Developer: Disney Interactive Publisher: Disney Interactive Released: 11/96 Genre: Action
For as popular as Donald Duck is it is surprising that he has not starred in more video games. His batting average is pretty good all things considered, from Quackshot to PK: Out of the Shadows. If Mickey can plaster his mug all over the place why not the Donald? One of the most surprising titles for the SNES was Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow. This late release was the first title from Disney Interactive Studios and largely upheld the winning streak of Disney licensed titles during the 16-bit era.
Maui Mallard stars Donald Duck as the titular detective. His job is to help recover the Shabuhm Shabuhm idol for the inhabitants of a tropical island before its disappearance causes the island to explode. One of the oddest decisions regarding Maui Mallard is the decision to avoid referring to Donald Duck by name in its marketing and in game. If it was to establish that this was a different character it was pointless as it is clearly Donald. Maybe they were happy with the way the game turned out? Whatever the reason it ultimately doomed the game and any further plans to continue the series. That is a damn shame as Maui Mallard is a great game and could have been exceptional with a sequel.
There are two aspects to Maui Mallard’s gameplay. Maui is clearly patterned after Tom Selleck in his Magnum PI guise. His default weapon is a bug gun that uses different insects as ammo. The normal shot is not powerful but the heat seeking and firebugs pack a punch. These can be combined to create a super shot although it drains ammo fast. While powerful I will admit for most of the game I almost forgot there was more than one shot as they were not necessary. They made the default shot a little too useful and powerful in my opinion.
After visiting the Ninja Mansion Donald gains the power to become Cold Shadow, a ninja with a few cool abilities. As Cold Shadow he can perform a multi-hit combo with his staff and a rather useless spin attack. The staff can latch on to hooks to swing Bionic Commando style as well. Lastly you can climb narrow tunnels by using his staff as a plank. Most of these abilities as well as the form itself use the yin/yang meter as a power source. When it depletes you do not switch back but will have to wait for it to recharge. Luckily this is pretty fast and yin/yang symbols respawn quickly. It is a well-balanced system which is crucial as the game relies on it heavily.
The level design is one of the game’s strongest points. As you explore the various parts of the island each level is varied in its themes. The ultimate goal remains the same, collect as much treasure as possible, but the game throws in obstacles and secondary objectives as well. In the Flying Duckman navigating the ship is hard enough as is using the bug gun as a thruster. But its latter half throws in a moving wall of water you must stay ahead of. The final portion of the Realm of the Dead sees you protecting a soul catcher from random spirits as you ascend a tower. You will switch between Maui and Cold Shadow frequently and the differences in their abilities make it worthwhile rather than a gimmick. I love the variety the game provides which keeps it from being just another generic platformer.
As much as I like the game it does have its issues. The controls are not as tight as they should be. Part of it is Maui’s tendency to slip and slide around. His jump height is not where it should be as well. The other is that he animates too well which can be confusing. Like many western developed platformers the game has trouble delineating the background from the foreground. It makes navigation on certain levels more of a hassle than it should be and also leads to cheap deaths. Certain levels are not immediately clear on what they want you to do either. None of these are game breaking of course but they are annoyances on what is otherwise an excellent package.
This is not an easy one by any stretch. The aforementioned foreground/background issue makes the already long levels even longer due to confusion. There are several segments where you can die in seconds without realizing why. The game is generous with its extra lives as a result because you will blow through them so fast. Surprisingly the boss battles are simple and almost feel like an afterthought. I question the decision to gate passwords behind a challenging bonus level. To enter the bonus stage you must reach a loot threshold in each stage. This gets higher as you progress. Once there you have a limited time to collect certain items which with the controls being what they are is not simple. I realize publishers were afraid of the rental market but this is a bit extreme.
In Closing
These problems just mean the game is 8 out of 10 instead of a 9. Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow is an amazing title with phenomenal animation and varied gameplay. Shame about its late release, two years earlier and it would have been labeled a classic. Buy it to experience another Disney classic.
