure game where Ethan McCormick just wants to get to work and not even invading aliens on his home planet of Waffle can stop him. It's a quirky tale featuring hand-to-hand brawling with a briefcase, a gun that turns...

The House of the Dead

The House of the Dead (Series)

Release Date: 01/01/1996, updated in 2022

Out Now: PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii, Xbox, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

Components: 3D First-Person

The House of the Dead is a horror-themed shooting game where you control the targeting but not the movement. Unlike general on-rails shooting games, this was controlled using a light-gun pointing at the screen (or similar controller). This gives the...

Wii Play

Wii Play (Series)

Release Date: 02/12/2006, updated in 2011

Out Now: Wii

Skill Rating: 6+ year-olds

Components: 3D Third-Person and Cartoon

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Child of Eden

Release Date: 17/06/2011, updated in 2011

Out Now: PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One

Components: 3D First-Person

Child of Eden is a dance and motion game that uses the Xbox Kinect camera. You use your body to shoot and move. Rather than fruit, however, here it’s beautiful firework-style visuals and music that are the challenge.

Elebits

Release Date: 04/05/2006

Out Now: DS and Wii

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person

Elebits (also known as Eledees) is a light-gun shooting adventure. To play you point at the screen with the Wii Remote and use your gun to move objects around and solve puzzles as well as shooting things. It's an unusual combination of hide-and-seek and...

Gunman Tales

Release Date: 01/08/2018, updated in 2023

Out Now: PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One

Skill Rating: 8+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On and Pixels

Gunman Tales is a retro light-gun shooting game where 4 players target enemies to hit them before they get shot. You control your moving and aiming with a single stick, so the fun is about working within these limits to survive each level. It stands out...

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Release Date: 01/11/2021

Out Now: PC

Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person

Dead Containment is a shooting game where you only control the aiming. It's inspired by on-rails shooting games found in 90's arcades, played with light guns. You use your weapons to fend off the undead as they race towards you in city locations.

Dead Space: Extraction

Release Date: 24/09/2009, updated in 2011

Out Now: PS3 and Wii

Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds

Components: 3D First-Person

Dead Space: Extraction is a shooting game where you only control the aiming, like a light gun game. It's a spin-off prequel from the main Dead Space series and follows survivors of a mining colony as it is overrun by deadly monsters.

Wild Guns Reloaded

Wild Guns Reloaded (Series)

Release Date: 30/10/1996, updated in 2018

Out Now: PC, PS4, Switch, Wii and Wii U

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Components: 2D Side-On

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Curated lists:
Game genre:
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Components:

How long to play:
User-generated content:	No
Accessibility features:	Yes

Controls
Gamepad:
Mouse And Keyboard:
Touchscreen:
Motion:	Motion Aiming Motion Pointing Motion Tilting Motion Gesture Motion Camera
Remap Controls:
Button Combinations:	Holding Down Buttons Optional Rapid Repeated Pressing Optional No Simultaneous Buttons
Controller Vibration:
Sensitivity:

Getting Started
Onboarding Before Play:
Assistance Getting Starting:	Tutorials Practice Area View Control Mapping Assistance With Controls Reaction-Time Not Critical Low Pressure Adjust Speed No Jump Scares
Assistance For Progressing:	Guaranteed Progress With God Mode Bank Progress With Frequent Checkpoints Assisted Progress With Boosts Assisted Progress With Hints Assisted Recall for Characters Assisted Recall for Narrative and Dialogue Save Progress Anytime

Reading
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Text Visibility:	Large Clear Text High Contrast Text
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Controls

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Reading

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Audio

Communication

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Getting Started

Reading

Physical

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Gender and Sexuality

Light Gun Shooting

List Details

Related Lists

Nintendo Land

Ridiculous Fishing

New Pokemon Snap

Penko Park

Ghost Squad

The Gunstringer

Resident Evil 4

Western 1849 Reloaded

Art's Dream (Dreams)

Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved

Ethan Goes to Work (Dreams)

The House of the Dead (Series)

Wii Play (Series)

Child of Eden

Elebits

Gunman Tales

Dead Containment

Dead Space: Extraction

Wild Guns Reloaded (Series)

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Navigation
Clarity:
Head-Up Display:
Menu Navigation:

Visual
Contrast:
Interactive Elements:
Visual Distractions:
Audio Cues for Visual Events:
Narration for Visual Elements:
	Motion Sickness Friendly
Colour Options:
Play Without Sight:
Violence:

Audio
	Balance Audio Levels
Audio Events:
	Play Without Hearing

Communication
Player-to-Player Online Communication:
Online Communication Assistance:

Difficulty
Difficulty Options:	Simple and Full Version No Memorisation Advantage No Hidden Information No Deceit Advantage No Colour Advantage No Mathematics Advantage No Weighing Decisions

Getting Started
Assistance Getting Started:	Clear Manual Electronic Version of Manual Electronic Version of Manual for Screen Readers Getting Started Video Digital Version Reference Aid
Assistance Progressing:	Play Order Tokens (Or play order doesn’t change) Reaction-Time Not Critical Low Pressure Low Impact Catch Up Rule

Reading
Reading Level:
Necessary Text Visibility:	Large Clear Text on Board (Or no text required) Large Clear Text on Cards (Or no text required) High Contrast Text (Or no text required) QR Code For Text (Or no text required) Primary and Secondary Text Distinguishable (Or no text required) Information Orientation Clear Icons

Physical
Pieces:	Components are Distinguishable by Touch Components are Replaceable No Non-Standard Dice (Or No Dice) No Tiny Pieces No Paper Money No Sprawl
Cards:	Large Card Size Standard Card Shape Limited Hand Management No Excessive Card Shuffling No Right-Handed Advantage
Placement:	No Unbound Placement Player Components Not Shared No Fiddly Placement Easily Verbalised Actions

Visual
Printed Visibility:	Colour Blind Friendly Design Double-Coding Colour High Contrast Colours
Component Identifiability:	Outline Key Elements No Busy Backgrounds Easily Verbalised Game State No Close Inspection Disadvantage Playable Without Sight

Audio
Communication:	Audio Cues Mirrored Visually (Or no critical audio signals) No Pressured Reveals No Pressured Communication Playable Without Hearing

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