Nuclear Calamity

Nuclear Calamity is a series of lightgun games made by EXEMPT, the gameplay is mostly in the style of Time Crisis.

Main Series

 * The Spy (1998) - the game that started it all, later remade as "Nuclear Calamity ZERO"
 * Nuclear Calamity (2000)
 * Nuclear Calamity 2 (2002)
 * Nuclear Calamity III (2004)
 * Nuclear Calamity IV (2007)
 * Nuclear Calamity V (2011)
 * Nuclear Calamity VI (2015)
 * Nuclear Calamity VII (2019)
 * Nuclear Calamity VIII (2024)
 * Nuclear Calamity ZERO (2024)

Spin-Offs

 * Carnibal (2008) - Horror carnival-themed, basically if CarnEvil had an affair with Time Crisis, using Nuclear Calamity IV's engine, could also be the spiritual sucessor to the former.
 * Gynesphere (2020) - Girl with Guns-themed, everyone is a lesbian woman.
 * Gynesphere II (2022) - Sequel of Gynesphere
 * Noir Dejection (2013) - Gangster-themed
 * Majin (2017) - Basically if The Matrix was set in Japan.
 * Plasma Clash (2023) - Major Mayhem-styled game.

Premise
An abominable individual wants to reset the world using nuclear weapons, so a secret agency was set on.

General
Nuclear Calamity is a Time Crisis-style game, where you can take cover to avoid damage.

Scoring
In the original 2000 version of Nuclear Calamity, you just get 100 points of each shot, but you can infinitely shoot enemies, something you also can do in the second game, but not in the third and onwards.

Nuclear Calamity III overhauled scoring, now having a combo system that has a score based on the damage you dealt multiplied by your combo steak, points will only add up if the combo expires, points for saving civilians adds to your score though, the scoring will be similar to the later Major Mayhem, the fifth game had the combo pauses and refills the combo time on the "HOLD IT!" sequence, a la Lievnu, Plasma Crisis instead has the scoring out of 10s though (like Time Crisis)

Player Characters

 * The Spy/Nuclear Calamity ZERO - The Spy (named John Klaus Backus in the latter)
 * Nuclear Calamity - Wade Dawson and Dennis Jackson
 * Nuclear Calamity 2
 * Nuclear Calamity III
 * Nuclear Calamity IV
 * Nuclear Calamity V - Eric Schneider and Rodney Turner
 * Nuclear Calamity VI
 * Nuclear Calamity VII
 * Nuclear Calamity VIII - Liane Carson and Jack Faulkner

The Franchise in General

 * 1-Up: Did the opposite of what Time Crisis did with this trope, while Time Crisis 1 had it with having 40 kills without missing a shot and the sequels dropping it, Nuclear Calamit had no extra lives in the first entry (also in The Spy you don't get extra lives, but as compensation you begin with five lives by default), while the sequels featured nurses that can be rescued, which are really hard to rescue (they're optional and don't required to be saved if you're aiming to save every civilian), but if you do, you're instantly awarded with an extra life if you save them.)
 * Anti-Frustration Features:
 * Nuclear Calamity III added the "Peril Splash", which is just the "Crisis Flash" from the Time Crisis series, unlike the Time Crisis games, it has an actual sound when released.
 * Also beginning with Nuclear Calamity III, the timer pauses on each "HOLD IT" sequence, the first two games had the timer still ticking.
 * Beginning with Nuclear Calamity 2, running out of time only docks away a single life instead of an instant game over, the timer is still based on the first Time Crisis game though, the timer resets to 40 seconds if you run out of time however.
 * If you have 20 seconds or less at the time you complete any "GO!" sequence, you are given 10 bonus seconds.
 * Timed Mission: In the same fashion of the first Time Crisis entry, although it's only a Problem in The Spy and Nuclear Calamity (and Nuclear Calamity 2 to an extent, Nuclear Calamity III onwards, the timer won't, however, there are some changes:
 * Nuclear Calamity 2 onwards removes the 60 second timer limit that the first game had, and also beginning with Nuclear Calamity 2 is that running out of time now only docks away a life a la Time Crisis II, running out of time also resets the timer to 40 seconds (or your set starting time). (2 allows up to 99 seconds, III and later allows 3-digit amounts of time)
 * Nuclear Calamity III onwards additionally pauses the timer during the "HOLD IT" segments like the later Time Crisis entries.
 * Nuclear Calamity V onwards (where it's possible to have more than 200 seconds) resets the timer to 40 (or your set starting time) if you end the stage with more than 200 seconds,
 * Out Of Continues: The Spy (1998) played this trope straight, having only two continues per player at any given time. without any options to change. (the game can be completed in less than 5 minutes anyway), other than that, the series (including the first game and Nuclear Calamity ZERO) downplays this trope with an unlockable "Infinite Credits" option.
 * Unstable Equibilirim: Time extensions are based on how well the shots landed, in The Spy and the first Nuclear Calamity game, it's always 1 second for each shot regardless of where it landed, Nuclear Calamity 2 changed this so it adds up 0.5 seconds or each normal shot landed, 2 seconds for each headshot, and not to mention that these Time Extensions are not instant and only kick in when there's a "HOLD IT!" sequence.
 * Turns Red: Most of the bosses of the series, every boss
 * Senquential Boss: Each boss in Carnibal has 4 phases, with the music also changing to be more intense and egrigous.

YMMV

 * Sequel Difficulty Spike
 * Sequel Difficulty Drop
 * The timer in The Spy is incredibly strict, only having a 30-second limit, still ticking during cutscene, Nuclear Calamity had the same timer logic, only doubled the limit, Nuclear Calamity 2 not only increased the limit to 99, but running out of time is no longer an instant Game Over (unless the settings is toggled to lose all your lives when running out of time), instead, you lose one life (a la Time Crisis II) and the timer resets to the beginning timer you set, Nuclear Calamity III and onward also pauses the timer when you're moving from one section to another.
 * Suspiciously Similar Song
 * Carnibal's Boss Theme sounds like an awful lot like the instrumental of "Doubling Down", from a Friday Night Funkin' mod out of South Park.
 * That One Boss