Tailgunner was also an early
coin-op arcade game that placed the player in the role of guess what? It was a
monochrome vector or
X-Y game, and had a sci-fi theme. You were given a
joystick which controlled a screen-roving aimpoint, a firing button and a limited-use (or limited-time, I can't remember)
shield button. Enemy ships would approach on crazed, looping courses; if they collided with your ship you lost a life. The shield would prevent them from hitting you, but was difficult to time properly.
Tailgunner was made (I believe) by Cinematronics and was produced in standup and sit-down versions.