Shark Hunter

About

In Shark Hunter, you play as an Eskimo defending fish supplies from shark attacks. Stand on a central island in a river and hurl harpoons at sharks while navigating banks and temporary ice floes. The sharks chew through the ice, forcing you to keep moving before being eaten. Six net rows protect the fish, but sharks dismantle them. Break a full row and more sharks flood in. Swim to damaged nets to fix them, but each loss reduces your final score. Stages end after clearing all sharks, with points based on surviving fish. Later levels pack faster attacks and more sharks, pushing you to balance defense, repairs, and survival. Released in 1984, Shark Hunter feels like a relic of early arcade design with its frantic resource management. The ice floes and net repair system demand split-second decisions, while the escalating shark aggression creates a tense rhythm. Classic Consoles Center’s release highlights a forgotten gem for retro fans who enjoy fast-paced, punishing action. While the pixelated visuals and simplicity may feel dated, the core loop of survival and scarcity still holds replay value for those who like testing reflexes against relentless AI.

Storyline

In Shark Hunter the player controls an Eskimo protecting fish stocks from the attack of sharks. The Eskimo starts standing on a small island in the middle of the river. He must kill the sharks in the water by throwing harpoons at them. He can swim to the banks or to ice floes above and below the island. The sharks can eat the ice floes so it isn't safe for the Eskimo to stand on them for much time, or else he'll be eaten too. The fish are held by six rows of nets. The sharks will eat those nets to get the fish, and if an entire row is destroyed, more sharks will come from the sea. The Eskimo can repair the nets by swimming to the place where they were destroyed. The more nets destroyed, the less fish is kept. A stage will end when all sharks are killed. At the end of each stage the remaining fish will be counted and added to the player's score. As the game progresses, sharks become more abundant and destroy the nets faster. The game ends when the Eskimo gets eaten by a shark.