Duck Hunt

The iconic dog and duck duo from Nintendo's 1984 light gun shooter Duck Hunt and its various releases.

Games

1984–1990

Years

Platforms

$71.59

Ø CIB

+13.7%

24M change

About

Originally appearing in the 1984 NES classic Duck Hunt, this character entity consists of the laughing hunting dog and the ducks he helps the player retrieve. The character appeared across several versions of the game, including the arcade VS. Duck Hunt and the Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt compilation cartridge. The dog is famous for mocking players by laughing when they fail to shoot any ducks.

Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, the character's development stems from Nintendo's early light gun technology. The duo first appeared in the Japanese Famicom release Duck Hunt (1984) and the corresponding Game of Duck Hunt (1984) projection toy. As Nintendo transitioned to the Western market, the characters featured in the Duck Hunt Test Cartridge (1985) used by retailers to demonstrate the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Subsequent physical releases solidified their presence in gaming history, including the standard North American launch of Duck Hunt (1985) and its collectible Duck Hunt [5 Screw] (1985) variant. The characters also appeared in the widely distributed Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt (1985) bundle, as well as the unofficial VS Duck Hunt [Homebrew] (1985) adaptation. A later individual reissue, Duck Hunt (1987), sustained their prominence. Beyond these early iterations, the duo's legacy includes cameos in various Nintendo properties, eventually leading to their inclusion as a unified playable fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series, where they utilize attacks based on the NES Zapper accessory.