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Stuff.tv
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
I got hands on with G'AIM'E Plug & Play, an AI-powered light gun that lets me play Time Crisis on the TV again
Growing up in the nineties was an exciting time to be a gamer because it was just at the time when consoles were reaching the point that they could replicate the most state-of-the-art arcade experiences at home. And I don't think they ever got better than light gun games. Sure, they've existed further back in the form of electromagnetic shooting galleries or Duck Hunt with the NES Zapper, but it was a game changer when instead of just sprites we got to what felt like real 3D enemies attacking you from your telly that you were shooting back. I may be a dyed-in-the-woo Sega fanboy back then but even I can admit (if grudgingly) that the peak of this form was Namco's Time Crisis. The sad thing about its obsolescence wasn't strictly due to the overall decline of arcade experiences but because these light guns were made for CRT screens that HD screens couldn't support. The alternatives of aiming with a crosshair, whether that's using a stick, a mouse or motion controls never quite matched the feel, immediacy or accuracy at just pointing at the screen and pulling the trigger. There have however been attempts to recreate the light gun experience for modern TVs, most notably the Sinden Light Gun released a few years ago. But now there is finally a light gun that doesn't just work as a direct plug-and-play experience but comes in an officially licensed package from the original creators themselves. And I was among the first to get my itchy trigger fingers on it. Although G'AIM'E is a somewhat awkward brand to spell out, even though I get what Japanese company Tassei Denki is going for, the proof is in the pudding, and the tech it's developed is something tasty indeed. The light gun it has developed is just how you imagine light guns used to work. No external sensors, no drawing an artificial border around your display that's how the Sinden works. It's all from the gun itself, which contains a HD camera and some actually smart AI that's been trained on countless images of different screen display sizes. Attached to a mini console to with a lengthy cable to ensure you're at an appropriate distance for the camera to be able to get a clear view of the screen (G'AIM'E's onboarding video that plays when you first set it up advises you're at the right distance if you can fit the image of the TV in front of you with your phone's camera, though I was advised to stand a bit further back than that), I just had to perform a calibration test and then I was ready to play. A beautiful partnership Whereas the Sinden merely provided a peripheral, and assumes you either have a collection of old light gun games ported to PC from decades ago or, more likely, acquired them through the grey area of emulation (it does however work with the recent House of the Dead remake), G'AIM'E Plug & Play is a bespoke mini console package, bundling the tech with Time Crisis in an official partnership with Namco. It's also not just a licence to emulate the game but Tassei Denki has actually worked closely with the engineers of the original game to ensure it's as arcade-perfect an experience as you can get. There's the design of the light gun itself, which closely replicates the light blue light guns attached to arcade cabs for Time Crisis (there's also a black version, which is exclusive to Japan, owing to laws around the design and colours for gaming light guns), which packs a satisfying and not too forceful recoil feedback when pulling the trigger, while it also has handy side buttons for inserting coin credits and for pausing the game. Adding to the arcade-perfect experience is also a pedal controller, which plugs into the extra USB-C slot in front of the mini console next to the port for your light gun, which utilises Time Crisis' unique ducking mechanic. This is available only for the premium and ultimate editions of the G'AIM'E Plug & Play, but just like the G-Con light gun on the PS1 version, you've fortunately got a button to do that same mechanic – actually it's two buttons, one on either side of the gun barrel, so it's easily within reach whether you're left or right-handed. While I was eager to recreate the arcade experience with the pedal, I must also admit that trying to get an accurate shot while having good foot coordination was more challenging than I was prepared for, and found it more comfortable just ducking in and out of the action with buttons. I imagine folks who remember Time Crisis fondly more through the PlayStation version than the arcade version will also be perfectly happy with this and make do with the basic package, which just comes with Time Crisis and a single light gun, since that was also a single-player game. In a modern touch, it's also possible to turn on a crosshair. I have mixed feelings on this as I personally view a true light gun experience is reliant on your own skill and precision of pointing the gun, while also reminding me that while G'AIM'E's tech gets almost-perfectly close to replicating the light gun experience on a CRT it still isn't completely the same. I'm sure however that others will welcome this addition, such as kids who'll be able to shoot from the hip and still have fun. Shooting galleries There's no denying that Time Crisis is the headliner here, given that the G'AIM'E Plug & Play is intended to ship before the game's 30th anniversary in December. With the recent re-release of Ridge Racer coinciding with the Switch 2 launch, it's also a good time to get nostalgic for Namco's groundbreaking System 22 3D visuals, which in crisp HD resolution still holds up with a vibrant polygonal charm, only further complemented by Time Crisis's hilariously hammy B-movie dialogue. But for those who pony up for the premium or ultimate packages, you'll also get additional light gun games from Namco's back catalogue, the Point Blank and Steel Gunners 1 and 2, the latter being a series that has never received a home port before. As an older game with 16-bit graphics, the sprites might pale in visual comparisons, but the cool thing about Steel Gunner is that you're actually firing machine guns so there's a simple pleasure in aiming with a crosshair and just holding down the trigger unloading unlimited ammo while the gun rattles in your hand. Just take care not to hit any civilians. Then there is Point Blank, which deceives you with its cute and colourful sprites when its myriad of shooting gallery-style minigames challenges are unbelievably difficult – including the so-called 'easy' mode – requiring the utmost speed and precision. Incidentally, it was the challenges where you only get one shot that I somehow passed, like the one that's basically if William Tell had a gun instead of a bow, because you at least only focus on one target rather than try to frantically shoot a quote of 15 in under 10 seconds. Keeping to that hardcore nature, it's also the one game in the collection where Namco doesn't allow for a visible crosshair. More importantly, since these other games don't require a pedal, that extra USB-C port on the mini console can be fitted with an additional G'AIM'E to support instant drop-in two player fun just like you would at the arcade. That makes the ultimate edition, which comes with two guns, a bit of a no-brainer if you're after a light gun package you can play with mates, along with some extras like a multi-region AC adaptor and a collectable diorama stand featuring Time Crisis star Richard Miller. Re-load? But here's the caveat. While it'll still be possible for owners of the premium edition to get hold of a second light gun later, it won't be possible to add the other games to the mini console if you only opt for the basic package. Indeed, as part of this close partnership with Namco, I'm told it's been ensured that it won't be possible to sideload the G'AIM'E Plug & Play packages with additional games, which could be a dealbreaker for those who want this light gun for use with other games just like the SInden. I'm sure that won't stop hackers and modders from giving it their best shot (no pun intended), though of course the difference between this mini console and the other retro mini consoles we've had already is these games are all built from scratch for this device rather than emulations. However, with the tech proven and Kickstarter pledges already sailed past £500K, surpassing its minimum target of £35K, this is surely only the beginning for Tassei Denki. While there's nothing else to announce yet, we may see G'AIM'E partnering with other arcade legends to bring their light gun games back with faithful recreations of the same guns. Just get me a Sega bundle that comes with arcade-perfect Virtua Cop 1 and 2 and The House of the Dead 1 and 2, and we have a deal. The G'AIM'E Time Crisis bundles are expected to ship around November, which you'll be able to buy directly from the G'AIM'E website with plans for distribution in select retailers. But to ensure you have it first as well as other exclusive bonus rewards, you can back it on Kickstarter, which will remain live until Saturday, 23 August. So is the G'AIM'E Plug & Play worth it? If you want to re-live, or experience for the first time, the trigger-happy joy of arcade-style light gun gaming on your telly without fussy set-ups, G'AIM'E Plug & Play feels like a dream come true. It feels even more like a premium product thanks to a close partnership with Namco to ensure its classic arcade shooters are built optimally for modern displays. Enthusiasts who want to get more bang for their buck may however be sore about this only being part of a standalone walled garden. If you're being cheap and only want the pure Time Crisis experience, you'll have to make peace with the fact you won't be able to add any of the other games to it without forking out on another set. Put those limitations to one side however and this really is the best modern solution to enjoy one of the highlights of arcade gaming at home, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate such an iconic game's 30th anniversary. Stuff Says… If you want to re-live, or experience for the first time, the trigger-happy joy of arcade-style light gun gaming on your telly without fussy set-ups, G'AIM'E Plug & Play feels like a dream come true Pros The shooting just works Faithful arcade design Cons Can't add more games than what is in the box Option for visible crosshair breaks the spell slightly
New York Times
06-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Brad Marchand in '25 and Ray Bourque in '01: A breakdown of ex-Bruins and the Stanley Cup
Brad Marchand's quest to win the Stanley Cup as a member of the Florida Panthers has inspired a nostalgia-fueled discussion about something that happened in 2001 with his old team, the Boston Bruins. But even if you're not a Bruins fan, even if you hate the Bruins, you may know what I'm talking about. Advertisement It goes something like this: Marchand is an aging ex-Bruin playing for the Panthers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, which is not unlike what happened nearly a quarter of a century ago when the great Raymond Bourque was an aging ex-Bruin playing for the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final. There are, of course, major differences between what Marchand is trying to accomplish versus what Bourque accomplished in the spring of 2001, and I'll get to those differences in a moment. But I need to get this out of the way first: It's a good thing whenever we can revisit June 13, 2001, which was the day Ray Bourque of the newly crowned Avalanche stepped out to a balcony at Boston's City Hall Plaza to be cheered by the thousands of Bruins fans who turned out for the occasion. How Bourque came to be holding the Stanley Cup over his head at City Hall Plaza is a story with all kinds of twists and turns, not to mention a years-later rollout of long-simmering grievances. Rather than rehash it all here, I invite you to read the oral history I wrote for The Athletic in 2021 commemorating the 20th anniversary of the event. I interviewed some 15 people back then, including Bourque and former Bruins president Harry Sinden, and everybody was remarkably candid and anecdotal. In short, the Bruins did Bourque a solid on March 6, 2000, when they traded the legendary defenseman to the Avalanche. The Bruins were rebuilding and Bourque had yet to win a Cup, and the trade was designed to be win-win for everybody. The Avalanche didn't make it to the Cup final that year, but they won it all a year later, toppling the New Jersey Devils. In an instant-classic hockey moment, Avalanche captain Joe Sakic was handed the Stanley Cup by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and immediately handed it off to Bourque, lest there be any doubt as to the identity of the most emotional man in the building. Advertisement Six days later, there stood Bourque at City Hall Plaza. It was an idea hatched by the office of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, after which it bounced to Bourque's agent, Steve Freyer, and then to Bourque himself. A call was placed to Sinden, who was fishing in Maine. He wasn't one bit happy about this City Hall Plaza idea. Again, read the original piece. But know this: While there may have been some hard feelings about the event, there were no villains. Everybody shook hands and went on with their lives. And I'll let you in on a secret: Bourque originally didn't want to be interviewed for the story but then said he'd take part only if Sinden agreed to be interviewed. To my surprise — and, I guess, to Bourque's surprise — Sinden did the interview. And away we went. I'm forever grateful to both men. So there. Thanks for indulging me as I invite you to read a story that was written at a time when we were all just beginning to dust ourselves off from the pandemic. (In fact, every interview I did was over the phone.) Now, back to Marchand. How is his pursuit of the Stanley Cup different from Bourque's 2001 vision quest with the Avalanche? Let us count the ways: • As a member of the 2010-11 Bruins, Marchand has already played on a Stanley Cup winner. The trade that sent him to Florida was not a goodwill gesture by Bruins GM Don Sweeney. The Bruins had tried to work out a contract extension; failing that, they dealt him to the Panthers, who were loading up for another Cup run. • Whereas it was not surprising when the 40-year-old Bourque retired after winning the Cup, Marchand has no plans to go gently into that good night. (Not that he's ever gone gently anywhere.) Marchand will be a free agent after this Cup final has ended, and as The Athletic's Chris Johnston points out, 'To say that the 37-year-old has boosted his market value this postseason is an understatement.' • Is Marchand a Hall of Famer? Well, yes, says me. But it's a discussion worth having. In fact, if you google 'Brad Marchand' and 'Hall of Fame,' you'll be directed to dozens of these very discussions. Bourque, on the other hand, is hockey royalty. In The Athletic's countdown of the top 99 players in modern NHL history, he came in at No. 10. Advertisement • Marchand has baggage. Bourque arrives for this discussion without even a carry-on. Put another way, Marchand has boiled the blood of many hockey fans over the years, from licking the faces of opposing players to speed-bagging the Vancouver Canucks' Daniel Sedin during the 2011 Cup final. Bourque? When Sakic handed him the Cup that night in Denver, it was one of hockey's all-time feel-good moments. If/when the Panthers repeat as champions, and if/when team captain Sasha Barkov hands the Cup to Marchand, crushed beer cans will be landing on flat screens across North America. Brad Marchand was one heck of a trade deadline pickup — The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 5, 2025 • While many Boston fans would enjoy seeing Marchand play on a Cup winner, it means rooting for the Panthers, which means rooting for the team that pushed the Bruins out of the playoffs (while also pushing them around) in 2023 and '24. There were no such hard feelings with the Avalanche when Bourque won his Cup. I suppose one could go all the way back to the days when the Avalanche were doing business as the Quebec Nordiques and get re-upset over Boston-born, future NHL referee Paul Stewart running up 27 penalty minutes (including an epic fight with Stan Jonathan) in Quebec's 7-4 loss to the Bruins on Nov. 22, 1979, at the Old Garden, but that's next-level grudge-holding. The Nordiques also knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs in 1982, but c'mon. • For Bourque to bring the Cup to City Hall of Plaza in 2001 made it possible for fans everywhere else to crow that things were so bad in Boston that their fans had been reduced to celebrating another city's championship. At the time, no Boston team had won a championship since the 1985-86 Celtics, nor had any Boston team played so much as a postseason game in nearly two years. Marchand is welcome to bring the Stanley Cup to Boston should the Panthers recover from their Game 1 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers and win it all, but he shouldn't expect Mayor Michelle Wu to order up a party. The Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins have combined to win 13 championships since the day Bourque held the Stanley Cup over his head.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Kern County sued over death of boy, 3
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The biological mother of a 3-year-old boy who authorities say was killed by his foster mother is suing the county, alleging social workers knew and withheld information about the foster mother's mental health issues and troubled childhood. Margaret Eichhorst, the foster mother, is charged with first-degree murder and assault of a child under 8. She's accused of killing Alejandro Perez Jr. last year. The wrongful death lawsuit alleges county policies have led to the deaths of at least five children placed in foster care over the past six years, including the high-profile disappearance and presumed deaths of Orrin and Orson West. The West boys' foster parents were convicted of murder. Filed last month, the suit seeks damages in an amount to be determined at trial. A competency hearing is scheduled in June to determine if a court-appointed attorney will serve as guardian for Alejandro's mother, Ashley Sinden. The attorney who filed the suit on Sinden's behalf says she doesn't understand the nature of the proceedings due to 'mental disability and severe and ongoing drug abuse issues.' Alejandro was removed from Sinden's care after her then-1-year-old daughter suffered burn injuries in March 2023. Sinden was giving her daughter a bath when she noticed steam rising from the water and the girl started screaming. The girl was taken to a hospital and Sinden explained to deputies that a former roommate was responsible both for the burns and the messy state of her home. She claimed the ex-roommate trespassed on her property after being evicted and tampered with the water heater — resulting in the accidental burns to her daughter — and dumped trash inside the home. Despite her explanation, the suit says, deputies decided to remove the daughter, Alejandro and a teen boy from the home and placed them in protective custody with the Department of Human Services. They arrested Sinden, but prosecutors decided not to pursue charges. Some Social Security recipients could get 3 checks in May The suit says the home was cleaned up the next day and the teen was returned a few days later. The family could have been reunited at that point, the suit says, but 'that is not how DHS operates, once they have possession of children, they maintain possession for a period most usually not less than six months.' In subsequent court hearings, according to the suit, DHS didn't give Sinden's relatives preferential consideration when deciding where to place the children. On Sept. 14, 2023, they ended up in Eichhorst's home. They were placed there even though Eichhorst, during the application progress, said she had PTSD, depression and anxiety, and acknowledged 'her own trauma may impede her ability to provide safe and suitable care,' according to the suit. Information on her mental health history was withheld from the court that approved their placement. 'This gross, inexcusable incompetence led to (Alejandro's) tragic death at the tender age of only 3 years old,' the suit says. Alejandro was pronounced dead on Feb., 9, 2024, at Eichhorst's home in the 500 block of El Tejon Avenue. An autopsy determined he died from blunt force trauma to the head, and suffered internal injuries including bleeding to his chest and bladder. Eichhorst has a preliminary hearing scheduled in June. She remains in custody on no bail. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
Woman did not say 'no', former inspector tells jury
A former police inspector who is charged with sexual assault by penetration told a court the alleged victim did not say "no". Mike Sinden, 36, of Hove, East Sussex, and the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been drinking heavily in Eastbourne as part of a group in March 2022 before the alleged incident, Hove Crown Court was told. The father of two has denied pinning the woman against a wall in an alleyway and sexually assaulting her. The woman said she told the inspector "no" as he sexually assaulted her. Mr Sinden told the jury they had been flirting and kissing earlier in the evening after drinking shots and going to a cocktail bar. Rachel Beckett, prosecuting, told him the kissing did not happen, but Mr Sinden insisted it did. In regards to the claim Mr Sinden pinned the woman to a wall in an alley, Ms Beckett told him: "She was moving away from you, turning her face, and she said 'no' to you." Mr Sinden said it was one kiss and that she did not say "no". Ms Beckett told the court: "You held her against the wall and she tried to move your hand away and all this time she was saying 'no' to you." Mr Sinden denied this and again said the woman did not say "no". He also denied telling her: "You're saying 'no' but I think you're actually saying 'yes'." The woman tried to push his hand away as he moved it under her dress, Ms Beckett said. She told the jury: "She then managed to push him away and said 'I said no'." In court, Mr Sinden also denied moving to take off his trousers after the woman pushed him away. The court heard that the following day, the woman sent Mr Sinden a message saying: "I don't feel great about any of it and I'm trying to forget but I definitely said no to you." Mr Sinden deleted his replies as he did not want his partner to see them and did not want to be "drawn into a conversation", the jury heard. Mr Sinden, who worked as an inspector in custody suites across Sussex, denies sexual assault by penetration. The trial continues. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Police officer attacked woman in alley, court told HM Courts & Tribunals Service
