INNOVATION TECHNOLOGIES Xbox Light Gun (XBox)

this is a good light gun to buy but save your money and get the predator light gun the both work equally as good. I do however wish it was wireless

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This Light Gun worked great for me on my house of the dead III game. No lag or accuracy problems.

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OVERALL

The Innovation Technologies XBox Light Gun is a great purchase. It fulfills all the requirements of a gun accessory and looks great. Compact and full xbox controller functionality, this is a hard product not to consider for your shooting games. It's got the style and the handling down nicely. You won't regret buying this light gun over the Mad Catz.

PRESENTATION

The sleek black design with stylishly placed green buttons make the Xbox Light Gun from Innovation Technologies an attractive purchase. The layout is as cleverly sorted as a gamer could wish for. The joypad is very easy to work with -- it's situated right behind the hammer. It's actually better than the poorly constructed joypad on the Pelican Silent Scope Rifle. The other buttons are a little soft when pressed, it may feel a bit sticky at times -- but you (probably) won't be pressing those buttons at all other than the trigger and directional pad. Also, most (or two) of the shooting games out now use the B button to cycle backwards in menu screens. So to be more precise, the main buttons you'll be using are B, Trigger (which is the A button), and the Start button. They're all situated on the left side of the barrel which the is the most convenient place. Note that there's an EXTRA B button below the handle which is what is mainly advertised about the gun. The right side of the light gun has the X and Y buttons, which you'll never use.

HANDLING

It's not as romantic or glorious as one may think to constantly slam the B button below the handle. In fact, it get's very awkward and tiresome the xth time you do it. Realistically, anyone shooting/reloading piles of 9mm clips (at a rate of 1 clip per 3 seconds) would be fatigued, but shouldn't this be minimized with a light gun?

Well, it has... If you're willing. The B button on the left side of the barrel is extra wide to hold your left thumb (assuming you are holding the gun with your right hand and using your left hand to support the barrel - your thumb comfortably rests upon the B button). This way of firing and reloading shows less bravado, but it's the quickest and most painless way to operate the light gun. Don't be fooled, it sounds great to reload like you've just released an empty clip and about to slam a fresh one in... But it gets old real fast. You'll have to hold the gun with one hand and keep your left hand under the handle (where the B button is) the whole time you play. Which is how a real pistol would be held, but if you don't frequently use a firearm like this (i.e. actual training and experience) then well... You'll eventually opt for the less flashy way of handling the thing -- and it really is more efficient in terms of speed and stamina on your arm. But rest assured! Regardless of whichever way you operate the gun, once you grow comfortable with your style of handling -- it'll be second nature.

Overall, the gun is extremely light and seems hollow even. I wouldn't be putting it at the bottom of your games and other accessories as it might break. I recommend wrapping the cord up as you play, because you don't want excess wire getting in your way as it is quite long. Also, the trigger (for new light guns, not used) is a bit stiff and requires some "breaking in". When I first got it, the trigger demanded more pressing force from my index finger than most other light guns. After the first few levels, my hand and arm were tired. Thankfully, using the light gun constantly loosens the trigger. It's now at a perfect firmness without being too rigid to induce fatigue in your fingers. Also, if you're not used to firing light guns for a good fifteen minutes or so, you'll get used to it.

UPDATE: March 15, 2009

Alas, my light gun has finally broken from disuse. Yes, that's right. I have not played with this gun for years since the Xbox 360 has come out, and I discovered that when I tried to play an old House of the Dead game for the Xbox... It simply wouldn't work. I have not misused or abused the gun either, so it just leads me to believe that this product suffers from a limited lifespan even when kept in good condition. But really, it's been years and this peripheral will be missed a little at best, though we definitely had some good times.

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