Duck Hunt (SSB4)

This article is about Duck Hunt's appearance in Super Smash Bros. 4. For the character in other contexts, see Duck Hunt. For other uses, see Duck Hunt (disambiguation).

Duck Hunt in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Duck Hunt
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	NES Zapper Posse
Tier	G (43/44)

“	Duck Hunt Takes Aim!	”
—Introduction tagline

Duck Hunt (ダックハント, Duckhunt), or Duck Hunt Duo in the PAL version, are newcomers in Super Smash Bros. 4. Aside from their titular game, Duck Hunt also references other NES light-gun games by having special moves that use the gunmen from Wild Gunman and a can from Hogan's Alley. Initially leaked as part of the ESRB leak prior to the release of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Duck Hunt were formally revealed and received a trailer on November 5th, 2014 during a Nintendo Direct presentation.

Duck Hunt are tied with Little Mac for 43rd/44th place on the tier list, placing them in the G tier and thus making them and Mac the second lowest ranked low-tier characters. Duck Hunt have a good camping game thanks to three versatile projectiles, with the remote-controlled Trick Shot being especially useful, as well as a decent air game that enables them to edgeguard rather well. While their standard attacks are not spectacular, they are generally capable of enabling Duck Hunt to fight in close quarters combat when necessary.

However, Duck Hunt's most glaring flaw is their KO potential. Their smash attacks are particularly unreliable despite possessing multiple hit properties, long range and passable strength, while almost the entirety of their other moves generally have low knockback. As a result, Duck Hunt must rely on their sweetspotted neutral, up and sweetspotted back aerials as well as aggressive edgeguarding in order to score KOs. Duck Hunt's survivability is also unimpressive; they have the problematic coupling of fairly light weight and a fast falling speed, a trait shared with Little Mac, while their overall recovery is mediocre due to Duck Jump's average vertical distance, minimal horizontal distance and slow speed, which necessitates the dog's wall jump more often than not.

While Duck Hunt have low tournament representation due to their flaws, they have secured good results nonetheless, with players such as You3, Brood, Dandy Penguin, ImHip, and Raito achieving top 8 placings at regionals with them. This has led to a re-evaluation of the team over time, as Duck Hunt have managed to achieve better results (with a larger amount of dedicated mains) than several characters considered much better than them.

How to unlock

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

• Complete Classic Mode with eight characters.
• Play 110 VS Matches.

After completing one of the two methods, Duck Hunt must then be defeated on Battlefield, even if their home stage of the same name is present in the game's system as of update 1.1.1.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

• KO one opponent in Cruel Smash.
• Play 100 VS matches.

After completing one of the two methods, Duck Hunt must then be defeated on Duck Hunt.

Attributes

As their name in the PAL version suggests, Duck Hunt is not a single entity, but rather a team of characters like the Ice Climbers in Melee and Brawl, the Pokémon Trainer in Brawl and Rosalina & Luma in SSB4. In Duck Hunt's case, the team consists of the dog and a duck from Duck Hunt as well as an unseen person using the NES Zapper. The dog and duck comprise the majority of the team's moveset, such as using spins, paw swipes, headbutts and pecks. The dog also initiates their neutral special, Trick Shot, and performs their down special, Wild Gunman, while the duck performs their up special, Duck Jump. Conversely, the unseen person with the Zapper is involved with only five moves: their smash attacks, the remainder of Trick Shot and their side special, Clay Shooting. Collectively, Duck Hunt's offensive special moves make them very zoning-oriented characters. Duck Hunt's mobility is rather average, with decent walking and dashing speeds, above average air and falling speeds, above average air acceleration and low gravity, but low traction and below average weight. Aside from these general traits, the dog and duck each possess a quirk: the dog can wall jump, while the duck has a hurtbox just like the dog.

Duck Hunt's special moveset is oriented at zoning and stage control. Trick Shot is useful for not only playing mindgames, but also helping Duck Hunt with edgeguarding. However, Duck Hunt must take care to remember that they are also susceptible to the metal can's explosion as well and not to be in the can's immediate vicinity due to it exploding after some time. Clay Shooting is useful for luring opponents from a distance and especially for hindering an opponent's approach due to its range. Wild Gunman is best suited for mindgames like Trick Shot and both can synchronize rather well with each other. In addition to this, it also has defensive value due to each gunman being able to block incoming projectiles, similarly to Link and Toon Link's Bombs. Unlike Trick Shot, however, Wild Gunman has little offensive use due to its varying damage outputs, unimpressive knockback and each gunman being unable to fire if they are dealt at least 6%. Duck Jump rounds out Duck Hunt's special moves; while it offers a reasonable amount of vertical recovery distance and can be controlled horizontally, it cannot be stopped upon being performed and offers minimal horizontal distance. However, the dog's aforementioned ability to wall jump can alleviate Duck Jump's flaws.

As zoning-oriented characters, Duck Hunt's ground attacks are a mixed bag, though they still have their uses. Their neutral infinite's hits connect together well even at high percents (especially against heavyweights and fast-fallers) and it deals damage and knockback that are both passable for damage racking and spacing, respectively. Their up tilt is their only consistent combo starter, as it can chain into itself until almost 30% on middleweights and even higher on heavyweights and fast-fallers depending on their DI, after which it can act as a set-up for a short hopped up aerial. Their down tilt is an excellent way for moving Trick Shot's can back into the line of fire, their dash attack covers a lot of ground and has decent power, and all of their smash attacks have good range and passable power. Fittingly enough for a team with with a bird, however, Duck Hunt's air game is perhaps the strongest aspect of their offense after their specials and it typically synchronizes well with their offensive specials due to the latter's suitability for ground control. Their neutral aerial comes out fairly fast and functions like a sex kick, making it excellent for KOing and edgeguarding. Both their forward and back aerials are useful for edge-guarding. Their up aerial is one of their best KOing options, especially near the upper blast line. Lastly, down aerial deals the most damage of their aerials and can meteor smash.

However, Duck Hunt possess plenty of weaknesses. Their weight is below average and, despite the group's small size, they fall fast and their mobility is a bit unimpressive. This makes them susceptible to rushdowns and combos while being KO'd rather easily, although Trick Shot and their neutral aerial can alleviate pressure from rushdowns. The group possesses poor range on their moves outside of their smash attacks and special attacks, and due to their somewhat high ending lag, they can be punished easily. Their KO power is very inconsistent due to their smash attacks having awkward hitbox placements due to the team's comedic nature and their aerials having poor range. Lastly, their grab game is rather unremarkable; although their damage outputs are respectable, their knockback does not allow for reliable combos. However, their forward and back throws have some utility, in that they can help Duck Hunt launch an opponent into Trick Shot's trajectory in the event the opponent initially dodged the can.

Duck Hunt possesses a few, though noteworthy, custom moves. Zigzag Shot is very unpredictable and travels an impressive distance upward. When the shots are timed correctly, it also gives them another good, albeit gimmicky, KOing option. Super Duck Jump has more start-up lag and less horizontal maneuverability, but travels a decently higher vertical distance and has a windbox that makes them more difficult to edgeguard. Their variations of Wild Gunman are the most promising, however: Quick Draw Aces covers less distance, but makes their zoning game more powerful as well as making it even more difficult to counter, while Mega Gunman has improved defense and a larger hurtbox, which gives Duck Hunt a way to counter other zoning-oriented characters and give them some safe space at the cost of weakening their zoning and stage control games.

Overall, Duck Hunt are, like Shulk, very capable at playing mindgames due to their offensive special moves' virtual unpredictability and can be a force to be reckoned with in the right hands. However, due to heavily relying on their offensive special moves in order to maintain offense, they can be very vulnerable to characters capable of reflection and especially Rosalina & Luma's Gravitational Pull. As a result, one must properly synchronize the team's offensive special moves with their capable air game, in order to deal precise and varied offensive pressure both on the ground and in the air in order to deal with opponents of all types.

Update history

Duck Hunt have been slightly buffed via game updates. Their neutral aerial's landing lag was decreased in 1.0.8, making it safer and slightly more viable as a KOing option. Due to hitbox adjustments brought about by update 1.1.0, their forward smash and neutral attack have had their KO potential and utility very slightly improved, respectively. However, the changes on shield mechanics brought about by updates 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 have not benefited nor hindered them. Lastly, 1.1.5 marginally increased the knockback growth of Duck Hunt's smash attacks, which slightly improved their KO potential.

1.0.8

• Neutral aerial's landing lag decreased: 22 frames → 17.

1.1.0

• Neutral attack has been improved. Its third hit deals 1% more damage: 4% → 5%, its knockback increased: 40 (base)/125 (growth) → 50/130, its hitbox size increased: 5u → 5.8u and its vertical displacement increased: 4.5 → 5.5.
• Neutral attack's first and second hits have received two hitboxes with differing angles.
• Neutral infinite finisher's hitbox no longer stretches vertically.
• Forward smash's second and third hitboxes' sizes increased: 4.5u (second)/5.1u (third) → 5.2u/7u.

1.1.5

• Forward smash's third hit has higher knockback scaling (123 → 125).
• Up smash's third hit has higher knockback scaling (110 → 112).
• Down smash's third hit has higher knockback growth (153 → 155).

Moveset

• Duck Hunt can crawl and wall jump.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%	The dog performs a paw swipe, followed by a headbutt, followed by a double hind leg kick. If button mashed, the duck pecks repeatedly at alternating angles and then thrusts its wings and beak forward.
			3%
			5%
			1% (infinite), 3% (finisher)
Forward tilt			8%	The dog leans on his chest and front paws and thrusts his lower back forward, which propels the duck into pecking the opponent. Can be angled.
Up tilt			7%	The dog leans on his chest and front paws and thrusts his lower back upward, which slightly raises the duck upward to attack with both of its wings. It is a decent anti-air attack and has some combo potential, as it can combo into itself beginning at 0% and up to 28% on middleweights and 35% on heavyweights. Past this range, it can act as a set-up for a short hopped up aerial depending on the opponent's DI. However, the move's poor horizontal range means Duck Hunt must be very close to the opponent to land it.
Down tilt			8%	The dog swings swings his lower back forward to propel the duck around to where the dog is facing. The duck flies around and attacks with its wing. Due to being a semi-spike, this is arguably their best move for launching Trick Shot's can while it is in front of them.
Dash attack			10% (clean) 7% (late)	The dog slides onto his front paws and thrusts his lower back forward, which propels the duck into pecking the opponent. It covers a fair amount of distance and is decent at keeping the opponent away.
Forward smash			4% (hits 1-2), 9% (hit 3), 17% (all hits connect)	The dog barks, signaling the off-screen player to fire the NES Zapper three times in front of the duo while the dog and duck comically dodge the shots. The more the attack is charged, the larger the range is. It is a semi-spike, but its angles are random, which means opponents can fall out of the entire attack.
Up smash			2% (hit 1), 2.4% (hit 2), 10% (hit 3), 14.4% (all hits connect)	The dog looks upward, signaling the player to fire the NES Zapper upward three times while the dog and duck comically dodge the shots. Like their forward smash, its angles are random, making it occasionally unreliable.
Down smash			5% (hits 1-2), 6% (hit 3), 16% (all hits connect)	The dog looks at the ground, signaling the player with the NES Zapper to fire at both sides while the dog and duck comically dodge the shots. Three shots are fired: one in front of the dog, one behind the dog, and another in front. Each shot bounces the target around, resulting in the last shot launching the opponent behind the dog. As a result of this, Duck Hunt must face away from the edge when attempting to use this move to launch opponents off-stage. Like its forward and up smashes, its angles are random, making it occasionally unreliable.
Neutral aerial			11% (clean) 5% (late)	The dog performs a cartwheel. Functions like a sex kick and is one of Duck Hunt's very few reliable KOing options, as it KOs near the edge at 126%.
Forward aerial			6% (duck) 10% (peck)	The dog thrusts his lower back forward, which propels the duck into pecking the opponent. Good for spacing and following up in the air.
Back aerial			10% (duck) 12.5% (peck)	The dog thrusts his lower back backward, which propels the duck into pecking the opponent. When sweetspotted, it is one of Duck Hunt's very few reliable KOing options, as it KOs at 125% near the edge.
Up aerial			3% (hits 1-2), 6% (hit 3), 12% (all hits connect)	The duck carries the dog and pecks upward three times. Due to its power and very good range, this is their most reliable vertical KOing option, especially near the upper blast line.
Down aerial			5% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2), 15% (all hits connect)	The dog somersaults to propel the duck into performing a somersaulting peck. It can meteor smash and autocancels from a short hop.
Grab			—	The dog bites the opponent and holds them with his jaws. Despite its animation, it has surprisingly good range.
Pummel			3%	The duck performs a headbutt. Moderately slow, but one of the most damaging pummels in the game.
Forward throw			8%	The dog shakes the opponent before throwing them forward. It can combo into a dash attack at low percentages, a forward aerial at medium percentages, and potentially Trick Shot.
Back throw			9%	The dog twirls around and throws the opponent backward. Like their forward throw, it can potentially combo into Trick Shot.
Up throw			6%	The dog handstand kicks the opponent upward. It can lead into an up aerial at low percentages and has the strongest knockback out of all of Duck Hunt's throws, but it will not KO until around 225%.
Down throw			5%	The dog slams the opponent onto the ground. If timed and spaced correctly, it can lead into a forward aerial at low to medium percentages and into an up aerial at higher percentages.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	The duck pecks on either side of the dog.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	The duck pecks on either side of the dog.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	The duck pecks on either side of the dog.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	The dog rolls onto the edge and thrusts his lower back forward, which propels the duck into pecking the opponent.
Neutral special	Default	Trick Shot	8% (explosion), 1%-4% (contact)	The dog summons a metal can from the Hogan's Alley game mode of the same name and kicks it away. The can is explosive and subsequent neutral special button presses alert the player with the Zapper to shoot the can forward, before it starts to emit smoke and then explode. The can is able to be manipulated by the dog and duck's attacks outside of the special button. However, this also applies to the opponent's attacks, while the explosion will also hurt the dog and duck if it hits them. KOs around 190% at the middle of Final Destination and at 145% near the left or right blast lines.
	Custom 1	High-Explosive Shot	1% (contact), 7%/12% (explosion)	The can is only kicked once upon initial activation. Has greater distance and speed, but pressing the special button again at any time will make it explode immediately.
	Custom 2	Zigzag Shot	6% (shot), 6% (explosion), 2% (contact)	The can's direction alternates in the air for each special button press. Getting hit by the explosion launches the opponent directly upward.
Side special	Default	Clay Shooting	2% (contact), 10% (shots)	The dog throws a clay pigeon, based on the Clay Shooting sub-game (Game C) from Duck Hunt. It has two flight trajectories: a slow, higher arc and a faster, straight arc. Moving while performing the move initiates the former while standing still and performing the move initiates the latter. Pressing the special button again causes the player to destroy it in a barrage of bullets.
	Custom 1	Rising Clay	2%-8% (contact)	The dog throws a clay pigeon that rises into the air slowly, although it does not explode. Deals more damage the farther it goes and it retains Clay Shooting's trajectory influence.
	Custom 2	Clay Break	7% (first hit), 7% (second hit), 13% (third hit)	The clay pigeon can be shot at three times with varying accuracy, but the third shot will always land. Each shot is much stronger than Clay Shooting's and it retains Clay Shooting's trajectory influence.
Up special	Default	Duck Jump	—	The duck flies upward while carrying the dog before getting tired and falling to the ground. The move cannot be used again if it is interrupted, unless the dog lands on the ground.
	Custom 1	Duck Jump Snag	1% (hits 1-6), 2% (last hit)	Covers less vertical and horizontal distance than the default version, but the dog bites any nearby opponents repeatedly as the duck carries him upward.
	Custom 2	Super Duck Jump	—	Has some start-up lag and offers even less horizontal distance than the default version, but it covers more vertical distance than the default version and also has a strong push effect upon ascending due to the gust caused by the duck flapping its wings. The dog and duck ascend faster as well, making it less susceptible to being gimped from above.
Down special	Default	Wild Gunman	4%-7%	The dog summons an 8-bit gunman from Wild Gunman. The gunman will fire after a set amount of time dependent on the gunman that appears, before disappearing. The gunman can also block attacks, although he will lose both his offensive and defensive capabilities if he is dealt at least 6%.
	Custom 1	Quick Draw Aces	6%-9%	The shot's distance is decreased, but the start-up lag before the gunman's shot is decreased and the shot's damage and power are slightly increased.
	Custom 2	Mega Gunman	3%-6%	The shot's damage output is slightly decreased and the gunman will only fire after a considerable delay if nothing hits him. However, each gunman is significantly larger, which noticeably improves their defensive capabilities.
Final Smash		NES Zapper Posse	45%	The dog barks to call in a flock of 8-bit ducks. The flock tackles the opponent, launching them into a Wild West-styled field from Wild Gunman. The opponent is then repeatedly fired at by the gunmen, who are also shooting at the cardboard cutout gangsters and metal cans from Hogan's Alley. Aside from dealing respectable damage and knockback, this Final Smash is also cinematic like Captain Falcon's Blue Falcon.

On-screen appearance

• The dog leaps into 8-bit grass with the duck on his back, then they both rise from the grass while the dog performs his signature laugh.

Taunts

• Up taunt: The dog does a handstand and barks at his opponent before the duck, while perched on one of his hind legs, quacks at him to stop.
• Side taunt: The dog lays on his side and does his signature laugh while the duck flaps its wings tauntingly.
• Down taunt: The dog stands on his hind legs and dances.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• The dog and the duck sniff the ground.
• The dog scratches his ear.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Duck Hunt!	Duck Han-to!
Pitch	Group chant	Female

Victory poses

A remixed version of the jingle that plays before a new game starts in Duck Hunt. It begins with the original 8-bit rendition, then transitions to an orchestral rendition for the rest of its duration.

• The dog summons a Wild Gunman to shoot to the left, then another one to the right, while the duck either looks at the dog or looks at the Gunman.
• The dog runs on-screen with the duck on his back, turns around to kick a can from Hogan's Alley and then strikes a comedic pose.
• The dog leaps into 8-bit grass, then he rises from the grass while performing his signature laugh, while the duck flies out and either looks off into the distance or looks at the camera. It is almost identical to their on-screen appearance.

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Duck Hunt	3121	3123	3122	1121	1123
	3132	1132	3111	3221	3323

Notable players

•  Brood
•  Dandy Penguin
•  DunnoBro
•  ImHip
•  MVD
•  Pawnch
•  Raito
•  You3

Reveal trailer

<youtube>6t5DetuBMOY</youtube>

Trophies

Duck Hunt

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 (10/1985)

Duck Hunt (Alt.)

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!

: Duck Hunt (10/1985)

NES Zapper Posse

In this Final Smash, three games from the Light Gun Series team up: Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley, and Wild Gunman. A flock of ducks fly by, warping anyone they hit to the Wild West. There, a posse of gunmen will use foes for target practice! If the ducks don't hit anyone, though, nothing happens besides some birds passing through.

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• DuckHuntAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  NES Zapper Posse

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• Duck Hunt!: Duck Hunt must defeat ten background ducks in a row on Duck Hunt while several Falcos try to interfere.
• Guardian of the Jungle: As Donkey Kong, the player must defeat three Duck Hunts.
• New Challengers 1: Duck Hunt are among the opponents fought in this event, alongside Rosalina & Luma, Wii Fit Trainer, Little Mac, Villager, Bowser Jr. and Lucina.

Co-op Events

• Secret Smash: Duck Hunt and Mr. Game & Watch must defeat another Duck Hunt and Mr. Game & Watch.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Duck Hunt-inspired artwork.

• 

  Duck Hunt's splash art.

• 

  Duck Hunt's amiibo.

• 

  Duck Hunt's trailer teaser posted on Miiverse by Masahiro Sakurai.

• 

  On Onett.

• 

  Using Wild Gunman.

• 

  Using Duck Jump while Mega Man uses Beat.

• 

  Two Duck Hunts with Kirby.

• 

  Charging a smash attack.

• 

  Using up smash.

• 

  Using forward tilt with three Falcos.

• 

  Taunting with another Duck Hunt.

• 

  Their on-screen appearance.

• 

  With Falco.

• 

  Duck Hunt being attacked by Takamaru.

Trivia

• Duck Hunt make a few references to their home series:
  • The dog does his signature laugh during their on-screen appearance, side taunt and one of their victory poses.
  • The dog's tiptoeing animation is a reference to the beginning of Duck Hunt.
  • When they enter helplessness after using Duck Jump, the sound effect used when a duck falls after being shot in Duck Hunt is played.
• The dog is the fourth playable canid character after Fox, Wolf and Lucario and the second quadrupedal character after Ivysaur. The duck is the third playable avian character after Falco and King Dedede.
  • The dog is also capable of being bipedal, as he stands on his hind legs during their down taunt, losing animation and while swinging the Home-Run Bat.
• Duck Hunt and Dark Pit are the only newcomers to not appear in the opening movie. Duck Hunt are also the only newcomers to not have footage from their reveal trailer in the movie.
• Duck Hunt, Pac-Man, and Villager are the only characters who have special moves based on another series.
• Duck Hunt are the only unlockable newcomers who are the sole representatives of a new universe.
• Duck Hunt are among the few characters who lack voice clips in the Sound Test. Despite this, the dog barks during some of his attacks, laughs during their side taunt and on-screen appearance, yelps during their Star KO, and whines if NES Zapper Posse misses. The duck quacks during their up taunt, while the Wild Gunmen yell before firing. This could be because they are registered as sound effects rather than voice clips. Because of this, some, if not all, of these sounds can still be heard even if Duck Hunt are metal.
• When the game is slowed down via Training mode, Special Smash or the Timer, the number of hits for Duck Hunt's smash attacks will double from three hits to six if all of the hits connect, which results in their smash attacks dealing twice as much damage. This quirk technically makes Duck Hunt's smash attacks the most damaging in the game, although it has no practical effect under normal conditions.
• Duck Hunt's reveal trailer is unique in that they are the only characters whose facial expressions change when the trailer's tagline is displayed.
• Unlike in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, unlocking Duck Hunt in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS does not involve fighting them on their home stage of the same name. Instead, they are fought Battlefield, due to their home stage only being available in the latter version as downloadable content.
  • However, they are fought on their home stage in Classic Mode in both versions.

External links

• Duck Hunt's moveset