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| Developer | Namco |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Namco |
| Type | Light gun |
| Release date | GunCon
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| Platform | PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 |
| Related | JogCon NeGcon |
| Website | bandainamcoent |
The GunCon [a] , known as the G-Con in Europe, is a family of gun peripherals designed by Namco for the PlayStation consoles. The original controllers used traditional light gun technology, while newer controllers use LED tracking technology.
The first GunCon NPC-103 (G-Con 45 in Europe) was bundled with the PlayStation conversion of Time Crisis . [1] To make the gun affordable to consumers, the force feedback feature of the Time Crisis arcade gun was omitted, and an additional fire button was included in lieu of releasing a pedal controller for the game's ducking mechanic. [2] A second version of the GunCon, known as the GunCon 2 NPC-106 (G-Con 2 in Europe), was bundled with the PlayStation 2 conversion of Time Crisis II and Time Crisis 3 . Time Crisis 4 came out for the PlayStation 3 bundled with the GunCon 3 NC-109 [3] [4] [5] [6] (G-Con 3 in Europe [7] ). In Japan, all three GunCon models were also available for sale as a separate accessory outside of a game bundle.
Prior to the GunCon, the Konami Justifier (sold as the Hyper Blaster in Europe and Japan) was the first light gun peripheral for the PlayStation and a few games support it. With the exception of Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas , Elemental Gearbolt , Maximum Force , and Mighty Hits Special, games that support the Justifier are not compatible with the GunCon and vice versa. This was because Namco designed the GunCon so that it would only work with Namco games. [8] Electronic Gaming Monthly 's Crispin Boyer said that a Namco public relations representative was shocked when he informed him that he'd tried the GunCon with Maximum Force (not a Namco game) and confirmed that it worked. [8]
The GunCon controller (known as G-Con 45 in Europe) uses the cathode ray timing method to determine where the barrel is aimed at on the screen when the trigger is pulled. It features a button below the barrel on either side of the gun (buttons A and B, both performing the same function) for auxiliary in-game control, such as to take cover and reload in Time Crisis . The controller is released in black in Japan, and gray (and eventually, in orange) in both Europe and North America. The controller is compatible with some PlayStation 2 GunCon titles, but is not compatible with PlayStation 3 due to its lack of controller ports. Many games that support it allow the A and B buttons to be swapped, making it comfortable for both right and left-handed players.
GunCon 2 (G-Con 2 in Europe) features a smaller body, as well as a more rounded shape when compared with the original GunCon. The side buttons, A and B, have been moved rearward to a position directly above the trigger. Two new smaller buttons, SELECT and START, have been added to the left side of the shaft. Prominent additions to this second GunCon model is a D-pad at the back of the gun barrel and a C button added at the bottom of the gun handle. These new buttons served to open new gameplay opportunities, such as character movement in Dino Stalker or the ability to use two guns at once in Time Crisis II . The gun uses a USB connection as opposed to a PlayStation controller port of the GunCon 1 and also hooks into the video signal of the console (either composite video or the Y signal of component video). The controller is released in black in Japan, blue in Europe, and orange in North America. It is not compatible with original PlayStation titles or PlayStation 3 titles. The GunCon 2, with compatible games, can work on older models of the PlayStation 3 featuring any form of hardware-based PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility.
The GunCon 3 utilizes two infrared LED lights as markers, placed on the left and right sides of the screen. An image sensor in the muzzle tracks the markers as reference points for determining where the gun is pointing on the screen. As opposed to the GunCon and GunCon 2, which are only compatible with CRT-based displays, the GunCon 3 supports a wide variety of display types, including LCD and Plasma. [9]
The GunCon 3 features a "sub-grip", mounted underneath the barrel and extending to the left side for use with the left hand. On the sub-grip is an analog stick and two shoulder buttons, like in a modern gamepad. At the back end of the gun barrel is another analog stick and two buttons, B1 and B2, underneath. Another two buttons, C1 and C2, are placed along the left side of the barrel. The analog sticks allow the player to play first-person shooting games with manual aiming/firing of the light gun.
Some GunCon 2 (PS2) games are compatible with the original GunCon, unless the game utilizes the extra buttons on the GunCon 2.
iGunCon for iOS was released on July 21, 2011, which allows players to use an iPhone or iPod Touch in a similar fashion to the GunCon on Time Crisis 2nd Strike , an iOS exclusive entry in the Time Crisis series. [12] iGunCon, along with Time Crisis 2nd Strike, was pulled from the app store in March of 2015. [13]
Electronic Gaming Monthly 's four-person "review crew" gave the original GunCon scores of 7.5, 7.0, 8.0, and 7.5 out of 10. They criticized Namco's decisions to make it compatible only with Namco games and make Namco games incompatible with other light guns, but praised the GunCon's extreme precision and accuracy, in particular when firing near the edge of the screen (a common trouble spot for light guns). Lead reviewer Crispin Boyer was also pleased with the low price of the GunCon/Time Crisis bundle. [8] VG247 called GunCon 3's design "hideous". [14]
Time Crisis is a light gun shooter arcade game, developed and released by Namco in 1995, and the first title to be released in the series of the same name. The game differentiated itself from other light gun shooters of the time by incorporating a pedal that controls when the player character takes cover to reload and avoid enemy fire. Players have a limited amount of time to clear each section by defeating enemies. The game's story focuses on Richard Miller, a secret agent, who is sent to rescue a kidnapped woman from a ruthless tyrant seeking to reclaim control of their former country from a new regime.
Time Crisis II is a 1997 light gun arcade video game developed and published by Namco. It is the second instalment in the Time Crisis series. The game incorporates the same mechanics of its predecessor, with some minor changes, but with the addition of co-operative two-player gaming. The game's story focuses on the efforts of two secret agents, Keith Martin and Robert Baxter, as they attempt to thwart the efforts of an industry mogul's plan for world dominance.
The DualShock is a line of gamepads developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation family of video game consoles. It is named for vibration-feedback and analog controls. Introduced in November 1997, it was initially marketed as a secondary peripheral for the first PlayStation console. The console's bundle was updated to include DualShock, and phase out the original PlayStation controller and the Dual Analog Controller. The DualShock is the best-selling gamepad of all time by units sold, excluding bundled controllers.
Point Blank, known as Gun Bullet, or Gunvari in Japan, is a series of light gun shooter games developed by Namco for the arcade, PlayStation and Nintendo DS; the trilogy was first released in arcade in 1994 and was later ported onto the PlayStation. Point Blank DS was released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS featuring 40 challenges from the original series.
Resident Evil Survivor is a light gun shooter video game developed by Tose and published by Capcom. It was released on the PlayStation in Japan on January 27, 2000, in Europe on March 31, 2000, and in North America on August 30, 2000. It is a spin-off of the Resident Evil video game series. It is also the first first-person perspective Resident Evil game predating Resident Evil 7: Biohazard by seventeen years. A Microsoft Windows version was released only in China and Taiwan on September 7, 2002.
The Jogcon is a game controller developed and produced by Namco for the PlayStation.
Dino Stalker is a light gun shooter video game developed by TOSE and published by Capcom exclusively for the PlayStation 2. It is an offshoot of the Resident Evil light gun shooter games, but based on the story of the Dino Crisis series. Though it can be played by other means, a light gun is recommended, as the game is one in a number of Capcom games that try to bridge the gap between light gun games and traditional games that allow the player greater range of control over their movements in the game.
The NeGcon, stylized as neGcon, is a motion-based game controller manufactured in 1995 by Namco for the PlayStation. One of the first third-party peripherals for the system, the controller is connected by a swivel joint, allowing the player to twist the halves relative to each other. The controller also replaces the "symbol" buttons on the original PlayStation controller with two "A" and "B" buttons, as well as "I" and "II" buttons that allowed for analogue control. A black variant was released exclusively in Japan.
Time Crisis is a first-person on-rails light gun shooter series of arcade video games by Namco, introduced in 1995. It is focused on the exploits of a fictional international intelligence agency who assigns its best agents to deal with a major threat by a hostile organisation, which has ranged from criminals, terrorists and hostile military outfits, and mostly take place within fictional locations across the world. The arcade series differed from other light gun shooters of its time by incorporating unique mechanics, including the ability to duck into cover to dodge attacks and reload the player's weapon, and forcing players to complete battles in each level within an allotted amount of time.
Time Crisis 4 is a rail shooter and the fourth installment in the main series. It was released as an arcade game in 2006, and was ported with the GunCon 3 light gun peripheral for PlayStation 3 in 2007. It features a new first-person shooter mode. It was later re-released as part of Time Crisis: Razing Storm with support for the PlayStation Move controller, without the first-person shooter mode.
The PlayStationAnalog Joystick (SCPH-1110) is Sony's first analog controller for the PlayStation, and is the precursor to the PlayStation Dual Analog Controller. It is often incorrectly referred to as the "Sony Flightstick".
The Justifier is a light gun peripheral released by Konami for numerous home console games. Konami released versions of the gun for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES, and PlayStation consoles. The original gun appeared similar to a Colt Python. The guns were originally designed for use with the home versions of Konami's Lethal Enforcers games, although they are also compatible with other titles.
Light-gun shooter, also called light-gun game or simply gun game, is a shooter video game genre in which the primary design element is to simulate a shooting gallery by having the player aiming and discharging a gun-shaped controller at a screen. Light-gun shooters revolve around the protagonist shooting virtual targets, either antagonists or inanimate objects, and generally feature action or horror themes and some may employ a humorous, parodic treatment of these conventions. These games typically feature "on-rails" movement, which gives the player control only over aiming; the protagonist's other movements are determined by the game. Games featuring this device are sometimes termed "rail shooters", though this term is also applied to games of other genres in which "on-rails" movement is a feature. Some, particularly later, games give the player greater control over movement and in still others the protagonist does not move at all. On home computer conversions of light-gun shooters, mouse has been often an optional or non-optional replacement for a light gun.
PlayStation Move is a motion game controller developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Initially released in 2010 for use with the PlayStation 3 home video game console, its compatibility was later expanded to its successor, the PlayStation 4 in 2013, its PlayStation VR platform in 2016 and the PlayStation 5 in 2020. Conceptually similar to Nintendo's Wii Remote and Microsoft's Kinect, its function is based around controller input in games stemming from the actual physical movement of the player. The Move uses inertial sensors in the wand to detect motion while the wand's position is tracked using a PlayStation Eye or PlayStation Camera. The device was generally well received by critics, but has not quite met Sony's goals for integration into the market.
Razing Storm is an archived light gun rail shooter arcade game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the System 357 board. It is the second spin-off of the Time Crisis series published by Namco after Crisis Zone.
Time Crisis: Razing Storm, known in Japan as Big 3 Gun Shooting, is a compilation of light gun rail shooter video games developed by Nex Entertainment and published by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation 3. Featuring full compatibility with both the GunCon 3 light gun and the PlayStation Move motion control system, the compilation consists of ports of various arcade games. Developed by Nex Entertainment and published by Namco Bandai Games, the compilation was released in 2010 in North America on October 19, and in Japan on October 21, which is the launch date of the PlayStation Move in Japan. It was released as part of a bundle with the PlayStation Move, PlayStation Eye and the Shooting attachment for the PlayStation Move in Japan and other Asian countries.
Time Crisis 2nd Strike was a first-person shooter developed and published by Namco Networks for iOS in 2010, and by Namco Bandai Games for Android in Japan in 2013. It is the sequel of the Time Crisis spin-off, Time Crisis Strike, and the alternate version story of Time Crisis 4. It allowed players to use another iOS device as a gun controller via the app iGunCon. It is no longer available for purchase as of March 30, 2015.
Gunfighter II: Revenge of Jesse James is a light gun shooter video game developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Ubi Soft for the PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to the 2001 game Gunfighter: The Legend of Jesse James. It is compatible with the GunCon 2 controller. The game's plot is set in the American Old West. The game's protagonist is Jesse James, an American outlaw who lived in the 19th century.
Ghoul Panic is a 1999 light gun shooter arcade game developed by Raizing and published by Namco. A version for the PlayStation was released in 2000. Players used lightguns to complete a series of minigames, done by firing at on-screen targets. In these minigames there is an objective that must be fulfilled before the time runs out to progress such as shooting a certain amount of enemies or protecting small, yellow cats from projectiles. It ran on the Namco System 12 arcade hardware.
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