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NES Zapper

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(Redirected from Zapper Light Gun)

The original design of the NES Zapper
DeveloperNintendo
TypeLight gun
GenerationThird generation
Release date
  • NA: October 18, 1985
ConnectivityCable
PlatformNintendo Entertainment System
Marketing targetToy, then video game
Best-selling gameDuck Hunt
Model NumberNES-005
PredecessorVideo Shooting Series light gun for Famicom
SuccessorSuper Scope
Not to be confused with Wii Zapper.

The NES Zapper is an electronic light gun accessory launched with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America in October 1985. It is a cosmetic redesign of the Video Shooting Series light gun (光線銃シリーズガン),[1] which was released in Japan for the Famicom on February 18, 1984.[2][3] The Zapper requires compatible NES games, such as Duck Hunt, Wild Gunman, and Hogan's Alley. Its internal optical sensor allows the player to aim at a television set and shoot at in-game targets.

The Zapper bridged Nintendo's existing library of hit arcade light-gun shooter games into the NES's library. As toys, the Zapper and R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) were key to the new identity of the original NES bundle, for positioning the NES's launch into the North American toy market instead of into the crashed video game market.

Design[edit]

The 1989 redesign of the NES Zapper

The Famicom light gun was designed by Gunpei Yokoi and Satoru Okada of Nintendo R&D1,[citation needed] modeled realistically after a revolver.[4] Its technology was based on the light gun toy used in Nintendo Beam Gun toy line, which in turn was based on the Colt Single Action Army revolver. The Famicom light gun is a double-action revolver with a moving hammer, which is automatically fired when the trigger is pulled without needing to cock the hammer.[citation needed]

In North America, it was redesigned as the Zapper by Nintendo of America's head designer Lance Barr, to match the NES's color scheme and to resemble a futuristic science fiction ray gun.[citation needed] It has a dark gray barrel and grip. In 1988, the Federal Toy Gun Law required that toy guns be distinct from real guns,[5][6][7] so the orange revision was released in 1989.[8]

History[edit]

The Famicom light gun was released in Japan on February 18, 1984, bundled with Wild Gunman[3] and a holster.

North America[edit]

See also: History of the Nintendo Entertainment System
The prototype Nintendo Advanced Video System and its accessories, including a wireless light gun

In January 1985, at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show, Nintendo of America presented the Advanced Video System, a prototype American redesign of the Famicom, which was pitched as a high-end consumer electronics device.[9] Its bundle of wireless peripherals includes a computer keyboard, music keyboard, and a combination light wand and gun.[10][11] The "combination light wand and gun" has an adjustable handle that can give it either form factor.[12] However, North American retailers were still apprehensive to re-enter the video game market after the video game crash of 1983,[13] placing no orders.[11]

After the poor reception at the Consumer Electronics Show, Nintendo revised their marketing strategy to position the system as more of a toy than video game system, redesigning it as the Nintendo Entertainment System. Expensive wireless technology was abandoned, and the light gun and wand device became the wired NES Zapper. Nintendo used their popular arcade games Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley to market the system as a gun game instead of a video game, and Nintendo Research & Development 1 developed the R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) accessory toy.

In October 1985, the NES was launched in the New York City test market,[2][11] bundled with the Control Deck, Zapper, R.O.B., two controllers, Duck Hunt, and Gyromite.[11] In the full nationwide launch of June 1986, that bundle was rebranded as the Deluxe Set, and a cheaper bundle was launched with two controllers and Super Mario Bros.. Now no longer being bundled with the system by default, the Zapper and R.O.B. began to be sold individually.[14] Various other NES bundles were released over the years, several of which include the Zapper, such as the Action Set and Power Set.[15][16]

In January 1988, at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show, the orange Zapper revision was announced (as had been required by the Federal Toy Gun Law of 1987[5][6]) as part of the new Action Set bundle of the NES. The third-party Zapper game Freedom Force was also announced at the event.[15] In June 1988, at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show, the Power Set was announced for release that year, bundling the orange Zapper.[16] In 1989, the orange Zapper was released.[8]

Accessories and third-party counterparts[edit]

The Deluxe Sighting Scope, connected to an orange Zapper

On February 20, 1989, Bandai released the Hyper Shot in Japan, which is a large two-handed light gun shaped like a submachine gun. It has B, Start, Select, and a directional stick, but no A button. The controller was bundled with Space Shadow, which requires this gun, and can use the gun's built-in speaker and its haptic feedback to simulate recoil. It can be just a controller or light gun for any other game.[17]

In North America, Bondwell released the Deluxe Sighting Scope, under the brand name QuickShot.[18] This is a sight that snaps atop the Zapper.[19]

In 1989, Nexoft released The Dominator ProBeam in the United States, a wireless clone of the Zapper. Unlike other third-party light gun products, the ProBeam is officially licensed by Nintendo, bearing the Nintendo Seal of Quality. It uses the same infrared NES receiver as Nexoft's The Dominator MasterControl, a wireless controller including a joystick.[20][21]

The LaserScope headset, which replicates the functionality of the Zapper

In 1990, Konami released the LaserScope headset accessory for the Zapper, in the United States and Japan.[22] It is voice-activated whenever the wearer says "fire", although some reviewers criticized its ability.[23][24] It includes stereo headphones for the NES[25] and an eyepiece with a crosshair.[26] It was designed for the game Laser Invasion, and works with any Zapper game.[24][27] In the United States, Laser Invasion came with a coupon for a $5 discount for the LaserScope.[22]

Gameplay[edit]

The Zapper can be pointed at a television set to shoot in-game targets. The Zapper is primarily used in shooting gallery games and levels, but it is also used in some sidescrolling platformers such as Gumshoe and Baby Boomer.[28] It can also often be used on a title screen to select a mode and start the game.[29]

The Zapper can only be used with games that specifically support it. Some games require the Zapper to be played (such as Duck Hunt,[30] To the Earth,[28] and Shooting Range[31]), some can be played using either the Zapper or a controller (such as Operation Wolf[32] and Mechanized Attack[28][33]), and some have specific shooting-oriented levels that can be played using either the Zapper or a controller (such as The Adventures of Bayou Billy,[34] Track & Field II,[28][35] and Chiller[28]).

Some games were designed for or marketed alongside specific Zapper accessories or alternatives. Laser Invasion was promoted alongside the LaserScope in North America, with a coupon for a discount for the accessory.[22][36] The Japan-only Space Shadow was bundled with the Hyper Shot, and is the only game to utilize the Hyper Shot's onboard speakers and haptic feedback.[17]

Operation[edit]

Further information: Light gun

When the Zapper's trigger is pressed, the game causes the entire screen to become black for one frame. Then, on the next frame, all valid targets that are on screen are drawn all white as the rest of the screen remains black. The Zapper detects this change in light level and determines if any of the targets are in its hit zone. If a target is hit, the game determines which one was hit based on the time of the flash, as each target flashes for one video frame, one after another.[37][38][39]

The Zapper can only be used on CRT displays; it will not work on LCDs, plasma displays or other flat panel displays due to display lag.[citation needed]

Reception[edit]

In February 1988, Computer Entertainer magazine reported there was "always demand for a gun game [...] We know our Nintendo owners love games they can use with their Zappers".[40] In July 1988, it reported that Freedom Force was Sunsoft's "best game yet. And they've made the best use yet of the Zapper light gun by building a game around a theme that's as topical as the evening news: the taking of hostages by terrorists". Most of its survey respondents who own a game console also had a light gun.[41]

Regarding Nintendo's Trojan Horse strategy to convince retailers to stock the NES, historian Chris Kohler said "The gambit worked like a charm, and nobody missed R.O.B. or the Zapper once players realized that games played with the standard video game controller, like Super Mario Bros., were much more fun."[42] Other commentators give more weight more to the promise to buy back any unsold stock. In the 2001 book The Ultimate History of Video Games, Steven L. Kent argues that "most of the 500 retailers who sold the NES that Christmas might not have taken the merchandise if it were not for a risky offer made by [Nintendo of America President Minoru] Arakawa himself—a money-back guarantee."[11]: 297 

Legacy[edit]

Wii Zapper peripheral for the Wii console is a plastic casing for a Wii Remote with a Nunchuk that is held like a gun for point-and-shoot gameplay. It is not technically or visually similar to the Zapper. The Wii U Virtual Console re-releases of NES games can use the Wii Remote's pointer in place of the Zapper.[43][44]

The Wii U game Splatoon[45][46] and its Nintendo Switch sequels Splatoon 2[47][48] and Splatoon 3[49][50] all include several N-ZAP weapons, which are heavily based on the Zapper's design. The N-ZAP '85 and N-ZAP '89 use the gray and orange colors of the Zapper respectively. The N-ZAP '83 appears in Splatoon and Splatoon 2 only, with the red and gold from the original Famicom controller, but shaped like the Zapper.[51][52]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Video Shooting Series Light Gun". Famicom World. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Kohler, Chris (October 18, 2010). "Oct. 18, 1985: Nintendo Entertainment System Launches". WIRED. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b DeMaria, Rusel; Wilson, Johnny L. (2002), High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill Professional, p. 232, ISBN 0-07-222428-2
  4. ^ "Video Shooting Series Light Gun". Famicom World. And before the NES Zapper light gun, Nintendo released its first official video game light gun called the Video Shooting Series light gun, fashioned like an old West revolver.
  5. ^ a b Bishop, Katherine (October 16, 1988). "IDEAS & TRENDS; Legislators Find Even Fake Guns Difficult to Control". The New York Times. p. 7. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Strom, Stephanie (October 15, 1994). "Shootings Lead Chain to Ban Toy Guns". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  7. ^ 15 U.S.C. § 5001
  8. ^ a b NES Zapper Manual 1989 (PDF). Redmond, Washington: Nintendo of America. 1989. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  9. ^ Cifaldi, Frank (February 27, 2017). "The NES Launch Collection". Video Game History Foundation. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Nintendo Advanced Video System Winter 1985 CES brochure. "We also make lots of other wireless peripherals for the Advanced Video System. Like a joystick. A combination light wand and gun. A data recorder. Even a keyboard. In fact, the only wires you'll find are the two cords that plug the cartridge into the wall and into your television."
  11. ^ a b c d e Kent, Steven L. (2001). The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World. Roseville, California: Three Rivers Press. pp. 286–297. ISBN 0-7615-3643-4.
  12. ^ Nintendo Advanced Video System Winter 1985 CES brochure. "And because of a unique light sensor built into the cordless wand/gun, playing is as simple as pointing and shooting. It even has a two-position handle so you can use it as either a target gun or pointing wand."
  13. ^ Cifaldi, Frank (October 19, 2015). "In Their Words: Remembering the Launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System". IGN.
  14. ^ "New Way to Buy Nintendo System". Computer Entertainer. Vol. 5, no. 3. June 1986. p. 13 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ a b "Nintendo Makes Big Impression at CES" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 10. January 1988. p. 10. Retrieved July 13, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  16. ^ a b "Activity at Nintendo's CES "Mega-Booth"". Computer Entertainer. Vol. 7, no. 3. June 1988. p. 9. Retrieved July 14, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  17. ^ a b McFerran, Damien (March 16, 2016). "Meet The Famicom Machine Gun Peripheral That Never Made It Out Of Japan". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  18. ^ "Deluxe Sighting Scope box". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  19. ^ Link (October 17, 2007). "Nintendo NES Quickshot Sighting Scope". GameSniped. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  20. ^ "NEXOFT The Dominator ProBeam Universal Wireless Infrared Video System for NES insert". GameScanner.org. Wordpress. September 9, 2013. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021.
  21. ^ "Zapper Guide Part 1". The Warp Zone. Angelfire. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  22. ^ a b c Link (August 7, 2009). "NES Nintendo Konami Laserscope Headset". GameSniped. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  23. ^ "Laserscope". NES Player. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  24. ^ a b Ewalt, David M. (May 29, 2012). "The Konami LaserScope". Forbes. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  25. ^ Popular Science. Bonnier Corporation. 1991. p. 10. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  26. ^ -RoG-. "The Konami LaserScope!". I-Mockery. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  27. ^ "Blizzard of improved products unveiled at electronics show". Observer-Reporter. AP. June 2, 1990. Retrieved November 15, 2014. Susan Bach, marketing coordinator for Konami Inc., demonstrates the Laser Scope voice command headset, a hands-free unit for use with all Nintendo zapper games.
  28. ^ a b c d e Martin, Garrett (August 24, 2015). "Ranking Every NES Zapper Game". Paste. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  29. ^ NES Zapper Instruction Manual, Nintendo, 1985, US-2, Point the Zapper away from the screen and shoot. The arrow will move from one game to another. When the arrow points to the game you want, shoot directly at the screen. The game will start.
  30. ^ Duck Hunt Instruction Booklet (PDF). Nintendo. 1985. p. 2. Retrieved February 19, 2019. This game requires the Zapper™, Light Gun Attachment.
  31. ^ Shooting Range Instruction Booklet (PDF). Bandai. Retrieved February 19, 2019. This game requires the Zapper™ Light Gun Attachment.
  32. ^ McFerran, Damien (February 5, 2008). "Review: Operation Wolf (Virtual Console / NES)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  33. ^ Mechanized Attack Instruction Manual (PDF). SNK. 1990. p. 3. Retrieved February 19, 2019. The game may be played using either the NES Zapper or Controller.
  34. ^ Smith, A. (August 2, 2012). "The Adventures of Bayou Billy - NintendoComplete Reviews and Media". Nintendo Complete. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  35. ^ Kementari (February 19, 2015). "Le Zapper Nes". Gangeek Style (in French). Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  36. ^ "#75 – Laser Invasion". Take on the NES Library. May 14, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  37. ^ Adams, Cecil (May 11, 2001). "In Nintendo's "Duck Hunt," how does the TV know when you've hit a duck?". The Straight Dope.
  38. ^ "How does the light gun for a video game work?". HowStuffWorks. April 1, 2000.
  39. ^ US 4813682, Okada, Satoru, "Video target control and sensing circuit for photosensitive gun", issued March 21, 1989 
  40. ^ "Computer Entertainer" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 6, no. 11. February 1988. p. 10. Retrieved July 13, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  41. ^ "Computer Entertainer" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 7, no. 4. July 1988. p. 10. Retrieved July 13, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
  42. ^ Kohler, Chris (2004). Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. Indianapolis, IN: Brady Games. p. 214. ISBN 0-7440-0424-1.
  43. ^ Olney, Alex (December 25, 2014). "Review: Duck Hunt (Wii U eShop / NES)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  44. ^ Brown, Tom (January 6, 2016). "Three more NES Zapper games heading to the North American Wii U eShop". Nintendo Wire. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  45. ^ Webster, Andrew (June 1, 2015). "Nintendo turned the NES Zapper into a paintball gun for Splatoon". The Verge. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  46. ^ Navarro, Maxfield (July 17, 2015). "Splatoon paints NES Zapper orange tonight with free N-ZAP '89 shooter and Octobrush roller weapons". Neoseeker. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  47. ^ Iggy (December 8, 2017). "N-ZAP 85 Arrives In Splatoon 2 Tomorrow". NintendoSoup. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  48. ^ Moyse, Chris (December 8, 2017). "N-Zap 89 pulls its clunky trigger in Splatoon 2 tonight". destructoid. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  49. ^ Gregoire, Jesse (December 22, 2022). "Splatoon 3 best weapons to ink the competition". The Loadout. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  50. ^ Norman, Jim (February 24, 2023). "Splatoon 3: Fresh Season 2023 - Every New Weapon, Stage, And Feature". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 26, 2023. N-Zap '89 — New design for the classic N-Zap '85. Comes with an Autobomb sub-weapon and Super Chump special.
  51. ^ Tapp, Jaxson (June 2, 2016). "Famicom style N-Zap coming to Splatoon". Nintendo Wire. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  52. ^ Sheehan, Gavin (January 28, 2019). "Splatoon 2 Will Be Getting Classic Weapons Added Again". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved February 8, 2019.

External links[edit]

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