Atari Light Gun Chronology

[Rick Dangerous]

I was wondering, how did Atari have light gun games for the 2600 and 7800 when they didn't release a gun until the XE and XEGS computer was released in the late 80's? Was there an earlier light gun that I don't know about? Was the XE light gun released earlier than those systems? Thanks. Looking to put this one to rest.

[CatPix]

Isn't there like only ONE light gun game for the Atari 2600? Which was a late 80's release? And not an Atari game even? That would explain why there is a light gun game for the 2600 - it was released only when Atari made a light gun for the 8 bits line.

[Rick Dangerous]

So the 7800 light gun games were also released after the release of the XEGS (and light gun peripheral) in 1987?

[Trebor]

So the 7800 light gun games were also released after the release of the XEGS (and light gun peripheral) in 1987?

Correct.

 

7800 Light Gun Required Games:

Barnyard Blaster = 1988

Meltdown = 1990

Sentinel (PAL Only) = 1991

7800 Light Gun Optional Games:

Alien Brigade = 1990

Crossbow = 1987

[Rick Dangerous]

I bet light guns were hard as hell to get back then because most people (7800 players) had to order them rather than getting them with an XEGS. Anyone have trouble tracking one down back in the day? Or were they readily available?

 

Anyone played the 2600 light gun game? What is it and is it any good?

[MrMaddog]

I bet light guns were hard as hell to get back then because most people (7800 players) had to order them rather than getting them with an XEGS. Anyone have trouble tracking one down back in the day? Or were they readily available?

 

 

They had Atari light guns sold seperately at toy chains like Kay-Be-Toys so 7800 gamers can still get them. There were also Sega SMS light guns that can be modded to work on Atari systems as well...

[Trebor]

I didn't have any of the light gun games (optional or mandatory) back in the day, and honestly cannot even recall knowing it was an optional controller for the 7800.

 

From that era - mid to late 80's - I only remember seeing less than a handful of Atari related commercials:

 

"The fun is back!" - Promoting the 2600.

"We've re-invented the video game" - Promoting the 7800.

"More games at half the price" - Promoting the 7800.

"The choice of experts" - Various promoting different 7800 titles.

 

The first three were the most dominant seen by me, and none featured the light gun (games).

[Eltigro]

This won't help at all, but it does remind me of something. Way back in probably the mid '90s (I'm basing this on where I was living and the fact that the Jaguar was still for sale) there was a store here in town called The Atari Shop. I think I was only in there a couple of times, looking through 2600 games and such... I remember buying Adventure there... anyway, one time I went in, the guy who owned the place was playing some light gun game and trying to sell me on it by saying that Atari had come out with light gun games before Nintendo had. I don't remember what he was playing (system or game), but I do remember he was sitting like three feet from the TV he was playing on and holding the gun about six inches from the screen.

 

I wish that place was still around. Would love to go through all the stuff he had there again.

[CatPix]

Atari had come out with light gun games before Nintendo had.

As light gun dates back to 1936 (the Seeburg Ray-O-Lite :

 

 

and Nintendo had been in the business of game/arcade machines since the 1960's, If any came first with a light gun game, I'd bet for Nintendo.

Tho, none did, as console wise, Magnavox did it first.

Edited November 5, 2015 by CatPix