Space Gun Longplay (Arcade) [4K]

Game Info
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Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Year of Release: 1990
Game Review & Impressions
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I suppose the simplest way to describe Space Gun is Operation Wolf with xenomorphs. Taito were clearly heavily inspired by the likes of Aliens when they created this on-rails shooter, and it's a far more chilling experience than its predecessors.
The principle difference between Space Gun and contemporary rails shooters is the decision to abandon traditional ammunition for your weapon, replacing it with energy. Firing the gun slowly drains the battery, and you'll need to let up on occasion to allow it to recharge. Managing the energy level becomes critical to success, as is targeting enemy weak points with controlled bursts of fire.
The second major feature is the inclusion of a foot-operated pedal which, when depressed, reverses the direction of travel. This allows you to back up while shooting foes, buying you time to land sufficient shots on target to destroy them. The problem with overuse of the pedal is you'll simply run out of time to complete the level, which results in the end-of-level boss becoming invincible.
Like most of other Taito's lightgun games, Space Gun received conversions to a range of computers and consoles of the time. It's one of the few home conversions I've never actually played, so I'll be checking those out in the upcoming months.
Information & Trivia
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Video Notes
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Related Longplays & Videos
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Chapters
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00:00 Attract mode & story
1:00 Stage 1
3:34 Stage 2
6:52 Stage 3
08:48 Stage 4
12:43 Stage 5
17:11 Stage 6
18:31 Final Boss
20:05 Ending
#spacegun
#retrogaming
#aliens

[@janneaalto3956]

I remember playing this when I was in highschool. I'm still salty at a friend who misunderstood the final boss fight and unloaded all his missiles at the controls behind the boss, giving us a game over.

[@Ryfinius]

That guy can go to hell.

[@YukaTakeuchiFan]

Ugh. You'd think he'd have gotten the hint once he got the warning about the danger of explode.

[@ArttuTheCat]

I had this game on my Amiga 500 many years ago. Now, i have it on my PlayStation 2 in a compilation called TAITO LEGENDS. Me and my friend played it once completely. It's like OPERATION WOLF... Except one thing: In space, no one can hear you SCREAM! Excellent longplay! 😺👍🕹️

[@LPetal86]

Geez, this is a creepy game. They really nailed all the worst aspects of hostile extraterrestrial activity, from the unsettling transformation of the environment to be repurposed for the aliens, to the eggs, to the human corpses littered about. But the worst thing to watch were the people running toward you that were already foregone and mutated into aliens themselves.

[@WanderlustZero]

Also the cocoons in the alien hive... most of which just disintegrate once you shoot them, the people inside already too far gone. Worst for me (though you don't see it in this playthrough) is in the lab section - one enemy is a milky white jellified blob of (ex)human heads and tentacles

[@ItsBigIan]

One of my all time favourite arcade games. So many coins sunk into this baby.

[@pb6703]

Don't know how many coins I spent on this game back in the days. Never got any good at it, but it was one of my absolute favs. Thanks for the upload.

[@Peter_Morris]

Man I wish I’d seen this in arcades. I definitely would’ve dropped a lot of quarters into it. There are so many great arcade machines that just never made it anywhere near where I lived, though!

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

Played this in arcade in San Rafael totally immersive you didnt just play it you lived it

[@purplehaze2342]

Just put this on my laptop it's still a fave of mine all these years later

[@rogerpoola2630]

Brought back some great times playing this awesome game with my kid brother when we were kids. Great video

[@SolCresta3405]

Taito’s answer to Aliens.

[@fransuke12]

Some publications said that it compares to Aliens.

[@SolCresta3405]

@@fransuke12 It was even mentioned in High Score Girl, when Haruo said it reminded him of that movie.

[@--SHEPHERD-OF-MOTHER-EARTH--]

"Come on Vasquez clear and lock..."

[@kerbal666]

Absolutely loved this game

[@ericandre5060]

Loved playing this game on taito legends on my ps2, when I was younger

[@davidebriganti2761]

The shuttle is literally an R-Type ship :D

[@dorpth]

I can't believe how much Aliens ripped off this game.

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

James Cameron is a hack he owes them like 50 million $$

[@svavel7678]

😁

[@AsianShadowrunner]

I totally forgot about this game! I spent so many quarters on it growing up! I certainly didn't get as far as beating it!

[@VorpalDerringer]

Awesome stuff.

[@jamierose9095]

I'm guessing this is a prequel to Space Invaders.

[@cyberpunkgamer5866]

One of my favorite light gun games. Cool how it has kind of a Dead Space vibe (or rather, Dead Space has a Space Gun vibe) to it with limb severing being more beneficial than headshots. I wonder EA borrowed from this or if it's just coincidence?

[@fransuke12]

It's mostly more on elements of Aliens especially that sort of personnel carrier in 13:32

[@theodorehsu5023]

@@fransuke12 “Operation Wolf” meets “Aliens” pretty much.

[@roocatuk3719]

I wish they had made a sequal. I wonder if shooting off the limbs inspired necromorphs in dead space

[@AgentofLADON]

So the saucers are presumably built and piloted by the clawing, predatory, nest building, egg laying xenos? Well done them.

[@WanderlustZero]

Or the other way around...

[@andreaseverino3326]

I would like it to be like House of the Dead or Virtua Cop 2 that we can save the innocent even if it stresses us out.

[@user-uk5bx1kz2k]

Was about to ask about controlled movement. Read the video info first! Nice shooter and not too long, but i noticed that power-ups sometimes don't give ammo

[@luisreyes1963]

Great job! Cutting it rather close in the final battle, though.

[@jackylee5850]

In my playthrough those humanoid aliens are much more durable, shooting them nonstop and they don't even flinch and can still attack, even a T-800 in T2 arcade isn't that sturdy. And that final boss was just plain evil, a breakable control panel that automatically gives you the bad ending if you destroy it, forcing you to watch your shots (on a gun that only shoots auto and not single fire) while the boss constantly throws several projectiles that needs to be shot down I'd expect this kind of unfairness from SNK, but not Taito of all people

[@jeffnowell8793]

Great shooter, it was challenging using the foot pedals in the arcade version. It was a great touch and it definitely caught the Alien movie vibe.

[@richa1377]

I was always scared shirtless playing this game

[@allenharper2928]

Holy... That's only 16 years from now! Hop to it, Elon!

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

The graphics and scaling rock!!! Best game eva!

[@-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-]

are you supposed to shoot certain walls/boxes to discover all the hostages? Or is it based on what direction you choose at certain points?

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

As I recall, the wall boxes just contain ammo for the special weapons. You DO find varying numbers of hostages on the different routes through the levels.

[@Ryfinius]

The "real" ending is just as bad as not rescuing enough survivors.

[@Drachenmeister200]

ich hoffe davon kommt ein remake raus würde mich freuen

[@hugofarias9150]

Strike n blast off the true evil.

[@nanakivertical5538]

I am baby in 1990