Zapper

Zapper is a term used for several devices and services in gaming and digital finance. The most enduring is the Nintendo Zapper, a light gun accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Introduced in 1984 in Japan as the Famicom Zapper and released in North America in 1985, the Zapper is a plastic pistol that connects to the NES controller port. When the trigger is pulled, the game uses light-detection logic to determine whether the image in the gun's sights matched a target on screen. It is most associated with Duck Hunt, a demonstration of the technology, and compatible titles generally require a cathode-ray-tube display to function correctly. Modern flat-panel displays and certain emulators render it nonfunctional or inaccurate.

Another notable use of the name is Zapper, a cryptocurrency wallet and DeFi portfolio tool. Zapper.fi provides a cross-chain dashboard that aggregates users’ assets, liquidity positions, and activity across networks and protocols. It aims to simplify interacting with decentralized applications by offering a single interface for viewing holdings, executing transactions, and tracking performance. The project has evolved with changes in the DeFi ecosystem, expanding support beyond a single blockchain and integrating new protocols.

Overall, Zapper serves as a brand and label for multiple, unrelated products. In popular culture and technology, the term has become associated with both retro gaming hardware and contemporary digital finance tools.