Space Gun (video game)
Encyclopedia
is a first-person
, shoot 'em up
arcade game
released by Taito
in 1990. It was later distributed for various home games consoles
in 1992, and in 2005, it was included as part of the compilation Taito Legends
on the PlayStation 2
, PC
and Xbox
. It is set aboard a crippled space station that has been overrun by hostile alien creatures; there are human crew members that the player must attempt to rescue while destroying the alien creatures. Space Gun features simulated gore, giving the player the ability to shoot limbs off the creatures while blood splatters appear on screen. Various weapon upgrades can be found during gameplay. The music from the game is featured on several commercially released Compact Disc
s. It was fairly well received by critics both in arcades and when released for home systems. It was one of only a few games that supported a light gun
peripheral for some of the home systems releases.
Space Gun is a side scrolling shooting game in which the player views the on-screen action from a first person perspective
. Players use a cabinet mounted light gun
to target and shoot enemies. Enemies are either mechanical guns that descend from above the screen or aliens, several of which can only be defeated by first shooting away their limbs. The player must save human hostages from the creatures. Occasionally, a hostage will mutate into an alien. In addition to the standard rapid fire weapon, there are four other weapons: a flamethrower, grenade launcher, freeze bomb, and blade bomb. These weapons require ammunition which can be collected throughout the stages, and are activated by the player using the pump action of the mounted gun.
There are six or seven levels (depending on which version of the game is being played) that are split into four subsections, each with its own end-of-level boss. Between levels the story is explained and moved forward through the use of short animated cut-scenes with text on the screen. Players can often choose their own path through the level by selecting a door or arrow using the gun. Several of the home system versions feature light gun support; however, all of them allow the player to move a crosshair
to target enemies. The multiplayer game is identical the single player experience, but the Sega Master System, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum versions do not feature multiplayer.
on a CRT monitor
displaying 4096 colors and amplified stereophonic sound
. The visuals are reflected into view via a mirror in the cabinet. The arcade cabinet is upright, with the marquee bearing the game's name protruding outward. There are large, blue plastic molds around the cabinet designed to resemble an alien cocoon. The music for Space Gun was composed by Norihiro Furukawa and Naoto Yagishita of Zuntata
, Taito's music division. A soundtrack CD
(a split release with the soundtrack for Taito game Liquid Kids
) was released by Pony Canyon
and Scitron
on January 21, 1991. This album was also released as part of Taito 1500 Collector's Box on September 17, 1993. A track from the game is on the limited edition CD Zuntata History L'ab-normal 1st, released by Zuntata/Taito on April 1, 1999.
ported
the game to home gaming systems, including the Amiga
, Atari ST
, Commodore 64
and ZX Spectrum
. Due to the hardware limitations of the various systems, the graphics and sounds of the ports differ from the original arcade version; for example, the ZX Spectrum version did not allow the aliens' limbs to be shot off. Some home versions use a light gun peripheral to simulate the control scheme of the arcade format. Taito's Sega Master System
port uses the Sega Light Phaser accessory. The Amiga and Atari ST versions are one of the few games to use the Trojan Light Gun. In developing the Amiga conversion, the team video taped the arcade machine in operation as a reference for the graphics, pausing the video at relevant spots to take notes before recreating them. Programmer Damien Stones spent four months on the ZX Spectrum version. He kept the graphical detail of the backgrounds simple to allow for more action in the foreground. Taking into account the system's lower capabilities compared to the arcade hardware, Stones designed the game to handle a large number of on-screen sprites. As a result, Space Gun becomes more efficient the more action occurs on the screen, but will slow down during lulls in the game. In 2005, Space Gun was included in the compilation title Taito Legends
for the PlayStation 2
, personal computer
and Xbox
.
called the cabinet design "quite unique". In March 1992, Gary Whitta of Advanced Computer Entertainment magazine stated that the sections that scroll into the screen are a lot easier to play than the horizontally scrolling sections. The screen can quickly fill up with enemies, which can lead to confusion as to what the player is shooting at, especially when human hostages run across the screen as they can be inadvertently killed. Neil West of Amiga Format commented that the title has a high difficulty level and that power-up
s are a necessity to continue playing. The "not perfect" rapid fire weapon (which needs recharging after prolonged use) contributes to the game's difficulty, as stated by Brian Sharp of Games-X magazine.
Several publications compared the game's plot to that of the 1979 film Alien
. Simon Forrester of Your Sinclair jokingly referred to Space Gun as the "unofficial game" of the film. Zero magazine gave particular praise to the sections where humans mutate into aliens as they run towards the player. Your Sinclair reviewer Jon Pillar and Chris Buffa of GameDaily
said that Space Gun contains graphic violence, citing the visual effect of entrails and blood splashed against the screen. Steve Merritt of CU Amiga described the sound effects, specifically alien squeals and the pumping heartbeat, as "simple, but effective".
On release for home platforms, the game received mixed reviews in the press, ranging from 69% in Amiga Format
to 84% in CU Amiga magazine. A preview from Amiga Power described Space Gun as deriving from an "inexplicably popular coin-op, best described as Line of Fire
set in space." Several reviews have stated that Space Gun is an Operation Wolf
clone, while it has also been compared unfavorably to Operation Thunderbolt. Sega Power
magazine reviewed the Master System version, giving the game a score of 70% if the player is using a Light Phaser, but only 50% if a control pad is being used. Paul Presley of The One for Amiga Games also found that using input devices other that the guns mounted to the arcade machine "just isn't the same". Prior to the release for the Xbox and PS2 as part of Taito Legends the game was regarded by Gamedaily as being in the "top five" of the games in the collection, and on release the same website described it as "thoroughly enjoyable".
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
, shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
released by Taito
Taito
Taito may mean:*Taito Corporation, a Japanese developer of video game software and arcade hardware*Taito, Tokyo, a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan*Taito, also known as matai, paramount chiefs according to Fa'a Samoa...
in 1990. It was later distributed for various home games consoles
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
in 1992, and in 2005, it was included as part of the compilation Taito Legends
Taito Legends
Taito Legends is a compilation of 29 arcade games released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC in October 2005. The games were originally developed by Taito Corporation. The European release was published by Empire Interactive, who had licensed the games from Taito and developed the compilation...
on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and Xbox
Xbox
The 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...
. It is set aboard a crippled space station that has been overrun by hostile alien creatures; there are human crew members that the player must attempt to rescue while destroying the alien creatures. Space Gun features simulated gore, giving the player the ability to shoot limbs off the creatures while blood splatters appear on screen. Various weapon upgrades can be found during gameplay. The music from the game is featured on several commercially released Compact Disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s. It was fairly well received by critics both in arcades and when released for home systems. It was one of only a few games that supported a light gun
Light gun
A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun...
peripheral for some of the home systems releases.
Gameplay
The game is set in a fictional future, in the year 2039, where humans have begun deep space exploration. A distress call is transmitted from a crippled ship near an alien planet. The game's protagonist, a special soldier, responds to the call. Upon boarding the ship, the soldier discovers it has been overrun by hostile aliens. The aliens have captured the human crew for an unknown purpose. The story has sections that take place aboard the space craft and on the planet's surface. The protagonist's overall goal is to rescue as many human hostages as possible, eliminate the alien threat, and escape the space craft.Space Gun is a side scrolling shooting game in which the player views the on-screen action from a first person perspective
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
. Players use a cabinet mounted light gun
Light gun
A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun...
to target and shoot enemies. Enemies are either mechanical guns that descend from above the screen or aliens, several of which can only be defeated by first shooting away their limbs. The player must save human hostages from the creatures. Occasionally, a hostage will mutate into an alien. In addition to the standard rapid fire weapon, there are four other weapons: a flamethrower, grenade launcher, freeze bomb, and blade bomb. These weapons require ammunition which can be collected throughout the stages, and are activated by the player using the pump action of the mounted gun.
There are six or seven levels (depending on which version of the game is being played) that are split into four subsections, each with its own end-of-level boss. Between levels the story is explained and moved forward through the use of short animated cut-scenes with text on the screen. Players can often choose their own path through the level by selecting a door or arrow using the gun. Several of the home system versions feature light gun support; however, all of them allow the player to move a crosshair
Crosshair
A reticle is a net of fine lines or fibers in the eyepiece of a sighting device, such as a telescope, a telescopic sight, a microscope, or the screen of an oscilloscope. The word reticle comes from the Latin "reticulum," meaning "net." Today, engraved lines or embedded fibers may be replaced by a...
to target enemies. The multiplayer game is identical the single player experience, but the Sega Master System, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum versions do not feature multiplayer.
Development and history
The arcade game features raster graphicsRaster graphics
In computer graphics, a raster graphics image, or bitmap, is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium...
on a CRT monitor
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
displaying 4096 colors and amplified stereophonic sound
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
. The visuals are reflected into view via a mirror in the cabinet. The arcade cabinet is upright, with the marquee bearing the game's name protruding outward. There are large, blue plastic molds around the cabinet designed to resemble an alien cocoon. The music for Space Gun was composed by Norihiro Furukawa and Naoto Yagishita of Zuntata
Zuntata
Zuntata is Taito Corporation's "house band" composed of Taito developers. The members include Hisayoshi Ogura , Tamayo Kawamoto, Masahiko Takaki , Norihiro Furukawa, Yasuhisa Watanabe , Shuichiro Nakazawa , Kazuko Umino , Tomohito Takahashi, Munehiro Nakanishi, and Katsuhisa Ishikawa.Supposedly,...
, Taito's music division. A soundtrack CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
(a split release with the soundtrack for Taito game Liquid Kids
Liquid Kids
is an arcade video game released by Taito in 1990.-Gameplay:Liquid Kids is a single player platform game that features Hipopo, a platypus who must fight his way through a large number of enemy-packed levels in search of his missing girlfriend - rescuing other hippopotamus-like creatures along the way...
) was released by Pony Canyon
Pony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
and Scitron
Scitron
-List of Video Game Albums Released:A -B - C -D - E -F - G -H - I -J - K -L - M -N - O -P - Q -R - S -T - U -V - W -X - Y -Z-A:* ACECOMBAT 04 shattered skies Original Sound Tracks SCDC-00146...
on January 21, 1991. This album was also released as part of Taito 1500 Collector's Box on September 17, 1993. A track from the game is on the limited edition CD Zuntata History L'ab-normal 1st, released by Zuntata/Taito on April 1, 1999.
Home conversions
In 1992, Ocean SoftwareOcean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
the game to home gaming systems, including the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
. Due to the hardware limitations of the various systems, the graphics and sounds of the ports differ from the original arcade version; for example, the ZX Spectrum version did not allow the aliens' limbs to be shot off. Some home versions use a light gun peripheral to simulate the control scheme of the arcade format. Taito's Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
port uses the Sega Light Phaser accessory. The Amiga and Atari ST versions are one of the few games to use the Trojan Light Gun. In developing the Amiga conversion, the team video taped the arcade machine in operation as a reference for the graphics, pausing the video at relevant spots to take notes before recreating them. Programmer Damien Stones spent four months on the ZX Spectrum version. He kept the graphical detail of the backgrounds simple to allow for more action in the foreground. Taking into account the system's lower capabilities compared to the arcade hardware, Stones designed the game to handle a large number of on-screen sprites. As a result, Space Gun becomes more efficient the more action occurs on the screen, but will slow down during lulls in the game. In 2005, Space Gun was included in the compilation title Taito Legends
Taito Legends
Taito Legends is a compilation of 29 arcade games released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC in October 2005. The games were originally developed by Taito Corporation. The European release was published by Empire Interactive, who had licensed the games from Taito and developed the compilation...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and Xbox
Xbox
The 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...
.
Reception
Space Gun was well received by the video game press. In issue 34 of Zero, Amaya Lopex gave the original arcade version of the game four out of five stars. Jonnie Cook of Sinclair User described the arcade release as enjoyable to those that already liked the genre, but stated he preferred other games. Killer List of VideogamesKiller List of Videogames
The Killer List of Videogames is a web site featuring an online encyclopedia devoted to cataloging arcade games past and present. It is the video game department of the International Arcade Museum, and has been referred to as "the IMDb for players."....
called the cabinet design "quite unique". In March 1992, Gary Whitta of Advanced Computer Entertainment magazine stated that the sections that scroll into the screen are a lot easier to play than the horizontally scrolling sections. The screen can quickly fill up with enemies, which can lead to confusion as to what the player is shooting at, especially when human hostages run across the screen as they can be inadvertently killed. Neil West of Amiga Format commented that the title has a high difficulty level and that power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s are a necessity to continue playing. The "not perfect" rapid fire weapon (which needs recharging after prolonged use) contributes to the game's difficulty, as stated by Brian Sharp of Games-X magazine.
Several publications compared the game's plot to that of the 1979 film Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
. Simon Forrester of Your Sinclair jokingly referred to Space Gun as the "unofficial game" of the film. Zero magazine gave particular praise to the sections where humans mutate into aliens as they run towards the player. Your Sinclair reviewer Jon Pillar and Chris Buffa of GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
said that Space Gun contains graphic violence, citing the visual effect of entrails and blood splashed against the screen. Steve Merritt of CU Amiga described the sound effects, specifically alien squeals and the pumping heartbeat, as "simple, but effective".
On release for home platforms, the game received mixed reviews in the press, ranging from 69% in Amiga Format
Amiga Format
Amiga Format was a British computer magazine for Amiga computers, published by Future Publishing. The magazine lasted 136 issues from 1989 to 2000. The magazine was formed when, in the wake of selling ACE to EMAP, Future split the dual-format title ST/Amiga Format into two separate publications...
to 84% in CU Amiga magazine. A preview from Amiga Power described Space Gun as deriving from an "inexplicably popular coin-op, best described as Line of Fire
Line of Fire (video game)
Line of Fire is a shoot 'em up video game, played from a first person perspective, and developed by Sega. The cabinet features two light guns, and a design which allows the player to sit down while playing the game. It was first released in arcades in 1989 before being converted to home computers...
set in space." Several reviews have stated that Space Gun is an Operation Wolf
Operation Wolf
Operation Wolf is a one-player shooter arcade game made by Taito in 1987. It spawned three sequels: Operation Thunderbolt , Operation Wolf 3 and Operation Tiger .-Description:...
clone, while it has also been compared unfavorably to Operation Thunderbolt. Sega Power
Sega Power
Sega Power, initially known as S: The Sega Magazine, was a Future publication aimed at the Sega range of consoles, including the Master System, Mega Drive, Game Gear and later on the Mega CD, 32X and Saturn...
magazine reviewed the Master System version, giving the game a score of 70% if the player is using a Light Phaser, but only 50% if a control pad is being used. Paul Presley of The One for Amiga Games also found that using input devices other that the guns mounted to the arcade machine "just isn't the same". Prior to the release for the Xbox and PS2 as part of Taito Legends the game was regarded by Gamedaily as being in the "top five" of the games in the collection, and on release the same website described it as "thoroughly enjoyable".