Hogan's Alley (video game)

A light gun shooter based on a law enforcement training range.

Hogan's Alley is a light gun shooter from Nintendo, released for the Family Computer in 1984 and for the arcade VS. System and NES in 1985. Alongside Duck Hunt, it was an early hit to use a light gun. Players shoot only gangster cutouts, avoiding innocent ones. The game was a major arcade success in the US and Europe.

Quick Facts

Developer: Nintendo R&D1; Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Director: Shigeru Miyamoto
Composer: Hirokazu Tanaka
Platforms: NES, arcade
Genre: Light gun shooter
Modes: Single-player
Arcade system: Nintendo VS. System, PlayChoice-10

Facts from the source article.

Release

Players could experience Hogan's Alley on the Nintendo Entertainment System or through a VS. System Game Pak for arcade cabinets. In 1985, it hit the U.S. market as one of the NES's first 17 games. The cartridge offers three modes: Hogan's Alley A, set against a blank wall; Hogan's Alley B, set in a town; and Trick Shot, where players shoot soda cans to bounce them onto ledges. Trick Shot gives ten cans per round with endless ammo. A "MISS" counter on screen ticks up for shooting a civilian, missing a gangster, or letting a can drop. The game stops when that counter hits 10 or more. A timer also appears at the top of the screen.

Reception

In North America, the arcade version of Hogan's Alley became popular and popularized light gun video games along with Duck Hunt in 1985. By November 1985 it had topped the RePlay arcade charts in the United States, and by 1986 it had become a very popular arcade game in Europe. Computer and Video Games magazine gave the arcade version a generally positive review, calling it a pleasant change from space shooters but noting similarity to Sega's Bank Panic. Computer Gaming World named Hogan's Alley as 1988's Best Target Game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Legacy

Cory Arcangel, a digital artist, hacked Hogan's Alley to create the artwork I Shot Andy Warhol, swapping the game's targets for images of the artist, a nod to the film about Valerie Solanas's attempt on his life. The WarioWare series, including WarioWare: Touched!, features games inspired by Hogan's Alley. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Ultimate, the Duck Hunt character can kick the can from the game's bonus rounds; an off-screen shooter using the NES Zapper can bounce it forward until it explodes. The character's Final Smash traps opponents in a shootout between enemies from Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman.