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LaserScope

NES light gun peripheral

Summary

NES light gun peripheral

Field	Value
name	LaserScope
image	[[File:LaserScope.jpg	250px]]
caption	Konami LaserScope
developer	Konami
type	Video game console peripheral
generation	Third generation
release_date	1990
price	$39.95
media	Input device

The Konami LaserScope is a head-mounted light gun used with and licensed for the Nintendo Entertainment System. By speaking into an attached microphone, players can "fire" the device from a scope that hangs in front of the player's right eye. A transparent eyepiece with a crosshair aids aiming. The LaserScope also features switches that allow players to channel game audio through attached earpieces.

The LaserScope was originally designed for the game Laser Invasion and also works with any game compatible with the NES Zapper. In addition, players could detach the LaserScope's "scope module" and use the headphones with any stereo system.

Intended to evoke pilots' headgear and provide an immersive experience, the LaserScope received mediocre reviews on release and is now considered an example of the glut of low-quality peripherals for the NES.

Reception

Early reviews for the LaserScope were unenthusiastic and highlighted multiple design flaws. Reviewers noted that the microphone required players to "shout fairly loudly" to be registered and was activated by any loud noise (not only "Fire!" as instructions stated). This loud shouting was considered awkward, especially if the player was using the device as headphones in an otherwise quiet room. Because players aimed by pointing their head, the device was also seen as physically tiring compared to the handheld Zapper.

Despite these problems, the LaserScope functioned as intended. According to one reviewer, it was "a little gimmicky, but it works."

The LaserScope has appeared on lists of odd, obscure, or "worst" video game devices and has been remembered as uncomfortable and poorly designed. A GameSpy retrospective claimed it was among the "silliest" peripherals released for the NES, and James Rolfe made light of the LaserScope in an episode of The Angry Video Game Nerd by using swear words to fire the device.

References

(June 2, 1990). "Blizzard of improved products unveiled at electronics show". Observer-Reporter.
(May 29, 2012). "The Konami LaserScope".
(1997). "Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Video Games". Rolenta Press.
"Nintendo Famicom: 20 Years of Fun!".
(January 1991). "Nintendo News: Konami Laserscope". Game Players.
(July 1991). "Laser Invasion". Game Players.
"Metal Gear is Back! Ranking the NES, Episode 108".
(18 October 2010). "Nintendo Entertainment System Oddities".
(Winter 2009–2010). "Six Feet Under: Accessories". Video Game Trader.
(July 1999). "EGM Flashback".
(24 November 2009). "NES Accessories - Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN)".

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

nintendo-entertainment-system-accessories light-guns

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