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People left mind-blown after seeing how the Nintendo Zapper worked in slow motion

Home> Gaming

Published 09:04 19 Dec 2023 GMT

People left mind-blown after seeing how the Nintendo Zapper worked in slow motion

Popular YouTube video shows how the Nintendo Zapper works when frame rates are slowed down on the retro game, Duck Hunt.

Rebekah Jordan

Rebekah Jordan

One video has blown viewers minds by delving into the technology behind a popular 80s video game device.

By slowing down the frame rates of the TV screen, the YouTube video shocked viewers by showing how the Nintendo Zapper gun works in the video game example, Duck Hunt.

The host took viewers through the process by breaking down the frame rates to 82,000 frames per second, exhibiting how each line appears on the screen from left to right. Further slowing the video to 1.75 million frames per second, viewers are able to see the creation of each line.

By doing some maths, the host explained that each line draws at approximately 24,500 miles per hour (11,000 metres per second).

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He puts this into context to help illustrate by describing that every hour, 'a line moving at this speed could could travel around the entire circumference of the Earth.'

Viewers were left amazed when they discovered the technology behind the Nintendo Zapper / The Slow Mo Guys / YouTube
Viewers were left amazed when they discovered the technology behind the Nintendo Zapper / The Slow Mo Guys / YouTube

When you look at a CRT display, you can only see the lines being drawn and so, 'at no point do you see an entire frame when filming at this speed.'

As each frame changes, the position of the duck changes slightly.

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The video explained: 'When the trigger is pressed, the zapper sends a signal down to the console and this light sensor at the back of the gun is now looking at a focused area on the screen.'

After the lines are drawn and reach the end of the frame, a black display covers the screen, and a 'white box' appears precisely where the duck sprite was.

Despite sharing the same name as a refreshing lemon-line pop, in computer terms, a sprite is a moving computer graphic on-screen.

'Whether or not the zapper saw the white box determines what happens next,' the video host continued.

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The video demonstrated a successful hit on the duck, leading the game to redraw the background with an updated score - and no duck.

In total, there was a total of four frames where the duck wasn't present that you'll 'barely notice with your eyes'.

Some viewers believe the technology was 'genuinely ahead of its time' / The Slow Mo Guys / YouTube
Some viewers believe the technology was 'genuinely ahead of its time' / The Slow Mo Guys / YouTube

Continuing into Two Duck Mode, each duck is shown to be drawn across separate frames. Each loading frame draws the white boxes before the duck sprites appear a few frames afterwards.

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Moreover, the video explains that the purpose of the black screen is for the lens in the gun to acknowledge the light after an absence. Otherwise players could point it at another light source like a light bulb to gain points.

The receiver in the gun recognises the white box of the duck and this is why it loads before the duck sprite loads.

Viewers have been conveying their appreciation for the in-depth explanation behind a game gun's technology that was designed almost 40 years ago.

Some are calling it 'genuinely ahead of its time,' as 'so much thinking and programming went even to make sure you won't cheat by pointing it at a white bulb.'

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Another Duck Hunt fan also expressed their amazement, exclaiming: 'ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING - I was total Duck Hunt maniac back in 80´s and also obsessed about how things work - thank you so much for this slo-mo retrospective!'

Featured Image Credit: The Slow Mo Guys / YouTube
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