Run 'n' Gun: a History of On-foot Shooters

Enter a world of nostalgic bullet hell with Run ’n’ Gun: A History of On-Foot Shooters, written by award-winning video game journalist and comic book author Dave Cook. 

Hot on the heels of Cook’s previous Bitmap Books release, Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat Em Ups, this new project charts 40 years of run ’n’ gun history across over 496 gorgeous pages.

Opening with guest forewords by Mega Man’s legendary producer, Keiji Inafune and Cuphead creators Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, our explosive journey begins with 1975’s Gun Fight and the birth of the run ’n’ gun genre, before marching onward throughout the decades. With over 300 games featured, you’ll uncover incredible behind-the-scenes stories, interesting quotes, mind-blowing trivia, expert gameplay tips and beautiful high-quality screenshots.

All the classics are here, including Contra, Gunstar Heroes, Metal Slug, Mega Man, Sunset Riders, Midnight Resistance and Turrican, as well as some hidden gems you might not have tried before, such as Demon Front, Nitro Ball and Rapid Reload. As the years march on, you’ll become better acquainted with modern shooters, such as Cuphead, Blazing Chrome, Huntdown and Gunvolt.

Featuring guest contributions from Chris Scullion, Kurt Kalata, Sega Lord X and Graeme Mason, Run ’n’ Gun: A History of On-Foot Shooters is an action-packed celebration of the genre. Whether you’re new to shooters or loading up your Spread Gun for the first time, this is the perfect reference guide.

Run ’n’ Gun: A History of On-Foot Shooters is printed lithographically to the highest standards. This ensures that the colors in the book are really vibrant and that the pages have a high-quality, luxurious feel to them. As standard, each book is offered in hardback with a spot-varnished fascia featuring artwork by artist Jorge M. Velez.

Founded by Sam Dyer in 2014, Bitmap Books creates meticulously researched, visually ambitious books that bring your classic gaming memories to life. Bitmap partners with game industry figures like Mark Cerny, Ste and John Pickford, Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert, SNK producer Yasuyuki Oda, and many more. Many titles are proudly unofficial, but others are done with SEGA, SNK and Atari, officially-licensed books that come complete with enhanced access and exclusive assets. Bitmap’s best-sellers are: A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games, The Art of Point-and-Click Adventure Games and The CRPG Book: A Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games.