Is a Light Gun worth getting? Harmony Cart on the way.

[RamrodHare]

Ok, I finally got the cash together to buy a Harmony Encore. So my question is this, How many games used the light gun and are they good enough to justify buying the gun for?

 

I have two CRT tvs I can use, a 13 inch portable (which I feel is too small for using the light gun) and a 32 inch floor model. If the light gun games are well liked, I'll pick up the light gun, but if members here don't think it's worth it, I'll trust the wisdom of the forum and put the money toward a Homebrew cart or some other accessories.

 

On an unrelated note, is there a way to get "demo" roms of the homebrews available in the store, so I can try them before I buy them?

 

 

[+atari2600land]

Two games used the light gun: Sentinel and the unreleased Shooting Gallery.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Both are neither good nor very precise. And there is very litte chance that anyone will create homebrews for light guns, since they do not work with modern TVs.

[Tempest]

For just the 2600? No. Shooting Gallery is a fun game, but not worth it for the expense of the gun (Sentinel is so-so). If you have an 8-bit or 7800 then you have other games that use it as well and the cost is justified.

 

I still think a 2600 version of Meltdown exists as it was done in tandem with the 7800 version. If it's ever found then that would be a third 2600 light gun game.

[+DrVenkman]

 

On an unrelated note, is there a way to get "demo" roms of the homebrews available in the store, so I can try them before I buy them?

 

 

 

Search the site for the titles you're looking for. Very often the authors post WIP versions as they develop their games, and just as often a near-final or almost-complete version before it goes on sale - that lets you get a solid taste of the game, but still allows the authors to sell the really-finished/totally-polished final versions.

[BassGuitari]

For just the 2600? No. Shooting Gallery is a fun game, but not worth it for the expense of the gun (Sentinel is so-so). If you have an 8-bit or 7800 then you have other games that use it as well and the cost is justified.

What Tempest said. To piggyback:

 

Sentinel's an alright game, and is interesting for being both a 1990 release(!) and a lightgun game for the Atari 2600 of all things, but it's not a must-play title by any stretch. And Atari light guns are so inaccurate that they make the game unnecessarily aggravating to play anyway*. You only need a light gun for your 2600 if you collect bizarre accessories like Romscanners, Compumates, Trigger Stiks (sp?), weird controllers, etc.

 

(*I've read that they only work reliably on CRT sizes ~13"-15" or smaller. And even then they shoot slightly high and way left.)

 

However, if you have an Atari 7800 or XEGS, it may be worth it to pick one up since there are a half-dozen or so 7800 games that use the gun (most of them also support the joystick, though, so "unarmed" players can also play them) and a handful of XEGS games that use it also. Crossbow and Alien Brigade in particular really shine with the gun; too bad the 2600 version of Crossbow didn't support it.

 

If you have an XEGS, chances are you also have a light gun since most systems included one in the package. Crime Buster's an interesting XEGS exclusive that uses it; the pack-in Bug Hunt is pretty generic and bland-looking but good for a few rounds now and then. The rest of the XEGS gun games seem to be mainly cross-platform games that also came out on the 7800, like Barnard Blaster and Crossbow, but they're there.

[Shawn]

Both are neither good nor very precise. And there is very litte chance that anyone will create homebrews for light guns, since they do not work with modern TVs.

 

There was one homebrew lightgun game done about 10 years ago called "Bobby Is Hungry". It was an ok game. I bought one.

[RamrodHare]

I appreciate the replies! I do have a 7800 and Alien Brigade is high on my list of carts to get, but if the light gun really is that bad, I'll just use a joystick or gamepad when I finally get the cart.

[RamrodHare]

 

Search the site for the titles you're looking for. Very often the authors post WIP versions as they develop their games, and just as often a near-final or almost-complete version before it goes on sale - that lets you get a solid taste of the game, but still allows the authors to sell the really-finished/totally-polished final versions.

That's exactly what I needed to know Thanks!

[+Mitch]

Get the Best Electronics light gun. It is more accurate than the Atari gun.

 

Mitch