For more detailed information about how the NES Zapper, and other light guns of that era, worked, than check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3tBk-LYyzo

It gets interesting when playing Duck Hunt with 2 ducks or 2 clay pigeons are visible at the same time, in this case the game will light up each target in sequence (Not simultaneously) to determine which one you hit.

That’s a simplified summary of wtf is going on with the light gun.

The reason it doesn’t work in the games you’ve tries is because they feature an anti-cheat mechanic where the game checks for light, no light, then light again and if there isn’t that darkness in-between then it will register your shot as a miss (Process happens too fast to fool it, too).

Also the NES Zapper was calibrated for a curved CRT display where as some light guns are calibrated for a flat screen CRT and I am unsure how light guns that are compatible with LCD displays, work.