Welcome to 4th and final part of The Retro Review Series’ third article, covering DuckTales. If you’re just jumping in now you’ll want to catch up with ‘The Intro‘, ‘The History‘, and ‘The Review‘ before taking this one in.
As an NES era platformer, DuckTales has no cons. The only modern complaints I have is that sometimes the hit detection is a bit off, and every now and then the controls will betray you. But by NES standards, the game excels in both these areas. Modern gamers who don’t love platformers, will likely not be converted by DuckTales, but if you do enjoy platform games, and have not played DuckTales, it is a total classic, and a full-blown 10! DuckTales often appears on Top 100 lists for best games of all time, and Top 10 or 20 lists for best NES games. It is easily in my Top 50 games of all time, and easily in my Top 5 favorite NES games (if not #1). Play it!
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“DuckTales often appears on Top 100 lists for best games of all time, and Top 10 or 20 lists for best NES games.”
A year after its release on the NES, DuckTales received a very faithful Gameboy adaptation. The combined sales for both the NES and the Gameboy versions totaled over $3,000,000, which was very impressive for its time. Both versions of DuckTales were among Capcom’s best-selling titles for their respective consoles. The 1993 sequel did not sell as well as its predecessor. This is likely for two reasons: it came out after the TV show had ended, and well after the release of the Super Nintendo. Not many people have played it to this day, but it is a fantastic game, with similar mechanics, tighter controls, and slightly better visuals.
So how do you get your hands on this platforming classic? Luckily, because it was so widely sold, it’s quite easy and inexpensive to obtain an NES cart! The NES cartridge sells for around $25-30, and the Gameboy version is usually around $10. DuckTales 2 however, is rare and expensive. You will not find it for less than $200. It’s not so rare that it’s not always floating around on eBay, but to get it for less than $250 will likely require a lot of searching, and a lot of patience. It’s definitely at the top of my NES cartridge bucket list, along with Bubble Bobble 2, and Chip ‘N Dale Rescue Rangers 2.
And… in 2013 Capcom released a remake called DuckTales: Remastered for PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360, and PC. There was also a mobile phone version released in 2015. This is one of my favorite remakes of all time. DuckTales: Remastered is not just a graphical update, but it adds lots of extra content for fans of the original game and the show it’s based on. First of all, there are two added levels. One is a tutorial level, taking the form of a Beagle Boy assault on Scrooge’s Money Bin, and the other is a new final level (replacing the repeat trip to Transylvania), in the form of Mount Vesuvius (makes the final boss battle make way less sense, but no biggy). There is also an extended and way more challenging final chase sequence. The original levels all received added sections, and the boss battles were changed and made way more epic. The 8-bit graphics were changed to match the cartoon, and actors who voiced the characters in the show, voiced them in the game. Strangely, my only complaint about DuckTales: Remastered, is that sometimes the added cutscenes broke up the action of the levels too much. The remakes of the game’s songs are fantastic! Treasure collecting (wisely) allows the player to purchase game bonuses. And the greatest and most ultimate benefit of playing DuckTales: Remastered is that the level hub is in Scrooge’s money bin, and any time you want, you can go for a dive and a swim! A hard copy of DuckTales: Remastered costs $25, and a digital download is $15. If you’re at all a fan of the original game, or DuckTales the TV show, do yourself a huge favor, and treat yourself!
Stayed tuned to COGconnected for more of The Retro Review Series in months to come. Next month we will feature a game on a new console, and made by a new developer. Tune in next week to find out what it is! Please share your thoughts, and check out my reviews for PS4, Wii U, and 3DS, found right here, on COGconnected.com.