Arcade cabinets with their glowing screens and chunky joysticks hold a special place for anyone who fed quarters into Time Crisis or Point Blank. Tassei Denki’s G’AIM’E, a plug-and-play console from Japan with Bandai Namco’s blessing, Put simply, it brings back that arcade magic, designed to work with modern TVs.
The G’AIM’E is a small black box, about the size of a streaming stick, with a Time Crisis logo carved on top as a nod to its heritage. It has two USB-C ports up front, one in the back, and an HDMI port for quick TV hookups. What makes all this possible are the accessories: a light gun and, in some packages, a pedal that lets you do the Time Crisis cover move. The gun reportedly feels solid, mimicking its arcade counterpart.
What makes G’AIM’E work on modern flat screens is is some clever technology. Classic light guns needed CRT screens and infrared sensors, which don’t work with modern displays. Tassei Denki gets around this with a high-resolution camera and AI, though they won’t tell us how…yet. The system auto-adjusts to different screens, no complex setup or calibration required. Just plug it in, aim, and fire – it’s that easy.
The games are the big draw, tapping into Namco’s arcade heyday. Every version includes Time Crisis, rebuilt from the original arcade code for authentic play. Pricier bundles add Point Blank and both Steel Gunner games, giving you four classic titles that defined the light gun genre. Some packages include the pedal, so you can duck behind cover in Time Crisis like you’re back at the arcade. But there’s a catch: the system is locked to these four games, with no way to add more. For fans of Virtua Cop or House of the Dead, that’s a bummer, and it’s a risk that these games alone might not be enough to last long-term.
Kickstarter adds to the excitement. Launched with a goal of 7,000,000 Yen (about $48,000), it exceeded its target and shows how much people want this. It’s set to ship in November 2025, coinciding with Time Crisis’s 30th anniversary – perfect timing.
Prices start at $135 for the pedal bundle, $202 for the Ultimate package (includes two guns, pedal, and extras like a collectable diorama stand and keychain). The top-tier kit is $250 and includes the G’AIM’E gun (3m cable) x2, TIME CRISIS+3 games (POINT BLANK, STEEL GUNNER/STEEL GUNNER2), TV unit x1 in English (international version), pedal (3m cable) x1, 1m power cable x1, 1m HD cable x1, AC adapter x1, instruction manual x1, collectable pin badge x1, collectable diorama stand x1, and Kickstarter exclusive keychain x1.
