One of my favorite things about the NES is the huge chunks of new ground that it covered. There was so much experimentation going on during that time, and it was simply a fun time to be a gamer. Sure, that experimentation led to probably a higher percentage of stinkers than your current consoles, but also a lot more shining gems of originality and risk-taking.
I also really love NES/SNES era Capcom, and DuckTales is a great example of risk taking and breaking new ground.
A 2D platformer, DuckTales is based on the hit Disney TV show. You control Scrooge McDuck, and your goal is to beat every level and amass as much treasure as possible, in keeping with Scrooge's character. Along the way, you get help from several of the DuckTales supporting characters, including Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Launchpad, Mrs. Beakley and Gizmoduck. DuckTales is just one of several excellent Capcom NES games based on Disney properties, including Chip 'n Dale's Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, and The Little Mermaid (don't knock it 'til you've tried it).
DuckTales is made by the same development team that worked on the Mega Man series, and at first glance, the similarities are obvious. The game begins with you choosing your level, rather than being thrust into it. The graphical style is similar as is the quality of the sound and music, which is some of the finest on the NES. The Moon theme in particular is among my favorite chiptune songs of all time. The game has a bright color palette that makes it remarkably beautiful and enjoyable.
Yet the mechanics of DuckTales are quite different from a Mega Man game, as is its basic approach to the experience of playing the game. While Mega Man has a gun which he shoots, and can get new weapons along the way to pass increasingly challenging obstacles, Scrooge begins and ends the game armed only with his cane. While you can use the cane like a golf club to harm enemies, you quickly discover that the best way to kill enemies is by bouncing on them with your cane, which enables you to damage enemies far more safely, but also to bounce higher and reach different secrets riddled throughout the levels. The only true upgrade I could find is a health upgrade, although their may be more.
While mastering a Mega Man game is based primarily on navigating left to right, bypassing enemies and completing tricky platforming in a high-stakes and high stress experience, DuckTales is instead a relaxing and enjoyable jaunt through beautiful environments, searching for treasure to become the richest duck on earth. Each level is packed full of secrets, and finding these is the key to increasing the amount of treasure you receive, giving you a benchmark for how you're performing. The levels are huge, and while I spent quite a bit of time exploring, I have to say that there's no way I found everything, or even a majority of the secrets contained with the game. This process of exploration gives the game a great level of replay value as you attempt to more thorough plumb the depths of the superbly crafted levels within.
This isn't necessarily to say that DuckTales is easy, although compared to other comparable NES games of the era, which were notoriously hard in the awkward transition from quarter munching mechanics in the arcades to enduring home experiences, it certainly is. But the game has a nice level of challenge to it that enhances your exploration experience, rather than detracts from it. You can always take the easy path through the levels, but finding the hidden treasures and becoming richer requires that you undertake more challenging platforming, at great personal risk.
The controls are fluid and responsive, and controlling Scrooge as he bounces across the Amazon, a vampire's castle, a snowy mountain, the moon, and a mine is very enjoyable.
The game isn't without its drawbacks, though. There are times in which the bouncing mechanics can seem very buggy due to poor hitboxes. There were times in which I was certain I had landed directly on an enemy, yet ended up getting damaged anyway. Also, if you bounce on the very end of a spike, you simply stop bouncing and sit there, not taking any damage, but not bouncing for some reason.
The end boss was fairly disappointing, mostly due to the fact that rather than having his own level, you are thrust back into an older level that you've already explored. What's more, there isn't even anything new about the level. You simply traverse it to the area where the boss was last time, and then fight the new boss. This was a letdown at the end of an excellent experience.
All in all, however, DuckTales is a classic game from an excellent era for a classic developer, and changes up the formula enough from its progenitors to produce a unique and enduring experience. I'd recommend it to any fan of platforming games. I'll give it a 9.4/10.
My next home console game will be another classic NES game. Can you guess which one?
-TRO
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