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|engine = |
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|released = [[1975 in video gaming|1975]] |
|released = '''Arcade''' [[1975 in video gaming|1975]] '''Astrocade''' 1978 |
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|genre = [[Multi-directional shooter]] <br> [[Run and gun]] |
|genre = [[Multi-directional shooter]] <br> [[Run and gun]] |
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|modes = [[Multiplayer game|2-player]] |
|modes = [[Multiplayer game|2-player]] |
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'''''Gun Fight''''' is an [[arcade game]] that was released by [[Midway Games]] in 1975, based on the [[Tomohiro Nishikado]] designed [[Taito Corporation|Taito]] game '''''Western Gun''''' released in Japan earlier that year.<ref name=Kotaku>Stephen Totilo |
'''''Gun Fight''''' is an [[Arcade game|arcade]] [[shooter game]] that was released by [[Midway Games]] in 1975, based on the [[Tomohiro Nishikado]] designed [[Taito Corporation|Taito]] game '''''Western Gun''''' released in Japan earlier that year.<ref name="Kotaku">{{cite web|author=Stephen Totilo|title=In Search Of The First Video Game Gun|publisher=[[Kotaku]]|date=August 31, 2010|url=http://kotaku.com/5626466/in-search-of-the-first-video-game-gun|accessdate=2011-03-27}}</ref><ref name="Kohler">{{citation|author=Chris Kohler|year=2005|title=Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life|page=18|publisher=[[BradyGames]]|isbn=0744004241|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=auMTAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=2011-03-27}}</ref> The theme of the game involves two [[Old West]] [[cowboy]]s armed with a revolver and squaring off in a duel. Whoever shoots the other cowboy first wins the duel. Unlike in a real-life duel, however, both cowboys get numerous opportunities to duel in order to score points (one point per successful draw).<ref name="Kotaku"/> The game was a success in the [[Video arcade|arcades]] and was later ported to home machines such as the [[Bally Astrocade]] console.<ref name="Steinberg"/> |
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==Gameplay and story== |
==Gameplay and story== |
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The game is historically significant for several reasons.<ref name="allgame">{{allgame|10214|Gun Fight}}</ref> ''Western Gun'' was an early [[run and gun|run & gun]], [[multi-directional shooter]],<ref name="Kotaku"/> that could be played in [[Single-player video game|single-player]] or [[Multiplayer|two-player]]. It also introduced [[video game violence]], being the first video game to depict human-to-human [[Action game|combat]],<ref name="Steinberg">{{citation|title=Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia|volume=1|author=Shirley R. Steinberg|editor=Shirley R. Steinberg, Michael Kehler, Lindsay Cornish|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|year=2010|isbn=0313350809|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XRGEIqzv5rsC|accessdate=2011-04-02|page=451}}</ref> and the first to depict a [[gun]] on screen.<ref name="Kotaku"/> |
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| ⚫ | The game introduced [[Dual analog|dual-stick]] controls,<ref name="Ashcraft">{{citation|title=Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan's Game Centers|author=Brian Ashcraft & Jean Snow|publisher=[[Kodansha International]]|year=2008|isbn=4770030789}}</ref> using two distinct [[joystick]] controls per player, with one eight-way joystick for moving the computerized cowboy around on the screen and the other for changing the shooting direction.<ref name="Kotaku"/><ref>{{KLOV game|10420|Western Gun}}</ref> Unlike most other arcade games, ''Western Gun'' / ''Gun Fight'' has the main joystick on the right instead of the left. It was also the first known video game to feature [[Player character|game characters]] and fragments of story through its visual presentation.<ref name="kohler19">{{citation|author=Chris Kohler|year=2005|title=Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life|page=19|publisher=[[BradyGames]]|isbn=0744004241|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=auMTAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=2011-03-27}}</ref> The [[player character]]s used in the game represented [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]] for the players.<ref name="Steinberg"/> |
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Other features of the game include [[cactus]]es, and in later [[Level (gaming)|levels]], pine trees and moving wagons; these objects serve to [[Cover system|provide cover]] for the players and can be [[Destructible environment|destructible]]. The guns have limited ammunition, with each player given six bullets; a round ends if both players run out of ammo. Gunshots can also ricochet off the top or bottom edges of the playfield, allowing for indirect hits.<ref name="allgame"/> |
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==Development and technology== |
==Development and technology== |
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Taito licensed its game ''Western Gun'' to Midway for release in North America (the second such license after the 1974 [[scrolling]] [[racing video game|racing game]] ''[[Racing video game#1970s|Speed Race]]'') The title ''Western Gun'', while making perfect sense for [[Engrish|Japanese audiences]] in that it conveys the setting and theme as simply as possible, was considered to have sounded odd to American audiences, so it was renamed ''Gun Fight'' instead for its American localization.<ref>{{citation|author=Chris Kohler|year=2005|title=Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life|page=211|publisher=[[BradyGames]]|isbn=0744004241|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=auMTAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=2011-03-27}}</ref> |
Taito licensed its game ''Western Gun'' to Midway for release in North America (the second such license after the 1974 [[scrolling]] [[racing video game|racing game]] ''[[Racing video game#1970s|Speed Race]]'') The title ''Western Gun'', while making perfect sense for [[Engrish|Japanese audiences]] in that it conveys the setting and theme as simply as possible, was considered to have sounded odd to American audiences, so it was renamed ''Gun Fight'' instead for its American localization.<ref>{{citation|author=Chris Kohler|year=2005|title=Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life|page=211|publisher=[[BradyGames]]|isbn=0744004241|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=auMTAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=2011-03-27}}</ref> |
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[[Tomohiro Nishikado]]'s original ''Western Gun'' design was based on [[discrete logic]], like most video arcade games of the time.<ref name=Kotaku/><ref name=Kohler/> When [[Dave Nutting]] adapted it for Midway, he decided to base it on the [[Intel 8080]], which made ''Gun Fight'' the first video arcade game to use a [[microprocessor]]<ref name=Kent>Steve L. Kent (2001), ''The ultimate history of video games: from Pong to Pokémon and beyond : the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world'', p. 64, Prima, ISBN 0761536434</ref> |
[[Tomohiro Nishikado]]'s original ''Western Gun'' design was based on [[discrete logic]], like most video arcade games of the time.<ref name=Kotaku/><ref name=Kohler/> When [[Dave Nutting]] adapted it for Midway, he decided to base it on the [[Intel 8080]], which made ''Gun Fight'' the first video arcade game to use a [[microprocessor]],<ref name=Kent>Steve L. Kent (2001), ''The ultimate history of video games: from Pong to Pokémon and beyond : the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world'', p. 64, Prima, ISBN 0761536434</ref> after his company Dave Nutting Associates had already included the first arcade microprocessor in a pinball machine it licensed this technology for, [[Spirit of '76 (pinball)|Spirit of '76]]. Nishikado believed that his original version was more fun, but he was impressed with the improved graphics and smoother animation<ref name="kohler19" /> of ''Gun Fight''. This led him to design microprocessors into his subsequent games, including the [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] 1978 [[shoot 'em up]] game ''[[Space Invaders]]''.<ref name=Kohler/> ''Gun Fight'' uses a black-and-white [[Raster graphics|raster]] [[Computer display|monitor]] and a yellow screen overlay. |
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The game uses a black-and-white raster [[Computer display|monitor]] and a yellow screen overlay. |
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==Series== |
==Series== |
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==Ports== |
==Ports== |
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In |
In 1978,<ref>{{allgame|18231|Gunfight (Bally Professional Arcade)}}</ref> the game was introduced to the home market with its [[Porting|port]] to the [[Bally Astrocade]] console.<ref name="Steinberg"/> In 1983, [[Epyx]] ported ''Gun Fight'' and another Midway game, ''[[Sea Wolf (arcade game)|Sea Wolf II]]'', to the [[Atari 8-bit family]], and released them in an "Arcade Classics" compilation.<ref name="atari"> |
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{{cite web |
{{cite web |
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| title = Atarimania - Arcade Classics: Sea Wolf II / Gun Fight |
| title = Atarimania - Arcade Classics: Sea Wolf II / Gun Fight |
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| url=http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-arcade-classics-seawolf-ii-gun-fight_1169.html |
| url=http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-arcade-classics-seawolf-ii-gun-fight_1169.html |
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| accessdate = 2011-02-01 }}</ref> In 1987, [[Interceptor Micros|Interceptor Software]] ported the game to the [[Commodore 64]] and [[Commodore 128]] computers.<ref>{{allgame|18231|Gunfight (Commodore 64/128)}}</ref> |
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| accessdate = 2011-02-01 }}</ref> |
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==Popular culture== |
==Popular culture== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*{{KLOV game|id=8039}} |
*{{KLOV game|id=8039}} |
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{{shooter-videogame-stub}} |
{{shooter-videogame-stub}} |
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Revision as of 13:45, 2 April 2011
| Gun Fight | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Taito (Western Gun) Midway (Gun Fight) |
| Publisher(s) | Taito (Japan) Midway (United States) |
| Designer(s) | Tomohiro Nishikado |
| Programmer(s) | Tomohiro Nishikado (JP) Dave Nutting (US) |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release | Arcade 1975 Astrocade 1978 |
| Genre(s) | Multi-directional shooter Run and gun |
| Mode(s) | 2-player |
Gun Fight is an arcade shooter game that was released by Midway Games in 1975, based on the Tomohiro Nishikado designed Taito game Western Gun released in Japan earlier that year.[1][2] The theme of the game involves two Old West cowboys armed with a revolver and squaring off in a duel. Whoever shoots the other cowboy first wins the duel. Unlike in a real-life duel, however, both cowboys get numerous opportunities to duel in order to score points (one point per successful draw).[1] The game was a success in the arcades and was later ported to home machines such as the Bally Astrocade console.[3]
Gameplay and story
The game is historically significant for several reasons.[4] Western Gun was an early run & gun, multi-directional shooter,[1] that could be played in single-player or two-player. It also introduced video game violence, being the first video game to depict human-to-human combat,[3] and the first to depict a gun on screen.[1]
The game introduced dual-stick controls,[5] using two distinct joystick controls per player, with one eight-way joystick for moving the computerized cowboy around on the screen and the other for changing the shooting direction.[1][6] Unlike most other arcade games, Western Gun / Gun Fight has the main joystick on the right instead of the left. It was also the first known video game to feature game characters and fragments of story through its visual presentation.[7] The player characters used in the game represented avatars for the players.[3]
Other features of the game include cactuses, and in later levels, pine trees and moving wagons; these objects serve to provide cover for the players and can be destructible. The guns have limited ammunition, with each player given six bullets; a round ends if both players run out of ammo. Gunshots can also ricochet off the top or bottom edges of the playfield, allowing for indirect hits.[4]
Development and technology
Taito licensed its game Western Gun to Midway for release in North America (the second such license after the 1974 scrolling racing game Speed Race) The title Western Gun, while making perfect sense for Japanese audiences in that it conveys the setting and theme as simply as possible, was considered to have sounded odd to American audiences, so it was renamed Gun Fight instead for its American localization.[8]
Tomohiro Nishikado's original Western Gun design was based on discrete logic, like most video arcade games of the time.[1][2] When Dave Nutting adapted it for Midway, he decided to base it on the Intel 8080, which made Gun Fight the first video arcade game to use a microprocessor,[9] after his company Dave Nutting Associates had already included the first arcade microprocessor in a pinball machine it licensed this technology for, Spirit of '76. Nishikado believed that his original version was more fun, but he was impressed with the improved graphics and smoother animation[7] of Gun Fight. This led him to design microprocessors into his subsequent games, including the blockbuster 1978 shoot 'em up game Space Invaders.[2] Gun Fight uses a black-and-white raster monitor and a yellow screen overlay.
Series
- Gun Fight (1975)
- Boot Hill (1977)
Ports
In 1978,[10] the game was introduced to the home market with its port to the Bally Astrocade console.[3] In 1983, Epyx ported Gun Fight and another Midway game, Sea Wolf II, to the Atari 8-bit family, and released them in an "Arcade Classics" compilation.[11] In 1987, Interceptor Software ported the game to the Commodore 64 and Commodore 128 computers.[12]
Popular culture
In 1978 movie Dawn of the Dead, Peter and FlyBoy are enjoying this game. Peter loses as the allusion of Flyboy is bad shooter in real life.
References
- ^ a b c d e f Stephen Totilo (August 31, 2010). "In Search Of The First Video Game Gun". Kotaku. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
- ^ a b c Chris Kohler (2005), Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life, BradyGames, p. 18, ISBN 0744004241, retrieved 2011-03-27
- ^ a b c d Shirley R. Steinberg (2010), Shirley R. Steinberg, Michael Kehler, Lindsay Cornish (ed.), Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia, vol. 1, ABC-CLIO, p. 451, ISBN 0313350809, retrieved 2011-04-02
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) - ^ a b Template:Allgame
- ^ Brian Ashcraft & Jean Snow (2008), Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan's Game Centers, Kodansha International, ISBN 4770030789
- ^ Western Gun at the Killer List of Videogames
- ^ a b Chris Kohler (2005), Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life, BradyGames, p. 19, ISBN 0744004241, retrieved 2011-03-27
- ^ Chris Kohler (2005), Power-up: how Japanese video games gave the world an extra life, BradyGames, p. 211, ISBN 0744004241, retrieved 2011-03-27
- ^ Steve L. Kent (2001), The ultimate history of video games: from Pong to Pokémon and beyond : the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world, p. 64, Prima, ISBN 0761536434
- ^ Template:Allgame
- ^ "Atarimania - Arcade Classics: Sea Wolf II / Gun Fight". Retrieved 2011-02-01.
- ^ Template:Allgame