Scrooge McDuck: the original gangsta?
His pimp cane will find you. Even on the moon.
I don't know a single Nintendo-raised child that hates on DuckTalesor even finds it mediocre. It and its sequel are hailed as simple, classic platformers that also happen to be licensed games. How many times in the history of gaming has that sentence been written? Personally, having revisited it for the first time in years, I'm a little less enthused, but more on me crushing your nostalgic remembrances later.
DuckTales has you playing Scrooge McDuck, the lovable old, miserly uncle of Huey, Dewey, and Louie. You travel across five levels to increase your fortune and encounter random mischief along the way, SUCH AS: child ducknappings, insane gorillas, friggin' annoying ghosts, surprisingly non-linear (for a platformer) gameplay. Choose your stage, like in Mega Man? Don't mind if I do, Capcom. Each stage was a unique, exotic locale, like Transylvania, African Mines, or the Moon (?). Scrooge hits enemies by bouncing on them with his cane, which is a little more awesome than it sounds. The cane mechanic controls surprisingly well, although it can be a nuisance when you're in a small space and the only way to kill an enemy is to bounce on them. At least give the option to use a straightforward cane jab, con sarn it! Hit detection was also an issue. If you don't bounce directly on an enemies' head or back, you will get hurt. It takes time and practice to get good and gives the game some replay value if you're looking to perfect it a la Mega Man.
While I acknowledge that this game raised the bar for licensed games and is technically an excellent game, I can't help but feel that the platforming itself is incredibly subpar. I had no desire to continue my quest once I had played through a couple stages. The stages themselves aren't that interesting either, until the later ones like the Himalayas. The hit detection really bothered me, as I didn't remember it being a problem at all years ago. True, there are several different paths one can take to the boss, but if the gameplay isn't that interesting, why bother? I'm truly disappointed that I couldn't find the same joy that I found as a kid in DuckTales. The rose-colored lenses have fallen to the floor, like so many obnoxious Webbigail quotes.
C+
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