If you walked into a game store in 2015, you probably saw a wall of plastic. Marth was impossible to find. Villager had those weird "big eye" reprints. But then there was the 3-pack. You remember it—the Retro Pack. It featured R.O.B., Mr. Game & Watch, and that laughing dog everyone loves to hate. Specifically, the Super Smash Bros. Duck Hunt Amiibo. It’s a weird little piece of plastic that captures one of the most polarizing characters in fighting game history.
People forget how much of a "WTF" moment the Duck Hunt reveal was.
He isn't just a dog. He's a dog, a duck, and an invisible person with an NES Zapper. That complexity translates directly into how the Duck Hunt Amiibo functions when you actually tap it onto your NFC reader. It isn’t like training a Mario or a Captain Falcon. Those characters want to punch you. This dog? He wants to play a very annoying game of keep-away involving exploding cans and clay pigeons.
The Actual Geometry of the Duck Hunt Amiibo
Let's talk about the physical build for a second. Honestly, Nintendo nailed the aesthetic here. The dog is mid-laugh, which is basically the ultimate "taunt" in video game history. If you grew up playing the original NES title, seeing that snicker in 3D is a trip. The duck is perched on his back, wings slightly flared.
There’s a clear support stand, which some collectors hate. It's that translucent plastic meant to keep the figure from snapping off the base. On the Duck Hunt Amiibo, it’s relatively unobtrusive compared to the "pee stick" Link had in the early waves, but it's still there. The fur texture isn't actually textured—it's smooth plastic—but the paint job uses matte browns and creams that give it a clean, retro look. It feels sturdy. Unlike the Bayonetta or Palutena figures with their spindly limbs, you aren't going to break the Duck Hunt dog by accidentally dropping him off a desk.
Teaching a Digital Dog New Tricks
Training an Amiibo in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or For Wii U is a weird science. You aren't just leveling up a bot. You are molding an AI that learns from your specific habits. Because Duck Hunt is a "Zoner," training the Duck Hunt Amiibo is a nightmare if you don't know what you're doing.
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If you play aggressively, the Amiibo tries to follow suit. That's a mistake.
Duck Hunt’s AI struggles when it tries to play like a rush-down character. It doesn't have the frame data to compete with a Fox or a Roy up close. To make a "God Tier" Duck Hunt Amiibo, you have to teach it to be a nuisance. You need to spam the Trick Shot (the can). You have to show it how to bounce that can across the stage to cover recovery options.
The AI is surprisingly good at "frame-perfect" inputs once it hits Level 50. Most human players struggle to manage the can, the clay pigeon, and the Wild Gunman simultaneously. An Amiibo doesn't. It has the processing power to track all three projectiles while perfectly timing a smash attack. It’s terrifying. Honestly, a fully trained Duck Hunt Amiibo is probably one of the most frustrating opponents you can face in a local raid boss session.
Why the Retro 3-Pack Changed Everything
For a long time, you couldn't even buy the Duck Hunt Amiibo by itself in North America. It was locked behind the "Retro 3-Pack" at GameStop. This was back when Amiibo hunting was at its peak insanity. People were camping out at 4:00 AM for plastic toys.
Eventually, Nintendo realized people just wanted the dog. Individual releases happened later, especially in Europe and Japan, and eventually, the 3-pack became a clearance bin staple once the initial hype died down. Now? It’s a bit of a collector's item again. You aren't finding these for $12.99 at Target anymore. You're looking at eBay or specialized hobby shops.
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The Competitive "Raid Boss" Meta
In the Amiibo competitive scene—yes, that is a real thing—Duck Hunt is often overlooked. People gravitate toward Bowser or Incineroar because heavyweights get a massive damage buff as Amiibos.
But Duck Hunt is a niche counter.
The Super Smash Bros. Duck Hunt Amiibo excels in "spirits-on" builds. If you feed your Amiibo spirits that increase projectile power or give it "Super Armor," it becomes an immovable wall of spam. The AI learns how to use the "Wild Gunman" to stall your approach. It’s not about winning quickly. It’s about making you give up out of pure exhaustion.
- The Can (Neutral B): The AI can bounce this with 100% accuracy.
- The Clay Pigeon (Side B): Used for combo starters that the AI executes flawlessly.
- The Recovery (Up B): The duck carries the dog. It’s vulnerable, but the AI knows how to mix up its drift to avoid being spiked.
There is a specific joy in watching a plastic toy outplay a human being who has 500 hours in the game. It’s also a little depressing.
Rarity and the Second-Hand Market
Is it rare? Sorta.
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It’s not "Gold Mario" rare. It’s also not "Link" common. If you have a New-in-Box (NIB) Retro 3-Pack, you’re sitting on a decent chunk of change. If you just have the loose Duck Hunt Amiibo, it’s a solid $20 to $35 item depending on the condition. The market fluctuates whenever a new Smash rumor pops up, but since Ultimate development has ended, prices have stabilized.
One thing to watch out for: the box art. The Japanese "Famicom" style boxes for the Duck Hunt Amiibo look significantly better than the North American ones. Collectors often hunt for the individual Japanese imports because the character name is printed in a different font and the backing card features the classic Famicom colors.
Beyond Smash Bros.
While primarily built for Smash, the Duck Hunt Amiibo works in other games too. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it unlocks a generic Mii racing suit. In Skyrim on the Switch, it gives you a chest of random loot. It’s not as functional as the Zelda or Splatoon lines, but it’s a nice little bonus.
The real value is just the "shelf presence." It represents a very specific era of Nintendo. An era where they were willing to take a forgotten 1984 mascot and turn them into a complex, three-layered fighter.
Actionable Steps for Collectors and Players
If you're looking to pick up a Super Smash Bros. Duck Hunt Amiibo or you just pulled one out of a box in your garage, here is what you should actually do with it:
- Check the Base: Look for the gold Smash Bros. logo. If you're buying used, ensure the NFC chip hasn't been "bricked." You can test this with any smartphone that has an NFC reader using apps like Amiiboss or just by tapping it to your Switch.
- Reset for Training: If you bought it used, go into the Switch system settings and wipe the data. You don't want someone else's bad habits (like constant rolling) baked into your dog's AI.
- Mirror Match Training: To make it the best fighter possible, play AS Duck Hunt against it until it reaches Level 30. Use the moves you want it to use. If you want a projectile-heavy dog, don't use melee attacks during the training phase.
- Display Tips: Because of the brown color palette, this figure looks great next to other retro reps like Pac-Man or Mega Man. Avoid direct sunlight; the cream-colored plastic on the dog’s belly is prone to yellowing over long periods of UV exposure.
- Scan for Daily Bonuses: Even if you don't play Smash, scan it daily in Age of Calamity or Breath of the Wild for free materials. It’s a low-effort way to get extra resources.
The Duck Hunt Amiibo isn't just a toy. It's a weird, laughing piece of gaming history that reminds us Nintendo never truly forgets its roots, no matter how much we wish that dog would stop giggling at our missed shots.