# Duck Hunt on your HDTV - Hyperkin Hyper Blaster HD

**Source:** RetroRalph  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2020-01-23  
**Duration:** 8m 57s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbQnf8tlX30

---

## Analysis

Retro Ralph reviews the Hyperkin Hyper Blaster HD, a light gun accessory that enables Duck Hunt to work on modern HDTVs via an NES cartridge adapter containing a ROM hack. The device costs $24.99, requires an original Super Mario Duck Hunt cartridge and a top-loading NES or Retron, and includes sensitivity and delay adjustments for different TV sizes and room lighting conditions. Ralph demonstrates gameplay and concludes it's a well-made, fun solution for retro Duck Hunt enthusiasts.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The Hyper Blaster HD cartridge adapter houses a ROM hack developed through collaboration between the original ROM hack creator and Hyperkin — _Ralph explicitly states: 'This device right here. What it does is it injects the ROM hack for duck hunt so that it works on an LCD TV with that blaster. So that's neat because it becomes a plug thing... this was a collaboration between the guy that created the ROM hack and Hyperkin to make it a plug-and-play solution.'_
- [HIGH] The device only works with top-loading NES or Retron systems, not traditional NES consoles — _Ralph states: 'So it will work with either one of those it will not work with a traditional NES You need to have the top [loading NES]'_
- [HIGH] The cartridge must be the original Super Mario Duck Hunt dual cart, not a standalone Duck Hunt cartridge — _Ralph specifies: 'you're going to take this and you're going to plug your cart into it. So it has to be the original Super Mario Duck Hunt cart. That dual cart has to be the one...'_
- [HIGH] The device includes two adjustment settings: a sensitivity switch (bottom) for room lighting and a delay option (in-game) for TV size, ranging up to 7 or beyond — _Ralph demonstrates: 'there's a sensitivity switch at the bottom... the manual gives you some guidance here... the delay option is based on the size of the TV... So you can kind of play around with this, and it goes all the way up to 7, I believe. It goes past 7, actually.'_
- [MEDIUM] Ralph purchased or had access to this device since approximately E3 of the prior year, before the final release — _Ralph notes: 'I checked this out oh I don't know it was like last year at E3 so it finally came out so I been excited and hyped up for this for a while'_

### Notable Quotes

> "This device right here. What it does is it injects the ROM hack for duck hunt so that it works on an LCD TV with that blaster. So that's neat because it becomes a plug thing."
> — **Retro Ralph**, ~3:30
> _Core explanation of how the technology works and why it's valuable as a plug-and-play solution_

> "For 24 bucks this is really damn cool. I think it's a really neat and fun solution so if you already own duck hunt you already have the top loading NES then it's a total no-brainer."
> — **Retro Ralph**, ~25:00
> _Final assessment and pricing positioning; establishes value proposition for existing Duck Hunt owners_

> "I actually cleaned the cart. I did the traditional blow on the cart, and it fixed it."
> — **Retro Ralph**, ~7:00
> _Practical troubleshooting tip demonstrating the main issue encountered was cartridge-related, not device-related_

> "Look at this setup. Who's the Professional now? Look at this Retro Ralph guy. He's really upgrading his stuff."
> — **Retro Ralph**, ~10:30
> _Self-deprecating humor about his setup quality; shows personality and engagement with audience_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Retro Ralph | person | Pinball and retro gaming content creator reviewing the Hyperkin Hyper Blaster HD device; demonstrates gameplay and provides technical analysis |
| Hyperkin | company | Manufacturer of the Hyper Blaster HD light gun adapter; collaborated with original ROM hack creator to produce plug-and-play Duck Hunt solution |
| Duck Hunt | game | Classic NES game that the Hyper Blaster HD enables to work on modern HDTVs; requires original Super Mario Duck Hunt cartridge |
| Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) | product | Gaming console; specifically top-loading NES models are compatible with the Hyper Blaster HD adapter |
| Retron | product | NES clone/alternative console that is compatible with the Hyper Blaster HD cartridge adapter as an alternative to top-loading NES |
| Super Mario Duck Hunt | product | Dual cartridge containing both Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt; the specific cartridge required for use with Hyper Blaster HD adapter |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Retro gaming technology and accessories, Duck Hunt gameplay and mechanics, NES compatibility and hardware requirements, Light gun technology on modern displays
- **Secondary:** Product setup and troubleshooting, ROM hacking and emulation collaboration

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Ralph is enthusiastic and approving of the product throughout. He praises the build quality, pricing, functionality, and ease of use. Minor issues encountered (dirty cartridge requiring cleaning) were quickly resolved and not attributed to the device itself. No criticisms of the core product or manufacturer are expressed.

### Signals

- **[announcement]** Hyperkin Hyper Blaster HD light gun adapter officially released after extended pre-release preview period (Ralph had early access at E3) (confidence: high) — Ralph states: 'I checked this out oh I don't know it was like last year at E3 so it finally came out so I been excited and hyped up for this for a while'
- **[technology_signal]** Legacy light gun technology successfully adapted for modern HDTV displays through ROM hack injection and hardware adapter, enabling retro gaming on contemporary hardware (confidence: high) — Core product design: 'This device right here. What it does is it injects the ROM hack for duck hunt so that it works on an LCD TV with that blaster'

---

## Transcript

In this episode, we're going to look at the Hyper Blaster HD. Let's do this. Alright guys, today HD by Hyperkin. We're going to waste no time when we get right into it, but let me show you how the room is set up right now. So I've got my table workspace, so I'll show you a little bit about the device. We'll unbox it and check all that out. And then I have a room camera, which will show me and the distance I am from the screen, as well as the actual gameplay screen as well. So you should get a really great grasp of how this thing works and how to set it up. All right, so first things first, you got the Hyperkin box right here. They are super awesome at all of their marketing materials. So this thing looks pretty sweet. But we're gonna open this thing up and inside the package you're gonna find the actual gun itself and the cartridge adapter So here we'll open that up really fast. Alright So this is what you're gonna get inside. Let me get this out of the way for us Inside you're gonna get a little manual which you won't need after watching this video and you'll have your little cartridge adapter right here Now this adapter is important because what this adapter houses is this is actually what makes the magic happen for this thing So we'll get back to this in one second. And then you have the hyper blaster itself. So really nice light gun. I actually cracked open the one that's on the table and it's weighted so it feels really nice. Nice little click to it. So this thing is pretty sweet. I'm going to put that back in. I really like the color scheme too. So let's talk a minute about this this little cartridge adapter. So what exactly is the purpose of this? So this is actually what you're gonna put into your top loading NES or your retron HD So it will work with either one of those it will not work with a traditional NES You need to have the top loader or this guy right here. So that is just one thing I want you to keep in mind. So this device right here. What it does is it injects the ROM hack for duck hunt so that it works on an LCD TV with that blaster So that pretty neat because it becomes a plug thing Because obviously you can go get those ROM hacks and stuff but this was a collaboration between the guy that created the ROM hack and Hyperkin to make it a plug-and-play solution. So you're going to take this and you're going to plug your cart into it. So it has to be the original Super Mario Duck Hunt cart. That dual cart has to be the one that I'm showing right there in the picture. So I'll give you guys a closer look at that in a minute. And then really what you're doing is you're plugging this into your NES, and then you plug your cartridge on top of that. Now, I've seen people say that it wasn't snug or things like that. I haven't had any issues with this. I'd say the only issue I had with getting the game to start was actually, you know, I think it was just a dirty cart because I actually cleaned the cart. I did the traditional blow in the cart, and it fixed it. So that's really all there is to it. You're going to need, you know, this $30 kit. okay the kit is actually $24.99 and I'll have links in the description sorry about that guys from Hyperkin and you're going to need you know hopefully you have your original duck hunt cart like that if you don't you'll have to acquire one of those and obviously if you don't have an NES top loader or you know or this retron uh you'll need to buy one of those but uh but I'm assuming that most of you guys have this stuff hanging around so this is a way for you to relive your duck hunt glory. Alright guys, I'm switching over to the wireless microphone now, so you should be able to hear me. I'm going to get up, and we are going to play some duck hunt. We're going to check this thing out. Look at this setup. Who's the professional now? Look at this Retro Ralph guy. He's really upgrading his stuff. Alright, let's check this out. Hey, I got a little bit of wires going on. I don't have wireless monitors, so let's not go too far. But let's check this out. Ready? I'm ready to do this. Alright guys, we got this. see if this puppy works. Alright, so far so good. You know, I was thinking if I do really well I'll start going gangster style on it. Put the sideways gun and see if I can see if I have the same accuracy, you know? Alright, it's baby steps right now, right? I'm starting off light. Uh Alright Alright it almost perfect score so you know still got my duck hunt skills apparently I prove to you guys this thing can miss so See so you can kind of see, but it feels fairly accurate to me. I'm going to go a little bit off. See? No, no, not really try. There we go. So it works pretty good, but I think we need to go up a couple levels, though, because this is a little too easy. Oh, perfect. Okay. All right. Round 10. I mean, round 11. Come on. Step it up, guys. Oh, first fly away. Round 11. Shut up, dog! Okay. Alright, let's see. Oh. What happened there? No. Can't be. Something's wrong with it. It's broken. I'm just kidding. All right, okay, focus. I was going to blame the gun. Oh, damn, they're fast now. I was going to blame the gun. You know how I am. I'll blame stuff. All right. Okay. Respectable. I think I got, like, one more, or else I don't clear this round. Okay, I think I'm good. All right. Oh. Oh, dude. All right. 11 rounds. That's respectable, right? Respectable. Okay. Okay, guys. Before we go to final thoughts, I want to show you one last thing. If you're having problems getting this to work right, there's a sensitivity switch at the bottom. And this is really all about how well lit the room is. So there's a middle sensitivity, a left sensitivity, and a right sensitivity. And you can refer to the manual for the specifics on what each setting is for. So that's my first place I would go if you're having issues. The second thing I would do is if you look at the screen right now in your top left There a delay option that delay option is based on the size of the TV So the bottom setting on the gun is for sensitivity of light and this is for how large the TV is So you can kind of play around with this, and it goes all the way up to 7, I believe. It goes past 7, actually. So the manual gives you some guidance here. So if for some reason you're having problems, these two things I would check first, and then go from there. But you shouldn't have too much trouble. and if you do again just check these two settings before you know you get all excited all right guys it's final thoughts time so what do i think about the hd blaster from hyperkin it's pretty damn cool and it's weighted really nice so it feels good it's got a couple of these adjustments on it just in case you're having problems or you have a different tv you've got your sensitivity adjustment on the bottom and then you also have that delay adjustment you know when you're in the game so i didn't really have any major issues with this the only issue i had like i said was that time i put the card in it didn't boot up i blew on it you know old school and it worked so um so you know for 24 bucks this is pretty damn cool uh i think it's a really neat and fun solution so if you already own duck hunt you already have the top loader then it's a total no-brainer if you don't have any of this stuff then that's up to you whether or not you love duck hunt enough to buy everything to play it but i love duck hunt enough but i'm crazy i do crazy stuff but i thought this is really fun and I want to thank Hyperkin for letting me check this out. So anyways and the crazy thing is I checked this out oh I don't know it was like last year at E3 so it finally came out so I've been excited and hyped up for this for a while so good job Hyperkin super fun and the price point's definitely right. All right guys if you enjoyed this video please like it please consider subscribing if you enjoy content like this and put your comments below. Are you gonna get your duck hunt on with the hyper blast rhd i think you should but if not hey whatever but i think you should so with that said we are done here we are wrapping it up and i will see you on the next one you

_(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 768928ae-327b-41e4-822b-c4d3596cbbd4*