data/claims/duck-hunt-history.yamlDuck Hunt (history and reception)
Game: Duck Hunt.
A retrospective catalog of Famicom software gives 21 April 1984 as the date Nintendo released Duck Hunt for the Famicom in Japan. duck-hunt-history/release-japan
PDF p. 123, ファミコンソフト完全目録, 1984 column, no. 013 — the text layer's reading of the row "013 1984/04/21 『ダックハント』 任天堂", which the scout checked on the page image; the catalog lists ROM cartridges in order of release0131984/04/21『ダックハントJ任天SOur translation013. 21 April 1984. Duck Hunt. Nintendo.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.The catalog is an unattributed retrospective mook with no publisher or year in the scan, and it names no source for its dates. No Nintendo or period source for the Japanese date was found.
Cited by: Duck Hunt
Duck Hunt came out for the NES in North America in October 1985. duck-hunt-history/release-na
PDF p. 4 — one row of the list's Title, Licensee, and Released columns; it gives a month, not a dayDuck Hunt Nintendo October 1985Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Disputed: Joe Blenkle's review of the console in Computer Entertainer's February 1986 issue says Nintendo of America introduced the NES, which came with Duck Hunt, to the New York City area "a little before Christmas, 1985" (computer-entertainer-1986-02, The Nintendo Entertainment System). No period document found gives the North American day.
Cited by: Duck Hunt
Duck Hunt was one of the two games that came with the NES, with Gyromite; Computer Entertainer called it "an old pizza parlor favorite" in February 1986. duck-hunt-history/pack-in
p. 12, The Nintendo Entertainment System, Superb Graphics and SoundThese include the two that come with the system: DUCK HUNT (an old pizza parlor favorite) and GYROMITE.Computer Entertainer, Vol. 4, No. 11 (February 1986) · p. 12, The Nintendo Entertainment System — the review's list of what the U.S. system includesa light gun, R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy), and two cartridge gamesRevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: States the pack-in with Gyromite as fact and dates Computer Entertainer's "old pizza parlor favorite" to February 1986.Cited by: Duck Hunt
From June 1986 the NES set with the Zapper, R.O.B., Duck Hunt, and Gyromite stayed on sale as the Deluxe Set, and the Duck Hunt Game Pak was sold separately for the first time, at a suggested price of $34.95. duck-hunt-history/sold-separately
p. 13, New Way to Buy Nintendo System — the OCR reads "frting" for "Starting" before itthis month, Nintendo will offer its system in a newComputer Entertainer, Vol. 5, No. 3 (June 1986) · p. 13, New Way to Buy Nintendo Systemcontrollers, Zapper light-sensing gun, R.O.B. videoComputer Entertainer, Vol. 5, No. 3 (June 1986) · p. 13, New Way to Buy Nintendo System — the OCR reads "rot" for "robot" and, on the next line, "cOinue" for "continue to be sold as the Nintendo Entertainment System Deluxe Set"rot and "Duck Hunt" and "Gyromite" Game Paks willComputer Entertainer, Vol. 5, No. 3 (June 1986) · p. 13, New Way to Buy Nintendo System"Duck Hunt" (MSR $34.95)Computer Entertainer, Vol. 5, No. 3 (June 1986) · p. 13, New Way to Buy Nintendo System — the OCR reads "Gie Paks" for "Game Paks"Paks will be available separately for the first time.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Duck Hunt
Nintendo of America later sold Duck Hunt on combined cartridges, with Super Mario Bros. from November 1988 and with Super Mario Bros. and World Class Track Meet from December 1990. duck-hunt-history/multicarts
PDF p. 12-in-1 Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt Nintendo November 1988NES Games (Nintendo of America release list) · PDF p. 1 — the row reads Nintendo, December 1990; in the text layer the neighbouring Super Spike V'Ball rows sit between the title and its month3-in-1 Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt/World Class Track MeetChecked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Duck Hunt
Nintendo's arcade flyer advertised Vs. Duck Hunt and Vs. Hogan's Alley as two games for its VS. System. duck-hunt-history/vs-arcade
p. 1 — the scan has no text layer; the scout read the line from the page imageVS. HOGAN'S ALLEY and VS. DUCK HUNT, two great games for the VS. SYSTEMRevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: Says what the flyer shows, two games for the VS. System, rather than how Nintendo sold them.The flyer prints no date, so it shows that the arcade version existed, not when it came out.
Cited by: Duck Hunt
Duck Hunt is a target-shooting game. A hunting dog flushes ducks out of the marsh, and the player shoots one duck at a time, two at a time, or, in the third game, clay pigeons. duck-hunt-history/premise
p. 2 (PDF p. 3), Object of the Game/Game DescriptionThis fast action target game takes you into the marshes with your trusted hunting dog at your side.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 2 (PDF p. 3), Object of the Game/Game DescriptionHe'll flush out your preyDuck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 2 (PDF p. 3), Object of the Game/Game Description — the text layer runs "clay shootingthe ultimate challenge!" togetherTake on one duck or two at a time, and then as a true test of marksmanship, try clay shootingThe Official Nintendo Player's Guide (1987) · p. 152, Duck HuntYour trusty hunting dog wades into the marshes to flush out your prey.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Duck Hunt
Duck Hunt is played with the Zapper light gun, plugged into the NES's second controller port. The manual gives the Zapper's range as about 6 feet and says shots may miss unless the TV's contrast and brightness are set properly. duck-hunt-history/zapper
p. 2 (PDF p. 3)This game requires the ZapperDuck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 4 (PDF p. 5)Insert the Zapper's connector into the Controller socket 2.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 6 (PDF p. 7), Operating the ZapperTarget range: approx. 6 feetDuck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 6 (PDF p. 7), Adjusting the TV screenThe TV screen must have its contrast and brightness adjusted properly for this game. If not, shots may not hit the targets.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.The manual adds that the range depends somewhat on the size of the TV.
Cited by: Duck Hunt
In Game A ducks fly up one at a time, and the player has three shots at each. A duck that gets away changes the sky's color and flies off, and the dog comes out and laughs. Off-colored blue or red ducks score a bonus. duck-hunt-history/game-a
p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game AIn this game you hunt ducks one at a time.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ayou only have three shots.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game A — the sentence goes on "used up, or when time has run out"A MISS occurs when all three shots areDuck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ahappens, the color of the sky changes , and the duckDuck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Aflies away. (The hound comes out and laughs atDuck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game ASometimes off-colored blue or off-colored red ducks appear. You get a bonus score for shooting these.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Duck Hunt
In Game A a round is 10 ducks. The pass line at the bottom of the screen sets how many must be hit to go on to the next round; fewer ends the game. In later rounds the ducks fly faster, and from the 10th round the pass line rises. duck-hunt-history/rounds
p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game AEach round ends after 10 ducks have flown out of the thicket. The PASS LINE at the bottom of the screen indicates the minimum number of ducks that must be hit to advance to the next roundDuck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ayou advance to the next round; otherwise, the game endsDuck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game AThe ducks fly faster, and the number of ducks in the PASS LINE increases as you advance to later rounds.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 9 (PDF p. 10), Advancing to the next round — the text layer reads "1Oth" for "10th"The minimum count on the PASS LINE gradually increases as the rounds advance (starting from the 1Oth round)Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: Scoped to Game A, and quoted "(starting from the 1Oth round)" for the pass line that rises from the 10th round.Cited by: Duck Hunt
Game A can be played by two: one player is the hunter, and the other steers the duck with the first controller's control pad, trying to dodge the shots until the sky changes color. duck-hunt-history/two-player
p. 8 (PDF p. 9), 2 PlayersGAME A can also be played with two players.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 8 (PDF p. 9), 2 PlayersOne player is the hunter. The other player controls the ducks horizontally and vertically with the control pad, trying to avoid the hunter's shots until the sky color changes.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 5 (PDF p. 6), controller 1Used with Game A for second player to control duck's flight pattern.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Duck Hunt
In Game B two ducks fly up at once, with three shots for the pair; it is for one player only. duck-hunt-history/game-b
p. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game BIn this game, two ducks fly up at the same time.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game BThis game can only be played with one player.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 9 (PDF p. 10), Shots — the text layer splits "per"Three shots pe r two ducksChecked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Duck Hunt
Game C is trapshooting: clay pigeons fly off two at a time, with three shots for the pair, and they shrink fast as they recede, so they are easier to hit close. duck-hunt-history/game-c
p. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game C (Clay Shooting)This game is a version of trapshooting.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game C (Clay Shooting)Clay pigeons spring out and fly away in the distance two at a time.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game C (Clay Shooting)The clay pigeons become small very quickly as they fly away. It is easier to shoot them when they are close.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 9 (PDF p. 10), ShotsThree shots per two clay pigeonsChecked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Duck Hunt
A hit's points depend on the round, and a round ended without a miss earns a PERFECT bonus. duck-hunt-history/scoring
p. 9 (PDF p. 10), ScoringPoints differ depending on the round.Duck Hunt NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 9 (PDF p. 10), ScoringA PERFECT bonus is awarded when a round is ended without a MISS.Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Duck Hunt
Duck Hunt is one of Nintendo's Light Gun Series; Nintendo's 1987 guide puts it on a page with Gumshoe and Wild Gunman. duck-hunt-history/light-gun-series
contents — the contents line gives p. 152DUCK HUNT-GUMSHOE-WILD GUNMANThe Official Nintendo Player's Guide (1987) · p. 152, Duck HuntLIGHT GUN SERIESRevised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: Keeps only the 1987 guide's page, at T2; the magazine's list moved out.Cited by: Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley
In February 1986 Computer Entertainer listed Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman as Nintendo's Light Gun Series, at $35. duck-hunt-history/light-gun-series-1986
p. 13, Nintendo UpdateHOGAN'S ALLEY and WILD GUNMAN (Light Gun Series at $35)Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-11-06: New T1 claim for Computer Entertainer's February 1986 Light Gun Series list, split from the T2 claim.Cited by: Duck Hunt
Joe Blenkle's review of the NES in Computer Entertainer, February 1986, said both games that came with the system, Duck Hunt and Gyromite, have superb graphics and sound, with graphics better than the ColecoVision's. He described the dog as a "disrespectful mutt" that laughs hysterically at a miss. The review rated the system, not the game. duck-hunt-history/review-computer-entertainer
p. 12, The Nintendo Entertainment SystemBoth games that come with the system feature superb graphics and sound. The graphics are better than the old ColecoVision systemComputer Entertainer, Vol. 4, No. 11 (February 1986) · p. 12, The Nintendo Entertainment System, Duck Hunting with Light Gundisrespectful mutt laughs hysterically if you miss the duck.Computer Entertainer, Vol. 4, No. 11 (February 1986) · p. 12, end of The Nintendo Entertainment System — the rating and price are the system's; the review is signed "Joe Blenkle"Recommended. (MSR $159.95)Checked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.Cited by: Duck Hunt
IGN's Top 100 NES Games ranks Duck Hunt 77th and calls it "a game no one bought, but everyone had": bundled with the NES, it became one of the console's most widespread games. The list adds that nearly all modern televisions make it unplayable. duck-hunt-history/ign-standing
list sidebar77 Duck HuntTop 100 NES Games: 19, Castlevania · Duck Hunt entryA game no one bought, but everyone had.Top 100 NES Games: 19, Castlevania · Duck Hunt entryas a bundled-in offering with the NES made it one of the most proliferated games on the consoleTop 100 NES Games: 19, Castlevania · Duck Hunt entryvirtually all televisions today render the game unplayableChecked by a second AI model, 2026-11-06.The list is undated; the pinned copy was archived in October 2017.
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