For many, games like Contra and Metal Slug defined what it meant to be a run n’ gun game but they aren’t the only games to have inspired in this field.īefore sidescrollers really became the “in-thing” due to Super Mario Bros., run n’ gunning had it’s place in a slightly different form of the angled top-down view- a precursor to the many third person action games so prevalent in today’s gaming world. In some ways, they share common traits with shmups. These kind of games found a nice spot in arcades which thrive off of fast moving action titles of this nature. By these guidelines it’s doesn’t have to strictly be a 2D game or even a sidescroller but for the most part that is what we will be looking at. They essentially boil down to games that focus upon factors such as copious amounts of destruction, constant movement and a high degree of difficulty. Usually that firepower is at the end of a gun but often they include grenades and/or melee attacks to enhance the destruction. Typically it’s a 2D sidescrolling game that has the player(s) running from point A to point B and in-between they face a nearly insurmountable amount of enemies that they need to gun down using gigantic amounts of fire-power. So let’s get startedįirst let’s define run ‘n gun. Today I’m going to look at one genre that still manages to show up on earnings reports every now and then, the Run ‘N Gun type game. Take a look at previous MIA articles: Space Games Puzzle Games Scrolling Fighters Tank/Planes/Mechs and More Adventure/RPGs On The Defense. They are genres that I believe with the right game concept could still be both viable and profitable in today’s market.

I take a look at a particular genre of games that used to have a strong presence in arcades but in recent times have gone to the wayside for various reasons. Given the recent slow news cycle, it’s given me some time to sit down and continue upon my editorial series I call “Missing In Action”.

Run n gun game