WHAT TO PLAY

Shooters

608 games in the catalog

A shooter is the most direct game idea there is: something approaches, you aim, and you fire before it reaches you. The groundwork was laid in 1962, when students at MIT wrote Spacewar!, and sixteen years later Taito's Space Invaders spread to arcades everywhere.

Today the name covers several quite different things: shmups, where a ship weaves between bullets; run-and-gun games with a hero on foot; light gun games with a plastic pistol; third-person shooters built around cover; and team-based multiplayer. What they share is a rule you can learn in five seconds: the screen shows who the enemy is, and the controller tells you what to do about it.

The genre lasted mainly because every new piece of technology could be shown off on it fastest, whether vector graphics, sprites, polygons or VR headsets. The principle stayed the same; what changed was how many things the player has to handle at once.

Today (2015 onwards)

87 games in the catalog

The modern shooter has split in several directions. Team games like Rainbow Six Siege, with destructible walls, Overwatch, with heroes who have their own abilities, and Valorant are won through roles and map knowledge as much as aim. Loot and progression borrowed from role-playing games reached The Division 2 and Warframe. VR put shooting in the player's hands, with manual reloading in Onward and Contractors. And old ideas return in new forms: Cuphead continues the run-and-gun tradition with hand-drawn animation, and Metal: Hellsinger ties shooting to rhythm.

Borderlands 4 – boxart PC

Borderlands 4

PC Looter shooter ⏱ L

The new planet Kairos under the rule of the Timekeeper brings faster, more acrobatic movement.

Contra: Operation Galuga – boxart PC

Contra: Operation Galuga

PC Run and gun / akční plošinovka ⏱ S

A modern return to the merciless run-and-gun style that Konami established back in 1987.

Helldivers 2 – boxart PS5

Helldivers 2

PS5 Kooperativní střílečka ⏱ L ⭐ Must-play

Cooperative carnage for four, where you call in stratagems directly under enemy fire.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – boxart PS5

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

PS5 Looter shooter ⏱ L

Looter shooter from the creators of the Arkham trilogy; each character has their own movement style.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – boxart PS5

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

PS5 Akční střílečka ⏱ M 🔞 18+

A Space Marine against an endless wave of Tyranids; playable solo or with two others.

Arizona Sunshine 2 – boxart Quest

Arizona Sunshine 2

Quest Akční střílečka (zombie) ⏱ M ⭐ Must-play

A zombie VR shooter set in a flooded wasteland; water serves as both cover and a trap for enemies.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon – boxart PS5

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

PS5 Akční / mecha střílečka ⏱ M

The mech series from FromSoftware returns after ten years; you build your mech from dozens of parts.

Atomic Heart – boxart PS4

Atomic Heart

PS4XONE akční RPG / střílečka ⏱ L

Stejný sovětský utopický svět, ale poloviční snímkování a méně živé prostředí kolem vás.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III – boxart Series

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

Series Střílečka ⏱ M

Makarov returns with a nuclear threat; more open missions let you choose your approach.

Counter-Strike 2 – boxart PC

Counter-Strike 2

PC Taktická střílečka ⏱ XL ⭐ Must-play

The move to Source 2 brought smoke grenades that react to the environment and new lighting.

Firewall Ultra – boxart PSVR2

Firewall Ultra

PSVR2 Takticka strilecka ⏱ M

The sequel to Firewall Zero Hour; tactical 4v4 shootouts with a single life per round.

Redfall – boxart Series

Redfall

Series Střílečka ⏱ M 🔞 18+

A vampire invasion in Massachusetts; a four-player co-op shooter from Arkane.

The HD generation (2005–2014)

107 games in the catalog

With higher resolutions and the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the weight shifted to polished, story-driven action and online play. Epic's Gears of War (2006) made taking cover and leaning out the core of the controls, and the third-person shooter became a genre in its own right. Online multiplayer with persistent progression, as Call of Duty 4 delivered it, showed that a shooter could keep people playing for months. Digital stores such as Xbox Live Arcade brought back small arcade games: Geometry Wars, and HD versions of Ikaruga and Rez. The Wii pointer put the pistol back in the player's hand, as in The Darkside Chronicles.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel – boxart PC

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

PC Looter shooter ⏱ L

A looter shooter from the Borderlands series focused on hordes of procedurally generated guns and loot.

Destiny – boxart X360

Destiny

X360PS3XONE sci-fi akční stříleč (looter shooter) ⏱ L

Destiny na Xboxu 360: stejný den vydání, slabší hardware a exkluzivní obsah navíc.

Mighty Gunvolt – boxart 3DS

Mighty Gunvolt

3DS Retro run-and-gun střílečka ⏱ S

An 8-bit-styled run-and-gun spin-off from the Gunvolt universe with a choice of characters.

TxK – boxart Vita

TxK

Vita Shmup ⏱ S ⭐ Must-play

A hypnotic shooter from Jeff Minter; a ship shoots down enemies crawling out of a tube.

Velocity 2X – boxart Vita

Velocity 2X

Vita Shmup / Plošinovka ⏱ M ⭐ Must-play

A hybrid of a vertical shooter and a platformer with a teleporting ship; it excels at both.

Arma 3 – boxart PC

Arma 3

PC Vojenská simulace / taktická střílečka ⏱ XL ⭐ Must-play

A military simulation focused on realism; ballistics, fatigue, and radio chatter instead of action.

Gears of War: Judgment – boxart X360

Gears of War: Judgment

X360 Akcní strílecka z třetí osoby ⏱ M 🔞 18+

A prequel starring Baird and Cole, told as testimonies at a military tribunal.

Nano Assault EX – boxart 3DS

Nano Assault EX

3DS Shmup ⏱ S ⭐ Must-play

Twin-stick shmup by Shin'en Multimedia; spherical arenas inside giant organisms.

Nano Assault Neo – boxart Wii U

Nano Assault Neo

Wii U Shmup (twin-stick strilecka) ⏱ S

A visually stunning twin-stick shmup in a microscopic world of cells from studio Shin'en Multimedia.

Resogun – boxart PS4

Resogun

PS4Vita Horizontální střílečka ⏱ S

Voxelový ohňostroj, který ukázal sílu PS4 hned při jejím startu.

Steel Diver: Sub Wars – boxart 3DS

Steel Diver: Sub Wars

3DS Multiplayerová akční střílečka ⏱ S

Free-to-play Steel Diver sequel focused on online submarine battles instead of a campaign.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified – boxart PC

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

PC taktická akční střílečka ⏱ L

A tactical third-person shooter where squad commands matter more than aiming.

The arrival of 3D (1995–2004)

161 games in the catalog

Polygons changed what could be shot and from where. Arcade light gun games like Virtua Cop and Time Crisis brought the pistol into full 3D, the latter with a foot pedal for ducking behind cover. At home, consoles finally played first-person shooters properly: the analogue stick on the Nintendo 64 made aiming without a mouse workable, and GoldenEye 007 proved it. Two-dimensional shooters did not disappear. SNK's Metal Slug took hand-drawn sprites a long way, and Cave, starting with DonPachi, developed the bullet hell, where the player threads through dense patterns of shots.

Counter-Strike: Source – boxart PC

Counter-Strike: Source

PC Taktická střílečka ⏱ XL

The transformation of a Half-Life mod into a full-fledged game; the new engine brought more realistic physics.

Full Spectrum Warrior – boxart Xbox

Full Spectrum Warrior

Xbox Tactical Shooter ⏱ L

It grew out of a training simulator for the US Army; you command infantry squads, not individual soldiers.

Ghost Squad – boxart MAME

Ghost Squad

MAMEWii světelná pistolová střílečka ⏱ S

Tři roky před Wii tu na hráče mířila skutečná pistole připevněná k automatu.

Gradius V – boxart PS2

Gradius V

PS2 Shoot 'em up ⏱ S ⭐ Must-play

The return of the legendary space shooter, made by Treasure, masters of the shoot 'em up.

Judgement Silversword: Rebirth Edition – boxart WS

Judgement Silversword: Rebirth Edition

WS Shmup ⏱ S ⭐ Must-play

The most unlikely gem of the WonderSwan library; it grew out of the WonderWitch homebrew kit.

Metal Slug Advance – boxart GBA

Metal Slug Advance

GBA Run and gun / Akce ⏱ S

An iconic run-and-gun from SNK; Metal Slug tanks and vehicles can be commandeered at any time.

Mushihimesama – boxart MAME

Mushihimesama

MAME Shmup (bullet hell) ⏱ S

One of Cave's most beautiful bullet-hell games — you fly on a beetle through swarms of projectiles.

Neo Contra – boxart PS2

Neo Contra

PS2 run and gun ⏱ M

A return to the top-down view and anime stylization; the new hero Jaguar in over-the-top battles.

Protector – boxart Vectrex

Protector

Vectrex Shmup ⏱ S ⭐ Must-play🆓 Homebrew

A homebrew tribute to Defender, where abducted people turn into a much more aggressive form of enemy.

Red Dead Revolver – boxart Xbox

Red Dead Revolver

Xbox Akcni strilecka ⏱ M ⭐ Must-play

A western shooter that laid the foundations for the later Red Dead Redemption series.

Serious Sam Advance – boxart GBA

Serious Sam Advance

GBA Akční střílečka (top-down) ⏱ M

The PC series' frantic pace translated into a top-down view; waves of enemies from every side.

Star Wars: Battlefront – boxart Xbox

Star Wars: Battlefront

XboxPCXONE Third-person shooter ⏱ L

Famous Star Wars battles from the perspective of an ordinary soldier, on large maps across four factions.

8- and 16-bit (1986–1994)

165 games in the catalog

Home computers and consoles brought scrolling and sprites that even cheap hardware could handle, and shooters took full advantage. After Konami's Gradius introduced picking your upgrades from a power-up bar, Irem's R-Type added a chargeable shot and a detachable Force pod, and built its levels around memorising attack patterns. On the PC Engine and Mega Drive the shmup became a staple of home consoles. Run-and-gun grew alongside it: Contra with two-player co-op, Turrican with large levels you could explore. Treasure's Gunstar Heroes then showed how fast and fluid action could get on 16 bits.

Aero Fighters 2 – boxart Neo Geo

Aero Fighters 2

Neo Geo Shmup ⏱ S

A quirky vertical shmup with a colorful cast of pilots; released in Japan as Sonic Wings 2.

Banshee – boxart CD32

Banshee

CD32Amiga Shoot 'em up ⏱ M

A steampunk alternate-history war; a vertical shmup starring a biplane from Core Design.

Contra: Hard Corps – boxart MD

Contra: Hard Corps

MD Run & gun ⏱ S

Brutal run & gun with branching; for hardcore players.

VRTY

Dactyl Nightmare 2

VRTY Akční střílečka ⏱ S

A sequel to the famous arena above the chasm; more varied environments and the same dreaded pterodactyl.

Darius Gaiden – boxart MAME

Darius Gaiden

MAMESaturn střílečka (shoot 'em up) ⏱ S

Vesmírná střílečka s trojicí obrazovek a bossy přes celé zorné pole herny.

Earthworm Jim 1 & 2 – boxart MD

Earthworm Jim 1 & 2

MD Platformer / Run & gun ⏱ S

Cartoon humor and insane design; a 90s icon.

Heretic – boxart VFX1

Heretic

VFX1 Akcni strilecka ⏱ M 🔞 18+

A fantasy shooter on the Doom engine; an elf fights with magic against D'Sparil and can even fly.

Keio Flying Squadron – boxart MCD

Keio Flying Squadron

MCD Shmup ⏱ S

A cute, deliberately over-the-top Japanese shooter with a girl riding on the back of a flying dragon.

Lethal Enforcers – boxart MCD

Lethal Enforcers

MCD Světelná střílečka ⏱ S 🔞 18+

An arcade light-gun shooter about a police officer; also playable with a real toy pistol.

Mega Turrican – boxart MD

Mega Turrican

MD Run & gun ⏱ M

The peak of the Turrican series on 16 bits; the energy whip and fluid movement turn the action into a dance.

Novastorm – boxart 3DO

Novastorm

3DO Rail shooter ⏱ S

An on-rails space shooter built on the then-new technique of video played back from disc.

Point Blank – boxart MAME

Point Blank

MAMEPS1 Light-gun shooter ⏱ S

Namco turned the light gun into a wacky, colorful party full of funny minigames.

The beginnings (until 1985)

64 games in the catalog

The earliest shooters fit on a single screen and played from a fixed position. In Space Invaders and Galaxian the player slides along the bottom edge and fires upward while the enemy descends; Galaxian added colour sprites and attackers that peel off from the formation to dive at you. Vector cabinets such as Tempest and Star Castle offered a different kind of screen, Williams' Robotron: 2084 split movement and fire across two joysticks, and Defender and Scramble began to scroll. Capcom's Commando in 1985 was one of the first big run-and-gun games: a soldier on foot, with the landscape scrolling upward as he advances.

Commando – boxart A800

Commando

A800C647800MAME Run & gun ⏱ S

Arcade run & gun ports; the arcade classic brought home.

Gradius – boxart MAME

Gradius

MAMENESX68k Shmup ⏱ M

The Vic Viper and its faithful helpers; a revolutionary upgrade system that defined the genre for years.

Rescue on Fractalus! – boxart A800

Rescue on Fractalus!

A800 Shooter / Sim ⏱ S

Lucasfilm Games; fractal 3D, sci-fi for its era.

Space Harrier – boxart MAME

Space Harrier

MAMESMSX68k32X Rail shooter ⏱ M

Yu Suzuki's surreal world of flying mammoths and dragons; an arcade spectacle of the 1980s.

Star Force – boxart SG

Star Force

SG Shmup ⏱ S

An iconic vertical shooter that defined the pure arcade shmup on the SG-1000.

The Eidolon – boxart A800

The Eidolon

A800 Action / Shooter ⏱ S

A fractal-rendered cave world of dragons and magic in first person. Action and exploration.

The Empire Strikes Back (1985, Atari) – boxart MAME

The Empire Strikes Back (1985, Atari)

MAMEC64 Shooter (rail) ⏱ S

Atari's vector action transported to icy Hoth — a sequel to the Star Wars classic.

Two Tigers – boxart MAME

Two Tigers

MAME Akční letecká střílečka (kooperativní) ⏱ S

A cooperative aerial shooter for two players at one machine – a rarity for its time.

1942 – boxart MAME

1942

MAME Shmup ⏱ S

The vertical war shooter that launched Capcom on its path among gaming giants.

Bank Panic – boxart MAME

Bank Panic

MAME Reakční střílečka ⏱ S

Split-second distinguishing of customers from robbers behind doors; a reflex-testing adrenaline rush from Sega.

D-Day – boxart MAME

D-Day

MAME Akční střílečka ⏱ S

War action inspired by the invasion of Normandy; an advance along the coast under fire from several directions.

Duck Hunt – boxart NES

Duck Hunt

NES Shooter (light gun) ⏱ S

An icon of the NES era, played with the Zapper light gun aimed straight at the TV.

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