Cosmic Sheriff

About

Cosmic Sheriff is a 1989 arcade shooter that lets you aim directly at the screen using the Gun-Stick light gun. You play as Pete Jones, a space marshal racing to stop bombs on Jupiter’s moon IO. Each of the game’s three zones has multiple levels packed with enemies and explosives to disarm. The first zone’s warehouses hide two bombs across three stages. Next, five levels in a computer control area guard four bombs. Finally, nine surface levels challenge you to disarm six bombs while fending off rebels. The gunplay feels punchy and precise for its time, with simple but tense action that demands steady hands. What stands out is its early adoption of light-gun tech for 8-bit computers. The Gun-Stick system turned a novelty into a gameplay feature, letting players physically point and shoot. Though basic, the level variety keeps things engaging, warehouses, control rooms, and surface terrain offer distinct challenges. With DOS, ZX Spectrum, and MSX ports, it catered to a wide audience in the late ’80s. Reviews at the time praised its clever controls but noted dated visuals. Still, for a short, punchy arcade experience, it’s a curiosity piece in the history of shooter games.

Storyline

In the year 2023, cobalt has become an element of great strategic importance for human beings, as it is used in the construction of hyperatomic reactors. The last major deposit in the galaxy is on IO, Jupiter's third moon, where a large-scale extraction plant has been installed. The station has been sabotaged by a group of rebels who have planted bombs that will explode if their demands are not met. There is no time for demands. From the TERRA-1 orbital station comes PETE JONES, aka COSMIC SHERIFF, the best laser sniper in the galaxy. His mission: defuse the bombs and take out the saboteurs.