Play Gun.Smoke Online

Gun.Smoke came out on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, a Capcom game that stood out among the platform's early library of straightforward action titles. It wasn't another platform jumper or maze game; it was a top-down shooter set in the old west, a setting that felt fresh and a little gritty compared to the fantasy and sci-fi dominating the console at the time.

You control a lone bounty hunter riding through the dusty streets of Hicksville, clearing the town of outlaws screen by screen. Your main goal is to survive the gauntlet of bandits and eventually defeat the three wanted criminals at the end of the stage. The signature mechanics are your multi-directional shooting, which lets you aim forward, diagonally, or even behind you, and the occasional appearance of a horse you can mount for a temporary speed boost and extra firepower. The pacing is relentless, and the difficulty is punishing, demanding quick reflexes and smart positioning to avoid the constant hail of bullets. It feels like a tense, chaotic shootout where every cleared screen is a hard-won victory.