 " Light gun shooters " , " light gun games " or " gun games " are games in which the protagonist shoots at targets , whether antagonists or objects , and which utilize a gun @-@ shaped controller ( termed a " light gun " ) with which the player aims . While light gun games may feature a first @-@ person perspective , they are distinct from first person shooters , which utilize more conventional input devices . Light gun games which feature " on @-@ rails " movement are sometimes termed " rail shooters " , though this term is also applied to other types of shooters featuring similar movement . The light gun itself is so termed because it functions through the use of a light sensor : pulling the trigger allows it to detect light from the on @-@ screen targets . 
