Run'n'Gun: A history of On-Foot Shooters

Enter a world of nostalgic bullet hell with Run ’n’ Gun: A History of On-Foot Shooters, written by award-winning video game journalist and comic book author Dave Cook. Hot on the heels of Cook’s previous Bitmap Books release, Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat Em Ups, this new project charts 40 years of run ’n’ gun history across over 496 gorgeous pages.

Opening with guest forewords by Mega Man’s legendary producer, Keiji Inafune and Cuphead creators Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, our explosive journey begins with 1975’s Gun Fight and the birth of the run ’n’ gun genre, before marching onward throughout the decades. With over 300 games featured, you’ll uncover incredible behind-the-scenes stories, interesting quotes, mind-blowing trivia, expert gameplay tips and beautiful high-quality screenshots.

All the classics are here, including Contra, Gunstar Heroes, Metal Slug, Mega Man, Sunset Riders, Midnight Resistance and Turrican, as well as some hidden gems you might not have tried before, such as Demon Front, Nitro Ball and Rapid Reload. As the years march on, you’ll become better acquainted with modern shooters, such as Cuphead, Blazing Chrome, Huntdown and Gunvolt. 

Featuring guest contributions from Chris Scullion, Kurt Kalata, Sega Lord X and Graeme Mason, Run ’n’ Gun: A History of On-Foot Shooters is an action-packed celebration of the genre. Whether you’re new to shooters or loading up your Spread Gun for the first time, this is the perfect reference guide.

Run ’n’ Gun: A History of On-Foot Shooters is printed lithographically to the highest standards. This ensures that the colours in the book are really vibrant and that the pages have a high-quality, luxurious feel to them. As standard, each book is offered in hardback with a spot-varnished fascia featuring artwork by artist Jorge M. Velez.

Book Specifications

496 pages. 270mm × 240mm. Hardback. Spot-varnished cover. Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Bookmark ribbon. Shrink-wrapped.

Games featured

8-Bit Commando / Abuse / Act-Fancer / Alien 3 / Alien Breed / Alien Breed II: The Horror Continues / Alien Breed: Evolution / Alien Breed: Tower Assault / Alien Carnage / Alien Hominid / Alien Soldier / Alien Swarm / Alien Syndrome / Alien Syndrome / Aliens / Alisia Dragoon / Apocalypse / Arctic Moves / Arena: Maze Of Death / Ascent, The / Assault Android Cactus / Assault Suit Leynos / Assault Suit Leynos 2 / Assault Suits Valken / Atomic Runner Chelnov / Azure Striker Gunvolt / Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 / B.O.B. / Baraduke / Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night / Bay Route / Berzerk / Binding of Isaac, The / Biomechanical Toy / Bionic Commando / Bionic Commando Rearmed / Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2 / Bite the Bullet / Blazing Chrome / Bleed / Bleed 2 / Bloody Wolf / Broforce / Brotherhood United / Bucky O’ Hare (Arcade) / Bucky O’ Hare (NES) / C: The Contra Adventure / Cannon Spike / Castle Wolfenstein / Chaos Engine 2, The / Chaos Engine, The / Clash Force / Cobra / Code Name: Viper / Commando / Commando: Steel Disaster / Contra / Contra 4 / Contra Force / Contra III: The Alien Wars / Contra Rebirth / Contra Returns / Contra: Hard Corps / Contra: Legacy Of War / Contra: Rogue Corps / Contra: Shattered Soldier / Cool Spot / Crack Down / Crime City / CT Special Forces: Back To Hell / CT Special Forces: Bioterror / CT: Special Forces / Cuphead / Cyber Police ESWAT / Cyber-Lip / Deathwish Enforcers / Demolition Man / Demon Front / Demon’s World / Desert Assault / Desert Breaker / Destructivator / Destructivator 2 / Devastators / Die Hard / Die Hard Trilogy / Dinosaurs For Hire / Dogs of War / Dolphin Blue / Donuts ‘N’ Justice / Doom Troopers: Mutant Chronicles / Duke Nukem / Duke Nukem II / Dyna Gear / Earthworm Jim / Earthworm Jim 2 / Eduardo The Samurai Toaster / Elevator Action / Elevator Action Returns / Enter The Gungeon / Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters / Exit The Gungeon / Exolon / Fernandez Must Die! / Fester’s Quest / Final Zone / FixEight / Fortified Zone / Front Line / Furi / Fury Unleashed / G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero / Gain Ground / Garyo Retsuden / Ghostbusters / Ghostbusters II / Ghoul Patrol / Global Gladiators / Guerrilla War / Gun Crazy / Gun.Smoke / Gunforce / Gunforce II / Gunlord / Gunman Clive / Gunman Clive 2 / Guns, Gore & Cannoli / Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2 / Gunslugs / Gunslugs 2 / Gunstar Heroes / Gunstar Super Heroes / Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX / Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 / Hard Corps: Uprising / Hardcore Mecha / Hawkeye / Heavy Barrel / Heavy Recoil: Convoy Chaser / Hong Kong Massacre, The / Hotline Miami / Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number / Huntdown / Ikari III: The Rescue / Ikari Warriors / Isolated Warrior / James Bond 007: The Duel / Jazz Jackrabbit / Jim Power: The Lost Dimension In 3D / Journey To Silius / Judge Dredd / Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues / Karnov / Kero Blaster / Kiki Kaikai / Killing Game Show, The / Kraut Buster / Last Alert / Legend Of Valkyrie, The / Loaded / M.I.A.: Missing In Action / Mechstermination Force / Mega Man / Mega Man 10 / Mega Man 11 / Mega Man 2 / Mega Man 3 / Mega Man 4 / Mega Man 5 / Mega Man 6 / Mega Man 7 / Mega Man 8 / Mega Man 9 / Mega Man X / Mega Man X2 / Mega Man X3 / Mega Man X4 / Mega Man X5 / Mega Man X6 / Mega Man X7 / Mega Man X8 / Mega Man Zero / Mega Man Zero 2 / Mega Man Zero 3 / Mega Man Zero 4 / Mega Man ZX / Mega Man ZX Advent / Mega Turrican / Mercenary Force / Mercenary Kings / Mercs / Metal Slug / Metal Slug 2/X / Metal Slug 3 / Metal Slug 4 / Metal Slug 5 / Metal Slug 6 / Metal Slug 7/XX / Metal Slug Advance / Metal Slug: 1st Mission / Metal Slug: 2nd Mission / Metal Warriors / Midnight Resistance / Midnight Wanderers / Mighty Gunvolt / Mighty Gunvolt Burst / Mighty No. 9 / My Friend Pedro / Mystic Formula / Mystic Warriors / Narc / Neo Contra / Neon Chrome / Night Slave / Ninja Commando / Ninja Emaki / Ninja Princess / Nitro Ball / Not a Hero / Nuclear Throne / Operation C / Operation Hardcore / Operation: Logic Bomb / Orbital Bullet / Out Zone / Pocky & Rocky / Pocky & Rocky 2 / Pocky & Rocky Reshrined / Pocky & Rocky With Becky / Predator 2 / Prison City / Psycho-Nics Oscar / Quartet / Rambo III / Rambo: First Blood Part II / Ranger X / Rapid Reload / Re-Loaded / Rendering Ranger R2 / Riddled Corpses / Robocop / Robocop 2 / Robocop versus the Terminator / Robotron: 2084 / Rock’n Rage / Rolling Thunder / Rolling Thunder 2 / Rolling Thunder 3 / Rubicon / Ruff ‘N’ Tumble / Ruiner / Running Voltgun / Rush’n Attack / Scud: The Disposable Assassin / Shinrei Jusatsushi Taroumaru / Shock Troopers / Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad / Skeleton Krew / Sly Spy / Smash T.V. / Soldier Of Light / Spark Man / Spidersaurs / Spinmaster / Steam Heart / Steel Assault / Sunset Riders / Super Contra / Super Cyborg / Super Star Wars / Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi / Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back / Super Time Force / Super Turrican / Super Turrican 2 / Tanuki Justice / Terminator, The / Th Strikes Back / Thexder / Thunder Fox / Thunder Hoop / Thunderflash / Time Soldiers / Toki / Total Carnage / True Lies / Turok Evolution / Turrican / Turrican II: The Final Fight / Twinkle Tale / Ultracore / Universal Soldier / Valfaris / Vanslug: X Mission / VectorMan / VectorMan 2 / Victory Road / Walker / Wild West C.O.W. Boys Of Moo Mesa / Wild Western / Wizard Of Wor / Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 / Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair / Xeno Crisis / Zillion II: The Tri Formation / Zombies Ate My Neighbor