Duck Hunt’s next platform? Your Christmas tree

Christmas has already passed. 2020 is already here, too, and if your Christmas decorations aren’t down yet you might be a monster. So yes, it’s a little late to add more boughs of holly to the mantel. But, we’ve found something you might want to start preparing for next year: a playable version of the Nintendo classic Duck Hunt for your Christmas tree.

Spotted by Hackaday, YouTube creator wermy put together a version of Duck Hunt designed to be played on your tree. He created the game using a base with a screen — the TV-shaped ornament — and some Arduino boards linked up to 3D-printed parts. Here’s how it works: an Arduino board inside the zapper helps link the gun up to the different duck ornaments hanging on the tree; the ducks, too, are hooked up to the TV ornament. The ducks light up at random. To score points, you’ve got to hit ‘em — just like in the regular version of the game. The Arduino inside the TV ornament keeps score, and will keep the game running until you miss a duck.

Wermy doesn’t have a video yet on how to make one yourself, but he said he’d be willing to go more in-depth if folks are interested. Listen to me, wermy: We’re interested. If I could get Duck Hunt running on a Christmas tree, I might even take the risk of putting one up next year.

My cat — who is definitely a monster — always knocks them down.