Action Max was created by Worlds of Wonder in 1987 as a shooting system based on VHS video. It required an external video player because the console could not play the tapes by itself. The player aimed at the screen with a light gun while the films displayed sequences and targets prepared to register hits; the unit kept score on a small display. Because the action was prerecorded, the player could not alter the course of the scenes: interaction essentially consisted of hitting or missing the targets that appeared during the film.