''Deer Hunter'' is a series of hunting simulation

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

. Originally available for Windows platform published by

WizardWorks WizardWorks Group, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company was founded in 1980 and, in 1993, WizardWorks opened the CompuWorks and MacSoft divisions. In 1996, WizardWorks was acquired ...

, it was also published on Mac, and later on Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, and mobile phones.The first Deer Hunter game was an early success in the

casual game A casual game is a video game targeted at a mass market audience, as opposed to a hardcore game, which is targeted at hobbyist gamers. Casual games may exhibit any type of gameplay and genre. They generally involve simpler rules, shorter sessio ...

market. The original game was released in November 1997. In 2003, Southlogic Studios was commissioned by

to develop '' Trophy Hunter 2003;'' and because of Trophy Hunter's success, they took over the development of the Deer Hunter franchise, with ''Deer Hunter 2004'' and ''Deer Hunter 2005'', distributed by

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...

Glu Mobile Glu Mobile LLC is an American developer and publisher of video games for mobile phones and tablet computers. Founded in San Francisco, California, in 2004, Glu offers products to multiple platforms including Java ME-based devices, Android, Wind ...

acquired the entire franchise in April 2012. The original ''Deer Hunter'' and its sequel ''Deer Hunter II'' have also been released for

Macintosh computers The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software en ...

. Gameplay usually takes place in a thick

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...

during different seasons of the year. Animals and objects other than

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

can be seen while playing, including

Bigfoot Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forest of North America. Many dubious articles have been offered in attempts to prove the existence of Bigfoot, including anecdotal claims o ...

and

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...

s in some incarnations, but these serve no purpose other than scenery. Some animals may be shot and killed, but the player receives no trophy and will be penalized if the animal was a protected species. In the latest versions, players can also manage a deer

herd A herd is a social group of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with this is called ''herding''. These animals are known as gregarious animals. The term ''herd'' is ...

with deer growth and

genetics Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar wor ...

deciding the traits of offspring. The franchise's main line games are: 1997's ''Deer Hunter'', 1998's ''Deer Hunter II'', 1999's ''Deer Hunter 3'', 2001's ''Deer Hunter 4'', 2001's ''Deer Hunter 5'', 2002's ''Deer Hunter 2003'', 2003's ''Deer Hunter 2004'', 2004's ''Deer Hunter 2005'', and 2008's ''Deer Hunter Tournament''. After the release of ''Deer Hunter Tournament'', every game bearing the franchise's name has been a mobile version, and there has not been a full-fledged game since; however, some of these versions have seen ports on

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

, to poor reviews.

Games

Compilations

Cancelled games

Reception

The original Deer Hunter released in 1997 sold nearly 64,700 units. In the United States, ''Deer Hunter 4'' sold 250,000 copies and earned $4.5 million by August 2006, after its release in November 2001. It was the country's 81st best-selling computer game between January 2000 and August 2006. Combined sales of all ''Deer Hunter'' games released between January 2000 and August 2006 had reached 1.4 million in the United States by the latter date.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Deer Hunter 4

Deer Hunter 2015

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