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The , known as the G-Con in Europe, is a family of gun
peripheral A peripheral device, or simply peripheral, is an auxiliary hardware device that a computer uses to transfer information externally. A peripheral is a hardware component that is accessible to and controlled by a computer but is not a core compo ...
s designed by
Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955. It operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, and produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. Namco was one of the most influential c ...
for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
consoles. The original controllers used traditional
light gun A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games, typically shaped to resemble a pistol. Early history The first light guns were produced in the 1930s, following the development of light-sensi ...
technology, while newer controllers use
LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (corresp ...
tracking technology.


Background

The first GunCon NPC-103 (G-Con 45 in Europe) was bundled with the PlayStation conversion of ''
Time Crisis ''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 ...
''. 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. A second version of the GunCon, known as the GunCon 2 NPC-106 (G-Con 2 in Europe), was bundled with the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
conversion of ''
Time Crisis II ''Time Crisis II'' is a 1997 light-gun shooter video game developed and published by Namco for Arcade video game, arcades. It is the second installment in the ''Time Crisis'' series. The game incorporates the same mechanics of its predecessor, wit ...
'' and ''
Time Crisis 3 ''Time Crisis 3'' is a 2003 light-gun shooter video game developed by Namco and Nextech and published by Namco for arcades. It is the third installment of the '' Time Crisis'' series. Like its predecessor, '' Time Crisis II'', it allows for tw ...
''. ''
Time Crisis 4 ''Time Crisis 4'' is a 2006 light-gun shooter video game developed by Namco Bandai Games and Nex Entertainment , formerly known as GAU Entertainment and , was a Japanese video game developer originally established in 1992. It developed games f ...
'' came out for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
bundled with the GunCon 3 NC-109 (G-Con 3 in Europe). In Japan, all three GunCon models were also available for sale as a separate accessory outside of a game bundle. The GunCon was preceded by the Hyper Blaster (sold as the Justifier in North America) manufactured by
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
, which was the first light gun peripheral for the PlayStation. Konami's Hyper Blaster and Namco's Guncon were mutually incompatible due to the fact that the Hyper Blaster only requires to be plugged into either of the console's controller ports in order to work, whereas the Guncon also requires a connection into the console's video output port in order to synchronize with its video signals for better accuracy. Initially the GunCon was only designed to support Namco-developed titles, but other developers immediately started adopting it for their own gun shooting titles as well, eventually phasing out Konami's peripheral as the console's primary gun peripheral. A few titles, namely '' Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas'', '' Elemental Gearbolt'', ''
Maximum Force ''Maximum Force'' is a light gun shooter arcade game developed by Mesa Logic for Atari Games in 1997. In 1998, Atari Games re-released the game as part of one machine called ''Area 51''/''Maximum Force'' Duo that also included ''Area 51'', and la ...
'', and ''Mighty Hits Special'', features support for both peripherals, while certain third-party light guns were also produced that support switching between Hyper Blaster and GunCon modes.


Models


GunCon

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 ''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 ...
''. 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 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
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. The GunCon connect to the PlayStation console not only via its standard controller port, but also into its RCA video output jack in order to read its video signals for better accuracy. For later models of the console (from the SCPH-5500 and onward), which lacked the RCA output ports and only featured Sony's proprietary AV output port, as well as the PS one models and all PS2 consoles, a PlayStation AV Adapter (SCPH-1160) or any generic AV extension cable is required to use the original GunCon on those particular models. The AV Adapter was also required for the earlier consoles if an RF connection was being used instead.


GunCon 2

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 The D-pad (short for directional pad) is a compact input method developed for video games, designed to translate thumb movement into directional control through a flat, cross-shaped surface that rests on four internal switches. Each switch corres ...
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 ''Time Crisis II'' is a 1997 light-gun shooter video game developed and published by Namco for Arcade video game, arcades. It is the second installment in the ''Time Crisis'' series. The game incorporates the same mechanics of its predecessor, wit ...
''. 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.


GunCon 3

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 CRT or Crt most commonly refers to: * Cathode-ray tube, a display * Critical race theory, an academic framework of analysis CRT may also refer to: Law * Charitable remainder trust, United States * Civil Resolution Tribunal, Canada * Columbia ...
-based displays, the GunCon 3 supports a wide variety of display types, including LCD and Plasma. 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.


Compatible video games with GunCon


GunCon compatible games


PlayStation games

* '' Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas'' * '' Elemental Gearbolt'' * ''
Extreme Ghostbusters ''Extreme Ghostbusters'' is an American animated television series, based on the ''Ghostbusters'' franchise, which initially aired from September 1 to December 8, 1997. A sequel to '' The Real Ghostbusters'', which aired from 1986 to 1991 on AB ...
'' * '' Ghoul Panic'' * '' Gun Bare! Game Tengoku 2'' * '' The Gun Shooting (Simple 1500 Series)'' * '' The Gun Shooting 2 (Simple 1500 Series)'' * '' Gunfighter: The Legend of Jesse James'' * '' Guntu Western Front June, 1944'' * ''
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'' * ''
Maximum Force ''Maximum Force'' is a light gun shooter arcade game developed by Mesa Logic for Atari Games in 1997. In 1998, Atari Games re-released the game as part of one machine called ''Area 51''/''Maximum Force'' Duo that also included ''Area 51'', and la ...
'' * '' Mighty Hits Special'' * '' Moorhuhn 2 – Die Jagd Geht Weiter''' * '' Moorhen 3 – ...Chicken Chase'' * '' Moorhuhn X'' * '' Point Blank'' * '' Puffy P.S. I Love You'' * '' Rescue Shot'' * ''
Resident Evil Survivor ''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 ...
'' (Japan and PAL only) * ''
Time Crisis ''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 ...
'' * '' Time Crisis: Project Titan'' * '' Cocoto Funfair'' (EU) * '' Dino Stalker'' * '' Endgame'' * '' Gunfighter II: Revenge of Jesse James'' * '' GunCom 2'' (EU) * '' Ninja Assault'' (EU) * '' Resident Evil: Dead Aim'' * ''
Time Crisis II ''Time Crisis II'' is a 1997 light-gun shooter video game developed and published by Namco for Arcade video game, arcades. It is the second installment in the ''Time Crisis'' series. The game incorporates the same mechanics of its predecessor, wit ...
'' * ''
Time Crisis 3 ''Time Crisis 3'' is a 2003 light-gun shooter video game developed by Namco and Nextech and published by Namco for arcades. It is the third installment of the '' Time Crisis'' series. Like its predecessor, '' Time Crisis II'', it allows for tw ...
'' (EU) * '' Vampire Night''


GunCon 2 compatible games

Some GunCon 2 (PS2) games are compatible with the original GunCon, unless the game utilizes the extra buttons on the GunCon 2. * '' Crisis Zone'' * '' Dino Stalker'' S/EU(AKA ''Gun Survivor 3: Dino Crisis'' P * '' Endgame'' S/EU* '' GunCom 2'' U(AKA '' Death Crimson OX'' P * '' Gunfighter II: Revenge of Jesse James'' U* '' Gunvari Collection + Time Crisis'' P* '' Ninja Assault'' P/EU/NA* '' Resident Evil: Dead Aim'' S(AKA ''Gun Survivor 4 Biohazard Heroes Never Die'' P * '' Resident Evil Survivor 2 Code: Veronica'' U/JP* ''
Starsky & Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a '' Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired ...
'' (coop mode only) * ''
Time Crisis II ''Time Crisis II'' is a 1997 light-gun shooter video game developed and published by Namco for Arcade video game, arcades. It is the second installment in the ''Time Crisis'' series. The game incorporates the same mechanics of its predecessor, wit ...
'' * ''
Time Crisis 3 ''Time Crisis 3'' is a 2003 light-gun shooter video game developed by Namco and Nextech and published by Namco for arcades. It is the third installment of the '' Time Crisis'' series. Like its predecessor, '' Time Crisis II'', it allows for tw ...
'' * '' Vampire Night'' U/JP/US* '' Virtua Cop: Elite Edition''


GunCon 3 compatible games

* ''
Time Crisis 4 ''Time Crisis 4'' is a 2006 light-gun shooter video game developed by Namco Bandai Games and Nex Entertainment , formerly known as GAU Entertainment and , was a Japanese video game developer originally established in 1992. It developed games f ...
'' * '' Time Crisis: Razing Storm'' S/EU(AKA ''Big 3 Gun Shooting'' P * '' Deadstorm Pirates''


iGunCon

''iGunCon'' for
iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
was released on July 21, 2011, which allows players to use an
iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...
or
iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and formerly marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a po ...
in a similar fashion to the GunCon on ''
Time Crisis 2nd Strike ''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'', a ...
'', an iOS exclusive entry in the
Time Crisis ''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 ...
series. ''iGunCon'', along with ''Time Crisis 2nd Strike'', was pulled from the app store in March of 2015.


Reception

''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The magazine was fou ...
''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.
VG247 Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
called GunCon 3's design "hideous".


See also

* Jogcon * NeGcon * List of GunCon games


Notes


References

{{Bandai Namco hardware Light guns PlayStation (console) accessories PlayStation 2 accessories PlayStation 3 accessories Namco