Glossary Entry: Shoot 'em Up

Quick Definition

This is an old, yet popular, type of video game.

Also known as "shumps", these games involve the player controlling a vehicle (such as a starship or plane) that flies through level after level, shooting down enemies that fly in from off screen. Despite the name, this genre has nothing to do with First Person Shooters, and these games are usually kid friendly.

Popular examples of Shoot 'em Ups would include Galaga, Gradius, and Raptor: Call of the Shadows.

More recent games in this genre have branched out from the original goal of simply earning a high score, and now include stories, cutscenes, and other modern features.

See also: Bullet Hell, which is a subgenre of this type of game that's not for the faint of heart.


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