Capcom's western vertical shooter on NES. Cowboy gunslinger vs. outlaws from above. Elegant gameplay, well-measured difficulty. Overlooked but unquestionably enjoyable.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player12+
Co-op
Description
Top-down shoot-'em-up set in the Wild West featuring a sheriff shooting outlaws. Published by Capcom, released in Europe in 1988. Sheriff in top-down view with multidirectional shooting in Wild West towns and bandit bosses. NES port of Capcom's Gun.Smoke arcade.
The PAL Gun.Smoke carries Capcom's NES port of the Western shooter, with a tighter European run than the American one. The Wild West setting and multidirectional fire stay atypical on the system, while Capcom's arcade pedigree sustains interest. Complete copies are scarce on the mainland market, pushing the PAL value above the US equivalent on boxed and manual-included sales.
Is Gun.Smoke still worth playing in 2026?
A top down shoot 'em up from Capcom, Gun.Smoke puts the player in the boots of a Wild West bounty hunter gunning down outlaws across vertically scrolling levels. The three direction firing system, the weapon buying via bounties and the western mood contrast with the era's space shmups. The NES conversion keeps the snappiness and the character of the cabinet. For a fan of retro shooters or someone curious about Capcom heritage, the title keeps a direct arcade pleasure and a marked western identity.
