History Main / RunAndGun

The genre originates from [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame Arcades]] in the 1980s, dating back to Creator/{{Taito}}'s ''Front Line'' (1982) before being [[TropeCodifier codified]] by Creator/{{Capcom}}'s ''VideoGame/{{Commando}}'' (1985), Creator/{{Konami}}'s ''VideoGame/RushNAttack'' (1985) and Creator/{{SNK}}'s ''VideoGame/IkariWarriors'' (1986), generating [[FollowTheLeader tons of clones]] with various degrees of success. On consoles, it was mostly codified during the [[MediaNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames NES era]] with various popular titles like Capcom's ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man|Classic}}'' and Konami's ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}''. Because of this time period, games like this are expected to be NintendoHard.

Note that Run-and-Gun is also a name given to ShootEmUp games with a top-down perspective where players can control a character or a grounded vehicle (contrasting the usual SpaceFighter, usually a {{tank|Goodness}}) with a 360 degrees liberty of movement, unlike traditional [[ShootEmUp Shoot 'em Ups]] which lock the facing of the shooter in a single direction. The TropeCodifier of this specific genre from MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfVideoGames should be ''VideoGame/{{Commando}}'', and the success of ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' brought a wind of fresh air to the genre by adding [[{{Roguelike}} Procedural Death Labyrinths]] into the mix.

* ''VideoGame/Commando2'' (do not confuse with the top-down R&G ''VideoGame/{{Commando}}'')

* The ''VideoGame/{{Commando}}'' trilogy - ''Mercs'' and ''Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3''

* ''VideoGame/BalaceraBrothers'' -- released in 2020, but contains plenty of {{Retraux}} to old Arcade-style shooters

** ''VideoGame/KidIcarus1986'' and ''VideoGame/KidIcarusOfMythsAndMonsters are almost {{Metroidvania}} games, but the lack of {{backtracking}} forbids them to be considered that.

* ''VideoGame/KidIcarus1986'' is almost a {{Metroidvania}}, but the lack of {{backtracking}} forbids it to be considered that.

* ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'' is almost a {{Metroidvania}}, but the lack of {{backtracking}} forbids it to be considered that.

The genre originates from [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame Arcades]] in the 1980s, dating back to Creator/{{Taito}}'s ''Front Line'' (1982) before being [[TropeCodifier codified]] by Creator/{{Capcom}}'s ''VideoGame/{{Commando}}'' (1985), Creator/{{Konami}}'s ''VideoGame/RushNAttack'' (1985) and Creator/{{SNK}}'s ''VideoGame/IkariWarriors'' (1986), generating [[FollowTheLeader tons of clones]] with various degrees of success. On consoles, it was mostly codified during the [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames NES era]] with various popular titles like Capcom's ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man|Classic}}'' and Konami's ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}''. Because of this time period, games like this are expected to be NintendoHard.

Note that Run-and-Gun is also a name given to ShootEmUp games with a top-down perspective where players can control a character or a grounded vehicle (contrasting the usual SpaceFighter, usually a {{tank|Goodness}}) with a 360 degrees liberty of movement, unlike traditional [[ShootEmUp Shoot 'em Ups]] which lock the facing of the shooter in a single direction. The TropeCodifier of this specific genre from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfVideoGames should be ''VideoGame/{{Commando}}'', and the success of ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' brought a wind of fresh air to the genre by adding [[{{Roguelike}} Procedural Death Labyrinths]] into the mix.

* ''[[VideoGame/LiloAndStitchGameBoyAdvance Lilo & Stitch]]'' for UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance (primarily the side-scrolling Stitch levels)

* ''MickAndMackAsTheGlobalGladiators''

It is characterized by its [[EverythingTryingToKillYou hordes of vicious enemies]] who cannot be harmed by {{Goomba Stomp}}ing them. The player fights back with long-ranged weaponry that can come in any form and with any perks, such as CoolGuns, BottomlessMagazines, and various PowerUps changing the weapon or its function. Expect a SpreadShot as a weapon type to deal with swarms of Mooks. Close combat moves are sometimes available, bringing the game closer to the BeatEmUp genre, which is also about going forward and beating up bad guys.