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Shoot the Bull
Shoot the Bull is a 1985 arcade action game from Bally Midway. The player takes aim at a series of targets and obstacles in a shooting-gallery style format, with the objective of hitting bulls and other moving targets to score points. The game is designed for a single player and uses a light gun or similar aiming control to direct shots at on-screen targets. Players must contend with moving targets that increase in speed and difficulty as the game progresses. Each stage presents a new arrangement of targets, requiring quick reflexes and accurate aiming to advance and achieve high scores.
- Developer
- Bally Midway
- Released
- 1985
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Players
- 1P
- Rating
- 4.9 / 5 (4.4K)
- Last updated
Shoot the Bull Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Shoot the Bull on our in-browser Arcade emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Joystick Up | Move up |
| ↓ | Joystick Down | Move down |
| ← | Joystick Left | Move left |
| → | Joystick Right | Move right |
| X | Button 1 | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | Button 2 | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| S | Button 3 | Tertiary action |
| A | Button 4 | Quaternary action |
| Q | Button 5 | Fifth button |
| W | Button 6 | Sixth button |
| 5 | Insert Coin | Insert coin |
| 1 | 1P Start | Start / Pause |
Coin and Start are convention "Insert Coin: 5" and "1P Start: 1". Some arcade boards expect specific button mappings — check the in-game prompts on coin-up.
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Shoot the Bull Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Shoot the Bull on Arcade before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Shoot the Bull" Arcade longplay 1985
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Shoot the Bull released?
Shoot the Bull was released in 1985 for the Arcade.
Who developed Shoot the Bull?
Shoot the Bull was developed by Bally Midway, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Shoot the Bull support?
Shoot the Bull is a single-player Action game for the Arcade.
What type of game is Shoot the Bull?
Shoot the Bull is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Shoot the Bull for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Shoot the Bull runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Shoot the Bull in the browser?
No. Shoot the Bull streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Shoot the Bull?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original Arcade cartridge supported.
Does Shoot the Bull work on mobile devices?
Yes — the Arcade emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Shoot the Bull this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Shoot the Bull. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
