Gun Smoke (aka “Gun.Smoke“) is an arcade shooter by Capcom, first released in 1985. It is basically a ‘wild west’ version of their previous hit Commando, only this time you’re playing as a cowboy, shooting at outlaws.

Just like Commando, Gun Smoke is a tough, tough shooter. Enemy bullets fly; dynamite lies fizzling on the ground before exploding… dangers come from everywhere, and shooting effectively both diagonally and vertically is a necessity to survive in this game. The scrolling also pushes you along continually, which I don’t think is the case in Commando, making it even more difficult in places.

Gun Smoke uses a three-button system for firing – one for vertical firing and the other two for diagonal firing. This works fine on a real joystick, but in an emulator, on a keyboard, it’s another matter. It’s maybe worth setting up your controls for this as though it were a two-joystick game (ie. shoot with your left hand and move with your right hand). I struggled playing this with just the one hand.

You can shoot barrels to reveal hidden power-ups, and occasionally pick up “POW” items to clear all enemies on the screen (except bosses). And if you’re super persistent you might even get a horse to gallop along with…

The music in Gun Smoke sounds similar to that heard in Commando. Not the same tune, but the same sound hardware.

There are nine different stages, each one with a boss battle with a wanted outlaw at the end, and – by goodness – they’re badass. Some lie down and can only be shot when standing; others leap around like ninja. All the while you’re assailed by endless henchmen, making these some of the toughest boss battles I’ve played for a while.

Gun Smoke does have a two player mode, but unfortunately it’s not simultaneous. Which is a pity as this would’ve made a perfect co-op game.

Overall, Gun Smoke is not as famous as maybe it should have been, because it’s not particularly spectacular, and also because it is ridiculously difficult. Moreso, I’d say, than Commando. The boss battles in particular are a real test of endurance. If you like a challenge, then you might like Gun Smoke.

More: Gun Smoke on Wikipedia