Arena shooter

Game genre theme

Sub-genre of multi-directional shooters, defined largely by multi-directional shooter sensibilities but constrained to a small-ish "arena" (usually small enough to fit on screen at all times).

788

games

100

platforms

SPC 1990

SWTC 2019-05-10

C64 1984

VIC 1982

ARCD 1990-04

ARCD 1971-09-01

A800 1987

C64 1984

SNES 1991

C16 1985

The Island of Dr. Destructo

SPC 1987

Space Command

SPC 1984

See also: Arena FPS/TPS (a similar concept but in FPS/TPS format with some other minor variations)

Even arena shooters that aren't constrained to the size of a screen, players still move across their whole breadth several times in very small period of time (and within single game).

The oldest clear examples of the genre are Asteroids and Robotron 2048.

Unlike other multi-directional shooters, these usually have the enemies appearing out of nowhere and in waves.

Parent group

Multi-directional shooter

Child groups

Robotron Like, Asteroids-like

Games by year

The first Arena shooter video game was released on February 14, 1962.

Atari, U.S. Gold and Microdeal published most of these games.

Platforms

Arcade		84
Linux		67
Windows		53
C64		51
ZX Spectrum		50
Atari 400/800		28
Amiga		27
Apple II E		27
BBC		26
MS-DOS		26
Atari 2600		24
VIC-20		20
Dragon32		14
Tandy Coco		13
Amstrad CPC		13
Switch		11
Atari ST		10
X360		10
Vectrex		10
C16/Plus4		9
PS3		8
Atari 5200		8
MSX		7
Electron		7
NES		7
Mac OS X		6
ColecoVision		6
Oric		5
Odyssey2		5
TRS-80		5

Most common companies

Atari	47
U.S. Gold	10
Microdeal	9
Bally Midway	9
Team17	8
Sega	8
GCE	7
Namco	6
Microprose	6
Cinematronics	6
Virgin Games	6
Spectral Associates	5
Llamasoft	5
Microsoft	5
Stern	5