| 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. | p. 2 (PDF p. 3), Object of the Game/Game Descriptionp. 2 (PDF p. 3), Object of the Game/Game Descriptionp. 2 (PDF p. 3), Object of the Game/Game Description | Manual |
| 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. | p. 2 (PDF p. 3)p. 4 (PDF p. 5)p. 6 (PDF p. 7), Operating the Zapperp. 6 (PDF p. 7), Adjusting the TV screen | Manual |
| 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. | p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ap. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ap. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ap. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ap. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ap. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game A | Manual |
| 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. | p. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ap. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ap. 7 (PDF p. 8), Game Ap. 9 (PDF p. 10), Advancing to the next round | Manual |
| 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. | p. 8 (PDF p. 9), 2 Playersp. 8 (PDF p. 9), 2 Playersp. 5 (PDF p. 6), controller 1 | Manual |
| In Game B two ducks fly up at once, with three shots for the pair; it is for one player only. | p. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game Bp. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game Bp. 9 (PDF p. 10), Shots | Manual |
| 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. | p. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game C (Clay Shooting)p. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game C (Clay Shooting)p. 8 (PDF p. 9), Game C (Clay Shooting)p. 9 (PDF p. 10), Shots | Manual |
| A hit's points depend on the round, and a round ended without a miss earns a PERFECT bonus. | p. 9 (PDF p. 10), Scoringp. 9 (PDF p. 10), Scoring | Manual |