The Run & Gun genre is steadily gaining popularity thanks to excellent indie games like Blazing Chrome and Cuphead.
Because of the huge expenditures and necessity for a return on investment in the gaming business, certain genres are given little attention. The run and gun genre is a great illustration of this. Run & Guns features a fixed number of levels that you must complete by avoiding, shooting, and eliminating bosses, resulting in a very brief experience, which wouldn't fly in an era when games cost millions of dollars to develop and over $70 to buy.
However, excellent games like Blazing Chrome and Cuphead give the run and shoot genre some respect in the indie industry. Here are ten of the greatest films in the genre to pay homage to a wonderful genre that will hopefully receive more appreciation in the future.
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10. Cyber Lip
Neo-Geo launched Cyber Lip for arcades in 1990, and it was subsequently taken home to the Neo Geo AES, which was Neo Geo's sole home system at the time. The Neo Geo AES games arrived on huge cartridges that cost $200 at the time and are now worth a considerable fortune.
Cyber Lip is set in the distant year of 2016, and the government has established a space colony in response to the world's overpopulation. You go through stages, collecting up power-ups and defeating opponents, like in many other games in the genre, until you reach the boss.
9. Super Turrican
Factor 5 created Super Turrican, which was published in 1993 for the Super Nintendo. Super Turrican 2 was a sequel that was also published on the Super Nintendo. You have the standard run-and-gun power-ups and weapons in Super Turrican, but you also have the ability to roll up in a ball, akin to Samus Aran from the Metroid series.
Until you reach the conclusion of Super Turrican, there are four other planets to explore, each with a huge alien-like monster that recalls H.R. Giger's art. It's a fantastic experience for anyone looking for a genuine classic and a game that influenced the genre as a whole.
8. Rapid Reload
Rapid Reload is a Japanese and European-only game based in the same world as Wild Arms and has a steampunk style. It was panned upon release for being too similar to Gunstar Heroes, a game that will be discussed later in this article.
You may play as either Axel, the male character, or Ruka, the girl character, in Rapid Reload. Each character gets four unique weapons, for a total of eight firearms throughout the game. A machine gun, flame thrower, multi-directional cannons, and a homing laser are among their weapons.
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7. Alien Hominid
Alien Hominid was produced by Behemoth, the same studio that subsequently produced Castle Crashers and Battleblock Theatre. Because it was initially a flash game on the site and some of the developers employed for Newgrounds, the game's visual style is similar of that seen there.
Alien Hominid was first published for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, and Game Boy Advance, but was subsequently remastered and released on the Xbox 360 and iOS platforms. Alien Hominid Invasion, a new game in the franchise, was just revealed for Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
6. Sunset Riders
When Konami released Contra in 1987, they single-handedly invented the run-and-gun genre. They have made a few more games in the genre, including Sunset Riders, which is one of the finest. Sunset Riders is a western-themed version of Contra that was first released in arcades before being ported to the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis.
You may select from four distinct cowboys, each with its own set of weapons. You may play two players through the six tough stages, which include several that take place on horseback, providing a wide range of gaming types for the time period.
5. Metal Slug 3
Some of the finest sprite work ever may be found in the Metal Slug series. Metal Slug 3 is one of the most refined and deep editions in this great series, with you making your way through each level collecting various weaponry and rescuing hairy prisoners of war until you stumble across a monster.
The zombie-themed level in Metal Slug 3 is especially noteworthy. You will transform into a zombie if you are puked on by one of the zombies, and you will slowly hobble across the level, throwing up huge quantities of blood on opponents. It's a beautiful sight to see, and a welcome break from the militaristic style.
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4. Alien Soldier
Treasure, the makers of Ikaruga and Gunstar Heroes, has released Alien Soldier. Alien Soldier is more of a boss rush, with short portions of traditional run and gun stages strewn in between each fight to allow you to replenish your health and ammo.
When you have full health, you can hover dash and super dash, which can inflict enormous amounts of damage to bosses. You may deflect bullets fired at you by opponents and bosses, and they will convert into health, allowing you to maintain your super dash fully fueled. This is the most effective method for overcoming the game's difficulties.
3. Contra 3: The Alien Wars
Konami created Contra 3: The Alien Wars, which was published on the Super Nintendo. It adds the ability to carry several weapons at once, as well as the ability to carry and detonate screen-clearing explosives.
Contra 3: The Alien Wars follows the series' tradition of having a high difficulty curve. Players will come across above stages from time to time and will have to traverse them. The game is renowned for its huge bosses as well as the fact that it can be played with a buddy.
2. Gunstar Heroes
Apart from McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure, Gunstar Heroes is Treasure's first game. The treasure was formed by a group of developers that had previously worked at Konami and were reportedly bored of always creating Contra games, and this was one of their first outstanding products.
Gunstar Heroes adds beat-em-up features to the traditional run-and-gun action introduced in Contra. For the first time in Gunstar Heroes, Treasure utilized many of the characteristics that would become synonymous with their subsequent games, such as multi-staged bosses, several playable modes, and superb sprite work with little lag.
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1. Cuphead
Cuphead is the most recent addition to this list, and it is set in a 1930s cartoon. With its bright colors and extremely realistic animation, the game is visually beautiful. The game is more of a boss rush with the added bonus of being able to bounce off pink bullets to boost your super meter. It's similar to a Treasure game, but with a much more elegant finish.
Cuphead has shown that the genre is still popular and that it can be a lengthy and enjoyable experience. Cuphead will also get additional DLC in the near future, and although the game's release date has been pushed back many times, it's impossible to deny that anybody who plays it will be eagerly anticipating more of Cuphead's refined gameplay.