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 BIRD HUNTER: WATERFOWL EDITION
 Manufacturer: Sunstorm/GT Interactive (1998)
 Price:  $19.99   
Genre: Duck and geese hunting simulation    
System Requirements:  Win95, Pentium 90 or faster, 16 MB RAM, Mouse, CD-ROM, Sound Card, Direct X, 50 MB HDD space.

  BIRD HUNTER: WATERFOWL EDITION is Sunstorm's latest hunting sim. Instead of  chasing down trophy white-tails or elk (al la DEER HUNTER and ROCKY MOUNTAIN TROPHY HUNTER), players now face the challenge of downing a variety of ducks and canadian geese. Believe me, it's not as easy as it sounds- but it sure is fun! . In order to choose the proper gear for the hunt one has to dig it out of the back of a pick-up truck. Players can choose type of ammo, decoys, calls, shotguns along with choosing either a cover stand or boat. Once you have made your choices- it's off to the hunting grounds.

            Players are given four excellent hunting locations: Manitoba (farthest north), North Dakota, Arkansas and swampy Louisiana. Each location has it's own area map where players move about, set up stands, launch boats and place decoys. Some areas have both land and water areas allowing for players to do some wading in the shallows- otherwise you'll need the boat. Decoys are easily placed using your mouse. Once your set up it's time to call the birds in.

        By clicking on different areas of the call button, players can vary the pitch, length and sound of the call. This is probably the most important feature/characteristic of the game. Using the various call sounds you skillful try to fool the birds into shooting range- this takes practice. These birds not only look great but have great eyesight and are pretty smart. Using the call incorrectly only warns them off or keeps them out of range.

        Once you have fooled the birds into range, the player raises the shotgun and fires. However, not every hit is an instant kill. Birds can be "winged" and fly off, wounded but able to move about on the ground (requiring a second shot), killed but still active for a short time and of course blasted out of the air. Leading your shot is critical so the designers have included a trap shooting range for you to practice on.

        Once you have finished you trip, your kills are recorded in a logbook. Each page records a different trip. The animation is first rate for a hunting sim. Various fly paths and behaviors make the game a long term challenge. Like Rocky Mountain Trophy Hunter, there are weather effects to add to your experience sitting in a blind or boat in the early morning hours. From the "thud" of the canadian goose hitting the ground, the "splash" of the mallard falling into the water to the sounds of various crickets, frogs, birds, animals and the hunter himself BIRD HUNTER: WATERFOWL EDITION is a challenging, attractive game. 

THE SCOUTING REPORT:

THE PROS:

• First waterfowl hunting game to hit the market- and a good one at that!
  Decent (if slightly outdated) graphics- looks believable.
  Bird AI is very good. No daffys here!
  Good selection of weapons and hunting gear.

THE CONS:

• Birds can be too fickle- which can lead to frustration after a while.
  More variation with hunting grounds would have been nice- or more hunting grounds!

Reviewed by Steven Ellis