Railguns in science fiction
Encyclopedia
Electromagnetic projectile devices which use electromagnetic means to accelerate solid materials, often appear in fiction
al literature, especially science fiction
where they are described as Kinetic energy weaponry, Gauss guns, Mass driver
s or Railgun
s. However, their fictional behaviour rarely matches that of real life projectile devices, which are typically much less powerful and far more bulky.
, where c is the speed of light
.
Some fictional sources describe the projectile as moving at significant fractions of the speed of light. This speed implies a largely unrealistic amount of energy.
slugs. A common trait shared by many railguns in different games is the ability for a slug (or other ammo type) to hit and pass though multiple enemies with one shot as well as allowing one to see, one shot kill, and/or shoot though solid matter by use of some type of x-ray or even a thermal aiming device (mainly in first-person shooters).
Other traits can include the these weapons having to ability to do electrical or EMP
based damage due to fact most railguns in video games use electromagnets as a main power source.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al literature, especially science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
where they are described as Kinetic energy weaponry, Gauss guns, Mass driver
Mass driver
A mass driver or electromagnetic catapult is a proposed method of non-rocket spacelaunch which would use a linear motor to accelerate and catapult payloads up to high speeds. All existing and contemplated mass drivers use coils of wire energized by electricity to make electromagnets. Sequential...
s or Railgun
Railgun
A railgun is an entirely electrical gun that accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using the same principles as the homopolar motor. Railguns use two sliding or rolling contacts that permit a large electric current to pass through the projectile. This current interacts...
s. However, their fictional behaviour rarely matches that of real life projectile devices, which are typically much less powerful and far more bulky.
Realism of depictions
The kinetic energy of a projectile is, where c is the speed of lightSpeed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
.
Some fictional sources describe the projectile as moving at significant fractions of the speed of light. This speed implies a largely unrealistic amount of energy.
Literature
- In the 1955 novel Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke, an electromagnetically propelled piece of molten metal is fired from a fortress at an advanced warship, astounding a nearby observer who sees a beam of light (on the airless Moon) stabbing the warship and destroying it. Later it was shown that molten metal cannot be accelerated by a magnetic field as metal loses its magnetic properties in a molten state, and Clarke admitted his error gracefully.
- In Harry Harrison's book The Stainless Steel RatThe Stainless Steel RatJames Bolivar DiGriz, alias "Slippery Jim" and "The Stainless Steel Rat", is the fictional hero of a series of humorous science fiction novels written by Harry Harrison.-James Bolivar diGriz:...
's Revenge gauss rifles are the standard armament of Cliaand soldiers. - The first mass driver known in print was actually called the "electric gun" and described in detail as a way to launch vehicles into outer space from the Earth's surface in the 1897 science fiction novel A Trip to Venus by John Munro and published in 1897 by Jarrold & Sons, London. In the book Munro describes in great detail multiple coils fired in sequence by solenoids at proper timing to achieve acceleration without too high g forces to the passengers. The gun would be angled on a hillside if desired. Amazingly this book also describes in detail combinations of electric gun launch for a passenger capsule with onboard rockets, compressed gas jets and even retrofired bullets as a means to increase velocity and change direction and the use of planetary atmosphere aerobraking and parachutes for landing on a planet.
- The Big UThe Big UThe Big U is Neal Stephenson's first published novel, a satire of campus life.- Plot :The story chronicles the disillusionment of a number of young intellectuals as they encounter the realities of the higher education establishment parodied in the story...
(by Neal StephensonNeal StephensonNeal Town Stephenson is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction.Difficult to categorize, his novels have been variously referred to as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and postcyberpunk...
) A character builds a mass driverMass driverA mass driver or electromagnetic catapult is a proposed method of non-rocket spacelaunch which would use a linear motor to accelerate and catapult payloads up to high speeds. All existing and contemplated mass drivers use coils of wire energized by electricity to make electromagnets. Sequential...
as part of an academic project. - In Robert A. HeinleinRobert A. HeinleinRobert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
's classic novel The Moon Is a Harsh MistressThe Moon Is a Harsh MistressThe Moon Is a Harsh Mistress is a 1966 science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, about a lunar colony's revolt against rule from Earth....
, rebelling Lunar colonists convert a kilometers-long mass driver system that delivers raw materials to Earth into a railgun that lobs metal-clad rocks, then commence an orbital bombardment. - In the Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
and HaloHalo (series)Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
franchises, many vehicles and starships use Mass Driver cannons. - In the novel The Two Faces of Tomorrow by James P. HoganJames P. Hogan (writer)James Patrick Hogan was a British science fiction author.-Biography:Hogan was born in London, England. He was raised in the Portobello Road area on the west side of London...
, a Maskelyne mass driver based in the Sea of Tranquility is used by the TITAN supercomputer to easily destroy a lunar ridge that needs to be cleared for the construction of a second mass driver site. - In the novel Warrior's Blood by Richard S. McEnroe, an ancient alien mining colony awakened from stasis on the Moon uses a mass-driver intended to launch massive blocks of iron ore into lunar orbit as a makeshift (but very effective) weapon of mass destruction, attacking the Earth with crude projectiles which emulate the effect of asteroid strikes.
- In the novel Pushing IcePushing IcePushing Ice is a 2005 science fiction novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. According to Reynolds' Web site, the story takes place in a universe separate and distinct from his Revelation Space universe.- Plot summary:...
by Alastair ReynoldsAlastair ReynoldsAlastair Preston Reynolds is a British science fiction author. He specialises in dark hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle, where he read physics and astronomy. Afterwards, he earned a PhD from St Andrews, Scotland...
, the crew of the Rockhopper use mass drivers to send comets back to earth for processing into water and other resources. - In the novel Thunderstrike! by Michael McCollum, a mass driver is used by a lunar city.
- In the novel series Buck RogersBuck RogersAnthony Rogers is a fictional character that first appeared in Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan in the August 1928 issue of the pulp magazine Amazing Stories. A sequel, The Airlords of Han, was published in the March 1929 issue....
, the protagonist uses railguns on the planet Luna. - Redemption ArkRedemption ArkRedemption Ark is a 2002 hard science fiction space opera novel by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds. It is the second book in the Revelation Space series , and it continues the story of Nevil Clavain begun in the short stories "Great Wall of Mars" and "Glacial"...
by Alastair ReynoldsAlastair ReynoldsAlastair Preston Reynolds is a British science fiction author. He specialises in dark hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle, where he read physics and astronomy. Afterwards, he earned a PhD from St Andrews, Scotland...
; early in the novel, various factions use railguns that fire foam-phase hydrogen (which explodes on impact) and other munitions; these weapons range from small ship-to-ship devices to thousand kilometre installations. - Count ZeroCount ZeroCount Zero is a science fiction novel written by William Gibson, originally published 1986. It is the second volume of the Sprawl trilogy, which begins with Neuromancer and concludes with Mona Lisa Overdrive, and is a canonical example of the cyberpunk sub-genre.Count Zero was serialized by Isaac...
(by William GibsonWilliam GibsonWilliam Gibson is an American-Canadian science fiction author.William Gibson may also refer to:-Association football:*Will Gibson , Scottish footballer...
): The characters speculate that a huge explosion was triggered by a railgun, and they describe the railgun's inherent instability: "You can rig a railgun to blow itself to plasma when it discharges." - Crest of the StarsCrest of the Starsis a three-volume space opera science fiction novel written by Hiroyuki Morioka with cover illustrations by Toshihiro Ono. Beginning in 1999, the novels were adapted into anime series, the first of which ran for 13 episodes on WOWOW...
and Banner of the StarsBanner of the Starsis a series of science fiction novels written by Hiroyuki Morioka, which serve as sequels to Crest of the Stars. The series is ongoing. Three of the four novels in the series have been made into anime.- Characters :Main characters:...
(by Hiroyuki MoriokaHiroyuki Moriokais a Japanese science fiction novelist.- Biography :In 1992, his first novel Yume no ki ga tsugeta nara appeared in Hayakawa Shobo 's SF Magazine...
): Railguns are called Irgymh in Abh Empire, and used as a main armament of the combat warship in the Laburec. - Black CatBlack Cat (manga)is a Japanese Shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Yabuki. It was originally serialized in Japan in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump. It was later collected in twenty tankōbon volumes from January 11, 2001 to October 9, 2004. The series was adapted into a twenty-four episode anime...
(Anime/Manga series): The protagonist Train Heartnet is capable of shooting a railgun with his revolver after being enhanced by nanobots. - StarFist seriesStarFist seriesStarFist is a series of military science fiction novels set in the 25th century and written from the viewpoint of the men of the Confederation Marine Corps 34th FIST and later in the spin-off series Starfist: Force Recon....
: Railguns are used to great effect by the alien Skinks in combatting human soldiers. - Succession series (by Scott Westerfeld): Railguns are fired from the orbiting Lynx to kill the Rix commandos who took Child Empress Anastasia Vista Khaman and her court hostage.
- Old Man's WarOld Man's WarOld Man's War is a science fiction novel by John Scalzi published in 2005. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2006. It was optioned by Paramount Pictures in 2011...
(by John Scalzi.) The CDF ships are equipped with railguns along with various other weapons. - In the Legacy of the AldenataLegacy of the AldenataThe Legacy of the Aldenata, also known as the Posleen War Series is the fictional universe of one of John Ringo's military science fiction series.- Premise :...
series of books by John RingoJohn RingoJohn Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
, the alien race known as the PosleenPosleenPosleen are a fictional alien race, created by the Sci-Fi author John Ringo for his Legacy of the Aldenata series of books. The Posleen are a race of genetically engineered reptilian centaurs, supposedly designed by the long lost race - the Aldenata - to be the ultimate warriors...
are equipped with a large number of man-portable rail guns in 1 mm and 3 mm versions. These are in contrast to the Grav guns with which some elements of humanity are supplied. - In the light novel/anime/manga series Toaru Majutsu no Index and its spin-off Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, key character Mikoto Misaka by virtue of her power of electricity control is capable of firing arcade tokens as projectiles similar to a rail gun, which became her nickname.
- In Neal AsherNeal AsherNeal Asher is an English science fiction writer. Both his parents are educators and science fiction fans. Although he began writing Science Fiction and Fantasy in secondary school, Asher did not turn seriously to writing till he was 25...
's Polity stories, railguns are among the weapons used by Earth Central Security. In the short story, "Alien Archaeology," the main character mentions that ships hiding with chameleonware near ECS warships might find themselves the victims of a mishap involving a railgun test fire.
Film
- In the film The Last StarfighterThe Last StarfighterThe Last Starfighter is a 1984 science fiction adventure film directed by Nick Castle. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan , an average teenage boy recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an interstellar war. It also featured Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston, Norman...
a meteor gun, also described as a mass driver, is used to destroy the Starfighter base. - The blockbusterBlockbuster (entertainment)Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
film EraserEraser (film)Eraser is a 1996 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan and Vanessa L. Williams. It was directed by Chuck Russell. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Sound Effects Editing in 1996.-Plot:...
starring Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
is about a defense contractor employee who has stumbled on a secret conspiracy to sell a deadly new weapon to terrorists. This weapon is a hand-held railgun with an X-ray scope, designed to complement the gun's ability to penetrate through almost any barrier. - Earth Star VoyagerEarth Star VoyagerEarth Star Voyager is the name of a science fiction television movie shown on the Wonderful World of Disney in 1988. The show aired as a two-part pilot, but was never picked up for a series and has not been released on DVD, although a fan base for the pilot has grown over the years.-Cast and...
: A Disney film about a deep space exploration mission that runs into trouble soon after departure from Earth. The crew of Earth Star Voyager uses a railgun to send a tracking device on a course different from their own, to elude an unknown pursuer. Subsequently, the same railgun is used to disable a military spacecraft (the Triton Corsair) in pursuit of Earth Star Voyager. - Black MaskBlack Mask (film)Black Mask is a 1996 Hong Kong action film starring Jet Li, Lau Ching-Wan, Karen Mok and Anthony Wong Chau-Sang. It was directed by Daniel Lee and produced by Tsui Hark and his production company Film Workshop....
: An action film starring Jet LiJet LiThe fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
. The main villain in the film uses a railgun. - Demolition ManDemolition Man (film)Demolition Man is a 1993 American, science fiction action film directed by Marco Brambilla, and starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, and Denis Leary co-star....
: A film starring Sylvester StalloneSylvester StalloneMichael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
. The main villain, Simon Phoenix, uses a weapon called the "Magnetic Accelerator Gun". - In Transformers: Revenge of the FallenTransformers: Revenge of the FallenTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
, a railgun is used in the final battle. Former Agent Simmons believes that a nearby US battlegroup is bound to have one and contacts the ship (namely, USS KiddUSS Kidd (DDG-100)USS Kidd is an in the United States Navy. She is the third Navy ship named after Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who was on board during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and was the first American flag officer to die in World War II....
) to use it. The railgun is used to destroy Devastator in a single shot.
Television
- In Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
, the CentauriCentauri (Babylon 5)The Centauri are a humanoid species in the fictional universe of the Babylon 5 television series. They were the first alien species to make open contact with the human race. Their homeworld is Centauri Prime, a small Earth-like planet consisting of two large continents and several smaller islands...
used mass driverMass driverA mass driver or electromagnetic catapult is a proposed method of non-rocket spacelaunch which would use a linear motor to accelerate and catapult payloads up to high speeds. All existing and contemplated mass drivers use coils of wire energized by electricity to make electromagnets. Sequential...
s to orbitally bombard the NarnNarnThe Narn are a fictional alien race in the universe of the Babylon 5 television series. Their homeworld is also called Narn.-Homeworld:Narn is the homeworld of the Narn and the Narn Regime. Its day is 31 hours long. Prior to the Centauri's first invasion, Narn was a healthy green planet. Now it...
home planet. This usage is considered an atrocity in-universe, as orbital bombardment has the power to destroy whole cities at a stroke, making them weapons of mass destruction. - In the animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
MacrossMacrossis a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
, the SDF-1 has four heavy rail guns on its "shoulders" when it is in the transformed humanoid form (Attack mode). Also its complement Monster Mark II Destroids each have 4 heavy rail guns on their top mounts that travel 4000 km/s in space, so fast that making the warhead explosive would be redundant. - In animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
GundamGundamThe is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
series such as Mobile Suit Gundam SEEDMobile Suit Gundam SEEDis an anime series developed by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. As with other series from the Gundam franchise, Gundam SEED takes place in a parallel timeline, in this case the Cosmic Era, the first to do so...
, railguns of various sizes are mounted on both space warships and smaller one-man machines called mobile suits and mobile armors. The projectile is typically animated as a yellow streak, and doesn't have the speed and destructive properties of railguns depicted in other mediums. Mass drivers are also commonly used as a method of assisting the launch of shuttles from earth. - In the animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
RahXephonRahXephonis a Japanese anime series about 17-year-old Ayato Kamina, his ability to control a godlike mecha known as the RahXephon, and his inner journey to find a place in the world...
, the Vermillion is equipped with a combination weapon containing a continuous fire railgun and a beam weapon. - In the first season of the television series Stargate AtlantisStargate AtlantisStargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
, a railgun prototype is used against the WraithWraith (Stargate)In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...
's Darts. Intended to be used as a point defense weapon in the first generation of Earth's space ship, Prometheus, Stargate CommandStargate CommandThe Stargate Program is a fictional top-secret program that plays a key role in the Stargate franchise: it surrounds the operations of the Stargate on Earth. The core of the Stargate Program is Stargate Command , based at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station near Colorado Springs, Colorado...
(SGC) was ordered to send the prototypes to Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy before the Wraith attack. Commented as having a magazine size of 10,000 rounds and delivering an impact velocity of mach 5 at a distance of 250 miles, the weapons are a natural choice for defending the city from the waves of Wraith darts. The fully motorized railguns are mounted onto wheeled trailers, much like field gunsField artilleryField artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
to allow them to be moved to tactical locations around the city. At the beginning of the second season, the Earth battlecruiser DaedalusDaedalus class battlecruiserIn the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and its sequels, several types of starships are introduced in the later seasons. In the series, they are the product of several years' worth of research into alien technologies discovered on off-world missions to other planets visited via the...
arrives and displays an armament of similar railguns. In later seasons of Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
and Stargate Atlantis, all the Daedalus class are equipped with railguns. - In an episode of the cartoon network show Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
titled "Maid of Honor", DC comics supervillain Vandal Savage takes control of Kasnia by marrying its princess and uses a rail gun built in to the international space station to take control of the world. The rail gun is subsequently destroyed by the League and Savage is once again defeated - In episode 5 of the Dirty PairDirty Pairis a series of sci-fi comedy light novels written by Haruka Takachiho and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko that was later adapted into anime and manga versions....
OVAOriginal video animation, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
from 1988 a mass driver is used to fire asteroids at a nearby uninhabitable planet. The points on the planet where they impact are used to determine numbers for a gambling game called Meteo. After the game is found to be rigged one of the scammed players goes on a rampage in the casino and damages the controls to the mass driver, which then fires several asteroids at a local inhabited planet and destroys large areas of its surface.
Tabletop role-playing games and wargames
- The venerable Traveller role-playing game features a variety of "gauss" weapons used as personal weapons or vehicle weapons.
- In the tabletop version of Heavy GearHeavy GearHeavy Gear is a game universe published since 1994 by Canadian publisher Dream Pod 9. It includes a tabletop tactical wargame, a role-playing game and a lesser known combat card game...
, railguns are often found on main battle tanks and landships while the largest gears can carry a smaller version. - In the fictional future depicted in the role play game Cyberpunk 2020Cyberpunk 2020Cyberpunk 2020 is a cyberpunk role-playing game written by Mike Pondsmith and published by R. Talsorian Games.- Overview :This role-playing game is based on the works of William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, and other authors of the "Mirrorshades group"...
, a mass driver had been installed on the Moon in the so called Tycho colony. - In the role-playing game Tal'Vorn, railguns and mass drivers are used as part of the High Technology once owned by humanity and still part of the armoury belonging to the Northar race.
- In the post-apocalyptic role-playing game RiftsRifts (role-playing game)Rifts is a multi-genre role-playing game created by Kevin Siembieda in 1990 and published continuously by Palladium Books since then. Rifts takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, deriving elements from cyberpunk, science fiction, fantasy, horror, western, mythology and many other genres.Rifts...
, the Glitter Boy character classCharacter classIn role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
is an individual who pilots a large armoured suit equipped with a railgun (colloquially referred to as a "Boom Gun" in game terminology). The suit has a mechanism whereby it anchors itself into the ground when firing so as to avoid being knocked backwards by the gun's powerful recoil. Other Rifts character classes, specifically robots and cyborgs, have access to railguns. Though not the most formidable weapons available in Rifts, railguns are touted as the futuristic replacement of modern projectile firearms. - In the world of Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
, the TauTau (Warhammer 40,000)In the universe of Games Workshop's table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000, the Tau Empire is an alien race, inhabiting a small but dense region of space on the eastern edge of the Galaxy, roughly 300 light years in diameter...
make use of rail technology with one of the largest and strongest guns in the game, and have recently perfected hand-held rail rifles. Tau Rail Guns come as Sub-Munition, firing a packet of hyper-velocity solid slugs (only on vehicles), or Solid Shot, firing one hyper-velocity rod. The Manta Missile Destroyer and Tigershark aircraft employ these in a long barreled version, and the Tau Hammerhead gunship has two different variants. XV-88 Broadside Battlesuits carry high-power twin-linked shoulder railguns. The Necrons wield "Gauss" weaponry, but that is only a name given to a process as yet unknown to the galaxy at large, that does not in fact utilize traditional Gauss weaponry. Instead of firing projectiles they use the electromagnetism to strip an opponent's molecules away one layer at a time. The Imperium of Man arms its Apocalypse-class battleships and Space Marine Strike Cruisers with the Nova Cannon, which accelerates projectiles at near light-speed. - In the BattleTechBattleTechBattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
and series of tabletop, roleplaying and video games, many of the BattleMechs are equipped with "Gauss Rifle" weapons. Various tanks, DropShips and WarShips are also equipped with these including a variant scaled up to act as a Warship primary weapon. - In the InfinityInfinity (wargame)Infinity is a science fiction skirmish-level tabletop miniature wargame produced by Corvus Belli. Set about 175 years into the future, players of the game enact a skirmish between opposing forces using 28 mm scale miniatures and utilizing a flexible order system, allowing involved gameplay for...
tabletop wargame, several of the Tactical Armored Gears are armed with Hyper-Rapid Magnetic Cannon or HMC. This weapon fires 3 mm tungsten darts at extremely high speed and with a fast rate of fire, capable of easily piercing even the toughest armor. - In the miniature game AT-43At-43AT-43 is a science fiction tabletop wargame using 28 mm miniature figures and terrain to scale developed and published by the French company Rackham.The game is classified as a platoon/company level game similar to Warhammer 40,000....
the Red Blok, one of the games factions makes extensive use of "Gauss" Weaponry, ranging from "Gauss" Submachineguns to the mighty Heavy "Gauss" Cannon. However despite the reference to coilguns, the description of their operation indicates that they are in fact railgunRailgunA railgun is an entirely electrical gun that accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using the same principles as the homopolar motor. Railguns use two sliding or rolling contacts that permit a large electric current to pass through the projectile. This current interacts...
s. - In Thing-Thing, a gauss gun may be acquired.
- In the classic role-playing game Space Master, railguns are a common projectile weapon in 10th millennium combat. In the context of the game world, they are called Magnetic Linear Accelerators, abbreviated as MLA.
- In the anime Dragonar, the Giganos Empire uses a giant mass driver on the moon to attack Earth although it was originally used for transporting large rocks. Before dying, the Giganos leader, Giltorre, orders Meio Platt to destroy it.
- In the Starfire series add-on "Alkelda Dawn" the interstellar race known as the Umbra of Vestrii used kinetic weapons.
- In the Miniatures games Urban War and Metropolis, as well as their predecessor Void 1.1 the standard weapon for the more technologically advanced races is the "Gauss Rifle" and is accompanied by larger and smaller versions like Sniper Rifles and Pistols.
Computer and video games
Some computer games feature railguns as weapons. The most popular type of ammunition for these railguns are depleted uraniumDepleted uranium
Depleted uranium is uranium with a lower content of the fissile isotope U-235 than natural uranium . Uses of DU take advantage of its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3...
slugs. A common trait shared by many railguns in different games is the ability for a slug (or other ammo type) to hit and pass though multiple enemies with one shot as well as allowing one to see, one shot kill, and/or shoot though solid matter by use of some type of x-ray or even a thermal aiming device (mainly in first-person shooters).
Other traits can include the these weapons having to ability to do electrical or EMP
Electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
based damage due to fact most railguns in video games use electromagnets as a main power source.
- Ace Combat 04: Shattered SkiesAce Combat 04: Shattered Skies, released in PAL territories as Ace Combat: Distant Thunder, is a semi-realistic flight simulation developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console...
: The "Stonehenge" superweapon is a battery of railguns designed to shoot down asteroids, but is also effective against aircraft. - Ace Combat 6: Fires of LiberationAce Combat 6: Fires of Liberationis the sixth installment developed by Project Aces and published by Namco Bandai Games exclusively for the Xbox 360 as part of the Ace Combat franchise...
: The "Chandelier" superweapon is an immense railgun in a fixed position that fired giant warheads containing cruise missiles (similar to MIRV missiles) at the Emmerian capital city, Gracemeria. The Estovakians' superfighter, the CFA-44 Nosferatu is also armed with a pair of aircraft-mountable railguns, officially referred to as 'Electromagnetic Launchers'. - Alien LegacyAlien LegacyAlien Legacy is a sci-fi strategy game developed by Ybarra Productions, Inc. and published by Sierra On-Line in 1994 for the DOS operating system on the PC.-Gameplay:...
: The mass driver is a planetary facility used for transporting ore from one mass driver to another remote mass driver. - Aliens vs Predator 2: human players have access to a scoped railgun used as a sniper rifle with a very loud report. In addition, the lack of muzzle flash on Predator spearguns and that they allegedly fire spears at relativistic speeds (impossible to conventional projectile weapons) point towards them being railguns as well.
- Armored Core games: "Linear Rifles" and "Linear Cannons" are part of an ACs inventory of equippable weapons. They fire high-powered rounds at speeds high enough to visibly distort the air around them.
- Battlefield 2142Battlefield 2142Battlefield 2142 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Digital Illusions CE and produced by Electronic Arts . It is the fourth game in the Battlefield series...
(computer game): The Rorsch Mk-S8 is a stationary anti-vehicle railgun. - Battlezone II: Combat CommanderBattlezone II: Combat CommanderBattlezone II: Combat Commander, often abbreviated to BZII or BZ2, is a 1999 computer game released by Pandemic Studios as a sequel to Activision's 1998 Battlezone. Like Activision's Battlezone, Battlezone II is a hybrid tank shooter, first-person shooter and real-time strategy game...
: certain Scion craft can be equipped with Gauss Cannons; in addition, both the game and its predecessor contains a weapon named MAG Cannon (Magnetic Acceleration Gun) whose power depends on the amount of ammo used up before firing. - Brute ForceBrute Force (video game)Brute Force is a video game released for the Xbox by Microsoft in 2003. The game is a squad-based third-person shooter that uses four members of a team which fight in numerous battles. These members in the squad include Flint, a sniper, Brutus, a shock trooper, Tex, a heavy assault trooper, and...
(first-person shooterFirst-person shooterFirst-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
): When Hawk joins the player's team, one of her standard weapons is the Rail RVR. - CrysisCrysisCrysis is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek , published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, and released in November 2007. It is the first game of a trilogy. A separate game entitled Crysis Warhead was released on September 12, 2008, and follows similar...
and Crysis 2Crysis 2Crysis 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek, published by Electronic Arts and released in North America, Australia, and Europe in March 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360...
: one of the weapons in the game is a bolt action Gauss Rifle, which can kill any human in a single shot and an alien with two or three well placed shots. The weapon emits a purple cloud when fired - Command & Conquer: RenegadeCommand & Conquer: RenegadeCommand & Conquer: Renegade is a first and third person shooter video game developed by Westwood Studios and is part of the Command & Conquer series. It is the only C&C game that uses the first person view...
: When playing as Brotherhood of Nod forces in multiplayer mode, selecting the character, General Raveshaw, will enable you to use a Rail Gun as an extremely lethal weapon shot anywhere on the body. - Command & Conquer: Tiberian seriesCommand & Conquer: Tiberian seriesThe Command & Conquer: Tiberian series is a sub-series of real-time strategy video games belonging to the extensive Command & Conquer franchise by Westwood Studios and Electronic Arts...
: The units "Ghost Stalker" and Mammoth Walker Mark II are equipped with rail guns. These railguns sport the same bullet trail (tight spiraling smoke in a straight line between shooter and target) as those in the film EraserEraser (film)Eraser is a 1996 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan and Vanessa L. Williams. It was directed by Chuck Russell. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Sound Effects Editing in 1996.-Plot:...
. Such a visual effect, however, is not representative of actual railgun operation. Cutscenes showing the Mammoth MkII in combat show the railgun shots instead as plasma-like energy with no visible bullet trail. In Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium WarsCommand & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts for the Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 platforms, and released internationally in March 2007...
as well as in Command & Conquer 3: Kane's WrathCommand & Conquer 3: Kane's WrathCommand & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is an expansion pack for the 2007 real-time strategy video game Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Developed by Electronic Arts Los Angeles and BreakAway Games studios, it was released on March 24, 2008 in the United States and on March 28, 2008 in Europe by...
, GDI Zone Troopers and GDI Commando are armed with portable rail guns, although the Commando's rail guns play a decidedly anti-infantry role. The GDI Predator tanks, Mammoth Mk-III, Guardian Cannons, Battle Base, and Titans can be upgraded with Railguns. - Dark Reign: The Future of War (game): Several Freedom Guard units and buildings use railguns, including Mercenaries, Triple Rail Hover Tanks and Railgun Platforms.
- Descent 3: In this game the railgun is used primarily as a long distance attack weapon that leaves a momentary white trail.
- Deus Ex: Invisible WarDeus Ex: Invisible WarDeus Ex: Invisible War is an action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive. Released simultaneously for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox video game console on December 2, 2003, the game is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Deus Ex...
: A weapon called the Mag Rail can fire a powerful energy beam which can kill most human targets with a few shots. An alternative fire is an EMP blast which can be fired through walls and other obstacles, and which does heavy damage to all non-shielded electronic components. - In the Tom ClancyTom ClancyThomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
video game EndWarEndwar-Media:*Tom Clancy's EndWar, a video game based on a futuristic global war, in the Tom Clancy series of games*Tom Clancy's EndWar , the novel written by David Michaels which ties in with the game...
the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Joint Strike Forces, and the European Federation forces can equip several of their vehicles with railgunRailgunA railgun is an entirely electrical gun that accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using the same principles as the homopolar motor. Railguns use two sliding or rolling contacts that permit a large electric current to pass through the projectile. This current interacts...
s, or Rail Cannons. Most notably their artilleryArtilleryOriginally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
platforms. - Eve OnlineEVE OnlineEve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven, persistent-world MMORPG set in a science fiction space setting. Characters pilot customizable ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems. Most star systems are connected to one or more other star systems by means of stargates...
(a space-based MMORPGMMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
from the Icelandic software house CCPCCP hfCCP hf or CCP Games is an Icelandic video game developer and publisher, majority owned by the company's staff and founders, Novator Partners and the American investment fund General Catalyst Partners...
): Railguns are a popular turret weapon fitted to a variety of ships particularly favoured by the Gallente race. The main advantage of railguns in Eve Online is their extreme range of up to 250 km. The ammunition for these weapons are titanium containers filled with different elements (e.g. iridium) for different properties. - Escape Velocity NovaEscape Velocity NovaEscape Velocity Nova is a computer game by Ambrosia Software, in collaboration with ATMOS. It is the third game in the Escape Velocity series of space trading & combat games.-History and development:...
(a space role-playing game developed by Ambrosia SoftwareAmbrosia SoftwareAmbrosia Software is a predominantly Macintosh software company located in Rochester, New York. Ambrosia produces utilities and games. Its products are distributed as shareware; demo versions can be downloaded and used for up to 30 days....
): The Auroran Empire makes heavy use of railguns as ship-mounted weaponry. The railguns are offered in 100 mm, 150 mm, and 200 mm varieties, and are the farthest-shooting projectile weapons in the game. The 100 mm comes in a turretted version, found on the AE Carrier. - Eureka Seven vol.1: New WaveEureka Seven vol.1: New WaveEureka Seven vol. 1: The New Wave is the first in a trio of games set in the Eureka Seven anime world. It was developed by Bandai, and released in Japan on October 27, 2005. It was released in North America on October 17 2006. A direct sequel, Eureka Seven vol. 2: The New Vision, was released in 2006...
and Eureka Seven: New VisionEureka Seven: New VisionEureka Seven vol. 2: The New Vision the sequel to Eureka Seven vol.1: New Wave by the game developmental team Bandai. The story of New Vision follows that of New Wave; it is set on the same planet, earlier in time, as the anime series Eureka Seven...
features as expansion guns for the LFO's various types of railguns. - XG3: Extreme G Racing (videogame): A railgun weapon that shoots a round with such velocity that the kinetic heating turns it into a white-hot stream of plasma.
- Fallout: there are several Gauss weapons in the series. Fallout 2Fallout 2Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout...
features the PPK12 Gauss Pistol and the M72 Gauss Rifle, both said to be of German design. Fallout Tactics additionally features the MEC Gauss Minigun while Fallout 3Fallout 3Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
features another Gauss Rifle with a scope, the former being of Chinese design. Fallout: New VegasFallout: New VegasFallout: New Vegas is a first person action role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic environment in and around Las Vegas, Nevada...
also features a Gauss Rifle that is similar, but less efficient than the one in Fallout 3Fallout 3Fallout 3 is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and the third major installment in the Fallout series. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia in October 2008, and in Japan in December 2008 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
as well as the unique YCS/186 Gauss Rifle. - Final Fantasy VIIIFinal Fantasy VIIIis a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
(game): A coilgun is used at Lunar Gate on the Esthar continent to launch pods containing individual persons into space. - GoldenEye: Rogue AgentGoldenEye: Rogue AgentGoldenEye: Rogue Agent is a 2004 action-adventure Science-Fiction First-Person Shooter video game, developed and published by Electronic Arts. Despite it is set in an alternate timeline of James Bond universe, the player takes the role of an ex-MI6 agent who is recruited by Auric Goldfinger, a...
(game): The Mag-Rail is a rail-handgun that fires a depleted uranium spike roughly the size of a tent peg. Though capable of passing through multiple enemies, walls, and objects, they are unable to pass through vehicles and energy shields. They can be dual-wielded and cause roughly the same amount of damage as the Harpoon RL's rockets. When fired, the barrels open as a new spike is loaded and then close, venting what is possibly a coolant gas through the gill-shaped holes behind the barrel. - Half-Life modification Team Fortress ClassicTeam Fortress ClassicTeam Fortress Classic, also known as Team Fortress 1.5 or simply TFC, is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a remake of the Team Fortress modification for Quake. Team Fortress Classic was originally released for Windows on April 7, 1999 as...
: Railguns are the secondary weapon for the engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
class. Although the projectile moves at a slow rate and leaves a green trail behind it. - HaloHaloHalo may refer to:* Halo , a glow or ring of light around a head or person in art-Game franchise and spin-offs:*Halo , a video game franchise by Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios...
, Halo 2Halo 2Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
, Halo 3Halo 3Halo 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third installment in the Halo franchise, the game concludes the story arc begun in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2...
, Halo 3:ODST, Halo: ReachHalo: ReachHalo: Reach is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 console. Reach was released in North America, Australia, and Europe on September 14, 2010. The game takes place in the year 2552, where humanity is locked in a war with the...
, and Halo WarsHalo WarsHalo Wars is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Japan and Australia on February 26, 2009, in PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3...
: In Halo 2, the beginning level, Cairo Station, the player has to traverse a large coilgun, or a Super MAC in the Halo universe, to deactivate a bomb planted on the station. The M12G1 Warthog LAAV has a back-mounted M68 Gauss Cannon, a scaled down version of MAC technology. The human ships in the series are all armed with Magnetic Accelerator Cannons as well. In the second to final level, of Halo: Reach, a bus-sized mass driver coilgun is used to destroy hostile dropships and a battlecruiser until your allies, the cruiser Pillar of Autumn, can launch. - Heavy GearHeavy GearHeavy Gear is a game universe published since 1994 by Canadian publisher Dream Pod 9. It includes a tabletop tactical wargame, a role-playing game and a lesser known combat card game...
: Railguns can be used by the largest of the game's mecha while even bigger railguns are used by tanks and landships. - Heavy Gear II: The New Earth Government (the antagonists in the game) use a large orbital mass driver to propel asteroids at planets.
- Heli Attack 2Heli Attack 2Heli Attack 2 is an Internet game created by Squarecircleco. Players take the role of a soldier in a jungle-type environment, and must take down as many helicopters, or "helis", as possible before the player dies, using a wide array of weapons...
and Heli Attack 3Heli Attack 3Heli Attack 3 is a run-and-gun shooter game created by the company squarecircleco. and released on June 17, 2005. It is the third in the Heli Attack series of games in which the player takes on the role of a paratrooper who must travel through different locations or zones and use a wide array of...
(games): Railguns fire a green beam of light, which can go through walls. In Heli Attack 3 there is also a railgun called the Anytime that shoots explosive projectiles. - HomeworldHomeworldHomeworld is a real-time strategy computer game released on September 28, 1999, developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment. It was the first fully three-dimensional RTS. In 2003, Relic released the source code for Homeworld...
: Many ships in the game utilize mass driver weaponry. Weapon designs range from smaller rotating mass drivers to larger turret-based ones. There are no ammo limitations. - Hostile Spawn: There is a Railgun available that can shoot through multiple enemies. Collectible energy cells are used for ammunition.
- Mass EffectMass EffectMass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
and Mass Effect 2Mass Effect 2Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010 and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011...
- the majority of weapons from pistols to 800-m spinal guns of dreadnought starships combine magnetic accelerators with the titular mass effect technology: the fictional Element Zero can be used to increase or decrease the mass of the slug via dark energy, allowing to accelerate it to phenomenal (usually relativisticRelativistic speedA Relativistic speed is a speed which is a significant proportion of the speed of light. Therefore scientific analysis must take the consequences of special relativity into account...
) speeds with little recoil, hence "mass accelerator weaponry". The projectile used is at the size of a grain of sand, and is sheared off a large piece of metal - that lasts for thousands of shots - by the internal systems. Ammunition capaity is thus rarely an issue, heat is, managed by passive cooling in the first game and ejecting single-use "thermal clips" in the second. The rail gun nature is confirmed by the upgrade names "Extended Rails" and "SCRAM Rails".- Similar weapons had been in use by the Reapers and the species they exterminated for at least 37 million years. One such weapon left a mark at the size of Valles MarinerisValles MarinerisValles Marineris is a system of canyons that runs along the Martian surface east of the Tharsis region...
by a glancing blow planet in a system hundreds of light-years away from the intended target. An NPCNon-player characterA non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
can be heard warning a few recruits about the unlimited range of space-borne mass accelerators and inevitable collateral damage: "...you are ruining someone's day - somewhere, sometime!"
- Similar weapons had been in use by the Reapers and the species they exterminated for at least 37 million years. One such weapon left a mark at the size of Valles Marineris
- Master of Orion, Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares, and Master of Orion III: Warships in this series can be equipped with mass drivers and gauss cannons, once the appropriate technologies have been researched. Their distinguishing feature is that the shots do not diminish in strength no matter how far across the battlefield they travel.
- In the MechAssaultMechAssaultMechAssault was the first BattleMech video game published for the Xbox. Developed by Day 1 Studios and published by Microsoft, MechAssault was initiated when Denny Thorley of Day 1 Studios approached Jon Kimmich of Microsoft about developing an original BattleTech game built from the ground up to...
XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
games and the series developed by MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, several Battlemechs are equipped with Gauss rifles. - Metal Gear SolidMetal Gear Solidis a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
: The main weapon on the massive bipedal walking battle tank, Metal Gear REX, is a railgun (although the way it is described it seems more like a coilgunCoilgunA coilgun is a type of projectile accelerator that consists of one or more coils used as electromagnets in the configuration of a synchronous linear motor which accelerate a magnetic projectile to high velocity...
in operation) mounted on the tank's right "arm." It is discovered that the rounds it fires are actually nuclear warheads. - Metal Gear Solid: Ghost BabelMetal Gear: Ghost BabelMetal Gear Solid, released as in Japan and Asia, is a 2000 stealth action game produced by Konami for the Game Boy Color. Based on the PlayStation game of the same title, the Game Boy Color version of Metal Gear Solid is not a conversion of the previous game, but an original game produced...
: Similar to Metal Gear REX above, the larger Metal Gear GANDER possesses two railguns to fire nuclear projectiles (and succeeds in doing so.) It is potentially a more feasible design to REX, owing both to its increased size and the dependency on a devoted power station to fully function. - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Libertyis a stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001....
: One of the boss characters, Fortune, a member of Dead Cell uses a railgun as her weapon. - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the PatriotsMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriotsis a video game developed by Kojima Productions for the PlayStation 3 console. The game was directed by Hideo Kojima and made its worldwide release on June 12, 2008, ten years after the release of Metal Gear Solid and twenty years after the North American release of Metal Gear.Guns of the Patriots...
: Boss enemy Crying Wolf uses a railgun as her main weapon. It becomes available to the player after she is defeated. Also, the previously mentioned railgun (from Metal Gear Solid) becomes a central plot point, after Liquid Ocelot steals it and attaches it to the ship Outer Haven. - Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Night The Volt Driver is a form of handheld railgun
- Mission Critical (a 1995 science fiction adventure game by Legend EntertainmentLegend EntertainmentLegend Entertainment was an American developer of computer games, best known for their complex, distinctive adventure titles throughout the 1990s....
): Railguns are portrayed in considerable detail as part of the CICS. This a suite of relatively short-range weapons employed by early 22nd century United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
warships in space. - Oni: You can equip your character with a weapon called the Mercury Bow. The Mercury Bow is an advanced sniper rifle that uses railgun technology to propel a frozen mercury sliver. In addition to the trauma caused by impact, your enemies are purported to suffer from mercury poisoning afterwards.
- Outpost 2Outpost 2Outpost 2, fully titled Outpost 2: Divided Destiny, is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Dynamix, released in 1997 by Sierra Entertainment...
(a strategy game by Sierra): Eden's medium weapon is a railgun. - Parasite Eve IIParasite Eve IIis a horror action role-playing game for the PlayStation. The game was developed by SquareSoft and published in Japan in 1999 and in both North America and, unlike the previous game, in PAL regions in 2000...
(videogame): Aya Brea, the main character, can use "Hypervelocity", a railgun as a secret weapon. It also appears as a secret SDIStrategic Defense InitiativeThe Strategic Defense Initiative was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic...
weapon used by the U.S. governmentFederal government of the United StatesThe federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
to rescue the world from a pandemicPandemicA pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
on a global scale, but proves fruitless as the main character ends up stopping it herself. - Pawn Tactics: A gun known as the 'Gauss Rifle' can be used as a primary weapon in the Lancer class. It is said to be capable of penetrating thick steel and does more than normal damage against heavily armored classes.
- Perfect DarkPerfect DarkPerfect Dark is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is considered the spiritual successor to Rare's earlier first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, with which it shares many gameplay features...
(for Nintendo 64Nintendo 64The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
): One of the available weapons, the Farsight, is a railgun with an X-rayX-rayX-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
scope, allowing the player to shoot and see through walls. Also, in Perfect Dark ZeroPerfect Dark ZeroPerfect Dark Zero is a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game had a difficult development cycle, during which a substantial part of it was initially designed for the Nintendo GameCube...
for Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
), contains a sniper rifle called a Shockwave also has an X-Ray scope that both allows you to see and fire charged particles though walls. - PolicenautsPolicenautsis a cinematic adventure game with a hard science fiction storyline, written and directed by Hideo Kojima, and published by Konami. It was initially released for the PC-9821 computer platform in 1994, followed by remade versions for the 3DO in 1995, and the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1996...
: Jonathan Ingram and his partner, Ed Brown, stow themselves away in a shuttle launched by a lunar mass driver to escape the Tokugawa plant on the Moon after finding incriminating information. - Project SnowblindProject SnowblindProject: Snowblind is a first-person shooter video game released for the Xbox, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2 on February 22, 2005. It was originally conceived as a multiplayer-focused third game in the Deus Ex series, Deus Ex: Clan Wars...
: The antagonistic organization "The Republic" uses automated railguns to shoot down helicopters of the coalition where the player serves. The Republic develops a portable "Rail Cannon" that the player later acquires. - QuakeQuake (series)The Quake series is a line of first-person shooter video games produced by id Software.-Overview:The Quake series is somewhat unusual in that its focus changes frequently; the story of Quake II has nothing to do with Quake, and Quake III Arena has little to do with either of its predecessors...
series:-- Quake IIQuake IIQuake II, released on December 9, 1997, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Id Software and distributed by Activision. It is not a sequel to Quake; it merely uses the name of the former game due to Id's difficulties in coming up with alternative names.The soundtrack for Quake II...
: A railgun (having the appearance of a small vacuum cleaner with red-tinted electronics on top) was included as a weapon in the game. It fires a Depleted Uranium slug with a silver smoke trail and a blue spiraling plume. This incarnation of the weapon most directly was modeled after the Railgun in the movie Eraser. - Quake III ArenaQuake III ArenaQuake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
: A nearly identical weapon. The spiraling blue plume was eliminated and the color of the smoke trail was customizable by the player. The spiraling plume was re-added as an option in a later release, also with customizable color via modifying 'console variables'. - Quake 4Quake 4Quake 4 is the fourth title in the series of Quake first-person shooter computer games. The game was developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. Raven Software has collaborated with id Software, the creators and historical developers of preceding Quake games...
: The railgun has a more compact redesign and recolored to a dark red and comes equipped with a scope. It still takes uranium slugs as ammo but now shoots a momentary green line with a spiral around it which fades quickly. The weapon later gets a power boost, giving the weapon the strength to penetrate multiple enemies and render weaker enemies into a small cloud of blood in one shot. Multiplayer allows for rough color customization via the game menu with a much finer customization with 'console variable' tweaks. Quake 4's Railgun also features a zoom scope to aid the player in long-range engagements. The Railgun is arguably the most powerful weapon (per shot) in the game - easily taking 100 hit points from an armored opponent. - Enemy Territory: Quake WarsEnemy Territory: Quake WarsEnemy Territory: Quake Wars is a first-person shooter video game, and is the follow-up to the 2005 title Quake 4. It is also the first game in the series to be rated T by the ESRB...
: The Strogg Infiltrator has a railgun similar in design to the Quake II one, though both parts of the trail are colored orange.
- Quake II
- Red FactionRed FactionRed Faction is a first-person shooter video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. It was released for the PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows and Mac in 2001. A version for the Nokia N-Gage was developed by Monkeystone Games. The game was also re-developed as a top-down shooter for...
, Red Faction IIRed Faction IIRed Faction II is a first-person shooter video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ on October 15, 2002 for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox and Microsoft Windows...
, Red Faction: Guerilla and Red Faction: ArmageddonRed Faction: ArmageddonRed Faction: Armageddon is a third-person shooter video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. It is the fourth and final installment in the Red Faction series, and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in various countries around the world between June 7...
: Railguns that fire through walls with a heat-detection scope much like the X-ray scope in the film Eraser. These are single shot and are called the 'Rail Driver'. In these games, this railgun is capable of one-hit kills. - The FPS Requiem: Avenging Angel features a very powerful rifle-sized railgun. Until well into the final mission, the player only finds ammo and an incomplete (thus useless) railgun.
- Resident Evil 3: NemesisResident Evil 3: NemesisResident Evil 3: Nemesis, released in Japan as is a survival horror video game and the sequel to Resident Evil 2, developed and published by Capcom. The game was released for the PlayStation, and was subsequently ported to the Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo GameCube...
: An experimental military railgun nicknamed the "Paracelsus Sword" is used to defeat the final boss. - In the RT4X game Sins of a Solar EmpireSins of a Solar EmpireSins of a Solar Empire is a science fiction real-time strategy computer game developed by Ironclad Games and published by Stardock Entertainment for Microsoft Windows operating systems...
, a Gauss cannon is used as an orbital defense platform and as an ability for the Kol class capital ship. - Shadow WarriorShadow WarriorShadow Warrior, often known by its initials SW, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and released on May 13, 1997 by GT Interactive. Shadow Warrior was developed using Ken Silverman's Build engine and improved on 3D Realms' previous Build engine game, Duke Nukem 3D...
: The rail gun found in the game shoots pieces of metal at near light speed, propelled from a magnetic field. This weapon will penetrate multiple enemies, making it powerful and very useful in certain situations. - Skulltag (Online port of Doom): The railgun is one of the most powerful weapons, with customizable rail colours. It is able to instantly gib weaker enemies (Zombies, Imps).
- Spy Hunter (game): The Interceptor has a railgun that you can earn late in the game.
- Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
computer game Jedi Knight: Dark Forces IIStar Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces IIStar Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II is a first person shooter computer game. It was developed and published by LucasArts and released on October 9, 1997. It was made available on Steam on September 16, 2009. It is based on the Star Wars franchise and is a sequel to Star Wars: Dark Forces...
: One of the available weapons is a "rail detonator", a handheld railgun used to launch explosive charges over long distances. - Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
computer games Star Wars: Empire at WarStar Wars: Empire at WarStar Wars: Empire at War is a 2006 real-time strategy game developed by Petroglyph Games and published by LucasArts. Set between Episode III and Episode IV, it focuses on the fledgling struggle between the Empire and the Rebels. It uses Petroglyph's game engine Alamo. The most recent patch was...
and its expansion Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of CorruptionStar Wars: Empire at War: Forces of CorruptionStar Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption is a 2006 expansion pack for the computer game Star Wars: Empire at War. It adds the "Zann Consortium" as a third faction and holds an average rating of 77% at Gamerankings.-Gameplay:...
: The ImperialGalactic Empire (Star Wars)The Galactic Empire is one of the main factions in the fictional universe of Star Wars. It is a galaxy-spanning regime established by the series' lead villain, Palpatine, to replace the Galactic Republic in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Empire is introduced in Star Wars...
forces are able to build a Hypervelocity Gun, or a railgun, on the ground which is able to penetrate capital ships' shields in space combat. It can only be destroyed in land combat. - In the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, a computer game: the C-Consciousness developed a functional Gauss gun which is powered by an electric artifact called "Flash".
- StarCraftStarCraftStarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
, the Terran Marine is armed with a "Gauss Rifle." - StarCraft IIStarCraft IIStarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and released by Blizzard Entertainment for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. A sequel to the award-winning 1998 video game StarCraft and its expansions, the game was released worldwide on July 27, 2010...
, the Diamondback assault tank has a weapon called the "Eviscerator Rail Gun." - Steel BattalionSteel Battalionis a video game created by Capcom for the Xbox console where the player controls a "Vertical Tank" — a bipedal, heavily-armed mecha. To control the tank and play the game requires the use of a large controller made specially for Steel Battalion....
: VTs in the game can be equipped with railguns, which, although powerful, are extremely heavy. - Steel Sentinels: Gauss guns and railguns deal kinetic damage like normal guns, but use up energy when used.
- System ShockSystem ShockSystem Shock is a first-person action-adventure video game developed by Looking Glass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. Released in 1994, the game is set aboard the fictional Citadel Station in a cyberpunk vision of 2072...
: Rifle-sized 'Railguns' are available, but the projectiles travel very slowly, no faster than a thrown grenade. - Tachyon: The FringeTachyon: The FringeTachyon: The Fringe is a computer game developed and published in 2000 by the company Novalogic. It features the voice acting of Bruce Campbell as main character Jake Logan in a 3-D space simulator...
: Special weapon used on Bora fighter-class ships, capable of destroying most unshielded fighters. Due to the game's non-Newtonian physics, railgun shots are faster than lasers. - TimeSplitters: Future Perfect: One of the game's weapons, the Mag-Charger, is a railgun that can can shoot through walls with a special thermal scope for aiming. Its projectiles are charged via electro-magnetic pulse (from which the weapon's name comes from) and does more damage to mechanical enemies.
- Total AnnihilationTotal AnnihilationTotal Annihilation is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and released on September 30, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It was the first RTS game to feature 3D units and terrain...
: Fido and Krogoth kbots are armed with coilguns. - Vendetta OnlineVendetta OnlineVendetta Online is a twitch-based, science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Guild Software for the operating systems Android, Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows...
: Railguns are one of the weapons systems that can be equipped." - Void Hunters: Mounted on space ships, mass drivers are short range range, rapid fire weapons; railguns are long range and have high projectile speed.
- The Wing Commander series features fighters with mass drivers. Strength and energy efficiency is above average, but muzzle velocity and range are lower than many other fighter guns. No ammo limits.
- Warzone 2100Warzone 2100Warzone 2100 is an open source real-time strategy and real-time tactics hybrid computer game, originally developed by Pumpkin Studios and published by Eidos Interactive...
: During both late-campaign and late-skirmish games, the player can develop and employ a number of railguns, ranging from the early-stage Needler turret up to the immense Mass Driver Fortress. Each version is relatively expensive to produce compared to equivalently sized ballistic or energy weapons, though they do deal more damage per shot than all but the strongest energy weapons. Each railgun technology takes a comparatively large amount of time to research and produce. - XenogearsXenogearsis a science-fiction console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation. It was released on February 11, 1998 in Japan and on October 20, 1998 in North America. The game was never released in PAL territories...
: It was often used to launch missiles and other items into space, especially during the Zeboim era. This was perhaps one of the key facilities during the nuclear war that ended the Zeboim civilization 4000 years prior to Xenogears. Taura used it to spread nanoassemblers that would deactivate the Limiters of the human race and reverse the effects of the Gaetia Key. - XenosagaXenosagais a series of science fiction video games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco Bandai. Xenosaga's main story is in the form of a trilogy of PlayStation 2 video games. There have been three spin-off games and an anime adaptation. The Xenosaga series serves as a spiritual successor to...
: One of KOS-MOS's weapons is a railgun called the 'Dragon's Tooth'. - X-COM: Terror from the DeepX-COM: Terror from the DeepX-COM: Terror from the Deep is a strategy video game released in 1995 for the PC. It is the sequel to UFO: Enemy Unknown, and the second part of the X-COM series.-Gameplay:...
: the titular organisation has access to three Gauss weapons said to operate on the same principles as alien plasma weapons from the game's predecessor but modified for underwater deployment using conventional power sources.
See also
- Science in science fictionScience in science fictionScience in science fiction is the study of how science is portrayed in works of science fiction. It covers a large range of topics, since science takes on many roles in science fiction...
- Weapons in science fictionWeapons in science fictionStrange and exotic weapons are a recurring theme in science fiction. In some cases, weapons first introduced in science fiction have now been made a reality...
- Kinetic energy penetratorKinetic energy penetratorA kinetic energy penetrator is a type of ammunition which, like a bullet, does not contain explosives and uses kinetic energy to penetrate the target....
- Scram cannonScram cannonThe scram cannon is a hypothetical kinetic energy weapon based on ram accelerator technology. The scram cannon uses a projectile that uses supersonic combustion ramjet technology to increase the muzzle velocity to levels that are impossible with normal gunpowder based guns; firearms are limited...
- CoilgunCoilgunA coilgun is a type of projectile accelerator that consists of one or more coils used as electromagnets in the configuration of a synchronous linear motor which accelerate a magnetic projectile to high velocity...
External links
- Atomic Rocket: Space Weapons. Practical considerations and calculations for using kinetic weapons.