Wild Gunman

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Wild Gunman
Wild-gunman-logo.png
Studio JapanJapan Nintendo
Publisher JapanJapan Nintendo
Senior Developer Gunpei Yokoi
Erstveröffent-
lichung		 1974
genre Shoot 'em up , western game
Game mode Single player
control Light gun
casing Special
Arcade system Special, discrete circuits, analog sound
monitor Projection area 47.2 × 47.2 inches

Wild Gunman (Japanese: ワ イ ル ド ガ ン マ ン) is a lightgun video game series from Nintendo in the form of a western duel, which was first released in 1974 as an electromechanical projection game. It was one of the first such games in the genre to use a 16mm film projector . It is also one of the first virtual reality games. The developer was Gunpei Yokoi , who was also involved in the development of the Game Boy .

Later both other arcade versions and conversions for game consoles appeared .

Arcade version 1974

The front part of the device consists of a red, counter-like control panel with a coin slot and a connected optical light gun and compartment. Behind it, at some distance, is the approximately 1.20 m × 1.20 m large screen with a frame that reduces the incidence of light, as well as lamps for the display of points. A 16 mm film projector and a deflecting mirror are used. The sound output comes from the film itself, with the exception of the player shot, which is played separately in analogue mode.

The player has to shoot a total of five different cowboys , which appear in film sequences on the screen, faster than they shoot him. Shooting may only take place when a large, bright star can be seen out of the actor's eyes or head. Then, depending on the result, the scene is continued and shows who has won. The playing time is 90 seconds. There are four different versions of the film with different scenes.

Arcade / NES version 1984

For the NES and later also for the PlayChoice-10 system, a digital video game version in cartoon optics was released on February 18, 1984, also with a light gun. There are three different game modes with one or more opponents. The player has to shoot faster than this one as soon as their eyes flash and this Fire! call. In the second mode, one or both opponents must be hit, depending on the situation. In the third mode, several opponents appear behind windows and a door of a saloon. Depending on the speed of the draw, there are bonus points, if you shoot too early you will be disqualified. There is also limited ammunition.

Console games

In 1984 the game was released for Famicom , and a year later for the Nintendo Entertainment System . The Zapper light gun is used here . There is also the simple speech synthesis of the PlayChoice device and the graphics are almost identical.

In 2003 it appeared as a mini-game in WarioWare, Inc .: Mega Party Game $ for Game Boy Advance .

Predecessor and successor

The direct predecessor is the Laser Clay Shooting System (Nintendo, 1973). This is a target shooting with an even larger screen, but without a real film projection. Before that, smaller devices appeared, mostly with mechanical light guns.

Around 1975 the projection game Shooting Trainer (same system as bottle shooting ) appeared, and around 1976 Sky Hawk (aerial combat), also both from Nintendo. In 1978 the New Shooting Trainer appeared in a log look.

Similar games

Other, very similar games are e.g. B. Mad Dog McCree ( Laserdisc 1990, multiple platforms), Fast Draw Showdown (1994 Laserdisc-Arcade, 2010 for Wii ) and The Last Bounty Hunter (also 1994).

There are also other, more modern lightgun games, especially in the survival horror genre , as well as shoot 'em ups ( shoot with a sight ) and western games , but most of them have a different gameplay .

The game Gun Fight (digital video game, Midway 1975) is similar , but shown in a side perspective.

Trivia

  • After a slump in sales with the previous game Laser Clay Shooting System , caused by the oil crisis in 1973, Wild Gunman gave Nintendo new impetus and devices were exported to Europe and the USA.
  • Excerpts from the game were also used in the experimental film of the same name by Craig Baldwin .
  • In the film Back to the Future II in 2015, an arcade device of the 1984 Nintendo Vs. version appears. There is conflicting information about whether the device was released or built specifically for the film.
  • In 1976, a Nintendo toy called Custom Gunman with a plastic cowboy and light gun and other models in the Kôsenjû series (光線 銃 カ ス ツ ム) appeared in Japan .
  • There is a character named Wild Gunman in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008).
  • In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / for Wii U , the 5 cowboys are part of the moveset of the character Duck-Hunt Duo from the game Duck Hunt , which is also played with a light gun on the NES.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Nintendo - the early years
  2. ↑ Flippertreff.de (possession of identical devices) ( Memento of the original from February 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.flippertreff.de
  3. ↑ Mario Wiki
  4. ↑ Nintendo Wiki
  5. ↑ arcade-history
  6. ^ Nintendo - the early years on i-programmer.info
  7. ↑ hi-beam.net
  8. ↑ Back to the Future Wiki
  9. ^ KLOV Forum
  10. ↑ Beforemario blog