Machine Guides

Game History

The Point Blank arcade machine has a significant history in the gaming industry as an innovative light gun shooter that departed from the typical violent themes of its contemporaries.

Originally developed by Namco and released to arcades in 1994, Point Blank was known as "Gun Bullet" or "Gunvari" in its home country. The game ran on Namco's System NB-1 hardware and was the ninth game from the company to allow scores that do not end in "0".

What set Point Blank apart from other light gun shooters was its family-friendly approach and diverse gameplay mechanics. Instead of shooting enemies, players completed various mini-games that tested different skills across six stage types: Accuracy, Intelligence, Memory, Simulation, Visual Acuity, and Speed. These challenges included shooting designated areas for points, counting numbers by shooting them, matching cards, avoiding shooting civilians while targeting cardboard robbers (or ninjas and geishas in the Japanese version), matching displayed targets, and shooting colored targets quickly.

The game became an immediate hit upon its 1994 release, particularly notable for its two-player functionality which encouraged both cooperation and competition between players. This made it more social than many single-player light gun games of the era like Time Crisis.

How to Play

Objective

The main goal of Point Blank is to complete a series of shooting challenges called "stages" by achieving specific objectives within a time limit. Each stage presents a unique task that tests different skills like accuracy, speed, memory, and visual acuity. The game is designed for one or two players, with the ultimate goal of earning the highest score possible by successfully completing as many stages as you can.

Controls

• Light Gun Controller: The primary input device is a light gun that you point at the screen
• Trigger: Press the trigger to shoot at targets on screen
• Off-Screen Reload: Point the gun away from the screen and pull the trigger to reload ammunition

Gameplay

• Starting the Game: Press the Start Button to begin. You can select one or two player mode.

• Stage Selection: The game presents different stages from various categories including Accuracy, Intelligence, Memory, Simulation, Visual Acuity, and Speed.

• Completing Stages: Each stage has a specific objective that must be completed within the time limit. Examples include:

  • Shooting designated areas for points
  • Counting numbers by shooting them in sequence
  • Matching pairs of cards by shooting them
  • Avoiding civilians while targeting cardboard enemies
  • Shooting colored targets quickly in a specific order

• Progression: Successfully completing stages allows you to advance to more challenging stages. The difficulty increases as you progress through the game.

• Scoring: Points are awarded based on your performance in each stage, including accuracy, speed, and completion of objectives.

• Game Over: The game ends when you fail to complete a stage or have completed a predetermined number of stages.