{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1382422"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1382422/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NH9271/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NH9271/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NH9271","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NH9273","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NH9275","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JW0270","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1382422","accessionNumber":"B.604-2016","objectType":"Gun","titles":[{"title":"Zapper","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"Nintendo had developed several light gun games during the 1970s. The <i>Zapper</i> was made for the Famicon/NES console (see B.598-2016), intended for use with games such as <i>Duck Hunt</i> (see B.600-2016), it was released in North America and Europe in 1985. In Japan, the <i>Zapper</i> was modelled as a realistic revolver, but this was changed to a futuristic ray gun design following concerns about it being mistaken for a real firearm. Its orange parts are a further development of these concerns, as it was felt the original two-tone grey could still ne too realistic from a distance. In total, there were seventeen light gun games made for the NES.","physicalDescription":"Gaming accessory, a light gun, made from light grey and red-orange ABS. It is shaped like a handgun, with a black plastic trigger and forward and rear sights. The trigger clicks when it is pulled. Inside the barrel is a clear lens. The light gun connects to a NES console via a long, black cable. ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Nintendo","id":"A5887"},"association":{"text":"manufacturers","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ABS","id":"AAT14418"}],"techniques":[{"text":"injection moulding","id":"AAT54070"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Injection-moulded ABS","categories":[{"text":"Digital play","id":"THES274367"},{"text":"Games","id":"THES48947"},{"text":"Product design","id":"THES49025"},{"text":"Firearms","id":"THES49007"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":["2023NH9271","2023NH9273","2023NH9275","2017JW0270"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"CA001","id":"THES388348"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"peripheral","id":"AAT24527"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Japan","id":"x29399"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1989-1991","earliest":"1989-01-01","latest":"1991-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Alex Malloy","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"27.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'©1985 Nintendo® / Zapper<sup>TM</sup>'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Printed along side of object."}],"objectHistory":"This object belonged to the donor Alex Malloy (b. 1980) and his younger brother when they were children. He later recalled 'I was a happy and very spoilt child. When I was very young I didn't have many friends and didn't like to play outside, so my parents and grandparents bought me LOTS of toys. As I got older my attention turned to computer games, particularly Nintendo... When my little brother came along he was even more spoilt than I was, so the toys and games really started to accumulate at that time.'\n\nIt was given to the Museum in 2016 [2017/119].\n","historicalContext":"Light guns are so-named because they use light to detect where the player is aiming. They were first developed in the 1930s following the development of light-sensitive vacuum tubes. They were soon used in arcade shooting games, where a hit could be scored by aiming the gun at a moving target mounted with a light sensitive tube. Nintendo released their first light gun in 1970. ","briefDescription":"'Zapper' light gun, for NES; Nintendo; Japan, 1989-1991.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"The Zapper was originally released in two-tone grey to match the colouring of the NES console. This was changed to orange and grey in 1989 following concerns that it could be mistaken for a real firearm at a distance.","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"pistols","id":"AAT37160"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["B.604-2016"],"accessionNumberNum":"604","accessionNumberPrefix":"B","accessionYear":2016,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Model number","id":"THES52264"},"number":"NES-005"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-10-14","recordCreationDate":"2017-02-17","availableToBook":false}}