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Category: Game
Developer: Super Happy Fun Fun, Inc.
Requirements: iPhone 2.2.1 software or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 15.5MB
Version Reviewed: 1.56.0
Price: $2.99

Big Buck Hunter for the iPhone is a game almost exactly like the one in the arcades with the big orange shotgun. From the beginning menu, you can tell it’s put together very nicely both visually and aurally. The game allows you to start a three trek hunting adventure, a one trek game, or simply bonus games. You can also check out the leader boards locally on your phone or nationwide with your log-in. However, the fun begins once you start playing. To begin, you simply tap an item and a nice shooting type graphic is shown to select it.

Starting an adventure first shows you the instructions of how to play. It then allows you to choose one of five locations to start the game. Once you do that, the game pans across the location slowly while various does and bucks run by. To shoot one, you simply tap the screen by them as they run across and then tap the bottom of the screen to reload. When you tap them, a bullet shaped graphic appears to let you know where you hit. When all the animals have run by, the game ends. You can then go on to play at other locations after adding yourself to the leader board.

While I have already mentioned that the gameplay graphics are second to none, it also manages to make seeing your results more fun than simply looking at a spreadsheet or something similar. For each buck you hit during that round, it summarizes where you hit the deer as well as what your accuracy was and how many hits it took. From there, it tells you how many total points you received for that location and allows you to have a chance at becoming that area’s Hunter Hero.

While the actual treks are fun to play, so are the bonus games. They consist of duck, gopher, and frog shooting games—much like those in the arcade version—where you must shoot as many of the animals as possible with the highest accuracy you can. As with the entire game, the graphics and audio in this section are just as great.

The gameplay for Big Buck Hunter is excellent. The graphics for each location are exactly like you would expect, and you can tell the developers put a lot of time into making the game look great. Audio, too. Throughout the gameplay the same voice as in the arcade game directs you along with some interesting background music. There are also audio clips for actions such as selecting a menu item, shooting a deer, and reloading that all fit very well with the game. From the beginning menu to the end of a hunt, I was thoroughly amused with how well the game was put together and how fun the gameplay was. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone wanting a good deer hunting game.

Category: Game
Developer: Sunstorm Interactive
Requirements: iPhone 3.0 software or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 9.8MB
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Price: $0.99

If Big Buck Hunter is equivalent to your arcade games, then Real Deer Hunting is closer to the type of deer hunting game you would play on a computer. The beginning menu, much like that of the previous game, is put together very well with nice graphics and audio. It allows you to simply go hunting right away, check out the results of your previous hunts, or change options, such as the sensitivity and various sounds throughout the game. Once you select that you want to start a hunt, you are faced with more options.

To being a hunt, you first need to select your weapon (bow, rifle, or shotgun) and then your area (Indiana or Texas). In each area, there are a few different tree stands you can choose, as well. Once you actually begin hunting, you will find that you play a deer hunter in a tree stand. You move by panning about 300 degrees across the environment in front of you to search for deer.

Real Deer Hunting is pretty fun, although it isn’t as action packed as Big Buck Hunter. While waiting and panning around for deer, all you can do is make noises with your antlers, grunts, or bleats, cover yourself, or get a closer look at objects with binoculars. Although it can be sort of boring waiting for the deer to come, the sound effects are very realistic, and it doesn’t take all that long to spot one. Once you do, though, you must pan onto it and fire. However, when you pan, the crosshairs move more slowly than the circle for aiming, and you must wait until they line up to fire.

When you actually hit the deer, a nice summary comes up containing how far away the deer was and various other information. The more deer you hit and points you score, the more deer stands you can open up at various locations within the game. Later, you can check your stats or even clear them if you want to start the game over again.

Like I said, the graphics and audio in this game are just about as good as Big Buck Hunter. However, I found the gameplay to be much less exciting and much more realistic to actual hunting. For instance, the previous game had ten or so deer running around to shoot while this one may only have one that you actually have to wait for. In terms of how hunting may actually be, Real Deer Hunting does a better job at portraying that. However, when I want to play a game on my iPhone, I look to play the more exciting and action packed ones, so Big Buck Hunter was a better experience for me. That said, I would highly recommend either of the games to someone wanting a good deer hunting experience on the iPhone or iPod touch.