Developer: WayForward Publisher: Capcom Release: 08/13/13 Genre: Platformer Also On: PS3, Xbox 360, WiiU
Remaking a beloved classic is always a risky proposition. If you change too much it does not resemble the original and kind of defeats the point. Change too little and you leave fans wondering what was the point. DuckTales was the first great Disney game for the NES and set a high bar. It has also withstood the test of time beautifully and is still fun to run through every now and then. DuckTales: Remastered straddles the line with many additions that make for a richer experience but also a few that are annoying. However Capcom and WayForward have done an excellent job modernizing this classic and I recommend it.
The story is largely the same but there is some added context. In the game’s new tutorial level the Beagle Boys attempt to raid Scrooge McDuck’s money bin. They are defeated and retreat but drop a painting that reveals the location of five treasures. With dollar signs in his eyes Scrooge sets out to find the treasure to become even richer. But there is more to this treasure hunt than it seems….
The new intro is not the only bit of plot added to the game. DuckTales: Remastered places a greater emphasis on story as there is tons of additional dialogue throughout the game. To be honest it is a little too much. I can see why of course; nearly all of the voice actors from the TV show return and reprise their role which is a feat in itself. With this much talent assembled the developers give them plenty to do. The problem is it becomes intrusive. Scrooge has a lot of incidental dialogue as you play that you can ignore. But there are long conversations with side characters every few minutes and no matter how good the performance it becomes tiring. The creators realize this and give you the option to skip cinematics which you will do frequently. This is one modern aspect of gaming they could have ignored.
The gameplay is identical to the original which is good as it was near perfect back in the day. DuckTales gave Scrooge a unique set of mechanics to differentiate him from the likes of Mega Man and Mario while also respecting his comic book roots. Scrooge can whack objects with his cane and use it to pogo jump which the game makes ample use of. You have the option to turn hard pogo off which means you have to hold down while pressing Y to pogo but that is it. Aside from that there are a few conveniences. There is now a map for each level and you can increase your life bar up to eight hearts depending on the difficulty level.
The level design is both familiar and new. The overall layout of each stage is mostly the same and you will even find items and gems in the exact same spot. Your memory of the NES game will serve you well in maximizing your total cash. Yet due to the visual makeover a lot of it feels brand new. The levels are similar but most have been expanded. Almost every stage has a new objective such as finding 8 coins in the Amazon, collecting the 3 pieces of a spell to unlock the boss in Transylvania or finding the pieces of Gizmo Duck’s suit. These are an excuse to force you to explore the stages and some might view them as busy work. But thanks to the map they are easy to complete. And it is not as if you were not going to search the levels anyway.
DuckTales was an extremely easy game and by default this remaster is the same. On normal they drop ice cream regularly and expanding your life bar to eight hearts is overkill. They certainly try to raise the stakes. The bosses have new patterns and many more attacks. Some require more hits to kill which becomes tedious but otherwise these encounters may be the best part of the game. In addition the final level is a brand new stage in Mount Vesuvius that will test your skills rather than a repeat trip to Transylvania. But most will breeze through this one. If you want a challenge it is there; Hard and Extreme limit you in different ways and are legit difficult. What is most important is that the game is accessible to everyone, even kids with an easy mode.
The additions to gameplay are nice but the primary reason for this remaster is the audio and visual overhaul. DuckTales: Remastered uses 2d sprites on 3d backgrounds that mimic the look of the Nintendo game while looking modern. The sprite work is fantastic and the stuff we could only dream of back in the day. The backgrounds are hit or miss. Some look amazing while others are sterile and do not mesh well with the bright sprites. The soundtrack however is absolutely amazing. Remixing these legendary tunes is a daunting task and Jake Kaufmann understood the assignment. The music is the right mix of familiar and new with more instruments enhancing each track. I love it but if you do not you can swap between the classic soundtrack so everybody wins.
In Closing
DuckTales: Remastered is a great game that respects the original and adds on to it to offer something new for fans of that title. I still prefer the original; there is something to be said for its compact experience. But I would still recommend this game to everyone even if they are intimately familiar with the 1989 classic.
