XG-1

The Atari XG-1 Light Gun

Released in 1987, the XG-1 is the light gun that came bundled with the Atari XEGS. 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 four games on the 7800 that used the gun: Alien Brigade, Barnyard Blaster, Crossbow, and Meltdown.

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.

Contents

1 Accuracy Problems
2 Games

2.1 Designed for the Light Gun
2.2 Designed for the Light Pen

3 External links

Accuracy Problems

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 Atari's Bug Hunt and Barnyard Blaster games both have "hard-coded" values -- different ones in fact. While Bug Hunt appears to shoot slightly to the left, Barnyard Blaster seems to shoot a tad 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 you press the trigger 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 Light Gun

Alien Brigade (Atari 7800)
Bug Hunt cart. by Atari
Barnyard Blaster cart. by Atari (Also on the Atari 7800)
Crossbow cart. by Atari (Also on the Atari 7800)
Crimebuster cart. by Atari
Enhanced Lightgun Blaster (PD from Pedrokko)
Meltdown (Atari 7800)
Operation Blood disk by ANG/Mirage
Operation Blood II - Special Forces disk by ANG/Mirage
Light Gun Blaster (PD)
Gangsterville disk by Linda Soft
Sentinel (Atari 2600)
Shooting Gallery (Atari 2600 Unreleased)

Designed for the Light Pen

Atari Graphics cart. by Atari
*(a painting/drawing program);
Matrix a PD game by Dave Oblad
Alien Invaders disk by R.Gore (available from DGS)
Bembelwo a PD game by Thorsten Butschke
*(a sort of golf/minesweeper game, written in Quick)
Sharp Shooter by Mat*Rat a PD game from Analog
*(also available on cart from Video 61/Lance Ringquist)
Lightgun Shooter by ??? from ABBUC mag
Flyshot or Flyshoot a PD game by Kemal Ezca
*(a Turbo BASIC game from ZONG, the KE Soft magazine)
Geisterschloss game+editor disk by KE Soft
Lightpen Doodle by ??? from Antic magazine

External links

[How to use the XG-1 and a joystick simultaneously in the XEGS]
[Atari XEGS Information] – Matthew Ratcliff
[The Atari 8-Bit FAQ]

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