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Even though personal computers have been around for a very long time,
they really became popular in the 1980’s and have evolved into almost a
necessity of life for many people. However, video games really began
with the invention of the Atari video game system which would
eventually evolve into more in-depth and more powerful game systems.
One of the earliest hunting games developed was Duck Hunt which was
made for the Nintendo game system.
Duck Hunt required the use of a special Nintendo Zapper light gun that
plugged directly into the system. Players would then wait for ducks to
show up on the screen which looked like a field. When the ducks came
along, they would point and shoot. They were accompanied by a faithful
hunting dog who would laugh if the duck was missed and congratulate on
a successful shooting. The game also allowed players to shoot clay
pigeons if they chose.
There was really no ending in the Duck Hunt game, however there were
playing levels. Depending on how good the player got, he or she would
advance up to 99 levels at which point, the game would go to level 00.
At that level, no ducks would appear, but you would hear wings
flapping. After three times of no ducks appearing, the game would be
“over”.
After Duck Hunt, there were many other hunting video games that would
begin to emerge on the market including Deer Hunter, Big Game Hunter,
and Dangerous Hunts. Most of these games began for video game consoles
like Nintendo, but the computer industry would soon become more and
more involved as these games began to rise in popularity. While
opinions vary as to which hunting video game was the first one
developed for the home computer, many think that it was called “The
Hunting Game” and was made by Oquirrh Productions. The Hunting Game
allowed players to hunt for mule, deer, elk, and white tail deer from
48 separate locations. You were allowed to use a rifle, a bow, or a
muzzle loader to hunt your prey. You also could hunt for turkey or
water fowl from 18 separate locations.
When The Hunting Game first came onto the market, it caused quite a
stir among hunting enthusiasts as well as animal rights activists. In
fact, in many circles, the emergence of hunting video games brought
about much debate and controversy.
Those who enjoyed hunting in the “real world” found these new games
exciting and a great way to get some entertainment without leaving the
comfort of their own home. They saw the games as a great way to be able
to hunt animals they might never be able to do in real life such as
bears and moose.
After all, the average Midwestern hunter sees plenty of deer on hunting
expeditions, but their chances of hunting bear or elk is limited
without a trip someplace.
On the other hand, animal rights activists threw a fit over these games
because they perceived them as just another way to harm the animal
population and promote violence against our furry friends. Even though
the animals were just a bunch of coding made up by a software
programmer somewhere, they still felt that video games promoting
hunting only added to the real hunting of animals which they perceived
as wrong.
At any rate, the fact remained that hunting video games took the market
by storm and soon became some of the most popular selling games and
software around. Software developers began to make these games much
more challenging offering up different options for players that would
make the games more enjoyable.
Today, there are hundreds of hunting video games for enthusiasts to
choose from that have evolved into truly challenging games. Some may
think that a point and click game where you can “down” a virtual deer
might be a bit boring, but those who love these games disagree
wholeheartedly.
They provide not only entertainment, but also a way to hone their
hunting skills at any time of the day or night. When you spend a
certain amount of time honing your tracking skills on the computer,
chances are pretty good that you’ll be able to use those skills while
hunting for real.
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