Duck Hunt
| Developer | Nintendo R&D1 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Release | 1984-04 (Famicom); 1985-10 (NES, North America) |
| Platforms | NES/Famicom, Nintendo VS. arcade, Wii U Virtual Console |
| Price model | Paid/included with hardware (historical) |
| Listed price (USD) | — |
| Modes | Single-player; a second player can control the duck in Game A |
| Status | Legacy; no official modern re-release |
| Setting | Duck blind and clay-pigeon range |
| Maps | 3 game modes (A, B, C) |
Duck Hunt is the NES light-gun game, and the reason “duck shooting online” still gets typed. Nintendo R&D1 developed it. Nintendo published it. Japan got it on Famicom in April 1984. North America got it in October 1985 as a launch title, often packed with the Zapper. There is also a Nintendo VS. arcade board.
Three modes and a gun that needs an old tube
Modes A, B, and C are the whole map list: duck blind rounds and a clay-pigeon range. A second player can fly the duck in Game A. The Zapper works by watching the television flash, which a CRT does and a modern flat panel does not. That is why a working original setup is a cartridge, the gun, and an old television. The Wii U Virtual Console re-release from 2014 can no longer be bought. Nintendo closed that eShop on 27 Mar 2023. No Switch SKU appears in these sources. Price is blank because there is no current sticker.
Browser “play Duck Hunt” pages are not an official port, and this guide does not embed them. The toy that points at a wall is hunting game projectors. The arcade descendant is Big Buck Hunter. The retro rack is classic hunting games.
FAQ
Why does the Zapper fail on a new TV?
The Zapper reads a flash of light from a CRT. LCD and OLED sets do not produce that flash the same way, so the gun cannot see the hit.
Can I buy Duck Hunt on Switch?
No Switch release is listed. The Wii U Virtual Console copy stopped being sold when that eShop closed on 27 Mar 2023.
Is a duck projector the same game?
No. Projector toys are a different product. See the projector page.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Duck Hunt — checked 2026-11-13
- Wikipedia: Zapper — checked 2026-11-13
- Nintendo eShop closure — checked 2026-11-13
- ESRB search — checked 2026-11-13
Updated 2026-11-13. Questions: [email protected].