SALEM, OR — In a move critics are calling “a bold leap backward,” Oregon lawmakers behind controversial gun control Measure 114 have now set their sights on a new threat: the 1985 Nintendo Zapper.
Dubbed Measure 114½, the proposed legislation would ban the sale, possession, and inheritance of the Duck Hunt light gun — a semi-orange, single-triggered accessory once packaged with the NES. Lawmakers insist the bill is necessary to prevent “retro gaming extremism” and curb “nostalgia-based violence.”
“This is about public safety,” said State Senator Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene), co-chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and longtime gun control advocate. “No civilian needs a semi-orange plastic firearm capable of firing fake rounds at pixelated birds at speeds of up to 30 ducks per minute.”
The bill is backed by Lift Every Voice Oregon, the same group that championed Measure 114. In a statement, they called the Zapper “a relic of violent media” and accused Nintendo of “decades of unregulated firearm indoctrination through light-based duck murder.”
Under Measure 114½:
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- Owners would be required to register their Zapper with the Oregon Department of Digital Arms (ODDA).
- A 10-day waiting period would be enforced before plugging it into an NES.
- All games featuring the Zapper must be locked in a secure, tamper-proof cabinet between uses.
- Children under 21 would be prohibited from operating the Zapper, unless supervised by a licensed vintage electronics specialist.
Supporters argue that the bright orange accessory is indistinguishable from modern weapons “under low-resolution conditions,” citing grainy 1980s VHS footage as proof. “It may look like a toy, but so does a Glock to someone raised on MS Paint,” added Rep. Lisa Reynolds (D-Washington County), who helped lead the charge on Measure 114 in the House.
Critics have called the measure “comically absurd,” noting that the Zapper only works with CRT televisions — technology most young people have never even seen. Some rural Oregonians are already organizing “Shoot-In” protests, where participants gather to plug in old NES consoles and proudly blast pixelated ducks in peaceful defiance.
One anonymous collector in Bend described the mood in retro gaming circles: “First they came for the AR-15s, and I said nothing. Now they’re coming for my plastic orange light gun? Over my dead 8-bit body.”
Governor Tina Kotek has not yet commented on the bill, though sources say she has asked her staff to verify whether Duck Hunt is available on the Nintendo Switch, “for research purposes.”
The Oregon Legislature is expected to hold public hearings on Measure 114½ next week. Due to anticipated turnout, overflow rooms will be equipped with CRT monitors and licensed Nintendo counselors.
