The Best Arcade Shooting Games Of All Times

Arcade shooting games have been in focus as long as the arcade games have been in the fixture. To your surprise, the first shooters were not even video games but mechanical devices. These mechanical devices fired pellets on any physical object that was within their cabinet range. 

However, with time, these mechanical devices turned into graphic shooters that we know today. In recent years the graphics and game quality of these shooting games have improved significantly. They are now a visual treat that you will love playing. 

Moreover, this has also led to a surge in the arcade games market, and thus choosing the right game is essential. To help you with this, we have selected some of the best arcade shooting games for you, which will leave you wanting more once you play them. 

Best Arcade Shooting Games

After going through numerous arcade games, we have shortlisted the following games:

Cabal 

This game was released on the arcades in the year 1988 by Taito. Among the other games on the list, this is a unique entry as players don’t use a replica gun to aim the shots. Instead, this shooting game used the trackball for characters to move and aim the reticle on the screen. However, the characters could only move to the right and left sides in the game. 

The cabal game was also way ahead of its time as it implemented the defensive elements in the gameplay. The environment was also destructible in the game, which was a feature that was way ahead of the time. This is also an action-filled game as the screen soon gets filled with numerous enemies who would, in turn, fill the screen with spraying bullets on every corner. In addition, on completion of the levels, the player’s character runs happily to the horizon. 

Operation Wolf

When released back in 1987, this game was one of the most innovative arcade shooting games by Taito. One Of the best things about this game was that it actually had a storyline – not much, if being honest. However, there was a narrative that was advanced while the players cleared through the various stages. The arcade games cabinet in Operation Wolf also featured an Uzi replica mounted on the cabinet. 

The good thing about this replica of the uzi was that it could be swiveled from side to side and also up to down. An even more cool feature of operation wolf was that its light gun features a rumble pack. It stimulated the recoil, which was cool at that time. In the upper stages of the game, the difficulty level goes up to almost an unfair level. 

Luck And Wild Shooting Game

If someone says this is one of the best arcade shooting games, then we would agree. It is a hidden gem among the numerous arcade games. This is not just a shooting game but way more than that. It incorporated driving: steering, seat, pearls, and wheel included. All these made it one of the best car gun games. The efforts put into these car gun games by Namco is commendable as it gave something different to players.

What’s even more amazing is that this game allowed two players to play simultaneously. One of the players drove the car and had a light-wired pistol while the other player was also armed. The other player in the game also had a pistol. This game was released in the arcade games by Namco in the year 1992. One complaint in the game which you may face is that the 2D sprite, which the developers used for the enemy cars and the enemies themselves. 

Area 51

Atari released this game in 1995 among the arcade games. The shooting game unfolds at the famous US military base area 51. In it, the shooter has to defend the base from an alien invasion. They have to fight the aliens by the name of Kronn and the mutated minions that are humans themselves. 

The game’s action is fast-paced, and the difficulty levels of the game ever feel overly cheap, a common thing among arcade games. In the game, the players use a light pistol, which is wired to the cabinet in the arcade. The gun features various upgrades like machine guns and shotguns. This was ported to the Sega Saturn and PS1 in later years; however, neither of the two versions is as good as the original version of the game. 

T2: Terminator 2: Judgement Day

This is one of the best arcade games of all time, which is based on the famous blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The game players use light guns shaped like machine guns that swiveling to the base. The game story begins in the future, where it puts the player in the game in the form of a T-800 cyborg that has been reprogrammed. The player is put in the middle of a war that is going on among the machines and humans. 

To give the events an interesting turn after the initial four stages, the setting of the game changes from the future to 1990. In the new settings, instead of fighting the machines, the player’s responsibility is to keep the young John Conor alive. This game won various awards in the year it was released, and it was known to be one of the best arcade games of all time. 

Virtua Cop Series

This arcade shooting game was the first to use 3D polygons for shooting the enemies and levels in place of 2D static background and sprites. The Sega arcade games released it. The result of using the 3D polygons was that the game had physics that was more realistic. In the game, the enemies also reacted differently depending on which place they were shot. 

There are three versions of games in the Virtua Cops game series. The third part or version of this game is one of the best among the three. In the game, a new ability to slow down the time by pressing a foot pedal was introduced. This ability was introduced in the third version. It was introduced along with a new ability to change a gun’s types while on the fly. 

Unfortunately, this game’s port on the home console was never made. 

These are some of the best arcade shooting games which you can play to have some fun and adrenaline rush. The above games, which we have shortlisted in the article, are selected on graphics and gameplay criteria. Most of these games are also available on the home consoles, and thus you can enjoy them without a need to search for old gaming machines. 

Final Words

Arcade shooting games have been in the market since the 90s, and they are still very popular. The good thing about the latest arcade games is that their graphics make them realistic and intriguing fun to play. 

There are numerous arcade shooting games which you can play. However, not all of them are worth the time. Thus choosing the best out of the numerous available options will help you have nonstop fun.