Duck Hunt Flaps Into Virtual Reality

Duck Hunt was released more than 30 years ago for the Nintendo Entertainment System and a new fan project is ensuring that the classic game is being brought into modern times with virtual reality support.

New Jersey Institute of Technology computer science student Joseph Delgado, 21, attended the Global Game Jam 2016 and decided to update the venerated game. Built in a day, Delgado released gameplay footage on his YouTube channel earlier this week.

During the clip, Delgado explores the Hub Level he crafted before beginning his very one Duck Hunt adventure. Using a Razer Hydra controller kit that’s been connected to Delgado’s Oculus Rift Development Kit 2, the game is able to track his hand movements and, in turn, determine how the gun moves about in the game. Using a model he found on Thingiverse, Delgado 3D-printed a plastic head-mount for use with the controller. Details about the build are available in this blog post he wrote.

The objective is to shoot 10 ducks that fly about on-screen before they can escape in a 360-degree virtual world. The original game’s hunting dog is back to reward you for making a successful hit and to mock you when you fail. Delgado also included a seven-day challenge option for players, which will see the game become increasingly difficult with each passing day.

Also included is mini-game “Game C” in which players shoot clay targets in order to improve their marksmanship. Delgado hopes to port the game to HTC’s Vive VR platform and will launch the game for free in the hopes of avoiding a banhammer from Nintendo.