1975 · Taito · Arcade · Shooter

Western Gun

Western Gun, which served as an inspiration for Gun Fight in the USA (they're similar in gameplay and theme, but they're two different games), is a 1975 arcade shooter game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released by Taito in Japan and Europe and by Midway Games in North America. It was the first video game to depict human-to-human combat, while the Midway version was also the first video game to use a microprocessor. Following its November 1975 release in North America, it went on to sell over 8,000 arcade cabinets in the United States. It was ported to the Bally Astrocade video game console as a built-in game in 1977 as well as several home computer platforms.

Released: 1 September 1975
Platforms: Arcade
Genres: Arcade Shooter Western
Developers: Taito
Publishers: Taito
Modes: Multiplayer
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Action Historical
Languages: English

About

Gun Fight is a 1975 multidirectional shooter arcade video game released by Midway in North America. It is based on Western Gun, designed by Tomohiro Nishikado and released by Taito in Japan and Europe. Based around two Old West cowboys armed with revolvers and squaring off in a duel, it was the first video game to depict human-to-human combat. The Midway version was also the first video game to use a microprocessor instead of TTL. The game's concept was adapted from Sega's 1969 arcade electro-mechanical game Gun Fight.

The game was a global commercial success. In Japan, Western Gun was among the top ten highest-grossing arcade video games of 1976. In the United States, Gun Fight sold 8,600 arcade cabinets and was the third highest-grossing arcade game of 1975, second highest-grossing arcade game of 1976 and fifth highest arcade game of 1977.

Keywords

western
wild west

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Western Gun is a single-screen shooter where two players compete in an Old West gun fight. It was the first video game to depict human-to-human combat. When shot, the characters fall to the ground and the words "GOT ME!" appear above the body.

The game has two joysticks per player: an eight-way joystick for moving the computerized cowboy and the other for changing the shooting direction. Unlike later dual stick games, Western Gun has the movement joystick on the right.

Development

Western Gun was developed by Tomohiro Nishikado for Taito Corporation. He based the gameplay off of the electro-mechanical game Gun Fight (1969) released by Sega. Gun Fight featured two cowboys on a movable track behind rock walls were separated by a field of objects like cacti, trees, and a saloon. If the players shot the cacti, the top would temporarily fall over, as would the cowboy if struck.

Points were accumulated by shooting an opponent as many times as possible within the allotted timeframe. Nishikado adapted the mechanics of the original game and added rocks that bullets could ricochet off. Cacti in the environment would be partially destroyed when shot.

Reception

In Japan, Western Gun was among the top ten highest-rated arcade video games of 1976 by operators polled in the 1976 New Year's Holiday period.

Gun Fight sold 8,600 units in the United States, making it among the best selling video games of the time period and the top selling game released in 1975.

Legacy

Gun Fight was popular enough to spawn a sequel released in 1977, Boot Hill.

The game was included in GameSpy's "Hall of Fame" in 2002. They commented that "Gun Fight was the first game to feature two humanized characters attempting to outfight each other, which would become one of the most common themes in games for the next 25-plus years"; that it was one of the first Japanese video games imported to North America; and that Midway's version "was the first microprocessor-based arcade game".