1970s
Tail Gunner
1979 · Space Shooter · Arcade
Overview
Tail Gunner is a classic 1970s space shooter game developed by Vectorbeam for Arcade.
Deep Dive
Tail Gunner is a classic 1970s space shooter game developed by Vectorbeam for Arcade.
Developer Story
Tail Gunner was developed by Vectorbeam and released in 1979. It placed the player in the rear gunner position of a spacecraft, shooting at pursuing enemy fighters rendered in vector graphics. The first-person perspective combined with vector rendering created a sense of depth unusual for the era. Vectorbeam was a short-lived company focused entirely on vector graphics technology.
Did You Know?
- Tail Gunner used a first-person perspective — the player looked out the back of their spacecraft — which was extremely rare in 1979 arcade games.
- The vector graphics gave enemies a wire-frame 3D appearance, years before 3D gaming became mainstream.
- Vectorbeam folded in 1979, but their vector technology influenced Cinematronics and other companies.
- The game's rear-gunner mechanic appeared again years later in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and various flight simulators.
