DuckTales Remastered

Genre: Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

When the original version of DuckTales released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989, it was regarded as one of the best games on the platform. This was no small feat, not only because the Nintendo Entertainment System was highly-regarded, but also because at that time licensed games were generally seen as trash that was designed quickly to exploit the license and make easy money. However, DuckTales not only made great use of the Disney animated TV show license, but it was an outstanding family-friendly Platformer whose quality has endured over the years.

In 2013, developer WayForward released DuckTales Remastered on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U, with a mobile version releasing later in 2015. Despite the “remastered” in the title, DuckTales Remastered is in fact a complete remake of the original game, one that modernizes the visuals and adds new features while remaining mostly faithful to the gameplay of the original.

I should make it clear, as I’m writing this review in 2022, that the TV show this game is based on is the original 1987 TV series and not its 2017 reboot (which I highly recommend, by the way – it is an outstanding reimagining of the original show that I feel is far better than the original). The game features an art style based on the TV show, and even has the surviving members of the original voice cast reprising their roles here.

The changes to the gameplay here are well-measured, and generally improve on what was already a great game. Players are given an option for an “easy” pogo jump (your main form of attack in the game), using a single button press instead of the combination the original requires. However, this is optional, and purists can use the original control method if they prefer. There’s a map added to the pause menu that can help to make things less confusing on labyrinthine levels like Moon and Transylvania. And there are places throughout the game that add new sections or gameplay elements, such as a new opening tutorial area. However, for the most part both the gameplay and level design stick to what was seen in the original superb Platformer.

Of course, one of the biggest changes here is the new presentation, which replaces the 2D pixel art visuals of the original game with well-animated 2D characters on 3D backgrounds. The 3D isn’t especially impressive, but it features an art style and colors that work well with the hand-drawn art, and the animation in that hand-drawn art really is wonderful. Taken all together with a 1080p resolution and 60FPS framerates, DuckTales looks marvelous here.

What’s more, the game sounds fantastic too – the original game’s soundtrack was already beloved, and this version’s synthesized covers of those chiptune themes are outstanding as well, with great remixes like Transylvania, African Mines, and the classic Moon theme also gets a wonderful new version here too. In addition, as I mentioned before, this game reunites all of the surviving cast, ensuring every line in the game is voiced, which makes for some powerful nostalgia, making this feel like a gamified version of a lost episode of the show.

However, this last element is also one of the game’s worst qualities. Throughout the game, characters are constantly interrupting the gameplay to talk, talk, talk. And while I appreciate that WayForward has strung together the original game’s disparate elements into a more coherent plot, their insistence on shoving that plot down players’ throats every two minutes gets old very quickly. And sadly, there’s no quick way to skip this plot – you can’t disable it in menus, nor press a button to skip it. Rather, you must pause the game and select a menu option each and every time you want to get back to the gameplay… and you will be doing this so much that you’ll likely find yourself so exhausted by it that you’ll just let it play out.

It’s really unfortunate that this one bad decision mars what is otherwise an outstanding remake of a truly great classic game. Make no mistake, DuckTales is a must-play Platformer, and DuckTales Remastered is still an excellent reimagining of that Platformer that not only breathes new life into the presentation but also makes some great gameplay improvements. And the fact that the game is otherwise so brilliant makes it all the more frustrating that it messes all that up with its forced story elements. Still, this is a game well worth getting, even if it means putting up with that flaw.

tl;dr – DuckTales Remastered is not just a remaster but an all-out remake of the classic Nintendo Entertainment System Disney-licensed Platformer, and overall it is an outstanding remake of a great game, with wonderful updates to the sound and visuals and some improvements to the already-excellent gameplay as well. Unfortunately, the game’s designers were a bit overzealous when it came to the game’s story elements, resulting in that story constantly interrupting the gameplay. It’s a frustrating flaw that brings down the pace of the game, but it is one worth putting up with because everything else here is so good.

Grade: B+

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