Best Shooter Games From Each Console Generation

One of the oldest genres in video games is shooters, which have been around since the first pixel collided with another. The shooter genre has evolved over the years, moving from relatively simple games to complex first-person shooters that are among the most expensive and massive game franchises ever made. The genre has been subdivided into a whole mess of game types, including run-and-gun, fixed-rail, light gun, FPS, and many more. We looked through the archives and identified the best shooter from each console generation. The winners took the top spot based on contemporary critics’ reviews upon release, their popularity among players, and most importantly, their impact on the genre as it developed.

1st) Shooting Gallery

1st Gen: Atari Pong | Coleco Telstar | Magnavox Odyssey

The first console generation consisted of machines with limited game selection and capabilities. Pong reigned supreme, and clones were everywhere, but the very first proper home video game console was the Magnavox Odyssey, which came with several shooters. One that stands out is Shooting Gallery, which uses a light gun. Players would place a plastic overlay with targets on their television screen. The system would illuminate random targets the player would then shoot. As you might imagine, things were pretty limited in the 1970s, but technology evolved rapidly as new consoles arrived on the market.

2nd) River Raid

2nd Gen: Atari 2600 | Channel F | ColecoVision | Intellivision | Magnavox Odyssey 2

Many new sub-genres emerged during the second console generation, and there were plenty of great games across a variety of systems. The ColecoVision had an excellent port of Zaxxon, but for this gen, we’re going with River Raid on the Atari 2600. The shoot-’em-up sent players on a run controlling a fighter jet behind enemy lines. You can shoot at all manner of enemy helicopters, fuel depots, bridges, tankers, and more. As you go, you must refuel, or you’ll crash, adding a dynamic gameplay element that keeps it interesting as you progress. River Raid was a hugely popular and successful shooter, and it was also highly influential on the developing genre.

3rd) Contra

3rd Gen: Atari 7800 | Nintendo Entertainment System | Sega Master System

By the third generation of home video game consoles, the shooter genre had solidified into a genre encompassing multiple subgenres, resulting in hundreds of titles. Some of the best side-scrolling shooters arose during this time, but for us, the conversation begins and ends with Contra on the Nintendo Entertainment System. While Contra was challenging, requiring most players to enter the Konami Code to gain 30 lives, it was nonetheless one of the most influential shooters of its era. The game is incredibly fun, has high replay value, and lets two players fight simultaneously from beginning to end — it’s a classic.

4th) Star Fox

4th Gen: TurboGrafx-16 | Genesis | Neo Geo | Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Like the previous console generation, the 4th wasn’t lacking for great shooters. This was the era of Metal Slug, Thunder Force IV, Blazing Star, and many more. Still, the game that changed it all was Star Fox on the Super Nintendo. While it wasn’t the first rail shooter to feature 3D graphics, it was Nintendo’s first foray into polygonal graphics, which it achieved via its Super FX graphics chip, which was packed into the game cartridge. Star Fox significantly upped the ante for what shooters could do technologically, and the game itself is a masterclass in crafting an exceptional rail shooter with an engaging story and great characters.

5th) GoldenEye007

5th Gen: 3DO | Jaguar | PlayStation | Nintendo 64

I know we’re skipping Doom, but that game was always better on PC, and by the 5th console generation, there were far better options designed for those devices. The PlayStation featured plenty, as did the Atari Jaguar, but at the end of the day, the most innovative and influential shooter of the generation was GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64. The game was a … Well, it was a game-changer, delivering some of the best multiplayer gaming experiences to date through its four-player split-screen mode. Add to that the fact that the single-player campaign was a rare example of a fantastic movie tie-in game, and GoldenEye 007 stands on its own merit as the greatest shooter of the generation.

6th) Halo: Combat Evolved

6th Gen: GameCube | Dreamcast | PlayStation 2 | Xbox

When the Xbox launched, it introduced a legendary first-person shooter: Halo: Combat Evolved. Choosing the top dog for the 6th generation was no easy task, as the Nintendo GameCube featured Metroid Prime, which is an absolutely amazing game. Still, there’s no denying the impact Halo had at the time of its release. Halo’s gameplay mechanics — especially when it came to multiplayer — were one of the main reasons people bought the Xbox. It was for me, and I didn’t regret it for a second. Oddly enough, Halo was also one of the main inspirations for machinima, and if you’ve ever watched Red vs. Blue, you know what I’m talking about.

7th) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

7th Gen: PlayStation 3 | Wii | Xbox 360

There was no way that a Call of Duty game wasn’t going to find its way onto this list, and in the 7th generation, the franchise nailed it with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This was the first title to stray from the traditional World War II setting, and fans absolutely love it. Not only did Modern Warfare sell extremely well, but it also proved the format could work outside its usual setting, paving the way for Black Ops and many more titles under the Modern Warfare banner. There were other notable shooters released in the 7th generation, but they pale in comparison to the über beast that was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

8th) Doom Eternal

8th Gen: Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4 | Wii U | Xbox One

As we get into more modern gaming systems, there’s going to be plenty of debate in the comments as to which shooters reign supreme. For the 8th generation, the console that dominated the others in terms of quality when most titles were released across all of them was the PlayStation 4. The best game on that console in terms of its impact on the shooter genre, overall popularity, and critical reception was Doom Eternal. The 2020 FPS continues the franchise’s story with as much digital violence as id Software and Bethesda Softworks could cram into it, and subsequent ports on later consoles looked and functioned even better.

9th) Metro Exodus

9th Gen: Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X|S

As with the previous generation, most shooters were released across all consoles, as console exclusivity took a back seat during the 8th and 9th console generations. To that end, the best shooter is whichever had the most impact and worked best on the available hardware, leaving the PS5 port of Metro Exodus as the leader of the 9th generation. Granted, the game was released in 2019 on older systems, but there’s no denying how amazing it looks on the PS5, where it was released as Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition in 2021. It was also released on the Xbox Series X|S and PCs under the same title.

10th) Apex Legends

10th Gen: Nintendo Switch 2 | PlayStation 6 | Xbox Project Helix

As of writing, there isn’t a broad consensus as to what constitutes the 10th console generation. That said, some have identified the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 as the generation’s first console, which would place the forthcoming PS6 and eventual Xbox alongside it. If that’s the case, the 10th gen’s best shooter is Apex Legends. Of course, the game was released back in 2019, but there’s no denying that it looks and plays amazingly well on the Switch 2, making it the best (current, as of writing) shooter in the 10th generation of home video game consoles.

What’s your all-time favorite shooter? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Best Platformer Games From Each Console Generation