 Light gun shooter , also called light gun game or simply gun game , is a shooter video game genre in which the primary design element is aiming and shooting with a gun @-@ shaped controller . Light gun shooters revolve around the protagonist shooting targets , either antagonists or inanimate objects . Light gun shooters generally feature action or horror themes and some may employ a humorous , parodic treatment of these conventions . These games typically feature " on @-@ rails " movement , which gives the player control only over aiming ; the protagonist 's other movements are determined by the game . Games featuring this device are sometimes termed " rail shooters " , though this term is also applied to games of other genres in which " on @-@ rails " movement is a feature . Some , particularly later , games give the player greater control over movement and in still others the protagonist does not move at all . 
