G'AIM'E Time Crisis Gun is an essential retro gaming gadget that's in stock at Argos

Out of all the retro gaming releases in 2025, the G'AIM'E Plug and Play Time Crisis Gun is probably the one I've been most excited about.

I've been a big fan of lightgun games ever since discovering Duck Hunt all those years ago. The fandom would continue through what I consider to be the golden age of the lightgun genre in the 1990s, specifically when Time Crisis launched alongside the G-Con-45 controller for the original PlayStation.

Unfortunately, however, the move away from CRT television sets essentially killed the genre in the home, barring a brief resurgence when motion controls were all the rage during the Nintendo Wii era.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when G'AIM'E announced plans to release a new lightgun that's compatible with modern television sets, and without the need for any external sensors, software updates or a expensive hardware.

Using a built-in camera and artificial intelligence, the device is easy to use and surprisingly accurate - although the latter may vary depending on your environment... but more on that later.

Arguably the most impressive thing about the G'AIM'E Plug and Play Time Crisis Gun is just how easy it is to set up.

The G'AIM'E Time Crisis Gun is every bit the plug and play device it claims to be, requiring no complicated software updates to get started.

Simply plug the game box into your TV, attach the gun and/or pedal to the device, switch it on and start playing.

You'll begin every session by calibrating the lightgun, which involves shooting some targets on the screen. Again, it's really straightforward.

The user-friendly experience doesn't end there. If you purchased the bundle with a pedal (which you can use to take cover in Time Crisis), you can plug that into the device and start using it right away - or not. There's no need to change anything in the settings, and you don't need to remove it if you would rather enter cover by using the buttons on your gun instead.

Speaking of what's in the box, there's a basic bundle containing one gun and a console with a copy of Time Crisis that's available from the G'AIM'E website for £100. Personally I wouldn't recommend this bundle.

Instead, I would opt for the Premium Pack, which contains a gun, a pedal for reloading, a keychain and a console containing four lightgun games (Time Crisis, Point Blank, Steel Gunner and Steel Gunner 2). It's available for £149 from Argos.

Finally, for £199 from Argos, there's the Ultimate Bundle, which contains the aforementioned items, plus a second gun and some other trinkets. While Time Crisis is one-player only, Point Blank and the two Steel Gunner games support two players. If you're planning some game time with the family this Christmas, then this is a good option, albeit it's quite pricey.

Another thing I like about the G'AIM'E system is that the guns come with a 3M cable, which is important if you plan to play on a TV that's upwards of 65-inches.

The bigger the TV the further back you'll need to stand when playing, so it's nice to see G'AIM'E take this into account when designing the gun.

Needless to say, if you have a big TV and a small room, then you might want to give this a miss, because you simply won't get the required accuracy.

In general, I found the accuracy to be far superior on a smaller display (40-inches), where you don't need to worry as much about your distance from the screen. That's not to say it doesn't work on bigger TV screens, just that in my experience you need to calibrate it a couple of times to really get the accuracy right.

Once you do get the calibration sorted, the G'AIM'E Time Crisis Plug and Play Gun is enormous fun.

The gun itself has a recoil function, which while a little underpowered, makes the experience feel that little bit more like the arcades.

Time Crisis and Point Blank are two absolute classics that are as much fun to play now as they were back when I first pumped bullets into them back in the 1990s. They're also different enough to provide some much-needed variety. Time Crisis plays like an action movie, while Point Blank is packed to the rafters with colourful mini-games that test your speed and accuracy.

There are things I love about the Steel Gunner games, particularly the sprite work and scrolling, which ooze arcade style. As Namco's first lightgun game, it also has some historical significance.

Admittedly, I would have liked a few additional games to be included, especially as the machine gunning gameplay of Steel Gunner and its sequel don't fully mesh with the pistol-style G'AIM'E lightgun. (I would have preferred some Time Crisis or Point Blank sequels instead.)

Fortunately, despite Time Crisis, in particular, being a rather short experience, it's by no means a one-and-done shooter.

There are lots of reasons to revisit the original Time Crisis, whether it's improving your accuracy and score, or attempting to beat the game with just one credit.

Point Blank boasts even more replay value thanks to the game's two player support and wide variety of score/accuracy-based mini-games.

While I can't see myself replaying Steel Gunner and Steel Gunner 2 very often, multiplayer support does give them some added appeal.

Ultimately, while there are a couple of things that could be improved - extra games, stronger recoil - the G'AIM'E Plug and Play Time Crisis Gun is a fantastic first effort that successfully brings the lightgun genre back into living rooms.

Here's hoping the device is a success, because I would love to see a SEGA follow-up featuring Virtua Cop, House of the Dead and Ghost Squad. Finger crossed!

VERDICT: 4.5 stars