XG-1
Encyclopedia
The XG-1 is the light gun
that came bundled with the Atari XEGS
that was released in 1987. The XEGS, which stands for "XE Game System", was an Atari 65XE computer reworked cosmetically to give the appearance of a game console. The light gun was bundled to compete with the Nintendo Entertainment System
. The XEGS came with one light gun game, called Bug Hunt. The XG-1 is compatible with the Atari 7800
video game console
. And since the Atari 7800 is backwards compatible, the XG-1 also works on the Atari 2600
. Atari eventually released five games on the 7800 that used the gun: Alien Brigade
, Barnyard Blaster, Crossbow
, Meltdown and Sentinel.
The XG-1 is simply a specialized light pen
. Light pen support was built into the earliest Atari computers, but it never really caught on. In fact, all lightgun games for the XEGS could be played with the light pen and vice versa. Many users complained of horrible accuracy of the device, especially when compared to the NES Zapper
. Some XEGS users preferred to rewire the Sega Master System
Light Phaser for use.
The gun won't return reliable readings at all if the intensity of the display is too low. That's why the screens for Atari light gun games may be brighter than usual. The game screen will momentarily flash white whenever the trigger is pressed in either Bug Hunt or Barnyard Blaster. While the screen is all white, the software reads the gun position and provides the most accurate values.
Light gun
A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun...
that came bundled with the Atari XEGS
Atari XEGS
The Atari XE Video Game System is a video game console released by Atari Corporation in 1987. Based on the Atari 65XE computer, the XEGS is compatible with the existing Atari 8-bit computer software library. Additionally, it is able to operate as a stand alone console or full computer with the...
that was released in 1987. The XEGS, which stands for "XE Game System", was an Atari 65XE computer reworked cosmetically to give the appearance of a game console. The light gun was bundled to compete with the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. The XEGS came with one light gun game, called Bug Hunt. The XG-1 is compatible with the Atari 7800
Atari 7800
The Atari 7800 ProSystem, or simply the Atari 7800, is a video game console re-released by Atari Corporation in January 1986. The original release had occurred two years earlier under Atari Inc. The 7800 had originally been designed to replace Atari Inc.'s Atari 5200 in 1984, but was temporarily...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. And since the Atari 7800 is backwards compatible, the XG-1 also works on the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
. Atari eventually released five games on the 7800 that used the gun: Alien Brigade
Alien Brigade
Alien Brigade is a side-scrolling shooting game, released in 1990 for the Atari 7800 Prosystem. Similar in style to Operation Wolf, Alien Brigade tells the story of a soldier that is forced to do battle with aliens that are invading the planet and taking over the bodies of fellow soldiers in the...
, Barnyard Blaster, Crossbow
Crossbow (video game)
Crossbow is a video arcade game released by Exidy in 1983. It was later published by Absolute Entertainment for the Commodore 64, DOS and by Atari for the 2600, 7800 and XE Game System starting in 1987.-Description:...
, Meltdown and Sentinel.
The XG-1 is simply a specialized light pen
Light pen
A light pen is a computer input device in the form of a light-sensitive wand used in conjunction with a computer's CRT TV set or monitor. It allows the user to point to displayed objects, or draw on the screen, in a similar way to a touch screen but with greater positional accuracy...
. Light pen support was built into the earliest Atari computers, but it never really caught on. In fact, all lightgun games for the XEGS could be played with the light pen and vice versa. Many users complained of horrible accuracy of the device, especially when compared to the NES Zapper
NES Zapper
The NES Zapper, also known as the Beam Gun in Japan, is an electronic light gun accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Japanese Famicom. It was released in Japan for the Famicom on and alongside the launch of the NES in North America in October 1985...
. Some XEGS users preferred to rewire the Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
Light Phaser for use.
Accuracy
The Atari 400/800 Hardware Technical Reference recommends a "calibration procedure" each time the light pen is used, so that the software can compensate for this offset. A calibration procedure would improve the accuracy of the light gun. But both Bug Hunt and Barnyard Blaster for the XEGS both have "hard-coded" values, different ones in fact. While Bug Hunt appears to shoot slightly to the left, Barnyard Blaster seems to shoot slightly to the right. The Y readings for the gun are more predictable, equal to half the number of the currently displayed scan line.The gun won't return reliable readings at all if the intensity of the display is too low. That's why the screens for Atari light gun games may be brighter than usual. The game screen will momentarily flash white whenever the trigger is pressed in either Bug Hunt or Barnyard Blaster. While the screen is all white, the software reads the gun position and provides the most accurate values.
Games designed for the XG-1
- Alien BrigadeAlien BrigadeAlien Brigade is a side-scrolling shooting game, released in 1990 for the Atari 7800 Prosystem. Similar in style to Operation Wolf, Alien Brigade tells the story of a soldier that is forced to do battle with aliens that are invading the planet and taking over the bodies of fellow soldiers in the...
(7800) - Bobby needs Food (2600, homebrew)
- Bug Hunt (XEGS)
- Barnyard Blaster (7800/XEGS)
- CrossbowCrossbow (video game)Crossbow is a video arcade game released by Exidy in 1983. It was later published by Absolute Entertainment for the Commodore 64, DOS and by Atari for the 2600, 7800 and XE Game System starting in 1987.-Description:...
(7800/XEGS) - Crime Buster (XEGS)
- Meltdown (7800)
- Operation Blood disk (XEGS)
- Operation Blood II - Special Forces (XEGS)
- Gangsterville (XEGS)
- Sentinel (2600/7800)
- Shooting Gallery (2600, unreleased)