Rail shooter

Last updated

Rail shooter (also known as on-rails shooter) is a subgenre of shoot 'em up video game. Beginning with arcade games such as the 1985 Space Harrier , the gameplay locks the player character into a set path, only allowing for limited or no divergence from it, in a similar manner to a theme park dark ride (which are typically on train tracks). While moving on this path, players must aim and shoot enemies while dodging projectiles and avoiding damage. Many rail shooters feature a flying protagonist or ship; however, some take place while walking, running or driving. While rail shooters saw a resurgence on the Wii due to its Wii Remote control scheme, new games in the genre are considered a rarity in the modern day, although many games of other genres contain rail shooter segments.

Contents

History

The rail shooter genre stemmed from arcade games, with seminal games being Space Harrier (1985) and After Burner (1987), both developed by Sega. The original Star Fox (1993) further popularized rail shooters, adding 3D graphics. By the mid-1990s, first-person rail shooters became popular in arcades, such as Time Crisis (1995) and The House of the Dead (1996). Panzer Dragoon (1995) and Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (1996) were two well-regarded rail shooters released around this time, with Star Fox 64 releasing in 1997 and gaining wide renown for its graphics, level design and non-linearity. However, it was the last primarily rail shooter Star Fox game, with Nintendo switching to a fully 3D range of movement going forwards. [1] Bucking the trend of combat-oriented games, Pokémon Snap (1999) was one of the first nonviolent rail shooters, and also popularized the photography game genre. [2]

Starting in the late 1990s, the genre started to become unpopular, with on-rails gameplay becoming a "dark mark" due to a stigma of being overly shallow. [3] While games such as Panzer Dragoon Orta (2002) were still released during this time, the lull lasted until the advent of motion control on home consoles, leading to a "rebirth" of the genre with major third-party releases in order to capitalize on the light gun-style gameplay. [1] [4] These included The House of the Dead: Overkill (2009), a grindhouse-style prequel to the original, and Dead Space: Extraction (2009), a spin-off of the survival horror Dead Space franchise, although the developers, facing controversy over its differences from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, used the term "guided experience" to describe its gameplay. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009) featured shakycam movement, [4] while Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (2009) was praised for its impressive graphics. [5] The Kinect also saw its own games, such as Child of Eden (2011), although other developers avoided making their games rail shooters, fearing negative reception. [3]

Following this motion control "boom", the genre dried up yet again, with releases like Crimson Dragon (2013) being sporadic and low-quality. While many modern games limit the player to linear levels, they still allow for free movement within those levels. [1] In the modern day, the genre has become largely relegated to indie games, such as Ex-Zodiac, a retro-styled game heavily inspired by the now-defunct Star Fox series. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Platform game</span> Video game genre

A platform game is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels that consist of uneven terrain and suspended platforms of varying height that require jumping and climbing to traverse. Other acrobatic maneuvers may factor into the gameplay, such as swinging from vines or grappling hooks, jumping off walls, air dashing, gliding through the air, being shot from cannons, or bouncing from springboards or trampolines. Games where jumping is automated completely, such as 3D games in The Legend of Zelda series, fall outside of the genre.

Star Fox is an arcade style rail shooter and third person action-adventure video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto, produced and published by Nintendo. The games follow the Star Fox combat team of anthropomorphic animals, led by chief protagonist Fox McCloud. Gameplay involves many adventures around the Lylat planetary system in the futuristic Arwing fighter aircraft, in other vehicles, and on foot. The original Star Fox (1993) is a forward-scrolling 3D rail shooter, but later games add more directional freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoot 'em up</span> Subgenre of action game

Shoot 'em ups are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of character movement, while others allow a broader definition including characters on foot and a variety of perspectives.

<i>Star Fox 64</i> 1997 video game

Star Fox 64, known as Lylat Wars in the PAL regions, is a 3D rail shooter video game developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second installment in the Star Fox series and a reboot of the original Star Fox for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

<i>Space Harrier</i> 1985 video game

Space Harrier is a third-person arcade rail shooter game developed by Sega and released in 1985. It was originally conceived as a realistic military-themed game played in the third-person perspective and featuring a player-controlled fighter jet, but technical and memory restrictions resulted in Sega developer Yu Suzuki redesigning it around a jet-propelled human character in a fantasy setting. The arcade game is controlled by an analog flight stick while the deluxe arcade cabinet is a cockpit-style hydraulic motion simulator cabinet that tilts and rolls during play, for which it is referred as a taikan (体感) or "body sensation" arcade game in Japan.

<i>Panzer Dragoon</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Panzer Dragoon is a 1995 rail shooter game for the Sega Saturn, published by Sega and developed by Sega's Team Andromeda studio. It is the first game in the Panzer Dragoon series. The game follows hunter Keil Fluge, who becomes the rider of a powerful dragon. The player moves an aiming reticle and shoots enemies while the dragon flies through 3D environments on a predetermined track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shooter game</span> Action video game genre

Shooter video games or shooters are a subgenre of action video games where the focus is almost entirely on the defeat of the character's enemies using the weapons given to the player. Usually these weapons are firearms or some other long-range weapons, and can be used in combination with other tools such as grenades for indirect offense, armor for additional defense, or accessories such as telescopic sights to modify the behavior of the weapons. A common resource found in many shooter games is ammunition, armor or health, or upgrades which augment the player character's weapons.

<i>Xevious</i> Vertical scrolling shooter arcade game released in 1983

Xevious is a vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and published by Namco in 1982. It was released in Japan and Europe by Namco and in North America by Atari, Inc. Controlling the Solvalou starship, the player attacks Xevious forces before they destroy all of mankind. The Solvalou has two weapons at its disposal: a zapper to destroy flying craft, and a blaster to bomb ground installations and enemies. It runs on the Namco Galaga arcade system.

<i>Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom</i> 1982 video game

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom, known as Zoom 909 in Japan, is a pseudo-3D rail shooter released as an arcade video game by Sega in 1982. The player controls a spaceship in a third-person perspective, adapting the three-dimensional perspective of Sega's earlier racing game Turbo (1981) for the space shoot 'em up genre. It used the Buck Rogers license, referencing the space battles, though Buck himself is never seen.

<i>Panzer Dragoon Orta</i> 2002 video game

Panzer Dragoon Orta is a rail shooter game for the Xbox, developed by Smilebit and published by Sega. The fourth Panzer Dragoon game, it was released in Japan in 2002 and in North America and Europe in 2003. The story follows a girl, Orta, who is freed by a dragon and embarks on a quest to prevent the abuse of ancient technology. The gameplay features the player moving an aiming reticle and shooting enemies while the dragon flies through 3D environments on a predetermined track.

<i>Starblade</i> 1991 video game

Starblade is a 1991 3D rail shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco. Controlling the starfighter FX-01 "GeoSword" from a first-person perspective, the player is tasked with eliminating the Unknown Intelligent Mechanized Species (UIMS) before they wipe out Earth. Gameplay involves controlling a crosshair with a flight yoke stick and destroying enemies and their projectiles before they inflict damage on the player.

<i>Panzer Dragoon</i> Video game series

Panzer Dragoon is a series of video games developed by Sega. The first three games—Panzer Dragoon (1995), Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (1996), and Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998)—were produced by Sega's Team Andromeda for the Sega Saturn. The fourth, Panzer Dragoon Orta (2002), was developed by Sega's Smilebit team for the Xbox. Spin-offs include Panzer Dragoon Mini (1996) for the handheld Game Gear in Japan. A remake of Panzer Dragoon was released in 2020, and a remake of Zwei has been announced.

<i>Galaxy Force</i> 1988 shoot em up arcade game

Galaxy Force is a rail shooter video game developed and released by Sega for arcades in 1988. The player assumes control of a starship named the TRY-Z, as it must prevent the Fourth Empire from taking over the entire galaxy. Gameplay involves shooting down enemies using either a laser shot or a limited supply of heat-seeking missiles, all while avoiding collision with projectiles or obstacles and making sure the ship's energy meter doesn't fully deplete. It ran on the Sega Y Board arcade system, and was released with a motion simulator cockpit arcade cabinet version like previous Sega Super Scaler games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light gun shooter</span> Shooter video game genre

Light gun shooter, also called light gun game or simply gun game, is a shooter video game genre in which the primary design element is to simulate a shooting gallery by having the player aiming and discharging a gun-shaped controller at a screen. Light gun shooters revolve around the protagonist shooting virtual targets, either antagonists or inanimate objects, and generally feature action or horror themes and some may employ a humorous, parodic treatment of these conventions. These games typically feature "on-rails" movement, which gives the player control only over aiming; the protagonist's other movements are determined by the game. Games featuring this device are sometimes termed "rail shooters", though this term is also applied to games of other genres in which "on-rails" movement is a feature. Some, particularly later, games give the player greater control over movement and in still others the protagonist does not move at all.

<i>Sin and Punishment</i> 2000 video game

Sin and Punishment is a rail shooter video game co-developed by Treasure and Nintendo for the Nintendo 64, and originally released only in Japan in 2000. Its story takes place in the near future of 2007 when war breaks out as humanity is struggling with a global famine. The player takes on the roles of Saki and Airan as they fight to save Earth from destruction. The game employs a unique scheme that uses both the D-pad and control stick on the Nintendo 64 controller, allowing players to maneuver the character while simultaneously aiming the targeting reticle. The player must shoot at enemies and projectiles while also dodging attacks to survive and progress through the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video games in Japan</span> Overview of video games in Japan

Video games are a major industry in Japan, and the country is considered one of the most influential in video gaming. Japanese game development is often identified with the golden age of video games, including Nintendo under Shigeru Miyamoto and Hiroshi Yamauchi, Sega during the same time period, Sony Computer Entertainment when it was based in Tokyo, and other companies such as Taito, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Square Enix, Konami, NEC, and SNK, among others.

<i>Star Fox Zero</i> 2016 video game

Star Fox Zero is a 3D rail shooter video game developed by Nintendo and PlatinumGames for the Wii U. It is the sixth installment in the Star Fox series. Formally announced at E3 2015, the game was released in April 2016 to mixed critical reception, with the most polarizing aspect of the game being its control scheme. A standalone tower defense game, titled Star Fox Guard, was bundled with the game.

Heavy Fire is a series of on-rails arcade shooter video games developed by Polish video game developer Teyon between 2010 and 2013 and Anshar from 2018 to present. The series includes five games: Heavy Fire: Special Operations (2010), Heavy Fire: Black Arms (2011), Heavy Fire: Afghanistan (2011), Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear (2013), and Heavy Fire: Red Shadow (2018).

<i>Yars Revenge</i> 2011 video game

Yar's Revenge is a rail shooter video game developed by Killspace Entertainment and published by Atari. It is a reboot of Yars' Revenge, a 1982 Atari 2600 shooter. It was released for Xbox Live Arcade on April 13, 2011, and Windows on April 28, 2011. The game reinterprets the original's setting and characters, adopting anime graphics and making the formerly insect Yar race into four-armed humanoid aliens. A nameless Yar girl is brainwashed by the Qotile evil empire, but after she is shot down and rescued, she seeks revenge on her former master. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its graphics, but criticized its gameplay, sound, and lack of voice acting or online multiplayer functionality, calling it difficult to recommend even at its relatively low price point.

<i>Panzer Dragoon Mini</i> 1996 video game

Panzer Dragoon Mini is a 1996 rail shooter video game developed by Rit's and published by Sega for the Game Gear. It is a spin-off entry in the Panzer Dragoon series. In the game, the player controls one of three playable dragons across five levels and shooting down enemies with an aiming reticle. Mini was handled by Sega with no involvement from series creator Yukio Futatsugi and Team Andromeda. The soundtrack from Panzer Dragoon II Zwei was adapted by composer Hitoshi Sakimoto. It garnered mixed reception from critics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Handley, Zoey (2019-05-18). "It's time for the rail shooter to take flight again". Destructoid . Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  2. "Incoming". Wireframe Magazine (43): 24. 2020-10-01 via Internet Archive.
  3. 1 2 Donato, Joe (2012-05-04). "What's So Bad About Rail Shooters?". GameZone. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  4. 1 2 Hernandez, Pedro (2009-11-01). "The Rebirth of the On-Rails Shooter - Feature". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  5. Kalata, Kurt (2017-08-01). "Sin and Punishment: Star Successor". Hardcore Gaming 101 . Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  6. Cunningham, James (2022-07-21). "Saving the Solar System in the Rail Shooter of Ex-Zodiac". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 2023-04-06.