The Tragic Downfall of Light Gun Games
(Intro)
One of the most enjoyable and sought-after experiences I looked for growing up and going to arcades were light gun games. Machines that put you front and center either fighting off criminals, potential worldwide disasters, or zombies created by an evil mastermind wanting to take over the world. And although arcades were the premier location to play most of this genre, there were other ways to experience this style of video game, albeit in a heavily compromised way. But, as the market for home consoles grew in the early 2000s, the need or even desire to find an arcade to experience these games diminished. To the point, that at least here in the states, arcades are still around but provide a much different experience than they once did. Places like Dave & Buster’s, Apex Entertainment and more focus on arcade games with the goal of winning tickets to cash in for prizes. Whereas years prior, those kinds of games certainly did exist, but there was a stronger emphasis on just playing games and experiences you couldn’t get anywhere else. There was no prize, no immediate gratification other than the experience itself. And maybe being allowed to stay on the machine until you lost, too. And light gun games were certainly at the top of the arcade food pyramid. Next to other genres, like classic racing games, and fighting games. So today, I wanted to just have a conversation about the light gun genre as a whole; go over some of its history, which games really gave this genre the popularity it deserved back in the day and ultimately why light gun games fell out of favor in an arcade setting. They’re still around don’t get me wrong, but good light gun games, that have tons of replay value, are challenging but feel fair, and ultimately give you that classic arcade experience have had a tragic downfall.
