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OnPoint GunArena interview: The next step for arcade shooters

Forget the lightguns, UNIS and Taito are working together to bring a new level of realism to the arcade shooter genre.

Chris Jarrard

February 6, 2020 6:35 AM

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Arcade veterans Taito have pushed the arcade shooter into the next generation with the release of OnPoint, formerly known as GunArena. The game was initially released for Japanese arcades but is currently headed for North American arcades and entertainment centers thanks to a partnership with the folks at UNIS, who will be handling domestic distribution of the game.

While on location at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, the Shacknews Street Team got the chance to put their shooting skills to the test with OnPoint. They also got to speak with the team behind the rollout of the game for American audiences (who definitely love them some guns).

Unlike the popular arcade shooters of the past, OnPoint drops the classic lightgun controllers for a completely new approach. Players who step up to the cabinet pick up real Airsoft guns. These guns fire real 6mm Airsoft BBs and the game cabinet uses a special sensor to track the accuracy of the shots and translates them into the in-game action. The Airsoft pistols tethered to the cabinet very closely resemble the Glock 18C. 

A safety mechanism prevents the BBs from being fired from the pistols when the game is not actively being played. American audiences will also interact with cabinets that have been modified slightly from the original Japanese version. They include additional safety glass on the sides to prevent accidents. The Taito-developed software offers a variety of play modes like score attack, bottle breaking, and a darts-style game.

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Chris Jarrard

Contributing Tech Editor

Chris Jarrard likes playing games, crankin' tunes, and looking for fights on obscure online message boards. He understands that breakfast food is the only true food. Don't @ him.