What if I told you that from opening up your G’AIM’E package, you could play an upgraded version of the original Time Crisis and have it set up and ready to go within five minutes? The lost art of lightgun gaming can now be accessed in less time than it takes to wade through a live-service game’s endless oppressive microtransaction screens.
Speaking of screens, did you know G’AIM’E is playable on any modern-day TV (LCD, OLED, etc) up to 150″? You no longer have to squint to make out your nearest pixel on a tiny CRT setup. G’AIM’E is the latest name attempting to bridge the divide between a bygone era and the restoration of lightgun shootouts to the mainstream at an affordable price with much-needed ease of accessibility.
G’AIM’E gets a lot of this right, and I think it’s comfortably the most accessible lightgun system on the market. It does misfire slightly, but not much. Let me explain in our G’AIM’E review.
G’AIM’E Review
Tassei Denki has been producing video-game peripheral devices for years. So leaping to a contemporary lightgun product wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility. But how do you market and make an age-old medium relevant again? By celebrating the 30th anniversary of arguably the famous lightgun shooter ever—Time Crisis—and pushing it to the forefront of EVERYTHING.
Each G’AIM’E package is centered around Namco’s 1995 classic, with the logo emblazoned on the consoles, collectibles, and guns. The basic edition includes a custom G’AIM’E lightgun, a mini-console with a redone-from-the-ground-up flashier emulated version of Time Crisis installed, a power cable, a HDMI cable, and a setup guide.
The Premium version has all of this and adds three more games to the console (Point Blank, Steel Gunner, and Steel Gunner 2), a pedal, and a Time Crisis Pin badge. Whereas the super-duper Ultimate pack includes everything so far, and throws in a second gun for two-player gaming, an AC Adapter, and a Time Crisis Diorama Stand.
For the purposes of this Insider Gaming G’AIM’E review, I was fortunate enough to test out the Ultimate edition. The collectibles do sit lovely with my other memorabilia, but you’re here to know if it’s worth dropping a lot of money on plastic guns, pedals, and piranhas—Where are my Point Blank fans at!
We Have A Time Crisis On Our Hands
I removed everything from the box, undid all the packaging, hooked up the mini-console and guns, and I had eyes on Richard Miller within minutes. Calibration was ridiculously easy, and the provided setup instructions are more crystal clear than a Time Crisis “Danger” prompt.
My 65″ OLED TV required me to be at the maximum distance from the TV, and I followed those instructions. After countless hours across all four games, my experience was extremely enjoyable, but not perfect. I want to sit here and tell you everything was inch-perfect, every shot felt like it was where I was aiming, there wasn’t a hint of a delay in my bullets, and any mistakes were through human error (which many of them probably were, and I have a lot of improving to do).
As sophisticated as the AI tracker and camera are, I think there are going to be times when you can’t be as accurate as you’d like. Is it a dealbreaker? Not even close. As I said, it was fleeting moments. I was so impressed with the tracker’s ability to refocus under different circumstances. I pointed the gun well away from the screen, I adjusted my distance before returning to the original spot, and I even had someone walk in front of the gun. All mini-experiments to test the AI’s capabilities, and it’s remarkable how consistently it remembers the original position and gauges proximity and the complexities and changes in the environment.
I’d say the main drawback of an AI-based algorithm over infrared is more noticeable during the moments when you need utmost precision: Enemies hiding behind walls and cover with only a few pixels for you to hit, or the trembling-inducing task of needing to shoot a single leaf or apple with one shot in Point Blank.
In fact, any of Point Blank’s one-shot or limited-ammo mini-games can crank up an already pressure-cooker environment!
If you calibrate everything correctly and optimize your setup and surroundings, you’ll have a ball as you start blasting at everything. The guns feel great, and the pedal is a genius enhancement, enriching an already homely arcade experience. The guns don’t rocket back and forth with recoil technology. Instead, there’s an optional haptic feedback-based vibration that kicks in with every shot.
I’m absolutely fine with this, and you can still feel the rush of every shot pulsating through your wrist, traveling up and tapping into the brain’s pleasure senses. Again, G’AIM’E is advertised as “plug and play,” and it does everything it says.
A Smart Selection
G’AIM’E has collaborated with Bandai Namco to deliver a “Custom licensed version of TIME CRISIS™, faithfully recreated from the original arcade ROM to give you a new and unique arcade experience!” per the official G’AIM’E site. You have to hand it to the team as Time Crisis plays and runs beautifully. It looks and feels crispier than last night’s pizza, air-fried to perfection. Its constant peek and cover gameplay was revolutionary at the time, and you traverse three full acts of escalating, endlessly replayable combat scenarios.
It’s not the case for most people, but the Point Plank addition is what piqued my interest in G’AIM’E. I grew up playing it at home; it was my Time Crisis. I’ve shot so many flying meteors, flaming torches, UFOs, and skeletons that I get real-life PTSD at carnival games. It’s a bunch of quickfire, target-based mini-games using (sometimes protecting) the mecurial duo of Dr. Dan and Dr. Don. It’s so addictive, it’s just as much fun as it was in 1994, and it’s still so hard!
Again, Point Blank is for Premium and Ultimate owners, as is Steel Gunner 1 & 2. While I don’t think you’ll log as many hours in these as Time Crisis or Point Blank, they round out a neat little collection, which brings me to my other concern—longevity and price. Taking off my nostalgia glasses and putting on my critical hat, let’s look at this objectively. Time Crisis takes about 20 minutes to complete, Steel Gunner 1 and 2 playthroughs are about the same, and a quick volley of 16 Point Blank mini-games (17 with the firework finale) is over in roughly 10-15 minutes.
Time Crisis and Point Blank aren’t the home console versions, meaning the Special Mode—which I think is cooler than the main story, as it changes your route depending on your speed and accuracy—isn’t available for Time Crisis. On the other hand, Point Blank is missing all the extra Party and Story Mode features. These would’ve added to the overall package and replayability, but I understand this probably wasn’t possible due to licensing issues. Your mileage with the G’AIM’E packages will vary.
The Basic edition is $99.99/£99.99, Premium is $149.99/£149.99, and Ultimate costs $199.99/£199.99. Paying just under $100 for what is a 20-minute game won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I think Premium and Ultimate are the way to go, and hand on heart, I probably would’ve opted for Ultimate myself because of the extra gun, as you can play Point Blank and the Steel Gunner games with a friend. It’s been confirmed that each mini-console can’t add new games, meaning any further game expansions will likely require another box and another purchase.
G’AIM’E Review Verdict
To reiterate, other third-party lightguns and configurations exist—as do expensive cabinets—but this is easily the most accessible and sophisticated lightgun setup in the world. Plug, play, and enjoy pew-pew paradise. I recommend a Premium or Ultimate edition, as you get the best of everything this way. Time Crisis is lightgun heritage, and Point Blank is a timeless classic that you can replay over and over. Old school CRT-enthusiasts might raise an eyebrow at the mostly-solid AI tech, and the price point is definitely worth a conversation.
But at the end of the day, G’AIM’E is exactly what I have been crying out for: A quick and convenient way to enjoy legendary lightgun gaming.
4 – Great
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NOTE: A G’AIM’E Ultimate bundle was provided to Insider Gaming for the purposes of this review.
