Game Console Light Gun Controller - Dismantled for reference and curiosity
Released in 1987 for use with the Atari XEGS the Light Gun XG-1 was also compatible with the Atari 2600, 7800 and was the first light gun game controller produced by Atari. It was bundled with the deluxe release of the Atari XEGS and could also be purchased separately.
The Light Gun was released with the game Bug Hunt and a further five titles were slowly released; Alien Brigade, Barnyard Blaster, Crossbow, Meltdown and Sentinel.
The Light Gun, in essence a reworked Atari Light Pen concept, was frustratingly inaccurate compared to the Sega Master System's 'Light Phaser' and the Nintendo NES' 'Zapper'. Ideally a vintage light pen should be calibrated before each use, as was the case with pens for the Atari 400 and 800 but software for use with the Light Gun had the X, Y values hard coded.
Once you worked out how far to the left or right you had to aim it worked much better but it really did defeat the purpose of aiming. Vertical aiming didn't seem to be as bad.
All that said it did look like a pretty sweet raygun.
