For fans of retro gaming, few things are more fun than firing up an old console system on a modern flat-screen TV.
Seeing how games of yesteryear look in stunning 1080p high definition is a goal unto itself. Luckily, there's no shortage of online guides describing exactly how to upscale retro games to HD.
The Table of Contents
Why Light Guns Need CRT TVs
So if it's possible to play old console games in high definition, it should be possible to use certain accessories like old light guns, zappers, and phasers on modern TVs as well, right?
Wrong. Search online, and you'll find plenty of forum posts filled with the rants of frustrated retro gamers pulling their hair out because they can't figure out how to play "Duck Hunt" on their LCD flat screen. And the solemn truth is that they never will.
The reasons why this is the case have been covered extensively in other online posts. However, for the purposes of this column, it makes sense to eschew the tech jargon and explain the issue in ways that any non-gearhead can understand. So here's a breakdown.
How Light Guns Actually Worked
It's true that the zapper you used to shoot ducks out of the sky, as well as the Super Scope from which you launched missiles, were nothing but simple light reflectors.
They didn't "shoot" anything at all. Instead, they merely captured light and motion. So when you would aim for those ducks, what you were really doing was using the reflector to sense motion on the screen. And for this to work as effectively as it did on those retro shooters, the timing had to be perfect. More on this below.
Why Timing Mattered
To pull off a shooter that actually worked, the timing between the NES console and the light-gun accessory had to be perfect.
The way to ensure this perfection was with the help of the TV. As it turns out, those old tube TVs of the '70s, '80s, and '90s had the perfect hardware to make this happen.
Why Modern TVs Don't Work
Unlike the digital TVs of today, CRT (cathode-ray tube) TVs actually used internal vacuum tubes to present the image on screen. As you might suspect, this wasn't as efficient as the contemporary digital models.
- I could now start talking about internal electron guns and phosphors and how they all work to create a CRT television image, but that's not important.
- What's important to know is that it all happened quickly and at a reliable frequency. The analog NES signal worked so well with the light gun because the CRT TV image frequency never wavered.
With modern Digital TVs, there is a delay ("latency") in delivering the image. This delay is so fast the human eye can't catch it, but that doesn't matter. It's enough to throw off an NES-connected light gun completely.
Playing Light Gun Games Today
And that, in a nutshell, is why your zapper will never work on a modern TV. CRT TVs are still the authentic option for light gun games, but are now rare and often difficult to find.
For modern setups, there are workarounds: the Sinden Light Gun works on LCDs, some arcade collections offer remastered controls for newer displays, and MiSTer FPGA solutions provide alternative ways to play. This isn't a how-to guide, but it's worth noting that options exist for enthusiasts.
Collecting Light Guns Today
Dreamcast guns are a favorite for retro gamers. This is mainly because of games like The House of the Dead 2 and other arcade shooters. Saturn guns also sell well for the same reason. PlayStation GunCons stay in demand for Time Crisis.
NES Zappers are the cheapest and easiest to find since Nintendo packed them with Duck Hunt. The Panasonic GameGun for 3DO is the rarest and most expensive because few people owned a 3DO.
- Condition affects value. Yellowed plastic, frayed cables, and missing battery covers reduce a light gun's resale value. Some guns, like the Super Scope and Genesis Menacer, need receivers to work.
- If you have both pieces, you can sell them for more than the gun alone would fetch. Boxes for light guns are rare, since most people threw them away years ago.
- Official guns are worth more than third-party knockoffs. Sega Dreamcast and Sega Saturn light guns are less common than NES Zappers, so their prices in the used market reflect that.
We buy NES Zappers, SNES Super Scope, Sega light guns, and PlayStation GunCons at The Old School Game Vault. We take them loose or complete, in any condition, and pay cash.
