80%NES

8/10: A very fun game that tests your coordination and skill, and with a surprising amount of variety for a game released in this era.

40%NES

When examining the Nintendo Entertainment System's most iconic titles, Duck Hunt tends to stand out as an anomaly. By the numbers, it's the 2nd best selling game in the console's history, and by a large margin. Its closest competitor, Super Mario Bros. 3., is some 10 million-odd units behind. However, it's likely the bulk of those numbers came from its inclusion in many pack-in bundles, and it's impossible to know how many standalone copies the game sold. That's not to deny its popularity, though, because its arcade version, Vs. Duck Hunt, was consistently one of the highest grossing machines for the years following its release. And even as a standalone title released decades ago, it's still probably just as recognizable as it's ever been, surely helped by its inclusion in the most recent Super Smash Bros. games. For whatever reason, Duck Hunt exists outside of its limits as a simple score-attack game, and it often serves as an iconic representation of old school Nintendo design and innovation.

Certainly what made it as popular as it was in the 80's, and why so many remember it fondly now, was its novel use of light gun technology. While technically not the first application for at-home use, like quite a few other Nintendo games, it was the first time where it was highly successful in the mainstream. When it was new, it was technically impressive, and it retains a large amount of that spectacle today. Due to the nature of the technology, it's something that only works on CRT TVs, and you certainly lose some of that appeal if you try it on something like an emulator or a web browser. But if you manage to get your hands on one, or have the opportunity to try out the arcade version, Duck Hunt is a pretty neat game to try.

It's about as simple as games get; players have the option of shooting one or two ducks at a time with erratic flight patterns or clay pigeons that follow a relatively consistent path. Each passing round will have ducks or pigeons move faster and require more accuracy to move on. It's a typical arcade-style progression system that allows for a pretty quick burst of fun. Some of the first few rounds are a bit sluggish with pacing, but it gets much more enjoyable as the game picks up with intensity past round 10, where you can't afford many mistakes and you're constantly taking down targets. It has a degree of interactivity that makes it unique, and with so few light gun games being made today, that uniqueness has generally held up. It's largely spectacle, but even so, it still has some fun to offer for any potential newcomers.

Opinions are generally pretty varied on the NES Zapper's (the light gun accessory bundled with the game) accuracy, but the typical player should be able to get a few enjoyable games in before Duck Hunt starts to feel monotonous. Even as an early-era, score-attack-style game, it's pretty limited in what it has to offer. Repeat playthroughs are really where the tedious nature of the first few rounds can start to become more apparent, and it's disappointing that there's no variety in scenery as you progress through the levels, even if it was just cosmetic. Pardon the pun, but there's not a lot of meat on the bones of Duck Hunt, and while it can be fun to try to reach a new high score if you haven't played in a while, it's not something that is likely to hold your interest beyond your first few game overs. It's easy to see why this game flourished in the arcade space, but it lacks a lot of replayability that its contemporaries offer.

Just as Super Mario Bros. represented a rise in the popularity of side-scrolling platformers, Duck Hunt brought a fair degree of attention to the light gun shooter genre. Just like Duck Hunt, it's a genre that's mostly a relic of the past, but that almost makes games such as these even more enticing. It truly feels like something from another era, and for those first few plays, it's hard to deny its charm. There are certainly better in the genre, even from its time period, and it probably won't be long until you move on to something else. But not many are as iconic as Duck Hunt. It's certainly worth a shot.

50%NES

A simple game about shooting down ducks and clay pigeons. It was a novelty back in the day when you had to use the zapper that came with the console.

Things I liked about the game:
-the concept itself was neat and I felt nostalgic replaying this as an adult

Things I did not like about the game:
-the game does not have any meat on its bones, it is essentially a score attack game that has 3 modes, either 1 or 2 ducks and the clay pigeons, making this a one trick pony

Emulating this does not do it justice. Playing with a mouse definitely is lamer than playing it with the gun on an old TV, not to mention it was a hassle to get it to work with the mouse.

90%NES

Don't lie : this laughing dog haunts you.

85%NES

Exceptional Game feel with the Gun in hand. An excellent arcade experience.

60%NES

What can I say about Duck Hunt...? It's Duck Hunt? In all seriousness, it's a pretty fun classic to play nothing amazing by todays standards. If you ever get the chance to play this on an original NES on a CRT give it a go. This game is just simple to pick up and play.

90%NES

Era criança na época, me diverti demais, era o ápice da tecnologia pra mim naquela época, merece a nota pela inovação.

70%NES

Quando meu Top Game queimou definitivamente e o Jairo (da eletrônica) falou que não tinha mais conserto, eu ganhei um Phantom System, que veio com a pistola. Esse jogo veio junto com o videogame. Era divertido. Veio junto, ainda, um outro jogo de tiro (depois procuro o nome e coloco aqui).

60%Wii U

True Score: Debatable, but Around 60

50%NES

First of all, you need a tube TV for this to work with the Light Gun. Classic point and shoot fun to just break out and have some friends give it a go, even younger generations. Not much to it after a while, though.

60%NES

Fun game and the zapper is cool to play with, just not a ton of meat on the bones

50%NES

A solid and surprisingly accurate shoot ducks/disks and laugh about the dog laughing at you when you miss. Good stuff.

70%NES

So, is this game worth picking up in its standalone cartridge form? Only if you're looking to collect as many individual NES game cartridges as possible, because with Duck Hunt now being available as part of the 2-game combo cartridge Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt (and an even more rare 3-part cartridge that also includes World Class Track Meet), at least you're getting one extra game in the form of the all-time classic, Super Mario Bros. The SMB/DH combo, having sold extremely well as part of NES Action Set bundles is extremely cheap and probably even easier to come by than a standalone Duck Hunt cartridge, so that one would be my personal suggestion. Either way, Duck Hunt is a good time-waster that does well in all areas, despite its simplicity, and for fans of shooters, if you can overlook a few of the drawbacks mentioned in this review, it's definitely one to check out.