User:Nintendo101/grid
| Light Gun Series | |
|---|---|
 Photographed display from the Famicom 20th Anniversary (2004) | |
| First installment | Wild Gunman (1984) |
| Latest installment | Hogan's Alley (1984) |
| Related franchises | Barker Bill's Trick Shooting, Gumshoe, To the Earth |
The Light Gun Series is a small series of shooting games developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 for the Family Computer in 1984. They were controlled using the pistol-shaped Famicom Light Gun, one of the first peripherals every released for a home console. Its American equivalency is the NES Zapper, a vaguely science-fiction-styled gun released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The most recognizable and seminal of Famicom Light Gun Series games, Duck Hunt, was a launch title for the NES and was partially attributed to the consoles early success in the United States. It was often bundled with Super Mario Bros., sometimes on the same cartridge.
While Nintendo did not develop many games that utilized the Famicom Light Gun, the three initial titles - Wild Gunman, the aforementioned Duck Hunt, and Hogan's Alley - have been regularly alluded to in Nintendo's more recent products. Within the Super Mario franchise, this has chiefly been within the microgames hosted by gaming enthusiast 9-Volt in the WarioWare series.
Overview
- Built around using the Famicom Light Gun by Nintendo R&D; the US equivalency is the NES Zapper
- Derived from similar arcade games from decades prior, some of which were developed by Nintendo themselves
- Duck Hunt in particular is a seminal title
Recurring crossover subjects
Dog
Ducks
History in the Super Mario franchise
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Maker
In Super Mario Maker, Duck Hunt make an appearance as a Mystery Mushroom costume, which plays sound effects from Duck Hunt for certain actions. Upon transforming into Duck Hunt, the perfect score tune plays, and whenever they jump, the dog barks. If they fall into a pit or lava, the dog's laughter can be heard. The costume can be unlocked by scanning the Duck Hunt amiibo, or unlocked randomly after completing the 100 Mario Challenge on the Normal setting or higher.
Wrecking Crew
I believe a VS. Duck Hunt was bundled with a cabinet at one point.
WarioWare series
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
In WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, a microgame called Duck Hunt appears, and has overall the same gameplay as the Game A and B modes of the original NES game, with the player using the Game Boy Advance to shoot ducks. Only the black variant of the ducks appears and they lack their diagonal flying sprites. Unlike the original game, the dog immediately pops out of the grass to laugh after missing a shot. The sprites that appear when the dog hold up the ducks have been altered to use graphics from his laughing sprites. When being held up by the dog, the ducks' eyes have been changed to be closed. Arrangements of "Title BGM" and "Got a Duck!" play in the microgame.
The Wild Gunman microgame is based on the Game A mode of Wild Gunman. The player must shoot the gunman after they exclaim "Fire!!" but before they shoot their own weapon. Shooting too early incurs a foul and also causes the player to lose. The microgame includes the bandana-wearing gunman, the black-suited gunman, and the orange coat-wearing gunman in the first, second, and third difficulty levels, respectively. When the first gunman is defeated, he falls onto his back like the original game. Defeating the second gunman makes his pants fall down, adapting the defeat pose of the lanky gunman. Defeating the third gunman makes his hat fly off, adapting the defeat pose of the black-suited gunman. Compared to the original game, the user interface has been simplified to only include the player's and gunman's quickshooting time. Arrangements of the music tracks "Gunman at the Ready", "YOU WON!!", "FOUL!!", and "YOU LOST!!" play in this microgame.
The Hogan's Alley microgame is based on the Game A mode of Hogan's Alley. The player is tasked with shooting the panels with the gangsters on them. All of the panels except for the Professor appear. The graphics have been simplified to remove the spaces where the "MISS!" text appear in the original game. Instead, shooting the Lady or Policeman makes the "MISS" text appear above the gun. The background also turns red when shooting the Lady or Policeman or failing to shoot all the gangsters in time, unlike the original game where the background turns blue and area around the panels turn red. An arrangement of "Title BGM" plays during the microgame.
WarioWare: Twisted!
A Duck Hunt microgame similar to the one from WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! appears in WarioWare: Twisted!, this time using the Game Boy Advance cartridge's tilt sensor to aim. Changes have been made to make the microgame more accurate to the original game. Sound effects from the original game now play, including the dog's barks and laugh, the ducks' quacks, flapping, and falling sound, and the gun's shooting sound. The background turns black when shooting, and the head of the dog when he is presenting the ducks better resembles the one from the original game. The arrangements of "Title BGM" and "Got a Duck!" are also more faithful. However, when the dog holds up ducks, the one in his left hand has dark brown feathers instead of black feathers.
WarioWare: Touched!
While the dog does not appear in WarioWare: Touched! at all, the Duck Hunt microgame is based on Duck Hunt's Game C mode. The player must tap on the clay pigeons to break them. Despite being present, the shot counter does not factor into the gameplay, so the player has unlimited tries to break the clay pigeons until the microgame ends. "Game C Start" plays during the microgame. The original sprites of the ducks are also occasionally released from the ball in the microgame Clawing for More after clearing it.
The Game B mode of Hogan's Alley is adapted in the Hogan's Alley microgame. The player has to shoot the panels depicting the gangsters as they emerge from the environment. Scenes 1, 2, and 3 from the original game appear in the first, second, and third difficulty levels, respectively. The panels depicting the Policeman and Professor are excluded. "Title BGM" and "Miss" play in the microgame.
Likewise, Game C mode of Hogan's Alley is adapted in the Gunslinger boss microgame. Like the original mode, the player has to shoot the cans onto the platforms. The platform that gives the player 100 points has been removed. After doing that, the player has to destroy the barrels original to this microgame. In the Japanese version, the box art for the Kousenjuu Series Gun appears on the top screen. In the first level difficulty, the player has to shoot three cans, two cans fewer than the original game. After destroying the barrels, the text "SHARPSHOOTER!" appears. In the original game, this text appears after clearing five rounds. In the second level difficulty, the player has to shoot five cans and the text "SUPER SHARPSHOOTER!" appears at the end. This text appears in the original game when the player clears ten rounds. In the third level difficulty, the platform that gives 300 points has been sealed off and the text "ULTRA SHARPSHOOTER!" appears at the end. This text was invented for the game. While shooting the cans, a looping version of "Instruction BGM" plays. When the barrels appear, the music transitions into a full band arrangement. The Turntable souvenir plays this arrangement after playing the original "Instruction BGM". Its associated picture shows Gangster A and Lady in Scene 3.
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
While Laser Clay Shooting from WarioWare: Smooth Moves is based on Duck Hunt's predecessor, Kōsenjū Duck Hunt, the gun shooting sound and duck quacks are taken from Duck Hunt.
WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase
WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase has a new Duck Hunt microgame based on the Game A and B modes. It utilizes the Wii Remote's motion controls and therefore more closely matches the game it is based on. The player has to click on the three ducks to shoot them down, unlike the original game where up to two ducks can fly up at a time. The first two are black ducks while the third is an orange duck that flies faster. Shooting down all three ducks makes the dog pop out of the grass to hold up one, while missing at least one of them makes the dog pop up to laugh. This is unlike the original game where the dog hold up the ducks the player did not miss. The user interface has been adapted to only feature the hit indicator. An arrangement of "Title BGM" plays in this microgame.
There is also a new Wild Gunman microgame based on the Game A mode. The player faces against either the bandana-wearing gunman or the black-suited gunman. Shooting too early makes the gunman say "YOU LOST!!" rather than "FOUL!!" An arrangement of "Gunmen on the Move" plays in this microgame.
WarioWare Gold
WarioWare Gold includes the Duck Hunt microgame from WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase, but the game uses the Touch Screen instead of motion controls. Unlike its previous counterpart, the player has a limited number of shots based on the number of ducks that appear. The black, blue, and red ducks are featured in the first, second, and third difficulty levels, respectively. While mostly accurate to the original game, there are some differences. In the third level difficulty, one of the ducks fly in from the sky rather than from the grass. The "SHOT" text disappears rather than blinking after using all of the shots. When the ducks fly away after missing one shot, the "FLY AWAY" text box does not appear and the sky stays pink when the dog come up to laugh. "Title BGM" and "Got a Duck!" play in this microgame.
While Clawing for More returns, the microgame has a new visual theme and does not include duck sprites.
WarioWare: Move It!
WarioWare: Move It! features another microgame titled Hogan's Alley based on the Game A mode. The player has to use the Joy-Cons to turn over the panels that depict the gangsters. Unlike the original game, only two panels appear in single-player, four panels appear in multi-player, and the timer at the top counts down instead of staying static. After flipping over the correct panels in the first and second difficulty levels, the text "SHARPSHOOTER!" appears. This text appears after 15 rounds in the original game. In the third level difficulty, "SUPER SHARPSHOOTER" appears. This text appears after 30 rounds in the original game. The music track "Sharpshooter" plays after succeeding while "Miss" plays after failing.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
After completing Chapter 6: 3 Days of Excess in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, a green Toad child may appear in the dining car and say, "Ka-BLOWIE! Pa-KOWWWW! I'm a wild gunman! Yeah, like a bounty hunter or somethin'! And I've got Gonzales the supervillain in my sights! Freeze, sucka! Ka-POW!"
Mario Party: Island Tour
The American English names for the minigames Deck Hunt and Mild Gunman in Mario Party: Island Tour are named after Duck Hunt and Wild Gunman, respectively.
Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
In Yoshi's Woolly World, scanning a Duck Hunt amiibo unlocks the "Duck Hunt Yoshi" design in the amiibo Hut. The Yarn Yoshi resembles the dog while its shell resembles the duck. This design was carried over into the Nintendo 3DS port Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the duck appears on paintings in Punch-Out Pizzeria and on a wooden sign in Brooklyn. This sign reads "Chasse au Canard", a French translation of "Duck Hunt". A painting of the Duck Hunt dog appears in concept artwork for the Brooklyn couple's apartment.[1]
Tetris DS
Gameplay of Duck Hunt can be seen on the Nintendo DS' top screen in stage 19 of Standard Marathon mode in Tetris DS, where the dog and duck make a cameo. The dog also appears as a sprite on the touch screen during this stage.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Melee
A trophy depicting two ducks from Duck Hunt appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
| Trophy Duck Hunt | ||
| ||
| Game/move: Balloon Fight 10/85 | ||
| These friendly fowl are the targets in the game Duck Hunt, which utilizes the Nintendo Zapper Light Gun. They appear and randomly fly about trying to escape after your faithful (if slightly clamorous) hunting dog flushes them out. Once you drop the ducks, your dog dutifully fetches them by the napes of their necks and grins at you. | ||
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Stickers of a Duck Hunt duck and a gunman from Wild Gunman appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
| Name | Image | Artwork from | Effect in The Subspace Emissary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck | 
|
Duck Hunt | Launch Resistance +20 Usable by: Ice Climbers, Mr. Game & Watch, Pit, R.O.B. |
| Wild Gunman | 
|
Wild Gunman | [Specials: Indirect] - Attack +5 Usable by: Ice Climbers, Mr. Game & Watch, Pit, R.O.B. |
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
- SmashWiki article: Duck Hunt (SSB4)
Duck Hunt appear as unlockable newcomers in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Although they fight as a duo,[2] Duck Hunt do not truly adhere to the tag team archetype first used by the Ice Climbers and perpetuated by Rosalina & Luma. This is due to the duck's own hurtbox being directly next to the dog's hurtbox at almost all times. Duck Hunt's moveset largely consists of moves based around the NES Zapper and games that use it, particularly Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman, while incorporating physical attacks from both the dog and duck.
Duck Hunt's standard special move is Trick Shot, in which the dog kicks a tin can from Hogan's Alley forward that can be subsequently fired at with the Zapper. Their side special move is Clay Shooting, in which the dog throws out a clay pigeon from Duck Hunt's Game C that will then explode upon being fired at by the Zapper. Their up special is Duck Jump, in which the duck flies upward while carrying the dog. Their down special is Wild Gunman, which spawns one of the five titular gunmen to attack. Lastly, their Final Smash is NES Zapper Posse, which consists of a flock of ducks from Duck Hunt ramming the opponent into a field before the gunmen from Wild Gunmen fire at them and the cutouts from Hogan's Alley.
In regard to character customization, Duck Hunt are the only fighters who can use the Collar and Feather equipment to boost their defense and speed, respectively. The duo can also use the Zapper equipment to boost their attack strength, which is another reference to their home game. A Duck Hunt-themed stage simply called Duck Hunt also appears in both games. In the stage, the sprite versions of the dog and the ducks appear, even if Duck Hunt themselves are fighting on the stage. In addition, Duck Hunt are the only playable characters in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U to break the fourth wall in their trailer.
Trophies
- Nintendo 3DS
| # | Name | Image | Category | American English Description | British English Description | Unlock Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duck Hunt Duck Hunt Duo |
|
Fighter | You could call these two the stars of the NES 1985 launch title Duck Hunt. The goofy dog would chase down any ducks hit by the Zapper. In Smash Bros., these two work as a team to fight. When a can or a clay pigeon is in play, hit the button again to fire at it. Show your foes how the ducks felt! | Back in 1987, when Duck Hunt came out, these two might not have had the best relationship. That all seems to have changed now, and this unlikely pair are here to fight together. After throwing a can or a clay pigeon, press the button again to have a little helper fire the NES Zapper for extra damage! | Clear Classic with Duck Hunt. |
| 2 | Duck Hunt (Alt.) Duck Hunt Duo (Alt.) |
|
Fighter | Duck Jump, an up special, has the charming twosome float up in an adorable fashion. It also makes getting back to the stage much easier. Their side smash can hit up to three times at close range, depending on your shooting skills. By charging up the attack, you can increase the range even further! | Duck Jump Duo, an up special, has the charming twosome float up in an adorable fashion. It also makes getting back to the stage much easier. Their side smash can hit up to three times at close range, depending on your shooting skills, and by charging up the attack, you can increase the range even further! | Clear All-Star with Duck Hunt. |
| 3 | Wild Gunmen | 
|
Fighter Related | A gang of five outlaws from the Wild West, these fellows are quick to brandish their pistols. In fact, the moment they hear "Fire!" they start shooting. A member of the gang will show up whenever Duck Hunt does a down special move. Watch out for the gang's leader—he's quick! | A group of five quick-drawin' outlaws from the American frontier. The second they hear "FIRE!", they'll whip out their trusty pistols and start shooting. A member of the gang'll show up whenever the Duck Hunt Duo uses a down special move. Keep an eye out for the fastest of these rapscallions – that one's their boss! | Random |
- Wii U
| # | Trophy | Category | Appears In | Trophy Box | American English Description | British English Description | Unlock Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duck Hunt Duck Hunt Duo 
|
Fighter | NES Duck Hunt (10/1985) | 74: Light Gun Series | You could call these two the stars of the NES 1985 launch title Duck Hunt. The goofy dog would chase down any ducks hit by the Zapper. In Smash Bros., these two work as a team to fight. When a can or a clay pigeon is in play, hit the button again to fire at it. Show your foes how the ducks felt! | Back in 1987, when Duck Hunt came out, these two might not have had the best relationship. That all seems to have changed now, and this unlikely pair are here to fight together. After throwing a can or a clay pigeon, press the button again to have a little helper fire the NES Zapper for extra damage! | Clear Classic with Duck Hunt. |
| 2 | Duck Hunt (Alt.) Duck Hunt Duo (Alt.) TrophyWiiU.png)
|
Fighter | NES Duck Hunt (10/1985) | - | Duck Jump, an up special, has the charming twosome float up in an adorable fashion. It also makes getting back to the stage much easier. Their side smash can hit up to three times at close range, depending on your shooting skills. By charging up the attack, you can increase the range even farther! | Duck Jump Duo, an up special, has the charming twosome float up in an adorable fashion. It also makes getting back to the stage much easier. Their side smash can hit up to three times at close range, depending on your shooting skills, and by charging up the attack, you can increase the range even further! | Purchase at the Trophy Shop for 1000G, after clearing Classic with Duck Hunt. |
| 3 | NES Zapper Posse
|
Final Smash | - | 74: Light Gun Series | In this Final Smash, three games from the Light Gun Series team up: Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley, and Wild Gunman. A flock of ducks fly by, warping anyone they hit to the Wild West. There, a posse of gunmen will use foes for target practice! If the ducks don't hit anyone, though, nothing happens besides some birds passing through. | In this Final Smash, three games from the Light Gun Series team up: Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman. It warps its victims to the Wild West, where a posse of gunmen are waiting to use them for target practice! But if the ducks that fly past at the start don't hit anyone, it'll be nothing but a flock of ducks passing by. | Clear All-Star with Duck Hunt. |
| 4 | Wild Gunmen
|
Fighter Related | NES Wild Gunman (10/1985) | 74: Light Gun Series | A gang of five outlaws from the Wild West, these fellows are quick to brandish their pistols. In fact, the moment they hear "Fire!" they start shooting. A member of the gang will show up whenever Duck Hunt does a down-special move. Watch out for the gang's leader—he's quick! | A group of five quick-drawin' outlaws from the American frontier. The second they hear "FIRE!", they'll whip out their trusty pistols and start shooting. A member of the gang'll show up whenever the Duck Hunt Duo uses a down special move. Keep an eye out for the fastest of these rapscallions – that one's their boss! | Random |
| 5 | Clay Pigeon
|
Fighter Related | NES Duck Hunt (10/1985) | 74: Light Gun Series | A small, white disc used as a target in the Clay Shooting mode in Duck Hunt. In Smash Bros., Duck Hunt's default side special launches a clay pigeon through the air. It doesn't do much damage if it hits, but you can press the button again to shoot at it. The first two shots will narrowly miss, but you know what they say: "third time's a charm!" | A small white disc used as a target in the Clay Shooting mode in Duck Hunt. In this game, Duck Hunt Duo's main side special launches a clay pigeon through the air. It doesn't do much damage if it hits, but you can press the button again to shoot at it. The first two shots might miss, but you know what they say: "third time lucky"! | Random |
| 6 | Can
|
Fighter Related | NES Duck Hunt (10/1985) | 74: Light Gun Series | Empty cans just like this appeared in the NES game Hogan's Alley. In the Trick Shot mode, you got points depending on which area you knocked them into. In Smash Bros., Duck Hunt's default standard special sends a can flying in an arc. It'll explode if it hits an opponent, or you can press the special button again to shoot at it. | Empty cans just like this appeared in the NES game Hogan's Alley. In the Trick Shot mode, you got points depending on which area you knocked them into. In this game, Duck Hunt Duo's main standard special sends a can flying in an arc. It'll explode if it hits an opponent, or you can press the special button again to shoot at it. | Random |
| 7 | Dog
|
Stage | NES Duck Hunt (10/1985) | 74: Light Gun Series | In the NES game Duck Hunt, the dog is your trusty hunting partner. He scares the ducks and then picks up the ones you hit. If you don't hit any, though, he'll laugh at you. So much for man's best friend... In the Duck Hunt stage in this game, he'll occasionally pop up in his 8-bit glory and let you use him as a platform! | In the NES game Duck Hunt, the dog is your trusty hunting partner. He scares the ducks, then picks up the ones you hit. If you don't hit any, though, he'll laugh at you. So much for man's best friend, eh? In the Duck Hunt stage in this game, he'll occasionally pop up in his 8-bit glory and let you use him as a platform! | Random |
| 8 | Duck Ducks 
|
Stage | NES Duck Hunt (10/1985) | 74: Light Gun Series | In the classic NES game Duck Hunt, you hunt, er...ducks. The dog flushes them into the air, and then you aim and fire. Taking down ducks gets you points in the Duck Hunt stage in this game too. It has no effect on the battle, but the alternative Duck Hunt action might be a refreshing change from constantly punching your friends in the face. | In the classic NES game Duck Hunt, you...hunt, er...ducks. The dog chases them into the air, then you aim and fire. Taking down ducks gets you points in the Duck Hunt stage in this game, too. It has no effect on the battle, but the alternative Duck Hunt action might be a refreshing change to constantly punching your friends in the face. | Random |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- SmashWiki article: Duck Hunt (SSBU)
Duck Hunt return as unlockable veterans in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In the transition to Ultimate, they received noticeable improvements to their moveset and the dog can run faster, although they are now noticeably lighter. The dog is also much more vocal, as he barks and yelps in a number of instances instead of solely during their star KO animation. Along with several other characters, Duck Hunt retain their victory theme from the previous game, albeit sped up.
Duck Hunt reappear in Banjo & Kazooie's announcement trailer "Best Friends", with a similar role to King Dedede in the King K. Rool announcement trailer, "The Rivals". They first appear in silhouette and resemble Banjo & Kazooie. When they reveal themselves, the dog performs animations styled after his laughing and caught duck sprites from Duck Hunt. In the dog's laughing pose, the duck is standing on the dog's back, also laughing. The two are then knocked away by Banjo & Kazooie.
| # | Name | Image | Series / game | Type | Class | Strength / effect(s) | How to obtain | Spirit battle | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent(s) | Battle conditions | Stage | Song | ||||||||
| 974 | Duck Hunt Duck Hunt Duo |
|
Duck Hunt Series | Fighter | N/A | N/A | Classic Mode as Duck Hunt | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 975 | Wild Gunman | 
|
Wild Gunman | Primary (3) | Advanced | Attack | World of Light (Dark Realm); Spirit Board | Duck Hunt ×5 | Rule: Temporary Invincibility; Item: Shooting Types
|
Gerudo Valley (Ω) | Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger |
| 976 | Gangster, Lady, & Policeman | 
|
Hogan's Alley | Support (1) | Novice | Rage Blaster Equipped | World of Light (Mysterious Dimension); Spirit Board | Wolf, Peach, Ike |
|
Tomodachi Life (Battlefield) | Duck Hunt Medley |
Pixels
In Pixels, the dog appears as a trophy awarded by the aliens for defeating the Centipede army in London.
Gallery
Screenshots
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
WarioWare: Twisted!
WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: Touched!
WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase
WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
WarioWare: Move It!
References
- ^ GameXplain (April 23, 2023). Toadsworth & Toadette were in the Super Mario Bros. Movie?! Concept Art LEAK Reveals Cuts & Changes. YouTube. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ Super Smash Blog | 59: Duck Hunt
