History YMMV / DuckHunt

* AdaptationDisplacement: The game is actually based off of clay pigeon shooting gallery toys Nintendo made in the 60's and 70's. Perhaps one of the most potent instances of this trope - not only do most people not realize this game was based on a toy Nintendo used to produce, most people aren't even aware Nintendo produced toys in the first place.

* CatharsisFactor: Shooting the dog in ''Vs.'' bonus round will cut the round short, but is far more satisfying than the extra points you would have gotten from blasting ducks.

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments: Shooting the dog in ''Vs.'' bonus round.

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: The [[UnexpectedCharacter unexpected appearance]] of the Dog (and to a lesser extent, the duck) in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' as a playable character. The two of them got an inventive moveset that involves references to many of the games that made use of the NES Zapper, which made people start to warm up to the dog after nearly 3 decades of scrappiness. It probably helps that people can finally vent their frustrations on him without being reprimanded.
* TheScrappy: The dog is hated by many players who played this game for one simple fact: It does a mocking laugh if you fail to shoot one duck. It is [[DesignatedHero meant to be the player's hunting companion]] who drives the ducks out of their hiding spots and collect the dead ones for you. Normally, you expect the dog to be disappointed or sad since its efforts was all for naught (and thus makes you feel guilty). But instead, it laughs ''at'' you for missing and given that each round has the ducks [[DifficultyByAcceleration fly faster and more sporadic]], you will [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption experience this moment eventually]]. This led many players wanting to shoot the dog for being a poor sport, and some even believe the dog was never on your side, instead conspiring with the ducks to make your life miserable.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: This was one of only three games Nintendo made for Zapper in Japan (the other two being ''VideoGame/HogansAlley'' and ''VideoGame/WildGunman''), none of which were especially big hits. In the United States, ''Duck Hunt'' was bundled with almost every configuration of the NES, leading it to become an enormous success (only surpassed by its fellow pack-in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'') and Nintendo and third parties to make more Zapper games exclusively for the American maret.