DuckTales Remastered - Embark on an adventure with Scrooge McDuck as he travels the world

Written by Brandon Hofer on August 16, 2013

Reviews: DuckTales Remastered is a fantastic game and has withstood the test of time to still be immensely fun for both the young and young at heart.

DuckTales Remastered is the latest retro game to get the HD treatment from WayForward and Capcom. I remember playing the original back in the day on the NES and I always had a great time with it. Not only that I have fond memories of watching the cartoon whenever it was on and being an overall DuckTales fan. When Capcom revealed that they were giving DuckTales the HD treatment I couldn’t be happier to hear. From the iconic theme song to the cast of characters to the iconic moments in the game (such as the moon song) I was excited to give this game another go.

The question then becomes whether this game has stood the test or time or am I looking at it through my nostalgic rose tinted glasses? I am happy to say that the game has definitely withstood the test of time and I am having just as much fun today then I did back then, if not even more fun today. I think I am able to appreciate it a bit more today as an adult then I was as a kid and, of course, DuckTales Remastered has a couple of modern conveniences. Games back in the NES era were much harder than the games we have today which can be a shock to gamers who don’t have much experience with that era of gaming. To help alleviate that problem Way Forward has instituted not only an easy mode but you can turn the “hard pogo” on or off. For those who played the NES version you will recall that you had to press down every time you bounced. If you turn hard pogo off then you don’t have to worry about that and it makes things a bit easier. Other than that the gameplay hasn’t really changed. You still play as Scrooge McDuck and you use your cane as a weapon. You can stand against something like a rock and swing your cane like a baseball bat to break it or simply use your cane to pogo jump on it and break it that way. That is also the way that you will deal with the majority of enemies in the game, including bosses.

DuckTales Remastered features the five missions that you remember from the original with the Amazon, Transylvania, African Mines, the Himalayas and the Moon. Once you complete all five another final level will open up for you where you will have an encounter with the final boss of the game. Everything seems to be intact here and that wave of nostalgia will wash over you as you proceed through each level, especially the level on the moon. Hearing that song again as I was making my way through the level was amazing and everything still comes together in a neat little package. The objectives for each level are the same where you have to find three different objects and then get to the boss room to fight the boss. Some gamers might find this repetitive but those who played games back during the NES era will remember it fondly. Another issue I can see some people having is that this is game pretty short but, again, this is how a lot of gamers were back then and I didn’t have any problem with it. I have always said that I would rather a game be short and a lot of fun then be full of bloatware and overstay its welcome. With that being said though I would love to see a new DuckTales game made on consoles to see what the development teams at Capcom could come up with for a modern day version set in Duckburg.

DuckTales Remastered also features Scrooge McDuck’s money bin and you can jump into the vault and swim around in the money (which will also net you an achievement). It was great seeing the Beagle Boys again along with some of the other villains that made an appearance throughout the game. As you progress through the game you will acquire money which you can use to by art for the gallery. This art varies from character art, sketches, background paintings, tv show art and much more. It is a really great touch for people who are big fans of the franchise but you will have to go through the game multiple times if you want to earn enough money to buy everything for your gallery.

I do hope DuckTales Remastered does well for Capcom as there are a bunch of other NES games similar to this that I would love to see get the HD treatment. At the top of my list is Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers and I know quite a few other people that would be really happy to see that. There are some truly great games from that era that deserve to be brought back in HD form so the younger generation who didn’t get the chance to experience it the first time can now have a chance to become fans like we did. If you are a fan of DuckTales then you definitely need to play this game. It is a retro game with retro conventions so don’t go into it thinking it will be like the games of today and you should enjoy it. You’ll love seeing Scrooge, Launchpad, Huey, Dewey, Louie and many of your other favorites from the series make their appearances in the game. In fact, I will probably even go watch some DuckTales as I haven’t done that in probably 20 years. Be sure to give this game a shot.