 Light gun shooters employ " light gun " controllers , so named because they function through the use of light sensors . Mechanical games using light guns had existed since the 1930s , though they operated differently from those used in video games . Throughout the 1970s mechanical games were replaced by electronic video games and in the 1980s popular light gun shooters such as Duck Hunt emerged . The genre was most popular in the 1990s , subsequent to the release of Virtua Cop , the formula of which was later improved upon by Time Crisis . The genre is less popular in the new millennium , as well as being hampered by compatibility issues , but retains a niche appeal for fans of " old school " gameplay . 
