NES Action Set
The Zapper was originally included in the NES Action Set — Image: Zion Grassl / Time Extension

A man in South Carolina has been charged with holding up a convenience store with a NES Zapper, reports CNN.

25-year-old David Joseph Dalesandro is accused of robbing the Kwik Stop in Sharon, South Carolina, with the light gun, which has been spray-painted black, according to the York County Sheriff’s Office.

Dalesandro apparently walked into the store at 5:45PM on May 30th wearing a wig, hoodie and mask before showing the clerk the 'gun' and demanding money from the register. He was successful in robbing the store of around $300.

The spray-painted NES Zapper
The spray-painted Zapper used in the alleged robbery — Image: York County Sheriff's Office
David Joseph Dalesandro
David Joseph Dalesandro — Image: CNN / York County Sheriff's Office

He was later apprehended in a nearby Dollar General store parking lot and still had the Zapper on his person. Dalesandro will face the charges of armed robbery with a deadly weapon and petty larceny.

Known as the 'Video Shooting Series light gun' in Japan, the Zapper was designed by Gunpei Yokoi and Satoru Okada of Nintendo R&D1. It was compatible with a limited selection of games, the most famous of which is Duck Hunt.

[source yorkcountysheriff.com, via edition.cnn.com]