I had the opportunity to spend a day with the G'AIM'E marketing team and get hands-on time with their upcoming plug-and-play lightgun, which comes with fully licensed games such as Time Crisis, Point Blank, Steel Gunner and Steel Gunner 2.
This is made by a company called TASSEI in partnership with BANDAI NAMCO, and is, what I believe, one of the easiest ways to play lightgun games on a modern TV without any of the unnecessary extras such as artificially adding borders to your TV, cameras, or annoying calibration processes.
I remember vividly playing Time Crisis and Point Blank with my brother, both at arcades and on the PlayStation 1, with the big, grey, bulky lightgun that we all know and love. So as you can imagine, I was pretty excited to check it out!
The company behind this lightgun is also well established. Tassei Denki is a Japanese-based manufacturer that has a long history of building gaming products for their clients, but the Time Crisis G'AIME' console marks their first try at building something for themselves, and it's gone down a treat with over £600,000 in funding on their Kickstarter campaign.
The campaign ends on the 23rd of August, and shipping begins "late October - early November" according to Heena, Head of International Business, so if this interests you, be sure to back them to ensure you get one before Christmas.
The Choices
The console comes in three different editions: Basic, Premium, and Ultimate. The basic features include a single Lightgun and the console itself with one single game, Time Crisis. This will retail for £99.99/€99.99/$99.99. Yes, we Brits get the rough end of the deal here, as converting the GBP price to USD means it's closer to $132 for us, a 13% increase just for buying it in the UK. Ouch!
The premium edition comes with all of the above, a foot pedal, and access to all four games: Time Crisis, Point Blank, Steel Gunner, and Steel Gunner 2. This is by far the most popular choice and allows you to experience the full package from G'AIME' both physically and its library of games. This will retail for £159.99/€159.99/$159.99.
The Ultimate tier comes with everything above and an extra lightgun so you can enjoy the two-player games, such as Point Blank and both Steel Gunner games. This will retail for £199.99/€199.99/$199.99.
I do think the Premium and Ultimate prices are reasonable, and I'll get onto why shortly. What I don't think is reasonable is the Basic Tier...
No chance of upgrading or adding games?
The console itself does not feature WiFi or any way of adding or buying extra games for the console. So if you do buy the basic tier and enjoy it, and then decide you want to buy the extra three games that were not included, you cannot do so.
The only way would be to buy an additional Premium tier bundle to get access to those games. This is a little harsh in my opinion, as I believe many people will be impressed with the console and want to upgrade, but you literally can't without splashing a bunch of cash on another console.
There's an opportunity here for G'AIM'E to make the console upgradeable via WiFi to eventually open up a marketplace for games. But as of now, that's not possible, and won't be on these consoles because there is no WiFi.
To update firmware, you will have to download an Android or iOS app and then directly plug it into the console to update it. It feels very... 2010.
That aside, let's talk about the good stuff.
The Console
The console itself is very small and takes design inspiration from an original PlayStation 1 game case. It fits neatly into any gaming setup, comes with two USB-C ports at the front for guns and a foot pedal, and a power input and an HDMI port to connect to your TV on the back.
The console is sleek and comes in matte black with a Time Crisis logo on the top that catches the light nicely. It's a minimal design which I like and it doesn't attract any unwanted attention... ie, children at head height!
It's as easy as plugging it into your TV, plugging in a power cable, plugging in controllers, and pressing the ON button, which I love.
Some competition, such as the Sinden Lightgun which we have reviewed, requires a long setup process and even forces you to add artificial borders around your display so that the gun can calibrate. This console does not need that; it's super sleek and adds no borders to your TV, allowing you to focus on the gameplay.
The Lightguns
The Lightguns are where the magic happens, both in terms of nostalgic gameplay and the modern tech that makes this so easy to use.
Japan gets a black Lightgun, whereas the rest of the world gets the nostalgic blue. That's because gun laws across the globe are stricter than those in Japan, so G'AIM'E had to keep to playful colours to bypass that. As a parent, I would much prefer the blue being in my home, just in case children decide to be... children, and someone looking through your window gets a shock.
The build quality of the lightgun controllers is remarkable, and they have taken inspiration from the original PlayStation 1 Lightgun that Namco made in the late 90s.
They are incredibly close in comparison. The marketing team informed me that the new gun has been designed from scratch. However, I do believe they have used the same designs to influence this new lightgun, as it's close to being identical to the original.
I like that they kept them as close to the original as possible, even the weight is similar, igniting a bunch of core memories from when I was a child and the first time I picked it up.
Some areas of the gun are on bright orange; these elements usually focus on interactive areas such as buttons, triggers, and around the nozzle (which is mandatory for legal use).
You will find the signature A/B buttons on either side of the controller, allowing you to interact with games just like the original. These buttons are springy, require little force, and have an average amount of travel, which prevents misspressing.
Further down the lightgun, you will find another button on either side - one enters a coin for the "insert coin" parts of the games, and a pause button which opens up the custom menu allowing you to pause, enter the menu, or reset, etc. Close to that, you'll also find a recoil button that can be turned on and off.
The recoil is noticeable, but not over-exaggerated like some arcade games. There's no recoil in the gun itself, such as the hatch firing back, but rather an aggressive vibration every time you shoot.
The trigger itself is nostalgic; it clocks effectively and requires a strong press, but allows for button spamming for when you go through those tricky moments in Point Blank that offer unlimited bullets.
It's a very comfortable, nostalgic lightgun that's built to last and is a bunch of fun to use, with buttons in the right areas, strong recoil, and a matte finish that keeps it looking super sleek.
In these pre-production units, the 4m cable is braided, which I like. But I was informed that this will be changed to a rubber silicone to increase its lifespan. My history with rubber cables is that they collect dust and dirt easily and often grip items or things around the cable that you wouldn't want it gripping, like a glass of water or someone's ankle.
This is just personal preference, of course, but I would have liked them to keep the braided cable. It's also worth noting that the cable is not removable. If the cable breaks or wears over time, you have to buy an entirely new lightgun, which will retail for around £50/£60. I wish they made it removable via USB-C so that it can be easily and affordably replaced.
It's another small tactic, like the basic tier, that silently (and effectively) gets you to another product without choice. It's 2025, let's add the removable/replaceable cable, please!
The Camera Tech
The most impressive part of the day was discussing the technology inside the lightguns. Each lightgun features a 1080p camera, runs on Linux, and is packed with 1GB of RAM.
The way the tech works is by using the camera and the highly accurate internal AI to track where you are pointing at the screen, without the need for borders or physical cameras on the TV to detect them.
The AI has studied hundreds of thousands of screens over the years to accurately determine your whereabouts on the screen and where you are aiming at, and with impressive precision.
Each camera is positioned inside the barrel and is dipped slightly inside to avoid bumps and scratches, which may cause inaccuracies.
G'AIM'E informed me that the product itself and the accuracy of the calibration would not be possible without this AI camera tech, and this is how this product is able to be priced and launched in 2025.
I also asked about AI using the data unethically, and I was informed that the console does not store or track any user data at all. So you won't find any pesky AI learning here - the programme and algorithm of the AI is built directly into the console.
Calibration
The calibration process is very easy and is mandatory every time you turn on the console. It takes roughly 20 seconds to calibrate the light guns and requires you to shoot at 8 targets around the screen at least 3 times.
The faster you do it, the less accurate the calibration will be. The AI requires you to have at least an 85% calibration accuracy to play, so sometimes it may get you to shoot areas of the screen extra times.
This process will get cumbersome for sure, but it's needed to give gamers a fluid gaming experience from the get-go.
I only noticed one calibration issue throughout my day with G'AIM'E, but I believe that was due to the fact that the TV used was next to a very large window. This window was likely one or two feet away from the screen.
This meant that one part of the screen would cause the calibration and the accuracy to be 'off whack'. The brightness and the light from the window would confuse the camera, and I couldn't shoot a certain enemy that was in the corner closest to the window.
To give you an idea of the setting, we were in a typical office conference room, playing on a head-height 40"+ TV in a bright room. I was informed that it's much more accurate to play in darker rooms, and the tutorial at the very beginning even informs you to stay away from bright light.
The camera will also get confused when pointing it at other displays, which I tested, and it was true, but not to a point that it was unplayable. The calibration would be unfocused for no more than 5 seconds when pointing at another display or tablet, and then return to normal in a few seconds when pointed back at the game.
The Gaming Experience
Once you are set up, you will enter the main menu, which is well designed, looks modern, and is super easy to navigate, even for children.
It offers an option to recalibrate, should you want to jump out of a game and update its accuracy, and also a unique settings option that allows you to change difficulties, increase or decrease flash intensity, and offers aiming guides in Time Crisis for those who need a little assistance.
Simply shoot a game you'd like to play, and it will jump into the main menu of that game, requesting you insert a coin by pressing the button on the side of the lightgun.
Because this uses officially licensed game APKs and not emulation, the gaming accuracy is perfect, and so is the audio. Not once did I witness any gaming quality issues when testing. The game played flawlessly on the upscaled 1080p resolution, and after a few hours of playing, I tried to see if the console itself was hot, but to my surprise, it wasn't.
It runs on an Android OS, custom-made for this console with 2 GB of internal RAM and an Octa-core Arm-Cortex A55 CPU, enough to handle these four games with ease, hence why there's no internal cooling system. Zero hiccups, and it doesn't overheat.
Playing on my own was a lot of fun. It really is plug and play and brings the true joy of lightgun gaming to your living room with very little hassle, whic is what makes this product so great.
However, the fun literally doubles when you are playing with a friend, and that's where the biggest return on investment is, in my opinion. I got to play with Tom, a member of the G'AIM'E marketing team, who was far more accurate than me. Still, the challenge and rivalry that immediately arose when jumping into Point Blank were again incredibly nostalgic.
Steel Runner was more collaborative, offering spray and pray mechanics when holding down the trigger alongside aim assist with the cursor. This is a game I can imagine would be a lot of fun with family and friends.
However, there was no denying that I was missing Time Crisis 2. That would have been the cherry on top for this console, but unfortunately, it is not installed, which means this offers three two-player games and one single-player game in the form of the original Time Crisis.
Which don't get me wrong is a great game to play independently, and the fact that you can put in unlimited coins offers the opportunity to get to points in the game that were literally impossible in arcades due to the lack of real-life coins in my pocket. There's also the fact that single players can use the included foot pedal.
This foot pedal is made of plastic, but was sturdy enough that I, a 100KG British neanderthal, felt comfortable smashing it for hours on end without worry.
I want more games on here, and that's a very good sign for how good this product is, and I am very much looking forward to having this in my home, to play with my kids, and to experience four incredible lightgun games.
Overall Opinions
- Incredibly Easy To Set Up & Calibrate
- Great Lightgun Build Quality
- Game Quality Is Flawless & Nostalgic
- Lots Of Family Fun If You Have Two Lightguns
- No WiFi For Updates & Game Downloads/Purchasing
- Basic Tier With One Game Feels Wrong/Limited (Possibly An Upsell Tactic?)
- TVs & Displays Near Windows May Struggle With Calibration Glitches
TASSEI has entered the market at the perfect time. Retro is back, and the advancement of AI has allowed this technology to enter the market in collaboration with great retro games for an affordable price.
It brings new, collaborative gaming experiences to the average living room, with 4 fully licensed games that offer hours on end of enjoyable gaming.
The build quality amongst these products is also superb, and that's thanks to the company's long history in manufacturing. There was not one area of the product that I was disheartened by. The buttons felt great, the lightgun nostalgic, the console minimal, and the foot pedal resilient.
It truly is an easy, plug-and-play lightgun that noobs like myself can enjoy, without the headache of setting up extras, which is what we have all been waiting for.
A great living room lightgun setup is here, finally.
The only areas I would like to see improved are, unfortunately, areas that cannot be improved.
I'm talking about WiFi compatibility that offers a marketplace to buy new games and update firmware over the air. This feels like a missed opportunity and lowers the lifespan of the product considerably.
It makes the basic package inferior, and means that this product can never evolve beyond what it is, opening up possibly annoying customers if a new product is released with more or new games. It also opens up competition to come in and create a competitor product that offers exactly what is missing.
Let's face it, this technology moves fast. Real fast. I am surprised that TASSEI didn't want this to be a product that evolves and offers an opportunity to sell digital games via a marketplace, which will make money for them. It feels as if they have only looked at the short-term opportunities here.
Is that because it's their first time making their own product? Does it come down to inexperience, or is it greed, hoping that users will ignore the basic tier, and that when they release a new version, they want customers to buy an entirely new console? I'll let you decide.
Nevertheless, if you can put that aside and are happy with the small choice of four games stuck to this console, then I can assure you, you will have a lot of fun for years to come.
It's an incredible product, run by true gaming professionals, and I know many retro gamers will scream with joy when opening this up because it's absolutely worth the investment, especially if you have young children. I just hope there's no shady marketing practices in the future in regards to new consoles with more games. This should have had WiFi and offered basic tier customers the chance to add individual games to their console instead of locking it to Time Crisis only.
