History Main / OneBulletAtATime

* Hero Klungo Sssavesss Teh Universsse in ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Nuts & Bolts''.

** In ''Diablo II'', you can cast as many missiles as you like ... but then you might not see them. HilarityEnsues when fighting against a multi-shot lightning-enchanted boss while you have slow missiles active, where moving in the wrong direction (or not at all) will get you kill by hot air.
* ''GliderPRO'' only allows two rubber bands to be on screen at once.

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* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', as long as the engine pioneered by ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn'' was in use (although it was gradually expanded as the series progressed), units armed with railguns (which were first and only introduced in ''Tiberian Sun'' and of which the unmodified game featured a grand total of two - Ghost Stalker and the Mammoth Mk.II mech) could have a maximum of one active railgun "line", even if the shot had already dealt all its damage. A railgun could not be fired again until the particle system of the last beam had entirely faded out, and in fact if one was to mod a railgun with a lower firing delay than the fade-out timer of the particle system into ''Tiberian Sun'', the railgun would "jam" ''permanently'' after firing once and could never be fired again, even if the particle system had faded. Railguns didn't appear in the series again until after the switch to the SAGE engine, in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars'', but the code remained and they can be re-created in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'' and its expansion through modifications of the game files. It is uncertain why this limitation exists, but as it never becomes apparent in the unmodified game and is mostly a footnote to creating modifications that contain railgun weapons, it is most likely an engine limitation, rather than a conscious nerf in the interest of game balance.

Most famous examples of this trope are due to the technical limitations of old 8-bit hardware configurations. The UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}}'s specialized hardware for rendering "missile" sprites could only handle two missiles at a time, leading to the two-bullet limit of many 2600 games. Interestingly, the [[SpaceWar oldest video game]] did not have this limit.

* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' the number depends on the weapon. The level 2 Blade is one of these weapons, and because of this, it deals insane amounts of damage at point-blank range (more so than its level 3 version, whose projectiles don't disappear on contact).

* ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' may be the TropeMaker. This makes comebacks possible, as you can shoot more rapidly as the Invaders get closer... provided you don't miss, that is. The UsefulNotes/{{Atari 2600}} version had a trick to get double shots: Hold the RESET switch and turn on the game, then let it go. Cheat or [[GoodBadBugs glitch]]? Nobody may ever know.

* The ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'' LicensedGame on UsefulNotes/AmstradCPC had this limitation, particularly grating when some targets required pixel-perfect aiming (and the [[ScrappyMechanic gravity]] kept changing it).

* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' does similar - at the beginning, the player can only have three bullets from the Buster onscreen at once, but after killing enough enemies with it, this is upgraded to four. [[FridgeLogic Somehow.]] Later games made four shots at once a facet of some other upgrade, like the buster-focused X Form in ''2''.

* In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', you can only have 3 missiles active at once. Normally their fire rate is so slow that this is completely irrelevant, but a an [[GoodBadBugs unintentional]] method of shooting them [[http://www.metroid2002.com/techniques_rapid_fire_missiles.php very quickly]] allows the limit to be reached.

* It's not obvious unless you slow the framerate right down, but ranged weapons in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' had this limitation imposed from V0.31 onwards; a second shot cannot be fired until after the game rolls to determine whether or not the first has hit its target. In older versions it was possible to fire so fast that six or seven arrows or crossbow bolts would be in the air before the first hit, which would be a GoodBadBug if not for the fact that arrows or crossbow bolts had a high probability of a OneHitKill, so the rest of the shots were just wasted. ([[RuleOfCool It did look badass though.]])

** Also true for [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 the sequel]]. The Sticky Launcher can still only place 8 bombs. If you shoot any more, the first ones placed start detonating in sequence. The second launcher available, The Scottish Resistance, can have 14 bombs out at once, but will only detonate the ones you are actually aiming at when pulling the trigger. Other projectiles in the game (such as rockets, arrows, flares and ''syringes'') are only limited by their firing and reload rates. This provides an interesting inversion where single shot weapons such as the Crusaders Crossbow fire as fast as they reload, meaning there was no point to giving it any fire rate. [[Bullet hell Cue]] BottomlessMagazine cheats...

** Also true for [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 the sequel]]. The Sticky Launcher can still only place 8 bombs. If you shoot any more, the first ones placed start detonating in sequence. The second launcher available, The Scottish Resistance, can have 14 bombs out at once, but will only detonate the ones you are actually aiming at when pulling the trigger. Other projectiles in the game (such as rockets, arrows, flares and ''syringes'') are only limited by their firing and reload rates.

** Notable example with [[ComicBook/XMen Phoenix]] in MarvelVsCapcom3 who had no limit to the projectiles she could fire in the air. Come the UpdatedRerelease and suddenly she can only throw one at a time, making an oft-used tourney character much lower on the tier list.

* ''[[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic Team Fortress]]'' only allows eight pipebombs active at once. This limitation was added because some players tried filling the entire level with them to kill all hostiles at once; that and you'd probably hit the upper limit of ~600/768 entities in the original ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' engine. As such, this limit prevents spamming meant to kill off a full team in one swoop.
** Also true for [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 the sequel]]. The Sticky Launcher can still only place 8 bombs. If you shoot any more, first ones start detonating in sequence. The second launcher available, The Scottish Resistance, can have 14 bombs out at once, but will only detonate the ones you are actually aiming at when pulling the trigger. Other projectiles in the game (such as rockets, arrows, flares and ''syringes'') are only limited by their reload rate.
* In the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series, only one laser-guided rocket can be launched at the same time.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' does similar - at the beginning, the player can only have three bullets from the Buster onscreen at once, but after killing enough enemies with it, this is upgraded to four. [[FridgeLogic Somehow.]]

* In ''CaptainComic'', the number of Blastola Cola 'bullets' you can have on the screen at once is limited to the number of cans you've picked up.

* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', as long as the engine pioneered by ''VideoGame/TiberianDawn'' was in use (although it was gradually expanded as the series progressed), units armed with railguns (which were first and only introduced in ''VideoGame/TiberianSun'' and of which the unmodified game featured a grand total of two - Ghost Stalker and the Mammoth Mk.II mech) could have a maximum of one active railgun "line", even if the shot had already dealt all its damage. A railgun could not be fired again until the particle system of the last beam had entirely faded out, and infact if one was to mod a railgun with a lower firing delay than the fade-out timer of the particle system into ''VideoGame/TiberianSun'', the railgun would "jam" ''permanently'' after firing once and could never be fired again, even if the particle system had faded. Railguns never appeared again in the series while it was using the same engine after ''VideoGame/TiberianSun'' (although they re-appeared in later games using the SAGE engine), but the code remained and they can be re-created in ''VideoGame/RedAlert2'' and its expansion through modifications of the game files. It is uncertain why this limitation exists, but as it never becomes apparent in the unmodified game and is mosty a footnote to creating modifications that contain railgun weapons, it is most likely an engine limitation, rather than a conscious nerf in the interest of game balance.

* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', as long as the engine pioneered by ''TiberianDawn'' was in use (although it was gradually expanded as the series progressed), units armed with railguns (which were first and only introduced in ''TiberianSun'' and of which the unmodified game featured a grand total of two - Ghost Stalker and the Mammoth Mk.II mech) could have a maximum of one active railgun "line", even if the shot had already dealt all its damage. A railgun could not be fired again until the particle system of the last beam had entirely faded out, and infact if one was to mod a railgun with a lower firing delay than the fade-out timer of the particle system into ''TiberianSun'', the railgun would "jam" ''permanently'' after firing once and could never be fired again, even if the particle system had faded. Railguns never appeared again in the series while it was using the same engine after ''TiberianSun'' (although they re-appeared in later games using the SAGE engine), but the code remained and they can be re-created in ''RedAlert2'' and its expansion through modifications of the game files. It is uncertain why this limitation exists, but as it never becomes apparent in the unmodified game and is mosty a footnote to creating modifications that contain railgun weapons, it is most likely an engine limitation, rather than a conscious nerf in the interest of game balance.

* In ''CommandAndConquer'', as long as the engine pioneered by ''TiberianDawn'' was in use (although it was gradually expanded as the series progressed), units armed with railguns (which were first and only introduced in ''TiberianSun'' and of which the unmodified game featured a grand total of two - Ghost Stalker and the Mammoth Mk.II mech) could have a maximum of one active railgun "line", even if the shot had already dealt all its damage. A railgun could not be fired again until the particle system of the last beam had entirely faded out, and infact if one was to mod a railgun with a lower firing delay than the fade-out timer of the particle system into ''TiberianSun'', the railgun would "jam" ''permanently'' after firing once and could never be fired again, even if the particle system had faded. Railguns never appeared again in the series while it was using the same engine after ''TiberianSun'' (although they re-appeared in later games using the SAGE engine), but the code remained and they can be re-created in ''RedAlert2'' and its expansion through modifications of the game files. It is uncertain why this limitation exists, but as it never becomes apparent in the unmodified game and is mosty a footnote to creating modifications that contain railgun weapons, it is most likely an engine limitation, rather than a conscious nerf in the interest of game balance.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' did this with [[KillItWithFire fireballs]]; only two could be out at a time.
** Also applies to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''.

* The various "Sub Hunt" style arcade games (the first of which seems to be [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depthcharge Depthcharge]] in 1977) where you control a ship and fight against enemy submarines by dropping depth charges on them. You have an unlimited number of depth charges, but a counter governs how many you can have on the screen at a time. When a depth charge hits an enemy or the ocean floor, it "regenerates" back on your ship and you can fire another one. Basically the game revolves around this mechanic as you must use depth charges judiciously or you may find yourself momentarily defenseless against a swarm of subs.

* ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' may be the TropeMaker. This makes comebacks possible, as you can shoot more rapidly as the Invaders get closer... provided you don't miss, that is. The {{Atari 2600}} version had a trick to get double shots: Hold the RESET switch and turn on the game, then let it go. Cheat or [[GoodBadBugs glitch]]? Nobody may ever know.

->''This is your XQJ-37 plasma cannon. The only trouble is that since the old model XQJ was cobbled together from junked {{Amiga}} motherboards, you can only have one shot on the screen at a time.''

Most famous examples of this trope are due to the technical limitations of old 8-bit hardware configurations. The {{Atari 2600}}'s specialized hardware for rendering "missile" sprites could only handle two missiles at a time, leading to the two-bullet limit of many 2600 games. Interestingly, the [[SpaceWar oldest video game]] did not have this limit.

* Alive and well in all its FakeDifficulty in the FunOrb game ''Star Cannon''; in the second level, your bullets are the last priority for the game, after floating space debris and (sometimes undodgeable) enemy swarms. Your firepower is reduced to about 1/3 of normal...if you're lucky.

* The ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'' LicensedGame on AmstradCPC had this limitation, particularly grating when some targets required pixel-perfect aiming (and the [[ScrappyMechanic gravity]] kept changing it).

* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' the number depends on the weapon. This also meant the Blade at level 2, which there can only be one on the screen at a time, deals insane amounts of damage in ''very'' close range (more so than its level 3 version, whose projectiles don't disappear on contact) but there isn't anything outstanding otherwise.
** Point blank fireball spam is also a very effective boss killer up until you get the knife (at least unless and until you get the machinegun)

* ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' has an upper limit, with the spread gun allowing 10 bullets on the screen. If you don't have enough for all five bullets, you can either get a 3-shot or single shot (as exploited in a tool assisted speedrun). Likewise, the laser was actually several parts of a shot fired at once, and if you fired while the first shot was still on screen, it would disappear, meaning if you tried to spam it, you'd have a very short range weapon on your hands.

** And the N64 games both allow only one magical arrow to be shot at a time.

* Hero Klungo Sssavesss Teh Universsse in ''{{Banjo-Kazooie}} Nuts & Bolts''.

* ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' may be the TropeMaker. This makes comebacks possible, as you can shoot more rapidly as the Invaders get closer... provided you don't miss, that is.

* ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' had a one-shot limit, but in the Atari 2600 version there was a trick to get two: Hold the RESET switch and turn on the game, then let it go. Double shots. Cheat or [[GoodBadBugs glitch]]? Nobody may ever know.

* The ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'' game on AmstradCPC had this limitation, particularly grating when some targets required pixel-perfect aiming (and the [[ScrappyMechanic gravity]] kept changing it).

* Alive and well in all its FakeDifficulty in the FunOrb game ''Star Cannon''; in the second level, your bullets are the last priority for the game, after floating space debris and (sometimes undodgeable) enemy swarms. Your firepower is reduced to about 1/3 of normal...if you're lucky.

* This happens to banana peels and the like in ''VideoGame/MarioKart''; the old ones disappear as new ones are placed.
* ''[[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic Team Fortress]]'' only allows eight pipebombs active at once. This limitation was added because some players tried filling the entire level with them to kill all hostiles at once; that and you'd probably hit the upper limit of ~600/768 entities in the original ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' engine. As such, this limit prevents spamming meant to kill off a full team in one swoop.
** Also true for [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 the sequel]]. The Sticky Launcher can still only place 8 bombs. If you shoot any more, first ones start detonating in sequence. The second launcher available, The Scottish Resistance, can have 14 bombs out at once, but will only detonate the ones you are actually aiming at when pulling the trigger. Other projectiles in the game (such as rockets, arrows, flares and ''syringes'') are only limited by their reload rate.

* Most {{Fighting Game}}s, more often than not, allow a character only one projectile on the screen at once. There are exceptions aplenty, but for the most part, it's limited to one for the sake of game balance (to allow the other player ample opportunity to defend or counter).
** Notable example with [[ComicBook/XMen Phoenix]] in MarvelVsCapcom3 who had no limit to the projectiles she could fire in the air. Come the UpdatedRerelease and suddenly she can only throw one at a time, making an oft-used tourney character much lower on the tier list.

* In ''DissidiaFinalFantasy'', [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII The Emperor's]] primary means of HP-destroying offense[[note]]There are two stats in the game, Bravery and HP. Bravery offense drains the opponent's Bravery and adds it to yours, HP offense deals damage to HP equivalent to the character's Bravery stat and is the only way of actually killing an opponent.[[/note]] is Flare, an extremely large PainfullySlowProjectile that makes up for it by strong homing and staying on the screen a very long time. There can only ever be two on the screen at once, presumably for reasons of game balance rather than technical limitations; if The Emperor could spam Flare, given its homing and duration, he could completely shut down the opponent with zero effort on the player's part.
* Alive and well in all its FakeDifficulty in the FunOrb game ''StarCannon''; in the second level, your bullets are the last priority for the game, after floating space debris and (sometimes undodgeable) enemy swarms. Your firepower is reduced to about 1/3 of normal...if you're lucky.

* The first ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'' game (the 2D one) limited you to only one energy bolt onscreen at a time, upgradeable to four by way of powerups.
* ''VideoGame/{{Genetos}}'' gives you two bullets at a time with the first ship (taken almost directly from ''SpaceInvaders''), and five with the second (modeled after ships in late-eighties games), then abandons the trope as you move closer to the modern day.

* In the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series, only one laser-guided rocket can be launched at the same time.

Most examples are OlderThanTheNES, although interestingly, the [[SpaceWar oldest video game]] did not have this limit. Outside of {{retraux}} games, it's subjectively [[DiscreditedTrope discredited]] at this point; the replacement is a firing rate, which prevents this from becoming an issue beyond a limited scope. The [[TropesAreNotBad upside]] to this trope is that it can encourage players to get closer to enemies to do more damage, creating a risk\reward balance, or to prevent a certain tactic from being used exclusively.

* Primitive shoot'em ups follow this trope due to technical limitations:
** ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders'' may be the TropeMaker. This makes comebacks possible, as you can shoot more rapidly as the Invaders get closer... provided you don't miss, that is.
*** ''Space Invaders: Infinity Gene'' has the classic ship as an unlockable. While it still adheres to this trope, that one bullet is a OneHitKill on anything, including bosses.
** ''VideoGame/{{Gorf}}'': Also applies to some enemy attacks. Unusually, you can fire again while one of your shots is still on screen, but your ''original'' shot disappears.
** ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' can only have up to 3 bullets on screen at a time. Some special weapons in the sequels only allow one of its projectiles on the screen (e.g. Ice Wall). In the later games, you can even buy an upgrade to increase it to five shots on screen at a time.
*** His brother Proto Man, in part of the tradeoff for the slide and charge shot in ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' (and presumably this applies in ''10'' as well), can only fire two shots at a time, though having the Proto Coil or Proto Jet equipped allows you to shoot three.
** ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'' has this as a stat for guns called Energy which is the number of bullets on screen, while Rapid is how fast it can shoot said bullets.
** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' does similar - at the beginning, the player can only have three bullets from the Buster onscreen at once, but after killing enough enemies with it, this is upgraded to four. [[FridgeLogic Somehow.]]
** In the ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' series, you can only have one buster shot out at a time (They're invisible, but do have a small travel time), meaning you can shoot a lot faster at point blank range.
** ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}}'' only lets you shoot two bullets at a time.
*** ''VideoGame/{{Galaxian}}'' only lets you shoot one.
** ''Satans Hollow'' only allows one, but a weapon upgrade gives an additional shot and a second upgrade shoots a double/single alternating shot.
** ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' has an upper limit, with the spread gun allowing 10 bullets on the screen. If you don't have enough for all five bullets, you can either get a 3-shot or single shot (as exploited in a tool assisted speedrun). Likewise, the laser was actually several parts of a shot fired at once, and if you fired while the first shot was still on screen, it would disappear, meaning if you tried to spam it, you'd have a very short range weapon on your hands.
** All Shoot'em ups only allow one super-attack (smart bomb, nuke, etc.) at a time, either waiting until it finishes or after a fixed delay; in two player games, there might only be one on-screen bomb among the two players. Spamming bombs tends to be counter-productive depending on how the game works, either because the bomb blocks bullets, a short invulnerability is conferred, etc.
** ''Asterax'', a somewhat ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''-like old Mac shareware game, makes this the explicit benefit of buying better guns, with 4-12 shots from each player allowed on screen.
** It's also present in many of VideoGame/{{Action 52}}'s games. Some of them still avert it, allowing to spray numerous bullets, but this often causes the enemies or bosses [[{{Unwinnable}} to not spawn]].
** The ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'' game on AmstradCPC had this limitation, particularly grating when some targets required pixel-perfect aiming (and the [[ScrappyMechanic gravity]] kept changing it).
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' did this with [[KillItWithFire fireballs]]; only two could be out at a time.
** Also applies to ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''.

* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' the number depends on the weapon. This also meant the Blade at level 2, which there can only be one on the screen at a time, deals insane amounts of damage in ''very'' close range (moreso than its level 3 version, whose projectiles don't disappear on contact) but there isn't anything outstanding otherwise.

* ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}''. Maximum of 4. In the Atari 2600 port, your limit is only ''two''.
* Hero Klungo Sssavesss Teh Universsse in ''{{Banjo-Kazooie}} Nuts & Bolts''.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', the sprite limit could be reached very easily with one Chain Lightning spell with many enemies in range or multiple Fire Wall spells. Sure, it's not a gun, but you still won't be able to cast any more until the effects finish up.
** In ''Diablo II'', you can cast as many missiles as you like ... but then you might not see them. HilarityEnsues when fighting against a multi-shot lightning-enchanted boss while you have slow missiles active, where moving in the wrong direction (or not at all) will get you kill by hot air.
* This happens to banana peels and the like in ''VideoGame/MarioKart''; the old ones disappear as new ones are placed.
* A sprite-limit example: ''Milon's Secret Castle'' has keys which appear as sprites. If too many sprites (such as enemies) as already on the screen, the key won't be drawn; you have to clear out some of the enemies, leave the screen, and come back for the key to appear.
* ''[[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic Team Fortress]]'' only allows eight pipebombs active at once. This limitation was added because some players tried filling the entire level with them to kill all hostiles at once; that and you'd probably hit the upper limit of ~600/768 entities in the original ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' engine. As such, this limit prevents spamming meant to kill off a full team in one swoop.
** Also true for [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 the sequel]]. The Sticky Launcher can still only place 8 bombs. If you shoot any more, first ones start detonating in sequence. The second launcher available, The Scottish Resistance, can have 14 bombs out at once, but will only detonate the ones you are actually aiming at when pulling the trigger. Other projectiles in the game (such as rockets, arrows, flares and ''syringes'') are only limited by their reload rate.
* ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy'' gives you four at a time. There's a glitch that takes this away in certain areas.
* ''GliderPRO'' only allows two rubber bands to be on screen at once.
* Some games allow you to raise the bar with an in-game powerup:
** ''Jewel Master'' for example allowed you to raise different aspects of your spells (such as how many projectiles could be on-screen at once) by varying the levels of the rings that created them.
** ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' has a ring that gives an additional projectile on the screen.
* Most {{Fighting Game}}s, more often than not, allow a character only one projectile on the screen at once. There are exceptions aplenty, but for the most part, it's limited to one for the sake of game balance (to allow the other player ample opportunity to defend or counter).
** Notable example with [[ComicBook/XMen Phoenix]] in MarvelVsCapcom3 who had no limit to the projectiles she could fire in the air. Come the UpdatedRerelease and suddenly she can only throw one at a time, making an oft-used tourney character much lower on the tier list.

* In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', you can only have 3 missiles active at once. Normally their fire rate is so slow that this is completely irrelevant, but a an [[GoodBadBugs unintentional]] method of shooting them [[http://www.metroid2002.com/techniques_rapid_fire_missiles.php very quickly]] allows the limit to be reached.
* In ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'', you can only have three beam attacks, two missiles, and three bombs active on screen at once. The beam limit usually can't be noticed unless you are falling and firing down, so it rarely interferes with gameplay. The missile limit is also hardly noticeable in that, early on, you won't have many missiles, so you'll be firing each one carefully, rather than firing them rapidly and potentially wasting them. By the time you have more missiles to work with, your upgrades will have reduced the rate of fire of your missiles, making the limit much less noticeable.
* ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'' had a limit of three beams, one missile, and three bombs on the screen at once. The beam limit is most noticeable when firing the Spazer or Plasma beams, since those actually consist of three beams fired at once (the Spazer fires them in a spread pattern, while the Plasma beam fires them in one line). If part of the Spazer hits an enemy but another part does not, often two of the beams will be out of sync with the third.

** The NES copycat ''Life Force'' only allows one bullet on screen at a time, but your ship will immediately fire a new bullet when the old one is gone as long as the fire button is held. This means that your fire rate is inversely proportional to your distance from the enemy, making it a viable boss tactic to get within six inches of them and maul them in three seconds with your inexplicable machine gun of doom.

* In ''DissidiaFinalFantasy'', [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII The Emperor's]] primary means of HP-destroying offense[[note]]There are two stats in the game, Bravery and HP. Bravery offense drains the opponent's Bravery and adds it to yours, HP offense deals damage to HP equivalent to the character's Bravery stat and is the only way of actually killing an opponent.[[/note]] is Flare, an extremely large PainfullySlowProjectile that makes up for it by strong homing and staying on the screen a very long time. There can only ever be two on the screen at once, presumably for reasons of game balance rather than technical limitations; if The Emperor could spam Flare, given its homing and duration, he could completely shut down the opponent with zero effort on the player's part.
* Alive and well in all its FakeDifficulty in the FunOrb game ''StarCannon''; in the second level, your bullets are the last priority for the game, after floating space debris and (sometimes undodgeable) enemy swarms. Your firepower is reduced to about 1/3 of normal...if you're lucky.
* The shareware platform game ''Videogame/SecretAgent'' also uses this. In fact, one of the power-ups is an upgrade which allows you to have ''two'' bullets at the screen at once.
* In ''VideoGame/WizardOfWor'', a player may only have one active shot on screen at a time. This makes long shots across the maze very dangerous.
* The first ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'' game (the 2D one) limited you to only one energy bolt onscreen at a time, upgradeable to four by way of powerups.
* ''VideoGame/{{Genetos}}'' gives you two bullets at a time with the first ship (taken almost directly from ''SpaceInvaders''), and five with the second (modeled after ships in late-eighties games), then abandons the trope as you move closer to the modern day.

* The Atari 2600 had specialized hardware for rendering "missile" sprites. It could only handle two missiles at a time, leading to the two-bullet limit of many 2600 games.

* The Mega Man Send-up Stinkoman20X6 includes a limit of three KiAttacks at a time. However, even if there are that many still on screen, the punching action that you perform to do so still counts as an attack, and will damage enemies.

** ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' can only have up to 3 bullets on screen at a time. Some special weapons in the sequels only allow one of its projectiles on the screen (e.g. Ice Wall). In the later games, you can even buy an upgrade to increase it to five shots on screen at a time.
*** His brother Proto Man, in part of the tradeoff for the slide and charge shot in ''Mega Man 9'' (and presumably this applies in ''10'' as well), can only fire two shots at a time, though having the Proto Coil or Proto Jet equipped allows you to shoot three.

* The MegaMan Send-up Stinkoman20X6 includes a limit of three KiAttacks at a time. However, even if there are that many still on screen, the punching action that you perform to do so still counts as an attack, and will damage enemies.