This classic NES shooter is perfectly brought back to life in VR.
Even as we demo and highlight some exhilarating game launch titles for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift set to release in the coming months, sometimes an old classic game in VR is actually much more satisfying.
Computer science student Joseph Delgado created Duck Hunt Life VR in 24 hours during Global Game Jam 2016, a worldwide hackathon that brings developers together to create games.
In the video above, you can watch Delgado rock an Oculus Rift DK2 headset and head-mounted Razer Hydra (that green orb on his head), giving him the ability to track hand-motion in virtual reality. In this VR version of Duck Hunt, the 8-bit graphics still hold true but now have a 3D quality to them – created by Delgado by converting two-dimensional graphics into 3D models with depth.
In Duck Hunt Life VR, the player is not limited to one position like the original NES game. Delgado demonstrates as he moves through the fields, turning around in 360-degrees to shoot ducks where they may pop up, with that ever distinct orange and grey NES gun.
On the suggestion of a friend, Delgado also added a skeet shooter to his Duck Hunt in the final hour of the game jam. This addition was inspired by Duck Hunt’s “Game C,” which had the shooter firing away at clay pigeons.
All the retro wing flaps and sound effects stay true to the original and it’s glorious.
To take it even a step further, Delgado created a “hub space,” where you can select a level and hang out in a furnished room with bottles of alcohol, a TV and a radio playing the theme song of Duck Hunt. Bring up your virtual gun to your face, aim and shoot everything in the room as well!
Delgado states that he’ll be pre-ordering the HTC Vive, but in the meantime, plans to release the Duck Hunt VR game soon on his website.
Image Credit: Joseph Delgado