There is only one thing greater than Gilito McPato’s greed : his adventurous and indomitable spirit. Which, coupled with his legendary cane skills and complicity with his mischievous nephews, will make him the richest duck in the world . A simple premise, of course, faithful to the DuckTales series and, by extension, the great Capcom classic for the NES: DuckTales.
Because DuckTales is not the umpteenth platform proposal that benefits from the commercial pull of an animated series: it is a timeless game . One of the greatest exponents in Nintendo’s privileged 8-bit catalog, of course, but also a marvel that is palpable at the controls and is crowned through its superb soundtrack. And best of all: it knows how to leave great sensations . Calar among players of any age.
Bigger words, considering that a year earlier Super Mario Bros. 3 arrived at the Japanese Famicom. However, the weight of Ducktales in the international NES catalog is unquestionable. And it’s not a subjective question: the DuckTales platform experience far surpassed one million copies sold and was positioned as the most successful Capcom game on Nintendo’s 8-bit desktops.
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And there it was not the thing: its impressive adaptation to measure for the Game Boy replicated both milestones. A port that masterfully replicated all the charm of the NES, accommodating it to the tiny 160×144-pixel screens. Taking full advantage of its four monochrome tones and, in the process showing that when a game is really good, the technology or the hardware is secondary.
The secret? None! All the excellence of DuckTales is manifested through the first game.
However, there are two things that are especially palpable that make the difference: the touch and experience of the team responsible for the Mega Man series, and the way in which Capcom puts them at the service of the magic and charm of Disney characters.
A Capcom-style “duck-adventure”
Who doesn’t know Scrooge McPato? The billionaire uncle of Donald Duck himself is just one step away from becoming the richest duck in the world. Or, rather, five treasures.
More specifically, the Scepter of the Inca king that is hidden in the Amazon, the currency of the lost kingdom guarded in Transylvania, the scepter of the Earth, the crown of Genghis Khan of the Himalayas and, strangely enough, a piece of green cheese that It grants longevity and found on the Moon.
Five relics that, logically, are already in Scrooge’s crosshairs.
Released in 1989 for the NES, Ducktales is a platforming adventure with one very rare feature: its levels are non-linear and you can play them however you want and in any order you want.
In other words, instead of moving from left to right, following the traditional formula, we must explore each of the five scenarios from top to bottom and side to side. Avoiding all kinds of dangers and, in the process, filling our pockets with diamonds.
DuckTales is a marvel that is palpable at the controls and is crowned through its superb soundtrack
The touch of the creators of Mega Man manifests itself in the key aspects of Ducktales . Each bit of level tests our skills without becoming frustrating or demanding. Constantly inviting us to discover what is there when climbing a rope or when crossing platforms suspended in the air.
On the other hand, the routines of our enemies are calculated so that we are constantly in motion under the essential rules of the genre: three hits will cost us an extra life.
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The quintessential 8-bit platformer
In this regard, one of the great things about DuckTales is its formidable balance of playability and difficulty . Uncle Scrooge does not attack directly or poke with his cane, but he can bounce off it for a jump that grants him enormous mobility and, incidentally, knocks down almost any enemy.
Which does not mean that we must be minimally cautious when executing our jumps or fine-tuning the rebound so as not to end up scalding or in free fall.
Because, in essence, Scrooge’s baton bounce is positioned as the core mechanic of DuckTales and its hallmark as a platform experience. Something so simple and full of possibilities that it is a genius.
In addition to the above, and this is really interesting, those responsible for Capcom’s Blue Bomber saga allow us to choose a phase from the beginning of the game with a nuance: if we find Joe McQuack, our trusted pilot, we can return to the menu level selection to continue advancing in other scenarios.
McPato’s cane bounce is so simple and full of possibilities that it is a genius
And it has its reason: to collect all the treasures we must obtain keys or other specific objects and take them from one phase to another . There will even be some sections in which we will be asked to have collected a specific amount of diamonds to continue advancing.
Ahead, stages crafted in sensational detail, loads of cameos from characters from the animated series, including the three nephews and the goslings; and very direct and accurate references to specific chapters that do not go unnoticed. You can see that from Capcom they did their homework in this regard.
Of course, where its artistic section shines the most is not in its masterful pixel art, achieving a lot and very well with very few pixels, but in its soundtrack. Each level radiates original and absolutely catchy tunes.
Deservedly positioning DuckTales as one of the best music-themed games on the NES, if not the best. And, for example, here are 15 minutes of the game in which we go with Uncle Scrooge from the Amazon to the Moon.
Very special mention to its duration and replayability. While, as a game, DuckTales can be completed in an afternoon or two, again the level and challenge design comes into play to extend the proposal by filling the player with secret passages and some extra challenges.
Ultimately, while DuckTales manages to bring a good feeling and a successful touch of challenge to players of any age, it also knows how to accommodate its experience for younger players without underestimating their skills. Above all, starting from the fact that, to begin with, we are offered three levels of difficulty.
However, Capcom’s greatest triumph is how, despite not offering the save game option, DuckTales constantly invites you to replay the adventure. Even knowing each level by heart. An effect derived from offering a sensational gameplay seasoned with unforgettable songs.
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12 unforgettable aspects of Ducktales
Beyond the sensational presentation and highly accomplished experience at the controls, DuckTales’ non-linear design as a platformer means that concrete sections and exceptional details end up leaving a special mark on the player. At VidaExtra we have selected a dozen of them for you.
Joe McQuack to the rescue
Meeting Joe McQuack at DuckTales is always a joy: through him we can return to the level selection menu instantly (something very useful if we are tight on time) or he will help us with the most complicated jumps.
An extra detail: unlike the animated series, Scroogey Uncle wears red like in the comics. The reason, in essence, is that it could be easily distinguished from the backdrops.
Bubba and the fourth health point
When you have played many games, you know exactly what level to start with: the Himalayas. And the reason is very simple: one of the first secrets of the stage is found almost at the entrance, allowing us to free little Bubba , the prehistoric duck from the animated series.
The interesting thing about this is that, as a reward, Bubba will allow us to obtain an extra point of health that we will keep throughout the game. Possibly the greatest treasure in the entire game.
The level selector: that genius
DuckTales’ non-linear level design allowed us to start wherever we wanted and, with the exception of the Mines of Africa, to explore thoroughly until it was time consuming . A double success if we have already passed the game dozens of times and simply want to go to a specific scenario.
Logically, the level selector of the Game Boy version was much more modest in presentation than that of the NES, which showed us a colossal computer with built-in radar and, not to lose the habit, the two large dollar symbols. Just how Uncle Scrooge likes them.
The offering of $ 300,000
When the time comes, to continue advancing in the game we will face a stone idol that will claim the amount of $ 300,000 from McPato to be able to pass. A curious way to encourage us to collect all the diamonds that appear along the way. Could it be an ancestor of Scrooge?
The key is in Transylvania
There is a curious exception when it comes to moving freely between scenarios: if we start with the Mines of Africa we will almost immediately run into a lock that will prevent us from going any further. Interestingly, the key is in the Transylvanian castle, with which we will be automatically teleported to that level. Even if we’ve already gotten over it.
Final bosses inspired by the TV series
While Capcom was especially faithful in bringing the series’ aspects to the game, it took several licenses to recreate some of the final bosses in Sprites, including a reimagined Dracula Duck that looks more like a grim version of Scrooge. . Which, on the other hand, is a cliché in adventure games.
McPato family and friends say present
Scrooge McPato is the unquestionable protagonist of the game, but DuckTales does not forget the rest of the McPato clan: the nephews will be scattered all over the world giving clues about false walls or instructions to follow. In addition, we will see frequent secondary, like Mrs. Beakley or the same Duck Apparatus.
Bouncing in the snow is a problem
Once the stick jumping system is mastered, something that will not take us too long, the normal thing will be to move based on rebounds throughout the game. At least, until we are about to travel to the Himalayas: if we land with the cane we will not only get stuck in the snow, but we will also be exposed to any enemy.
References to Indiana Jones, as it should be
Which adventure video game would pass up the opportunity to wink at Indiana Jones ? Of course, Ducktales no, and throughout the game we will see three or four sequences that take us directly to the best moments of the Indy scoundrel movies.
Do not go yet, there’s more!
The five levels of DuckTales are very measured in duration, of course. However, as is to be expected, the game does not end with obtaining all the treasures: Scrooge must earn the recognition of the richest duck in the world by passing a final test in which his greatest enemies will participate: Magica and Doroteo Unrepentant.
Money does not bring happiness … but it is capable of unlocking different endings
To no one’s surprise, once we complete the game McPato will monopolize all the covers and appear in all the media, proclaiming himself as the richest duck in the world. However, even with all the treasures obtained, the end of the game will depend on how much money we have collected throughout the adventure.
- The normal endingappears when you beat the game with any amount of money.
- The good endingappears after beating the game with $ 10,000,000
- Finally, the badending appears after finishing the game without having a single dollar.
How is it possible to finish the game without money? Basically, using another trick: by pressing the Select button we can exchange $ 3,000,000 for health points. Something that can save us the game and, in the process, show us the third end of the game.
Some final words worthy of Uncle Scrooge
The plot may be less relevant to the DuckTales experience , but Disney oversaw the entire game closely and made several changes to the versions in development. Some of them minor, such as the substitution of crucifixes in Transylvanian coffins by the initials RIP and others referring to lines of dialogue.
The most interesting of all the changes comes from McPato’s words after the game is over. Capcom wanted to give Uncle Scrooge a little bit of humanity by telling his nephews that the most important thing was not money, but dreams and friends . Something that was corrected in the final version, stating:
Indeed! I couldn’t have done it without you. Now I am the richest duck in the world
We couldn’t tell you which of the two phrases is the most accurate, but definitely, that’s the Scroogey Uncle we all know.
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The DuckTales legacy: sequels, remakes and a very special cameo
While Ducktales was the first Disney game to be produced by Capcom (it previously released Hudson Soft’s Mickey Mousecapade ), it was the beginning of a sensational joint legacy that included new titles for Nintendo based on virtually every Disney Club animated series .
Chip’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Top Spin or Darkwing Duck stand out on the NES and Game Boy , while in the Brain of the Beast you could enjoy a Goof Troop in which Shinji Mikami ( Resident Evil ) or the mythical Aladdin took part by SNES.
Some of these games managed to convey the same Disney magic from DuckTales and others, perhaps, were left behind. Of course, when Capcom released DuckTales 2 on an NES in its twilight in 1993 , the game did not go unnoticed. A sequel in which everything good about the original said present and, in the process, McPato’s old man had learned the odd new trick.
A sequel in the shadow of the original? In all fairness, the 1989 DuckTales came at the perfect time. The animated series was in an exceptional moment, the following year the feature film would be released and, in addition, it knew how to channel the essence of the NES classics. While the sequel hit the shelves in the middle of the battle of 16-bit consoles.
Since then, Disney has been able to take advantage of the McPato clan , especially Donald Duck, through video games with platform action experiences or fun adventures for all audiences. And despite this, DuckTales still held a privileged place among gamers.
Enough that in 2013 Capcom itself, together with WayForward, released an exquisite DuckTales: Remastered , a total remake of the NES game that, in turn, had new ties to the animated series.
In its own way, DuckTales: Remastered serves as a tribute to the 1989 classic, recovering the original voices and, in the same movement, expands the NES original in terms of content . Dressing up the set with a sensational presentation in which the devotion to the cartridge and the animated series is palpable.
And yet the biggest milestone of the classic DuckTales is how, in the most unexpected way, a very special piece of Capcom’s game ended up making its way to the animated series three decades later.
Let’s get in the situation: in March 2019 one of the most anticipated episodes of the new DuckTales series was aired : Disney’s animated reboot introduced the character of Della Duck, the mother of Donald’s nephews, who had been without power for years escape from the only place where Gilito McPato did not look for her: the Moon.
That he could live -and breathe- on the satellite of our planet has its own explanation tied to video games: after crashing his spaceship, Della managed to get a strip of Oxi-Chew, Ungenio Tarconi’s gum (also known as Gyro Gearloose or Sintornillos Giro) that allows living in space.
A very crazy invention, but -as you will see below- also the first nod to DuckTales video games.
However, what is interesting about the chapter are not the visual references or the winks of the script itself, but its sound section . Throughout the chapter Della happily hums – and is heard in the background – the theme of the Moon level from Capcom’s DuckTales game .
A lot of coincidence? Now for the best: Della knows that song because actually that iconic melody: it was a lullaby who sang to her future children, Donald’s naughty nephews.
Thus, 30 years later and officially, Disney itself put lyrics to one of the most exquisite pieces of music on the NES.
As we mentioned, DuckTales is not just any platform with an 8-bit aesthetic: it is one of the greatest treasures within the generous NES catalog. One of the best examples of the mastery Capcom achieved in what is possibly the beginning of its most prolific time.
DuckTales is the quintessence of the exquisite platforming style that defined 8-bits , and its trail is still very much alive in current games like Shovel Knight or Cyber Shadow . Advantaged students of a very special time for video games, and heirs -in their way- of Gilito McPato.
