G‘AIM’E Revives Time Crisis With Plug-and-Play Lightgun Setup

Coming out of Tokyo, Japan, the team at Tassei Denki have announced their Kickstarter campaign for ‘G’AIM’E TIME CRISIS Lightgun.’ This is a new type of hardware designed to bring classic Lightgun games, such as Time Crisis, to all kinds of TVs and screens. All in time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Time Crisis.

This isn’t some unlicensed project, either; the project was completed under the supervision of Bandai Namco, as well as members of the original Time Crisis arcade team. The project also has involved other classics like Steel Gunner and its sequel as well as, of course, Point Blank.

In a press release, the team at Tassei Denki shared this about the technology behind G’AIM’E TIME CRISIS Lightgun and how it works:

As CRT TVs began to disappear from our lives, so did traditional Lightgun gaming, as the technology was very closely tied to the inner workings of the old-style televisions. Utilizing AI driven technology, Tassei Denki has created its own, custom hardware solution that utilizes a high-resolution camera in place of the traditional infrared technology used in Lightguns of the past. The G’AIM’E Lightguns no longer require the time-consuming manual calibration that the older technology relied on to work – it simply calibrates itself as you play, allowing you to focus on what’s important – your gameplay! In addition, the powerful AI technology used in the Lightguns adapts to the gamers’ seating positions, allowing them to move and sit down while the Lightgun automatically adjusts. The Lightguns will even work accurately should a person or object move in front of the screen, learning and adapting to users’ TV setups, displays and distance away from the screen.

Play

At the time of posting, the Kickstarter campaign still has 53 days to go but has already reached 1100% of its goal, making it obvious it’s a project that’ll reach completion. The team has already manufactured units ready for shipping.

There are three different tiers you can back on Kickstarter for the project:

Basic – Priced at 14,500 JPY (About $154 AUD)

G’AIM’E Lightgun
TV mini-console featuring TIME CRISIS

Premium – Priced at 19,800 JPY (About $210 AUD)

G’AIM’E Lightgun
TV mini-console featuring TIME CRISIS and three other Lightgun classics – POINT BLANK, STEEL GUNNER and STEEL GUNNER 2
Pedal, for true arcade action
Collectible TIME CRISIS Pin Badge

Ultimate – Priced at 29,700 JPY (About $315 AUD)

Two G’AIM’E Lightguns so you can enjoy co-op gaming with friendly rivals
TV mini-console featuring TIME CRISIS and three other Lightgun classics – POINT BLANK, STEEL GUNNER and STEEL GUNNER 2
Pedal, for true arcade action
Collectible TIME CRISIS Pin Badge
Collectible TIME CRISIS Diorama Stand
Type-C AC Power Adapter

Dr. Andrew Steel, CEO of Tassei Denki commented on the launch of the Kickstarter campaign:

“We couldn’t be more excited to work with our patrons in launching our new project, designed to bring authentic arcade thrills back to the home, without the fuss, hardware and additional setup to enable Lightgun accessories to operate on modern displays. Like many others, our team misses the endless excitement of Lightgun games, and we believe that celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the iconic TIME CRISIS, is the ideal way to introduce our new hardware to our fellow gamers. We look forward to sharing more details soon and encourage the true fans who don’t want to miss out on our exclusive backer tiers to move fast with our Kickstarter campaign now live.”

Are you interested in either backing this project or picking up the G’AIM’E Lightgun sometime in the future? Let me know in the comments section what you think. The Kickstarter campaign page for G‘AIM’E is here.