So, how many NES Zapper games can you name? If you’re drawing a blank, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. This guide lists the best NES gun games ever made, with mini-reviews for each.
The Table of Contents
Revisiting 10 Nintendo NES The Light Gun Games
We’ll also show you what you need to actually play them today (hint: CRT TVs are involved). Let’s take a shot at rediscovering what your childhood was missing.
Duck Hunt
Let’s start with the obvious. As most of you know, Duck Hunt is one of the best NES Zapper games. Overall, it’s a great example of the perfect simplicity that made the 8-bit era of gaming so great.
- More specifically, the controls are impeccably responsive. Really, the only variable is the player's skill.
- Aim correctly, and your shots hit their marks. If you miss, it’s because your aim is off or because the duck hid behind an obstacle. Also, the ducks get faster after each level you clear. So, the difficulty level is always appropriate, no matter who is playing. As you get better, the game gets harder in order to match your skills.
- Now, here’s a mind-blowing, life-altering fact you may not know about this game: Duck Hunt has a two-player versus mode. Seriously, it does!
- Plug a controller into the first port, and a second player can control the Duck with the D-Pad. While this may not be as cool as a dual-Zapper mode, it still allows two players to enjoy Duck Hunt in a whole new way. This excellent two-player party game is also a fun drinking game for over-21 gaming parties.
That damn dog - I wish you could shoot the fu**ing dog. I know I'm not alone with this thought. Duck Hunt is simple to learn. The ducks get faster with each level. The real challenge starts around level 8. It's a great, mindless game and one of the most popular retro games ever.
Wild Gunman
Wild Gunman was a very popular arcade game in the 1980s. Case in point, it’s the cowboy game played by Marty McFly in Back to the Future II alongside a very young Elijah Wood, no less. In other words, it’s worth playing for nostalgic value alone.
- But nostalgia isn’t the only reason, or even the main reason, to play Wild Gunman. This game stands out among Zapper games because it centers on quick-draw duels, like in the Wild West. Most other games here are just different takes on shooting galleries. You wait for the target to appear and shoot it before it gets away.
- But you can’t do that in Wild Gunman. Instead of hitting moving targets as quickly as possible, you shoot a stationary target at precisely the proper time. You must wait for your enemy to say, “FIRE!” and then shoot him before he shoots you. If you shoot too soon or too slowly, you lose.
Did you know?: The original Wild Gunman arcade game came out in 1974! It featured full-motion videos of actors dressed like cowboys. And before that, there were, you know, actual cowboys shooting each other this way.
The game name sounds better than it really is. If you want a challenge, go straight to mode 2, where you shoot two outlaws instead of one. If you play the standard game, just hold your gun close to the screen and shoot when it says "fire." No real challenge. The last mode, Gang, is harder because you shoot outlaws hiding behind shutters in an old west house. If you want a real challenge, there are better Zapper games.
Hogan’s Alley
Most NES Zapper games are like video game versions of traditional shooting galleries. Of those, Hogan’s Alley is the one you should own. Like Wild Gunman, Hogan’s Alley is rich in history and nostalgia. For
starters, it was a hit arcade game of the '80s.
- Also, it’s based on an actual marksmanship training facility that has been used by the police and military since before World War II. Back then, trainees would shoot mechanized pop-up targets with live fire to hone their skills.
- Likewise, the Hogan's Alley game features pop-up targets that resemble cardboard cutouts. The fun part is that you have to be careful about which targets you hit. There is an innocent lady and a police officer that you must avoid shooting. But you don’t know who is who until the targets turn around. You have to think fast to avoid making mistakes.
- There are also 3 game modes. Game A has targets that turn around against a blank background. It’s a more mentally stimulating version of Wild Gunman, but it also feels like “Practice Mode.”
- In Game B, targets appear in various hiding places along a city street. Game C is Trick Shot, wherein the object is to shoot cans to keep them from hitting the ground. You earn points for each can that reaches the goal.
A shooting range game that tests your reflexes. Like most NES Zapper games, it gets faster the further you go. You have to avoid hitting innocent bystanders. The last mode is a trick shot game. Once you figure it out, it's pretty addictive.
Gumshoe
Gumshoe is an extremely unique game that sort of belongs in its own genre. It’s obviously a shooter because you control it with the gun. But it’s primarily a platformer. More than anything else, it feels like one of those addictive, modern-day mobile games that eventually get ported to
arcades. Think Flappy Bird crossed with Balloon Fight.
- Anyway, the object of Gumshoe is to rescue your kidnapped daughter from gangsters. You do that by keeping your character, Mr. Stevenson, alive long enough to reach the end of the game. But Mr. Stevenson is mostly out of your control, automatically running to the right at all times. Without your help, he’ll run right into dangerous obstacles and die.
- So, you shoot him to make him jump, and you shoot certain obstacles to destroy them. Shooting anything other than Mr. Stevenson consumes bullets, which you replenish by collecting balloons. Granted, the logic of this game makes no sense at all. But it’s a truly unique game experience unlike any other.
When I first played this, I had no idea what to expect. This is different from most light gun games. It's like a platformer, but you move him by shooting him. You shoot to make him jump over obstacles and collect red balloons. I can play for a few rounds, then my arm gets tired, and I quit.
Freedom Force
Freedom Force is a better or, at least, more exciting version of Hogan’s Alley. Both games require the same skill set: shooting the bad guys while sparing the innocents. But while Hogan’s Alley has cardboard training targets, Freedom Force has all the vibe and explosive energy of an
1980s action movie.
- In this game, you play as a lone gunman who must destroy, like, a thousand terrorists to save a bunch of hostages. Basically, you single-handedly take down an entire regime of terrorists at every level. The experience is what we imagine it feels like to be John McClane from Die Hard, if John McClane were also a Terminator.
- Oh, we didn’t mention the best part. Freedom Force has a two-player mode. Unfortunately, players must take turns rather than play co-op. So there’s still no game that you can play with two Zappers at once, like a dual-gun-wielding supercop.
This is a typical rail shooter that reminds me of Lethal Enforcers. Shoot the bad guys; don't shoot the innocent lady in a bikini. Not sure why she's wearing a bikini in an airport, but whatever. The soundtrack is better than the three games above.
Operation Wolf
Operation Wolf is another explosive shooter that evokes '80s action-movie vibes. This one’s got a jungle warfare theme, reminiscent of Rambo and Commando.
- The bad news is that the NES port is a lesser version of the original arcade hit, especially in terms of graphics. But the good news is that you probably have never played or will play the arcade game.
- More importantly, here’s a better comparison to keep in mind. There are only 17 licensed games made for the NES Zapper, only a third of which are guerrilla-warfare-style action games. Of those, Freedom Force and Operation Wolf are the best. Though Freedom Force definitely takes the cake on the home console.
If you played this in the arcade, this is NOT that game. The arcade version is awesome. The gun and grenades feel smooth, and it's not crazy hard. But the NES version is super difficult. Maybe it's the small screen. All your shots need to be way more precise on the NES.
Bill Barker’s Trick Shooting
Bill Barker’s Trick Shooting is a cutesy shooting gallery that doesn’t have the same nostalgic impact as Duck Hunt. Although that damn laughing dog still makes an appearance. “You LOSER! HA, HA, HA!”
- The problem is, Trick Shooting was released in 1990, only months before the Super Nintendo came out. By then, it was too late for the game to earn the recognition it truly deserved.
- The game has a lovable, bubbly personality and a bit more variety than Duck Hunt. There are 3 individual modes of play in which you shoot ascending balloons, tossed plates, or falling objects.
- In addition, there’s a fourth mode that includes all of these games, plus two bonus games. Trick Shooting has loads of replay value as you can compete with friends or try to beat your own score. If you like Duck Hunt, you’ll love Bill Barker’s Trick Shooting.
Nothing really new or different here. The soundtrack sounds like a circus, which some people hate. But if you like that dog from Duck Hunt, his laugh is in this game too.
Gotcha! The sport!
Confused by the title? You should be. Basically, Gotcha! The Sport! is the result of a poorly conceived marketing ploy by several now-defunct companies.
- It’s a tie-in to a spy comedy no one’s ever heard of to sell paintball guns to kids. Oh, and “Gotcha” is apparently what 1985 thought paintball was called. Against all expectations, the result of this mess is a decent shooter game for the NES Zapper. It’s meant to simulate a typical real-life paintball game.
- And it does so surprisingly well, given that few people had even heard of the sport at the time. Put simply, you try to shoot the opponents before they shoot you and capture their flag for the win.
- You also use the D-pad on the controller to scroll the screen left or right. As in Duck Hunt, the opponents become faster after each level you clear. Compared to the other amazing games on this list, Gotcha! The Sport! isn’t exactly the best. But it’s different enough to warrant your consideration.
Paintball comes to the NES. This game always makes me think of Friday the 13th Part VI, when Jason kills people playing paintball in the woods. Nothing special. You move side to side, shooting the other team. I've never played paintball where guys pop out of trees.
To the Earth
The last game worth mentioning is To the Earth. As you may have guessed, the game is set in space.
- Normally, that would make it the most common type of shooter game. But when it comes to the NES Zapper, space shooters are surprisingly rare. And we want to be excited about this refreshing change of scenery. But, unfortunately, the game is rather repetitive and unfairly difficult.
- To The Earth, however, has a couple of innovative features. Missing your shot depletes your life bar, while hitting your mark refills it. And if you shoot enough enemies when your life bar is full, it destroys all enemies on the screen.
- If you want the only space shooter in the NES Zapper lineup (besides the Japan-only Space Shadow), buy To the Earth. Otherwise, don’t.
This game is right up my alley. It's a space shooter. Like a light gun game and a shmup had a baby. The graphics are great for an NES game.
Chiller
Chiller might not be one of the first NES Zapper games that come to mind. This game may lack in overall popularity, but it pushed the NES hardware to the limit. However, this game is nowhere near as good as the arcade game.
- The NES version has some censorship that wasn't prevalent in the arcade version. For example, in the arcade, you start off in the torture chamber, where you're supposed to shoot the skin off the bodies.
- In the NES version, the torture chamber is much more toned down, and it is now the 3rd level in the game.
- The idea of the torture chamber is to shoot the flesh of the bodies and also shoot the torture devices to inflict more torture on the bodies. Let's think about that for a second. Hmm, that's a little messed up.
A third-party light gun game. Not sure I'd pay the price for it. It's a little messed up. The soundtrack sucks. The dark graphics make it hard to see what you're shooting at. I wouldn't sit down to beat this game. It's fun in doses. Ten to fifteen minutes is my limit.
The Wrap Up:
The NES Zapper didn't have many games, but the ones it had were special. Games like Duck Hunt and Gumshoe brought together creativity, challenge, and 8-bit fun. They stood out in ways that other games didn't.
Most of them are still fun to play today if you have the right setup. Whether you played these as a kid or you're trying them for the first time, there's a lot of nostalgia and entertainment here. So dust off that old Zapper, find a CRT TV, and take aim at a unique piece of gaming history.
The Collector’s Perspective
The NES Zapper itself is easy to find and cheap. Almost every NES came with Duck Hunt and a Zapper, so millions exist. Finding one in the original box costs more. Most games vary in price.
To the Earth, Operation Wolf, and Gotcha are the cheapest. Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley are also very affordable. Gumshoe, Bill Barker's Trick Shooting, and Freedom Force cost a bit more. Wild Gunman is expensive; it costs several times more than most Zapper games. Chiller is the most expensive game on this list, selling for almost $100.
Complete games with boxes in good shape can cost three to four times more than loose cartridges. We buy NES Zapper guns and light gun games at The Old School Game Vault - loose or complete, any condition - for cash.
