This allowed the Zapper to easily distinguish targets apart from the background.
After pulling the trigger, the Zapper’s light sensors quickly detect if you are aiming at a target.
They also scan the surrounding background to determine which target you hit.
Activating the sensor while aiming anywhere outside these boxes counts as a miss.
Despite its innovative design, the Zapper relies heavily on the CRT’s analog display to function.
As such, the quick and consistent display of a CRT monitor was vital for early light gun shooters.
Aleksandra Budnik/Shutterstock.com
Light Guns Evolved with New Technology
As light gun games improved, so did their respective peripherals.
Their switch to 3D graphics and faster gameplay was made possible thanks to a new form of light gun.
Light guns of the 90s adopted a new method for light detection called “cathode-ray timing.”
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CRT televisions output images by using cathode-ray tubes that fire an electron beam across the screen.
This beam is then adjusted to display a specific image on the screen.
LCD televisions use a multi-layer backlight display to adjust the colors that appear on-screen.
Cory Gunther / How-To Geek
Even earlier light gun models like the NES Zapper don’t function properly with modern televisions.
Can Light Gun Shooters Make a Comeback?
There have been numerous attempts at reviving the light gun genre through new games and peripherals.
Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek
When the popularity of motion controls died down, light gun games and peripherals became increasingly rare.
The Sinden Lightgun is a modern light gun peripheral, and arguably one of the best since the 90s.
Furthermore, the Sinden Lightgun works with nearly any PC light gun shooter (including emulated games).
Sinden Lightgun
As such, it’s unlikely to appeal to anyone who isn’t already a fan of light guns.
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