GamesFrom PS1 to PS3, here are the best PlayStation lightgun games of all timeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesFrom PS1 to PS3, here are the best PlayStation lightgun games of all timeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Capcom)
During the late 1990s and early 2000s arcades literally boomed to the sound of games which used lightgun peripherals. Home console developers wanted a slice of that pie and began porting coin-op classics to consoles, as well as developing new titles.
Many players picked up one of the lightguns launched for PlayStations one to three, and while a handful of the games will live on as gems, others missed the mark, usually thanks to confused mechanics. We’re going to look at the games that best define this niche genre – usually for better, sometimes for worse, but always shooting from the hip.
Die Hard Trilogy
(Image credit: Fox Interactive)
SUBSCRIBE!(Image credit: Future, Remedy)This feature first appeared in PLAY magazine -Subscribe here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.
SUBSCRIBE!
(Image credit: Future, Remedy)This feature first appeared in PLAY magazine -Subscribe here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.
(Image credit: Future, Remedy)
This feature first appeared in PLAY magazine -Subscribe here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.
Players who had access toKonami’s Hyper Blaster (called The Justifier in Japan) were able to step up their game with more accuracy. However, it was more like using a laser pointer than really aiming and shooting. Eliminating terrorists was never easier; actually getting your hands on the Hyper Blaster was something of a challenge.
Lethal Enforcers 1 and 2
Platform:PS1Year:1997
The Lethal Enforcers series, which first entered arcades in 1992, stands out in this list for one very good reason: all in-game characters were created from digitised photographs. That realistic (for its time) violence made it controversial. With a strong Miami Vice flavour, it saw the player roaming streets as a cop, shooting at petty criminals while avoiding civilians. However, the game had its positive side; the console release is what spurred Konami to create the Hyper Blaster lightgun.
Starsky and Hutch
Platform:PS2Year:2003
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Nifty drivers would play this co-op shooter as Starsky; trigger-happy buddies played as Hutch and hung out the window brandishing a weapon. On this side of the TV, that was probably Namco’s G-Con2 (called GunCon2 elsewhere). As Starsky sped through the streets it was Hutch’s job to blast away the baddies who were trying to evade justice. It wasn’t only criminals who needed shooting – players also had to shoot traffic lights to make them shift from red to green. It wasn’t the easiest task. The actors made shooting from a moving car look much easier on the TV show.
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011
(Image credit: Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts)
Platform:PS3Year:2011
Swerving away from Cabela’s usual ‘stealthy big game hunt’ setup, this title featured a story about hunting a seemingly unstoppable creature. This was more ‘survival’ than ‘hunting’, then, but there were still plenty of guns to shoot, and players could do this usingActivision’s Top Shot Elite controller, which could be bought bundled with the game. The Top Shot Elite was the last lightgun for PS3 as the PS Move controllers launched and made them redundant. It was a departure from the handcannon style of the G-Con, modelled on a rifle, with a scope on top and an analogue stick on the handle.
Time Crisis
(Image credit: Namco)
Players who didn’t want to fiddle with the oddly placed cover button on the G-Con45 (the Namco-developed de facto Time Crisis home controller) could plug a controller into the second port and put it on the ground. Enter the ingenuity of gamers – cardboard squares Blu-Tacked to the controller to create a makeshift pedal. Or they could yell at a younger sibling to “Press the damn button!” Aside from this awkwardness, the home release of Time Crisis was a superb port and it eliminated the need to pump coins into a machine when you succumbed to death or time ran out. Time Crisis became a blockbuster series spawning many sequels, none of which seem to reach home consoles nowadays, which is a shame given the technology we have. Time Crisis VR anyone?
Resident Evil Survivor
Platform:PS1Year:2000
Survivor was a stark departure from Resident Evil’s usual style. Not only did the game use the Namco G-Con45 lightgun, it was the first title in the series to have a first-person perspective – the previous three games had a third-person point of view. Some might say it was also the first entry in the series to miss the mark on quality, owing to poor implementation of the technology plus slow and ponderous action. So why have we included it on our list? Because it’s a landmark title. It not only went on to spawn several (much better) sequels, it was the only real rival toSega’s popular House Of The Dead. The House Of The Dead series didn’t arrive on PlayStation until the third instalment hit PS3 in 2012, and it featured full PS Move support rather than using a lightgun. Before that, if you wanted to emulate the zombie shooting arcade classic, you had to make do with Survivor. This was a time when developers weren’t entirely sure what to do with the lightgun hardware and not everyone wanted to emulate the arcade experience.
Survivor’s developers definitely struggled to find the right approach, and the game featured a combination of using the controller to guide the protagonist in free-roam with switching to shooting with the lightgun for the action sequences. It was a mixed experience, then, and one only possible in Europe and Japan, where players would find the full experience as described. In America the lightgun support was stripped out completely owing to the unfortunate timing of the game’s release, right after the Columbine High School shooting.
Point Blank
(Image credit: Namco)
Platform:PS1Year:1998Made famous in the arcades of Japan, the Point Blank series’ biggest attractions were its minigame features and cartoon visuals. It used the Namco G-Con45 and players would tackle various challenges – among them, memory, which required players to memorise objects and shoot them in a specific order; speed, in which targets and timers combined; and accuracy, which asked players to land shots on increasingly smaller targets. Point Blank appealed to everyone and largely dodged arguments over violence.
Time Crisis: Razing Storm
Platform:PS3Year:2010
If any game is to feature twice on this list, it must surely be Time Crisis. Although this isn’t ‘just another cover shooter’. Razing Storm was actually a small compilation of games, all of which were pretty stellar. There was the titular Razing Storm, which added destructible environments to the usual Time Crisis fare. Time Crisis 4, undoubtedly the better of the series’ entries, was in there too. Lastly, and probably most importantly, Deadstorm Pirates was a stonking adventure on the high seas and easily the standout game in the collection owing to its weaponry and departure from the usual cops-and-robbers template of so many other lightgun games. And if you didn’t have a G-Con3, you could use PS Move controllers (which, sadly, didn’t lead to a lightgun game renaissance).
Men in Black: Alien Crisis
Platform:PS3Year:2012
Virtua Cop: Elite Edition
(Image credit: Sega)
Platform:PS2Year:2002
At first, players and critics were sceptical of the Virtua Cop series. With Konami using digitised photos in its leading shooter, some were wary of Sega’s use of 3D polygons. However, in the arcades, the game was a smash. Virtua Cop bridged the gap between graphic violence and cartoon-style visuals, and there was even a feature allowing you to disarm criminals instead of killing them. Players felt the use of 3D models made for a more enjoyable experience as a higher level of accuracy was needed. Elite Edition bundled the first two games together in an almost-perfect arcade port.
This feature first appeared in PLAY magazine -Subscribe here to save on the cover price, get exclusive covers, and have it delivered to your door or device every month.
See more Games Features
TOPICSKonamiActivisionSega
TOPICS
More about games"Beyond Good and Evil’s influence is 2000% Miyazaki": 21 years on, the developers behind Ubisoft’s cult classic reflect on how it came to be"We were honouring Sonic’s holistic history which includes both designs": 13 years on, Takashi Iizuka reveals why Sonic Generations need twice the ‘hogsLatest26 years later, Codemasters’ Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time"See more latest►
More about games"Beyond Good and Evil’s influence is 2000% Miyazaki”: 21 years on, the developers behind Ubisoft’s cult classic reflect on how it came to be"We were honouring Sonic’s holistic history which includes both designs": 13 years on, Takashi Iizuka reveals why Sonic Generations need twice the ‘hogsLatest26 years later, Codemasters’ Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time"See more latest►
More about games"Beyond Good and Evil’s influence is 2000% Miyazaki”: 21 years on, the developers behind Ubisoft’s cult classic reflect on how it came to be"We were honouring Sonic’s holistic history which includes both designs": 13 years on, Takashi Iizuka reveals why Sonic Generations need twice the ‘hogs
More about games
“Beyond Good and Evil’s influence is 2000% Miyazaki”: 21 years on, the developers behind Ubisoft’s cult classic reflect on how it came to be"We were honouring Sonic’s holistic history which includes both designs": 13 years on, Takashi Iizuka reveals why Sonic Generations need twice the ‘hogs
“Beyond Good and Evil’s influence is 2000% Miyazaki”: 21 years on, the developers behind Ubisoft’s cult classic reflect on how it came to be
“Beyond Good and Evil’s influence is 2000% Miyazaki”: 21 years on, the developers behind Ubisoft’s cult classic reflect on how it came to be
“We were honouring Sonic’s holistic history which includes both designs”: 13 years on, Takashi Iizuka reveals why Sonic Generations need twice the ‘hogs
“We were honouring Sonic’s holistic history which includes both designs”: 13 years on, Takashi Iizuka reveals why Sonic Generations need twice the ‘hogs
Latest26 years later, Codemasters’ Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time"See more latest►
Latest
26 years later, Codemasters’ Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time”
26 years later, Codemasters’ Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time”
26 years later, Codemasters’ Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time”
See more latest►
Most Popular"This is incredibly rare”: How Mouthwashing quietly became 2024’s breakout horror hitI’m no Grinch, but will someone please direct me to the good Christmas games?This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chancePatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future
Most Popular"This is incredibly rare”: How Mouthwashing quietly became 2024’s breakout horror hitI’m no Grinch, but will someone please direct me to the good Christmas games?This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chancePatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future
Most Popular"This is incredibly rare”: How Mouthwashing quietly became 2024’s breakout horror hitI’m no Grinch, but will someone please direct me to the good Christmas games?This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chancePatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future
Most Popular
“This is incredibly rare”: How Mouthwashing quietly became 2024’s breakout horror hit
I’m no Grinch, but will someone please direct me to the good Christmas games?
This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chance
Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics”
Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s past
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé
17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding”
Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over Christmas
Spy x Family season 3: Everything we know so far
One of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strength
How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1
Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”