Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: September 14, 1989
Completed: May 15, 2020
Admit it: you have the DuckTales TV theme song stuck in your head right now, don't you? You're welcome.
DuckTales, the game, probably needs little introduction. It's widely regarded as one of the NES' best platformers that doesn't contain Mario. Frankly, most of Capcom's NES output was stellar, but DuckTales seems to be remembered most fondly. Taking off the nostalgia goggles reveals some blemishes, but it's still a very solid, fun game.
DuckTales is not very challenging. I recall beating it in my youth, . This was probably the first time I'd played it in 20 years, which had the side effect of seeing it with fresh eyes. At its core, it's a hop n' bop platformer. Scrooge travels the world collecting treasure solely to increase his own wealth and become the richest duck in the world. Scrooge is clearly the 1% and we should cancel him.
Sarcasm notwithstanding, the levels are fun to explore and packed with secrets. Scrooge can use his cane as a pogo stick to bounce off of enemies and jump higher, or swing it like a golf club to eliminate obstacles. Like Capcom's Mega Man, you're given the option to play the levels in any order. Levels are very distinct from one another, including Transylvania, an Amazonian jungle, and the moon itself. There are a handful of tricky segments involving the pogo stick, spikes, and bouncing off enemies over bottomless pits, but there's nothing here that will fluster anyone who's played a Mario game. There are even multiple endings, depending on how much money you finish the game with.
The graphics are bright and colorful, and capture the look of the show very well - though Scrooge oddly wears the red waistcoat from the comics instead of the blue one from the show. There are loads of cameos from the likes of Scrooge's nephews, Huey, Duey, and Louie, and Launchpad McQuack.
Music and sound are on par with Capcom's other work on the NES - which is to say, pretty excellent. The chiptune revision of the show's theme is almost as iconic as the original, while each level has its own unique tune.
Now to address the elephant in the room: the blemishes I spoke of - enemy placement and hit detection. Though I said it's not a very challenging game, I struggled at first because I did not recall some of the unfair enemy placement or respawning enemies. There's no comparison to something like Castlevania or Mega Man, but some of the enemy placement is incredibly cheap and will result in practically unavoidable contact. The other issue, which ties into the first, is there are times you'd swear you landed on an enemy, but you either take damage or sail right past them. Neither issue is game-breaking, but I was surprised to discover the game was not as perfect as my memory had led me to believe.
That said, it's still true that this is one of the most enjoyable platformers on the NES. It appeals to a wide audience even today, and boasts some terrific level design that rewards exploration, along with great graphics and music. Experienced players can complete it in about 35 minutes, but there's nothing wrong with that. If you want an NES Hard game, there are plenty of other options. DuckTales fits the bill (heh) for a more casual game the whole family can enjoy.
DuckTales was completed on a real NES with no cheats.
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