 | |
| Developer | Atari Corporation |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Atari Corporation |
| Type | Light gun |
| Generation | Second andthird (8-bit era) |
| Release date | 1987; 38 years ago (1987) |
| Introductory price | $34.95 |
| Input | Light pen |
| Best-selling game | Bug Hunt |
| Backward compatibility | Atari 8-bit,Atari 7800,Atari 2600 |
TheAtari XG-1 is an electroniclight gun accessory manufactured byAtari Corporation. Released in 1987, it is compatible with theAtari 8-bit computers,Atari 7800, andAtari 2600. It was bundled with theAtari XEGS Deluxe home computer and video game console combination system,[1] and with the light gun gameBug Hunt for the 7800 as model XES2001 forUS$34.95 (equivalent to about $100 in 2024).[2] Atari eventually released five light gun games on the 7800 (Alien Brigade,Barnyard Blaster,Crossbow,Meltdown, andSentinel) and one on the 2600 (Sentinel).
The XG-1 is a specializedlight pen. Generic light pen support was built into theAtari 8-bit home computers since its 1979 launch. TheAtari 400/800 Hardware Technical Reference recommends a calibration procedure each time a light pen is used, so that the software can compensate for this offset for maximal accuracy.Bug Hunt andBarnyard Blaster for the XEGS each have unique hard-coded values.[3][4] A reddish-orange version of the gun was planned for the 2600 and 7800 but was never released.[1]
Sentinel is the only game released for the gun on the 2600 console, andShooting Arcade was planned but never released.[5]
| XG-1 light gun games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Platforms |
| 1987 | Bug Hunt | XEGS |
| 1987 | Crossbow | 7800 and XEGS |
| 1988 | Barnyard Blaster | 7800 and XEGS |
| 1990 | Alien Brigade | 7800 |
| 1988 | Crime Buster | XEGS |
| 1990 | Meltdown | 7800 |
| 1992 | Operation Blood | XEGS |
| 1993 | Operation Blood II – Special Forces | XEGS |
| 1987 | Gangsterville | XEGS |
| 1990 | Sentinel | 2600 and 7800 |
| Unreleased | Shooting Gallery | 2600 |
ForAntic magazine in August 1988, Matthew Ratcliff criticized the poor horizontal accuracy of the XG-1 light gun compared toNintendo'sNES Zapper orSega'sLight Phaser.[6] In December 1988, he said that, to switch between light gun and joystick games, active XEGS gamers are frustrated by the need to continually re-plug their devices and power cycle the system, due to the system's lack of autodetection, which is complicated by its awkwardly downward slanting ports. He said "Barnyard Blaster andBug Hunt could have been just a bit smarter" by including the simple routine that the magazine was forced to write and publish as a workaround.[7]
In the August 1989 issue ofA.N.A.L.O.G. Computing magazine, Matthew Ratcliff wrote a front page feature on programming the XG-1 in users' custom software, including his program allowing the light gun to be used to make menu selections. He gave the XG-1 a positive review, calling it an "exciting alternative to joysticks". He said it "has much more 'noise' in the horizontal direction than vertical" due to hardware limitations.[2]
The 2014 bookVintage Game Consoles also criticized its accuracy compared to its competition, but noted its rarity as Atari's only light gun.[4]
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