How exactly does the Zapper work?

[Bube]

The NES light gun. How does it know when you shoot the ducks (or whatever else you shoot)?

The SNES Super Scope had a reciever, and it was released years after the Zapper.

I've actually started thinking that it's all random. But I know better than that. Can anyone explain it?

[GameMaster]

The NES Zapper is a pistol-shaped electronic device sold as part of an original NES system. Early Zappers were gray, but later the color was changed to orange. It allowed players to aim at the TV and, depending on the game, shoot pixelated ducks, clay pigeons, gangsters, terrorists, and many other obvious targets.

When the trigger was pulled, the game blanked out the screen with a black background for one frame, then, for one additional frame, drew a solid white rectangle around the sprite you were supposed to be shooting at. The photodiode at the back of the Zapper would detect these changes in intensity and send a signal to the NES to indicate whether it was over a lit pixel or not. A drop followed by a spike in intensity signaled a hit. Multiple sprites were supported by flashing a solid white rectangle around each potential sprite, one per frame.

Pretty slick.

[Canyarion]

Cool. Now that I know that, you can see that the screen changes for half a second or something...

And remember, never aim your Zapper into the sun!!!

[Bube]

Thanks a lot GM!

[Jonbo298]

Yeah, the way the Zapper worked was kind of ahead of its time for being on the NES. Damn dog...