Duck Hunt: Classic NES Series (GBA)


Depending on how well Duck Hunt does, Nintendo may release other Zapper games like Gumshoe!
With the success of the Classic NES Series you knew it was only a matter of time before Nintendo got around to the light gun game that started it all, Duck Hunt. That's right; it's the game that taught you how to hunt animals shrunk down for the Game Boy Advance portable gaming device. Now you can go anywhere and kill birds, even places you aren't allowed to carry guns.

The game itself comes with an extra adaptor that attaches to the end of your NES Zapper and allows you to connect it to the Game Boy Advance. This set up might not seem like the easiest at first, but it will give you a nice long cord that will make playing Duck Hunt simple and fun.

How simple? To be able to actually see where you're shooting you're going to have to stand pretty close, and since the gut is about the same size as the screen, chances are you're going to kill every duck on the first shot. Don't worry about aiming a little left or too far up, without fail you'll have a whole basket of ducks without even breaking a sweat. On my first time through I was able to cycle through every single level more than once, all while barely looking at the screen.

And better yet, with the addition of two player support a friend can poorly control the duck from his Game Boy Advance . what could be more fun than that? Watch as hours melt away as you go through dozens of levels that look exactly the same with a gun that is twice the size of your handheld.


When you have the two cords plugged in it gives you a range of 25 feet ... but only if you squint!
It wouldn't be Duck Hunt without the Clay Pigeons mode. In this part of the game you get two discs thrown towards you, and it's your job to get rid of both before they get out of range. Thankfully your NES Zapper helps in this situation too, since all you need to do is shoot once and both clay pigeons will break instantly . no matter how far apart they are. Impress your friends, use it on a date, but whatever you do, don't confuse it with real gun training.

One issue concerning this version of Duck Hunt is the price. While most of the Classic NES Series has carried a $20 MSRP, Duck Hunt will be ring up at a solid $30. Unfortunately this could not be helped thanks for the addition of the GBA to NES Zapper adaptor that is needed to play the game. On the positive side, this adaptor does allow you to play all your portable games with a control, finally allowing you to put down your portable and control it like a real game system.

Sadly the game does not come with any cheat codes so all you gamers will have to settle with playing it the hard way. We're hoping that this game will spur Nintendo to release other such titles, such as World Series Tournament that used the Power Pad or Gyromite that used R.O.B. We look forward to Nintendo's third line up of the Classic NES Series and know that Duck Hunt is only the beginning.