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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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