The Atari XG-1 light gun is a video game controller which was released in 1987. As Atari's only
light gun
A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games, typically shaped to resemble a pistol.
Early history
The first light guns were produced in the 1930s, following the development of light-sensing ...
, it is unique to the 8-bit family. It is compatible with the
Atari XEGS
The Atari XE Video Game System (Atari XEGS) is an industrial redesign of the Atari 65XE home computer and the final model in the Atari 8-bit family. It was released by Atari Corporation in 1987 and marketed as a home video game console alongsid ...
, and with the
7800 and
2600 home video game console
A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. Home consoles are generally less powerful and customizable than ...
s. It was bundled with the XEGS Deluxe home computer and video game console combination system,
and with the light gun game ''Bug Hunt'' for the 7800 as model XES2001 for .
Atari eventually released five light gun games on the 7800 (''
Alien Brigade'', ''Barnyard Blaster'', ''
Crossbow
A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an elastic launching device consisting of a bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar fashion to the stock of a long fi ...
'', ''Meltdown'', and ''
Sentinel
Sentinel may refer to:
Places Mountains
* Mount Sentinel, a mountain next to the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana
* Sentinel Buttress, a volcanic crag on James Ross Island, Antarctica
* Sentinel Dome, a naturally occurring grani ...
'') and one on the 2600 (''Sentinel'').
Hardware
The XG-1 is a specialized
light pen
A light pen is a computer input device in the form of a light-sensitive wand used in conjunction with a computer's cathode-ray tube (CRT) display.
It allows the user to point to displayed objects or draw on the screen in a similar way to a tou ...
. Generic light pen support was built into the
Atari 8-bit home computer family since its 1979 launch. The ''Atari 400/800 Hardware Technical Reference'' recommends a calibration procedure each time a light pen is used, so that the software can compensate for this offset for maximal accuracy. ''Bug Hunt'' and ''Barnyard Blaster'' for the XEGS each have unique hard-coded values.
A reddish-orange version of the gun was planned for the 2600 and 7800 but was never released.
Games
''Sentinel'' is the only game released for the gun on the 2600 console, and ''Shooting Arcade'' was planned but never released.
Reception
For
''Antic'' magazine in August 1988, Matthew Ratcliff criticized the poor horizontal accuracy of the XG-1 light gun compared to the
NES Zapper
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
or the
Sega Light Phaser.
In December 1988, he said that, to switch between light gun and joystick games, active XEGS gamers are frustrated by the need to continually re-plug their devices and power cycle the system, due to the system's lack of autodetection, which is complicated by its awkwardly downward slanting ports. He said "''Barnyard Blaster'' and ''Bug Hunt'' could have been just a bit smarter" by including the simple routine that the magazine was forced to write and publish as a workaround.
In the August 1989 issue of ''A.N.A.L.O.G. Computing'' magazine, Matthew Ratcliff wrote a front page feature on programming the XG-1 in users' custom software, including his program allowing the light gun to be used to make menu selections. He gave the XG-1 a positive review, calling it an "exciting alternative to joysticks". He said it "has much more 'noise' in the horizontal direction than vertical" due to hardware limitations.
The 2014 book ''Vintage Game Consoles'' also criticized its accuracy compared to Nintendo and Sega, but says it became collectible as Atari's only light gun.
See also
*
Atari 8-bit computer peripherals
References
External links
Atari XEGS Informationby ''Antic'' contributing editor Matthew Ratcliff
The Atari 8-Bit FAQ
{{Atari hardware
Atari 8-bit family
Light guns