Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Release: 06/90 Genre: Platformer
I almost feel bad for the kids of today. Back in the day the Disney afternoon was a solid two hour block of cartoon goodness that everyone was anxious to watch. Just imagine DuckTales, Darkwing Duck, and Talespin one right after the other. Often forgotten in that lineup is Chip & Dale’s Rescue Rangers. Considering the caliber of shows it was sharing airtime with that is understandable. At the same time the Disney afternoon was going on Capcom were right there with games for each show. Rescue Rangers follows DuckTales and continues the streak of excellence, emerging as not just one of the better licensed games of that period but a great game overall.
The Rescue Rangers undertake a job to help locate a young girl’s missing cat. However it is nothing more than a ruse so that arch nemesis Fat Cat can kidnap Gadget. The whole gang is here but only Chip and Dale are playable. Monterrey Jack is relegated to the occasional cameo to destroy blockades. Zipper appears as an invincibility power-up. While disappointing the game’s mechanics more than make up for it.
From a gameplay standpoint Rescue Rangers is incredibly simple. Where Scrooge McDuck has a multi-purpose cane Chip and Dale can only throw boxes and other objects. They litter the levels with all manner of everyday objects to carry and toss. Most of these are boxes which also double as cover to let enemies sneak by. Hell if you are playing coop you can even chuck your buddy at enemies!
This is a very fast paced game unlike the measured pace of Capcom’s other Disney titles. It is a bit surprising considering the size difference between Chip and Dale and their environment. It is used to great effect throughout the game as everyday objects like water faucets and small fan blades become hazards. The level variety is high as you travel through the city streets, a diner, a toy house, forest, and even a casino. In many ways this is similar to Konami’s later Monster in my Pocket, down to the 2-player coop. However I would say Rescue Rangers has a better set of play mechanics.
As fun as it is in single player the game truly excels in coop. Teaming up with a friend truly makes the game shine and it becomes readily apparent this was the game’s intent. The overabundance of objects lying around is clearly for two players. The levels are wide open with multiple levels so that both players do not have to bunch up and move at the same pace. It does make an already easy game simpler but I will take the riotous fun of multiplayer over a staid experience any day. And I do not even like multiplayer in general.
Most of Capcom’s Disney all suffer from being a little too short which applies here somewhat. They try to alleviate that with only mild success. Each stage is of moderate length and most players of even average skill will blow through them quickly. A single run through the game will comprise seven or eight levels. The first half of the game offers multiple paths to Fat Cat’s casino allowing you to skip certain levels. It is reason enough to go back and play it again, especially considering how fun the game is. But that replay value does not last too long seeing as the game is so easy.
As much as Rescue Rangers differentiates itself from Capcom’s other licensed titles it shares the same passive difficulty. It is understandable since the game was targeted at the younger set but it could have used some teeth. You have three hearts but that is rarely an issue. If you pick up every object you will find life restoring acorns everywhere. There are so many flower icons and stars that players will be drowning in extra lives. The one area where it should ramp up, the bosses, is actually the easiest parts of the game. The last three stages do step it up a bit but the game as a whole could have used a little bump in difficulty.
While I wish Rescue Rangers was a little more challenging in the end it is still a great game. This was Capcom’s second Disney title and it shows that DuckTales was not a fluke. Either alone or with a friend a quality platformer awaits.
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