Rail Shooters
On-rails action
Rail shooters move players through environments automatically while they focus on shooting targets, from light gun arcade games to spectacle-driven modern entries.
Overview
Rail shooters remove navigation from shooting games—players move along predetermined paths while aiming and firing. This focus enables spectacle: elaborate set pieces, cinematic movement, and precise difficulty tuning. The genre flourished in arcades with light guns, found new life on the Wii, and occasionally surfaces as segments in larger action games.
Fast facts
- Defining trait: automatic movement, manual aiming.
- Arcade home: light gun games.
- Notable series: Time Crisis, House of the Dead, Star Fox.
- Wii renaissance: pointer controls mimicked light guns.
- Modern status: niche but persistent.
Varieties
Rail shooter types:
- Light gun: physical aiming device.
- Controller-based: analog aiming (Star Fox 64).
- Wii pointer: motion-controlled aiming.
- VR: modern light-gun revival.
Design considerations
What rail shooters do well:
- Pacing control: designers dictate intensity.
- Spectacle: cinematic camera movement.
- Accessibility: simplified controls.
- Co-op: shared screen shooting.