POSTED 28/8/13


DUCKTALES REMASTERED

Capcom
Xbox 360/XBLA (also on PS3/PSN, Wii U/eShop, PC)

Quack-a-rooney! We’ve been leafing through the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook, and can’t find anything relating to reviewing games. Oh well, we’ll wing it...

As the 10-letter appendage “Remastered” deftly implies, this DuckTales is an old game given a modern coat of paint. You’ll possibly know that it originally emerged on the NES back in 1989 and was based on the very popular Disney TV cartoon series starring Huey, Dewey and Louie plus their multiplujillionaire “Unca” Scrooge, a Scottish canny stereotype fowl with more bucks than the world has ducks – and people want ducks.

Indeed, you’ll probably also know that it was an ace little platforming adventure (which is the mother of all industry, natch), with any of the five main levels able to be assailed in any order. You could be aware that they ranged from ambling about the Amazon (no, Doofus, not the website) to moseying on the moon, with the odd castle and mountain (wood) chucked in.

Apart from the ropey rope controls which remain, old school purists will hate this. Those blocky graphics which may have been state of the art in the ’80s, but just look quaint now, have been replaced with gorgeous cartoon visuals as snappy as the TV series. An overarching story’s been sticky-taped in (meaning, of course, copious cutscenes). An introductory level has been added, as has a final one. Ace chiptune-inspired takes on the original soundtrack have been inserted and, the kicker to the head, levels have been changed about. Just try speed-running this sucker in nine minutes!

Sure, those who revere the original may get their beaks out of joint at the creative licence that’s been exercised, but others will revel in a blast of classic pogo stick-equipped platforming that looks two million dollars. Seriously, Mr McDuck would be apoplectic at the bucks lavished on this.

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