10 Best Run & Gun Platformers

While the first game genre I played was the humble platformer, it didn’t take long for me to migrate to run & gun. What took much longer was actually learning to be good at it.

At first, I played NES Contra with my babysitter, and regularly crashed and burned. Then my friend and I cut our teeth on Contra III: The Alien Wars. And eventually, I started to get the hang of things with Contra: Shattered Soldier.

That experience took me from being a distant admirer to becoming a lover of this genre. A couple of decades later, I’m here writing up my list of some of the best run & gun platformers in recent history.

If I were allowed to include only games from way back in the day, more than half of this list would be filled with the steroid energy of Contra.

With that in mind, let’s get out our ammo belts and team up to defeat nefarious forces in this pulse-pounding list!

10 Contra: Operation Galuga

Back to Basics

I’m sure after that lead-up, you’re wondering why Contra is sitting at dead last on this list. The simple answer is that some of Contra’s best years are behind it, with the likes of Contra III, Shattered Soldier, Contra 4, and Hard Corps.

But there would be no run & gun without Contra, so I saw fit to include the most recent entry, Operation Galuga.

What’s nice about the game is that it’s a thorough mixture of old-school difficulty and modern convenience.

Thanks to the hard work of WayForward, there are novel features like voice acting, multiple playable characters, distinct character abilities, and the insane Overload attacks.

In true Contra fashion, the game is better with a friend, though there’s also a robust single-player experience here.

As you work your way through Operation Galuga’s eight intense levels, you’ll have to master the timing and successfully dodge enemy attacks for a chance of success. A fun and bombastic adventure.

9 Mighty Goose

The Goose is Loose!

Let me start by saying that games like Mighty Goose are why I’m such a fan of the artwork of Richard Lems, of KUNAI fame.

Lems outdoes himself here with a candy-coated adventure full of arcade energy. If you’ve never heard of Mighty Goose, let me tell you why you might want to change that.

Mighty Goose balances frenetic arcade pacing, epic boss battles that would fit in perfectly with Mischief Makers, and humor that constantly had me chuckling.

You’ll race around, dodging bullets, charging your Mighty Meter, and strategically unloading on foes. You can also team up with companions, use powerful secondary weapons, and ride earth-crushing mechas.

The only downside to the game is that it lacks some key audio cues, can sometimes be overwhelming, and is relatively short. But if you don’t mind a quick burn and love a crazy premise, team up with this feathered bounty hunter and take down the Void King!

8 Mechstermination Force

Destroy the MegaMechs

One of the best things about the Contra series is the epic boss battles. Hörberg Productions cut out the middle man in Mechstermination Force, and focused on taking down titanic, multi-layered bosses all game long.

It wasn’t what I was expecting from the developer after Gunman Clive, but I was really happy they flexed their creative muscles.

Much like Shadow of the Colossus, each level is against one titanic MegaMech you’ll have to take down. Sometimes, you’ll chase them across the stage; other times, you’ll be trapped in a small space with them.

No matter what the case, you’ll have to master their attack patterns and find a safe way to navigate them.

As a helping hand, you’ll eventually get some neat gear to give you a fighting chance, such as Magnet Gloves and Boost Boots. Trust me, you’ll need all the help you can get to beat each of these devious MegaMechs.

7 Broforce

Do It For ‘Murica

While Contra had its fair share of testosterone-fuelled mania, Broforce takes that energy and adds a heaping helping of parody.

Honestly, it was having fun at the USA’s expense before it was popular, and combined with single-player and competitive modes, it offered a delightfully ridiculous experience.

Not only are there tons of titular bros to play as, each with their own unique weapons and gear, but the game offers a ton to do. Sure, the main campaign is only a few hours, but with the level editor, you can experience a bunch of player-created arenas.

Because it’s Broforce, pretty much everything you see can be blown up. Destructible environments allow for some on-the-fly strategic insanity or just a way to kill things to de-stress. A win-win for run & gun enthusiasts.

6 Guns of Fury

A Furious Metroidvania

Of all the games on this run-and-gun list, Guns of Fury is the most recent one. But that’s not the only way it distinguishes itself. It’s also a very unusual hybrid of the run & gun and Metroidvania genres.

Though the first example of that hybrid was Omega Strike back in 2017, Guns of Fury is arguably the most successful marriage of such disparate concepts.

The game has you in control of Vincent Fury (no, not that agent Fury) as he fights to defeat the villains that stole the powerful Tetra Cell. It was supposed to help end an energy crisis, but instead is being used to make war machines.

While the combat in the game is quite frenetic, you’ll also explore wide-open environments and gather new tools to reach distant areas.

If all that wasn’t enough, Guns of Fury also features multiple endings, destructible walls hiding loot, and powerful mechs to blast foes to smithereens. A solid adventure from Gelato Games Ltd.

The Mightiest of Slugs

Another iconic series in the run & gun series is Metal Slug. While leaning more into the gun than the run part, it’s still an incredible and challenging adventure that has charmed many gamers.

While we can argue about which of them is the best, I decided to include the very enjoyable Metal Slug X.

Not only did this game remaster Metal Slug 2, adding new day and night sequences, more powerful weaponry, and character transformations, but it also threw in new foes such as Mummy Dogs.

As you fight your way through hordes of foes, either on foot or in your trusty tank, you’ll find a lot to enjoy in this classic adventure. Now, let’s cross our fingers for a more modern release than the ACA NEOGEO library version.

4 Iron Meat

Fresh Meaty Violence

It’s pretty rare that a modern game so effortlessly captures the energy of a classic series, but Iron Meat managed to do so perfectly. Not only is this a well-balanced and fast-paced run & gun adventure, but it merits multiple playthroughs to unlock a variety of character skins.

The all-consuming Meat, which can infest and intermingle with flesh, metal, and machinery, escapes a laboratory on the Moon and quickly causes utter chaos.

Playing as the heroic Vadim, you’ll have to fight off unwavering hordes of mutant creations, from humanoid grunts to gigantic train monsters and much more.

Like Contra, Iron Meat features a variety of weapons to blast foes away with. You’ll need every little bit of help to defeat the titanic bosses, including the final battle against the avatar of the Meat itself. A great modern example of retro done right.

3 Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider

From JoyMasher With Love

While the concept of run & gun naturally lends itself to games with guns, they don’t strictly have to include them. It’s more of a fast-paced, arcade energy that’s required, and Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider captures that perfectly.

In it, you play a vengeful super soldier that turns on those that created you. Though you were made to preserve a totalitarian state, you want nothing so much as to render it to bloody ash.

To help with your quest, you’ll find modifier chips to change how you play, which lends itself perfectly to the game’s fast, snappy combat.

Combined with your katana blade and a variety of acrobatic maneuvers, you’ll have everything you need to lay waste to everything in your path.

Though Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a wonderful example of the retro talents of JoyMasher, it’s not the last on this list.

2 Cuphead

Deal With the Devil

Though Mechstermination Force is a wonderful example of a boss rush run & gun, Cuphead is the superior entry.

Not only does this super-challenging adventure feature run & gun platforming sections, but it has you proving your worth against over-the-top bosses aplenty and eventually taking down the Devil himself!

The game’s visual style helps distinguish it, looking like a live-action 1930s cartoon complete with Big Band music to help you enjoy the experience as you die again and again.

Despite the harrowing difficulty, Cuphead is a perfect example of the contract each run-and-gun game offers. Master the patterns, and you’ll find victory. Though it doesn’t hurt, you can acquire new weapons and powerful super moves.

1 Blazing Chrome

Go Down in a Blaze of Glory

I promised we weren’t done with JoyMasher, so I saved the best for last. Not only is Blazing Chrome a fantastic example of the talents of the team, but it’s also a perfect love letter to the run & gun platformer style introduced by Contra.

The game’s premise feels very relevant as it’s all about how an AI-controlled army of robots nearly decimates humanity. The surviving resistance will have to fight against the machines and find a way forward.

You can lock your gunfire in a variety of directions, but the game also has motorbike segments, mecha rides, and truly epic boss battles that often give a cheeky nod to Contra in the process.

Though the game isn’t huge, each stage is full of foes and has a distinct style all its own. If you enjoy run & gun platformers at all, you absolutely need to play Blazing Chrome.