The Konami Justifier

This blue (or pink) magnum revolver is the end-all solution to a bad guy’s life. You pull it straight from the hip and POW! Pop a cap in a mullet-guy’s ass! Konami released the Justifier separately or packaged with a Lethal Enforcers game in a stupid, huge, unnecessarily large box (there had to be a better way, but I have to admit the size is kind of awesome too). There is a 7 foot cord attached to the butt of the gun which is definitely long enough to stand back far enough and still have accurate shots.

The first light-gun peripheral made its way to home consoles via the Nintendo Entertainment System in the early/mid ’80s. The NES Action Set included a “Zapper” (pictured), which was Nintendo’s light gun. It was orange, and later released in gray, as to not be confused with a real gun. Smart move. The Sega Master System would also have their own version called the Sega Light Phaser (pictured) which looked futuristic, much like that of the NES Zapper.

I was surprised that Sega didn’t release their own official Sega-brand handheld light gun. Konami released The Justifier for multiple systems including the Genesis, SNES, and PlayStation. So it’s hardly exclusive to the Genesis. Sega did, however, release a light gun called The Menacer (pictured) that would rival the Super Nintendo’s Super Scope (pictured). I could go on all day about those guns, and hopefully one day I will. But that’s neither here nor there.

So what’s good about this gun? It’s a pretty damn sweet gun. It closely resembles the Colt Python revolver (pictured), which is also why it received much controversial criticism from parents and activists. It was pretty realistic, aside from the BRIGHT BLUE COLOR! In addition to a blue gun there was also a pink gun which could be daisy-chained into the butt of the blue gun via a phone jack. This resulted in the ability for 2 players to play a game at the same time.

The real purpose behind these guns was to bring the arcade into your home. That was the entire goal in the late ’80s and early ’90s. It was all about “cool” and “interactive” and “virtual reality” and “the real thing.” So bringing that arcade experience home was an important marketing tool and driving force for gamers and developers. The Justifier was a small part of the overall scheme, but it was a good one. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many games made that could utilize the Justifier, and the same can be said for all guns of all systems. It’s a lot of money to spend for just a handful of games (although we did spend A LOT of time playing Time Crisis on the PlayStation… that game was THE SHIZ!).

 

The Justifier is without a doubt the most ergonomic gun for on the market until the Sega Saturn and new wave of PlayStation guns got released. It just feels great in your hands and molds very well. I love the fact that it has a start button on it and that the trigger doesn’t make a hard popping CLICK sound when pressed (much like an orange and white little guy I know who shoots ducks…). It’s smooth, it’s good, and I’ll be damned if it isn’t wildly accurate. If you’re into these retro games and/or if you’re into shooting games, you’ll definitely want to get the Konami Justifier. Just think back to those days in the ’80s,  ’90s, and ’00s when you were at the arcade crushing souls with your extreme gun skills. You were a badass kid and you know it. So go relive those badass years and get you a Justifier!

Pros:

+ More realistic looking light gun than previous models

+ Fun gameplay for you and your friends!

+ Arcade like experience in your home.

+ Good ergonomic feel.

+ Start button included on controller.

+ Reasonably priced (as of November 2013)

Cons:

– Lack of additional buttons on controller (the Genesis controller had 3 buttons not including the start button).

– Limited game selection and variety. Only two games were made for the Genesis that utilized this gun, and oddly enough those 2 games can be found on the Sega CD as well. Only ONE game was created for the Super Nintendo.

– Longer cord could have been good, although 7 feet is still pretty good.

– Blue and pink aren’t fitting for guns this badass

– Maybe costs a little more than it should considering the lack of games per system.

Games that Utilize The Justifier

Sega CD

Lethal Enforcers (Compatible with both Genesis & Sega CD versions)

Lethal Enforcers II (Compatible with both Genesis & Sega CD versions)

Mad Dog McCree

Mad Dog II: The Lost Gold

Snatcher

Who Shot Johnny Rock?

 

Super Nintendo

Lethal Enforcers

 

Playstation 1

Area 51

Crypt Killer

Die Hard Trilogy

Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas

Elemental Gearbolt

Lethal Enforcers I & II (A Konami Compilation for the PS1)

Maximum Force

Project Horned Owl

Silent Hill

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Alright y’all. I’m outty 5,000. Time to go shoot some outlaws in this saloon.

Reviewed by NerdBerry