An avid fan of Duck Hunt recently committed a robbery while wielding a black-painted NES Zapper. It's not surprising that real guns have been designed based on this popular peripheral, given its widespread appeal since its release in 1984. Duck Hunt quickly became a beloved classic among NES games, often included with other games such as Super Mario Bros. and was even re-released on the Wii U's Virtual Console three decades later. The game's imagery has appeared in various official and fan-made products, including the upcoming 2023 release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The iconic laughing dog and other Duck Hunt characters have also made appearances in popular games like Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This just scratches the surface of Duck Hunt's enduring legacy.
According to The Wax, a local news network, a man named David Joseph Dalesandro robbed a convenience store in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 30 at 5:45 PM. He was armed with an NES Zapper that had been painted black, but thankfully he was not successful in recreating the Duck Hunt game. The gun was not modified in any other way and was only used as a threat to steal $300 from the cash register.
After the robbery, Dalesandro was quickly apprehended by the York County Police Department. He had only managed to flee a short distance from the crime scene, despite his attempts to conceal his identity with a mask, wig, and hooded sweatshirt. Although the gun he used turned out to be fake, it was still confiscated and labeled as evidence. While it's not uncommon for people to recreate video games in real life, it's rare for such attempts to turn dangerous. The motive behind Dalesandro's crime remains unknown, but it's possible that he was acting out of a passion for gaming. Alternatively, he may have been unable to obtain a real gun due to North Carolina's strict background check laws. As of now, there have been no updates on the case.
Source: WFSB
