Sniper Lightgun
Score: 60% Developer: Sunflex
Function: Trigger-happy Dreamcast owners don't really have much to choose from in terms of game selection, with House of the Dead 2 reigning as the only domestic shooter, and Virtua Cop 2 & Death Crimson 2 available from Japan. Regardless, if you're going to play a DC shooter, you've got to do it right. You'll need a lightgun to get the true experience out of these games, because, face it -- who wants to shoot zombies with a gamepad?? The Sniper Lightgun allows you to play the aforementioned Dreamcast games by 'shooting' at the TV screen (duh), with additional auto fire & auto reload settings to make things easier on your trigger finger. A mild vibration feature is built-in, and there's a slot for your VMU or external Jump Pack if desired.
Performance: Well, if you can manage to correctly calibrate the Sniper Lightgun, you're a very lucky guy/girl. Assuming everything works fine for you, this gun isn't terrible at doing its job; the Auto Fire mode truly makes things simple for the slower folks, and despite its awkward design, this is one of the most comfortable controllers I've ever held. Fortunately for most gamers, the trigger doesn't begin to stick after heavy use, and the directional pad on the console doesn't slip at all -- a big plus to those of us who like to be able to navigate an Options menu without plugging in the gamepad. I personally had serious problems with both of these issues with the Pelican Stinger Lightgun, but that's another review entirely.
Features: Built-in vibration motor Auto fire/Auto reload Slot for VMU or vibration pack Able to switch between internal vibration and external vibration pack
Drawbacks & Problems:: The Sniper Lightgun has its downfalls, believe me. The built-in vibration feature shakes the controller so softly that it's nearly pointless to include in the first place, there's no A button on the side of the gun, the Auto Fire switch is tiny and hard to see, there's no separate Auto Reload trigger, and a general consensus among many people exists that this thing looks more like a hairdryer than a weapon. Also (as previously mentioned), calibrating the gun seems nearly impossible to me, but perhaps others may have more luck. If you're going for a reliable DC lightgun, consider the Mad Catz Dream Blaster or even Sega's official lightgun before shelling out the cash for Sunflex's Sniper.
-Ben Monkey, GameVortex Communications AKA Ben Lewis
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