Duck Hunt

This article is about the character. For the stage, see Duck Hunt (stage). For the game, see Duck Hunt (game).

Duck Hunt
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate artwork
First appearance	Duck Hunt (1984)
Latest appearance	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)
In-universe information
Species	Dog Duck
Super Smash Bros. appearances Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (unlockable) Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (unlockable) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (unlockable)
Special moves Standard:  Trick Shot Side:  Clay Shooting Up:  Duck Jump Down:  Wild Gunman Final Smash:  NES Zapper Posse

“Duck Hunt Takes Aim!”

– Introduction tagline, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

Duck Hunt (known as Duck Hunt Duo and variations thereof in European languages, and individually referred to as Dog and Duck) is the name that refers to the playable tag team of a hunting dog and a duck in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. True to their team name, the dog and duck are from the Nintendo Entertainment System video game Duck Hunt. In addition to their appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series, the dog and variants of the duck have made other crossover guest appearances within the Mario franchise in other instances, mainly within the WarioWare series.

History

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U artwork

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, 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.

For their stage entrance, the dog leaps into an 8-bit sprite of grass with the duck on his back before they both rise from the grass while the dog performs his signature laugh. 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.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Duck Hunt return as unlockable veterans in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For their transition, Duck Hunt 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".

Classic Mode route

Dog, Duck, Zapper
Round	Opponent(s)	Rule	Stage	Song
1	Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong		Kongo Jungle	Swinger Flinger
2	Sonic		Windy Hill Zone	Wonder World
3	Fox, Falco, Wolf		Garden of Hope	Garden of Hope
4	Giant King K. Rool		Kongo Falls	Snakey Chantey
5	Mii Brawler ×2, Mii Gunner ×2, Mii Swordfighter	Horde Battle	Green Greens	Floral Fields
6	Duck Hunt ×6		Living Room	Duck Hunt Medley (for 3DS / Wii U)
Final	Rathalos			Roar/Rathalos

Other crossover appearances

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 original NES game, with the player using the Game Boy Advance to shoot ducks.

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.

WarioWare: Touched!

While the dog does not appear in WarioWare: Touched! at all, the Duck Hunt microgame uses clay pigeons from Duck Hunt's Game C. The original sprites of the ducks are also occasionally released from the ball in the microgame Clawing for More after clearing it.

WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase

The Duck Hunt microgame returns in the WiiWare game WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase, and utilizes the Wii Remote's motion controls.

Tetris DS

Gameplay of Duck Hunt can be seen on the Nintendo DS's 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.

Pixels

In Pixels, the dog appears as a trophy awarded by the aliens for defeating the Centipede army in London.

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.

Profiles and statistics

Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy

Name	Image	Game	Description
Ducks		Duck Hunt 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 sticker

Name	Image	Game	Effect	Usable by
Duck		Duck Hunt	Launch Resistance +20	Ice Climbers, Pit, Mr. Game & Watch, R.O.B.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U trophies

Name	3DS trophy	Wii U trophy	Category	Appears in	Trophy Box	Description
Duck Hunt			Fighter	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!
Duck Hunt (Alt.)			Fighter	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 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!

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U-exclusive trophies

Name	Image	Category	Appears in	Trophy Box	Description
Dog		Stage	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!
Duck		Stage	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.

Palutena's Guidance

• Pit: I don't want to fight that cute dog!
• Palutena: Oh, you won't. You'll be fighting the dog AND the duck.
• Pit: So...if I win... is duck on the menu for dinner?!
• Palutena: Let's take things one step at a time, Pit. These two may seem like a duo, but they're actually a trio! Together, they're known as "Duck Hunt."
• Pit: So where's the third team member?
• Palutena: Listen, just be careful. You could get shot out of nowhere.
• Pit: A mysterious sharpshooter, eh? Well, that does make things more exciting!

amiibo

• These two were the stars of the NES launch title Duck Hunt, way back in 1985. This goofy dog would chase down any ducks hit by the Zapper accessory, but wasn’t shy about laughing at missed shots. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, these two work as a team to fight. Quack! Bark? Both!

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Spirit

No.	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 series	Fighter	N/A	N/A	Classic Mode as Duck Hunt	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Super Smash Blog bio

• This duo excels at long-range attacks, like kicking exploding cans and throwing clay pigeons. For their Final Smash, three games from the Light Gun Series team up: Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley, and Wild Gunman!

Gallery

• 

  A promotional photo of Duck Hunt featuring Pit, Mario, Samus and Sonic

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  Duck Hunt in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

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  Duck Hunt using Wild Gunman in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

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  A close-up of Duck Hunt in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

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  Duck Hunt using their forward tilt attack alongside three Falcos in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

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  Two Duck Hunts alongside Kirby, who copied one of them, in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

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  Duck Hunt using NES Zapper Posse in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ダックハント Dakku Hanto	Duck Hunt
Chinese	獵鴨狗 Lièyā Gǒu 打獵 (Traditional) 打猎 (Simplified) Dǎliè (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)	Duck-Hunting Dog Lit. "to hunt"
Dutch	Duck Hunt-duo	Duck Hunt Duo
French (American)	Duck Hunt
French (Europe)	Duo Duck Hunt	Duck Hunt Duo
German	Duck Hunt Duo	Duck Hunt Duo
Italian	Duo Duck Hunt	Duck Hunt Duo
Korean	덕 헌트 Deok Heonteu	Duck Hunt
Portuguese	Duo Duck Hunt	Duck Hunt Duo
Russian	Дуэт Duck Hunt Duet Duck Hunt	Duck Hunt Duo
Spanish (Americas)	Duck Hunt
Spanish (Europe)	Dúo Duck Hunt	Duck Hunt Duo