Light-gun hell

Is there a solution to light-gun hell?

I love light-gun games. Some of my favorites:

Virtua Cop 1 & 2 (Saturn)
House of the Dead (Saturn)
Hogan's Alley (NES)
Gunfighter: The Legend of Jesse James (PSX)
Confidential Mission (Dreamcast)
House of the Dead 2 (Dreamcast)

My problem is the television. I have read all of the reasons that these games won't work on newer televisions (admittedly, I don't get all the science but I get that it just won't work). I have an old 25" television but I have to keep it ashore because it's just too big to take with me. It takes way too much electricity, too. I have considered getting a small old television but I just don't know if I would enjoy the games on a smaller screen. I mean, would there be any challenge? Anyways, is there really no other solution? I always hear about "emulation", is there nothing like that for light-guns?

Oh yeah, and thanks in advance for not suggesting playing these games with a mouse or some other such. :hand:

Many emulators support the light gun. I only ever played Yoshi's Safari through emulation, and it's more satisfying with the wii-mote on a softmodded wii, since it can be used like a light gun. PC emulators use the mouse as an alternative but that might make it too easy.

Virtua Cop games are out as a collection for the PS2. EMS make a good backwards compatible gun for the system, I use them and they work well...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Di.../dp/B0073X8MR0

http://www.play-asia.com/ems-topgun-iii/13/704e7s

http://www.hkems.com/product/xbox/1108.htm

... I have one, but prefer this model...

http://www.hkems.com/product/ps2/RF_TopGun.htm

... the build quality is better but they were like finding hen's teeth, I got one from Australia, one from Spain COD. Also, Vampire Night on PS2 is good fun.

Also, I'd bet there are some good PS3 options you could explore.

Just found this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RF-TOPGUN-...UAAOSwFMZWqnXR

A 25" CRT is the equivalent of a 40" HDTV, once you consider a 4:3 aspect ratio with the black bars on both sides. That is plenty of size for me.

That green palm pad looks comfy on this GunCon look a like knock off.
https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP....9&rs=0&p=0&r=0

It is!

I love light gun games, I feel your pain.

If you can tolerate a Wii you can shove the remote into a gun shell as a lightgun for it's SMS and NES emulators, plus whatever shooters in the Wii library you like, but you probably won't end up with true line-of-sight accuracy.

The Ultimarc Aimtrak is a great solution for Guncon 2 games on the PS2. I have one shoved in an arcade gun with a recoil solenoid for kickback. Works great if you only have a HDTV for PS2 gun games.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jeckidy

Many emulators support the light gun. I only ever played Yoshi's Safari through emulation, and it's more satisfying with the wii-mote on a softmodded wii, since it can be used like a light gun. PC emulators use the mouse as an alternative but that might make it too easy.

---

I can attest to this. Using the Wiimote with a zapper attachment as a Super Scope replacement on Snes9x GX was really fun with Super Scope 6 and Terminator 2 The Arcade Game.

As for a solution for OP's problem, the only other solution I can think of for you is to use real hardware and a CRT TV besides using emulators that support light gun games. Using a mouse is not as fun as using an actual light gun for sure.

Hey Bones, just stumbled upon this...

http://www.thedreamcastjunkyard.co.u...-gun-that.html

... I have the guy's dream con, a little pricey but very nice so this should be a good prospect.

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I have heard that the Wii has a lot of shooting games but from what I can tell from YouTube, all of the games use a targeting cursor on screen. Cursors take all of the fun out of shooting. :p

I have also heard of MAME but I don't really know how to get it. Would it be able to play all of the arcade shooting games? And does it work with the Aimtrak gun on an HDTV? Or maybe another gun? I think most of my favorite lightgun games are from the arcades: Hogan's Alley, Virtua Cop series, House of the Dead series. Probably the only ones I would really miss from home are Jesse James and Confidential Mission.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bones Justice

Would it be able to play all of the arcade shooting games? And does it work with the Aimtrak gun on an HDTV? Or maybe another gun?

---

The Aimtrak works with MAME on any kind of TV or PC monitor, basically mapping itself as a mouse cursor. You can still turn the actual cursor off & fine tune it to very close line of sight aiming. Better than a Wii remote but it's still not real line of sight aiming so you must always be sitting/standing in the same position.

If you're not very familiar with MAME I would not even consider buying it due to it having to configure almost each game individually to get it working properly. It is nothing at all like simple one-step configuration when trying a new controller or joystick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Azathoth

If you're not very familiar with MAME I would not even consider buying it due to it having to configure almost each game individually to get it working properly. It is nothing at all like simple one-step configuration when trying a new controller or joystick.

---

Thanks for the advice. I think I am just going to look for another CRT. I suppose I will need to find another NES for Hogan's Alley. I read that Nintendo is re-releasing it finally but that it doesn't really play like the original, due to light gun hell. :mad:

Having to configure almost each game individually in MAME to get it working properly? What?

Has anyone played the new Wii versions of Duck Hunt or Hogan's Alley? I have read that it's not really like playing a lightgun game but they don't really say what is different.

I have never owned a Wii. I would like to hear your opinion of the shooting games for it. I would just try them myself but I don't even know anyone that owns a Wii.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Thief

Having to configure almost each game individually in MAME to get it working properly? What?

---

Yep, unfortunately. Initially you configure/calibrate it in Windows so that the aim is accurate to what you want. You then configure MAME to use it as a light gun (basically as a really fancy and expensive mouse pointer). Then each game has to be configured with it's own calibration routine in the arcade operator test menu just like a real cabinet would. Additional steps are required for mounted gun titles that externally just "faked" being gun games but were cursor shooters controlled with analog directional inputs (Terminator 2: The Arcade Game, Revolution X, Operation Wolf, etc)

It's a headache but it kind of makes sense. If you've got a cab with Lethal Enforcers and swap the PCB out to Virtua Cop obviously the gun aim calibration won't magically carry over between the two.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bones Justice

I would like to hear your opinion of the shooting games for it. I would just try them myself but I don't even know anyone that owns a Wii.

---

The Wii has some excellent shooters and is probably the only reason I have it. You have to take most of the general criticism with a grain of salt since a lot of people just dislike light gun games in general, no matter how great the game is. If I dislike RPG's, I'm going to have a natural aversion to whatever you put in front of me, even if it's the greatest RPG of all time.

The main difference between Wii games and regular light gun games is you're mostly going play by aiming the on screen cursor than actually looking down the sights of a gun. Because the Wii uses a sensor bar there is no real line of sight aiming meaning the cursor/cross hair is relative to the sensor bar and not where you actually point it on the screen. Some games (House of the Dead Returns, Ghost Squad) allow for line of sight calibration and to remove the on screen crosshair but changing your stance or moving the least bit from how you were sitting when calibrating it throws it off.

Most of the gun peripherals for Wii remotes are garbage. I prefer the regular Zapper shell (or better yet a cheap 99 cent knockoff) due to the trigger having no spring. No spring = no finger fatigue. I had to remove the spring from my Nuby Quickshot because after about 30 minutes of nonstop firing in HotD my trigger finger was about to fall off.

I love lightgun games and I simply use a crt. only 24 inch is big enough for me. also it's a must for games like policenauts on saturn imo

It's really the easiest thing to do. I have a tiny CRT for my early 80s consoles, a 32 inch for everything up thru the PS2 (and light gun games, of course) and a normal HDTV for modern stuff.

Two CRTs? Would you say having nine is going overboard?

Not if you have the room for it.

Unfortunately, I don't have room for it. I used to have four CGA monitors which were great for multiplayer but I had a house then.

I am resigned to getting another CRT. I'm still a little confused about how a CRT VGA monitor does work with a lightgun but okay, it's on my list. The other thing on my list is an NES, maybe. I really like Hogan's Alley. I never really thought much of Wild Gunman but Duck Hunt is okay. I just hate to plunk down that much money for one game. It's fine that a lot of people love NES games but there really isn't much else on the system that I am jonesin' to play. Archon is the only other game I can think of but it's really not much fun unless you have another human to play against. The way the computer plays is too easy and also annoying. :p

So I was wondering about the NES Zapper with the Wii. If the Wii can emulate an NES, can you use an NES adapter to plug a Zapper into the Wii for lightgun games? I realize you would still have to use a CRT but shouldn't it work? I have never owned a Wii but there are probably more games for it that I would try than for an NES and the price is about the same.