The very first hunting game that was developed happened way back in the 1980’s and was called Duck Hunt.  It was developed for the Nintendo game system and was the first of its kind “back in the day”.  The game required a special controller that looked like a gun and you would shoot ducks with a special light that was programmed to respond with the system.  From the first day that Duck Hunt came on the scene, it became immensely popular with gamers.

The graphics in Duck Hunt were very basic, especially when compared to what we have today.  You had a basic outdoor setting with a few trees and bushes and the ducks would come into view from various angles so you could shoot them.  You also had the option of shooting clay pigeons with Duck Hunt as well.  You were accompanied by a nameless hunting dog that would laugh if you missed a bird and clap when you got one.

As you became better at shooting the ducks, you would move up levels in Duck Hunt up to level 99.  As with other early video games, there was not really a proper ending to speak of in Duck Hunt.  After the player had advanced to level 99, the next level would be 00.  At that level, you would hear the flapping of wings, but no ducks would emerge.  After ten non-duck appearances, the game would end.  A different version of this shows the dog laughing at the beginning of round "0" (rather than level "00"). The ducks then start appearing randomly in the background instead of flying in the normal manner; this happens 3 times. After that the dog keeps laughing until the words "game over" appear.

Pexels Tomasz Filipek

There were very few reviews done on the game Duck Hunt, but while it was initially popular with gamers early on, critics were not big fans.  One critic says that while the game is fun for a short time, eventually it became old after a few rounds of play.  Even so, players liked the way Duck Hunt played especially with the special gun controller because it simulated real life duck hunting.

Even though Duck Hunt was not especially advanced, it was at the time it was invented and it became the basis for some of the duck hunt games we have today.  Computer programmers discovered new technologies and applied them to video games so that now the options include real looking environments, choices of weapons, and more advanced levels that make the games much more challenging.  Duck Hunt began the video game hunting craze and helped it continue even today.