Good ol' uncle Scrooge. Yes he's a bit of an unmovable, greedy old codger, but he's also a real gentleman and kindly father-figure when things boil down. Ducktales Remastered, it turns out, shares this persona as well. It may run with the same old very direct, sometimes limited gameplay (with a few exceptions,) but it's also very charming and likeable at the same time. WayForward has added a few touches to the classic formula, but not enough to make it feel like a new game, nor too much so as to spoil the nostalgia for those who remember the original.
The idea behind Ducktales is simple, solid platforming with the exception of a single standout mechanic: Scrooge's pogo-stick walking cane. In order to both defeat the enemies found on his treasure hunt and traverse dangerous locales, Scrooge must bounce his way over the heads of beasts, monsters, and ne-er do wells to reach his goal at the end of every level, a priceless forgotten treasure. This "schtick" can be handled in both the classic manner, which requires players to master a certain button combo, and a remastered scheme which maps the ability to a single button this time around. The player's level of gamer pride and classic gameplay appreciation will likely determine which method they prefer. Players will also use the walking stick to bat rocks, iron balls and other things at enemies and treasure chests as well. This constitutes the vast majority of the game, only broken up occasionally by a DKC-esque minecart section or something a little more one-off. That is not to say that the game gets boring quickly. A well made platforming mechanic can make for hours of fun and take just as long to master, and this is one such case.
After completing the new first "tutorial level," players are given the opportunity to choose whichever stage out of five to tackle first. In this the game is somewhat reminiscent of another classic capcom series: Megaman. Don't expect to conquer bosses with stolen powers though, every stage is completely independent of the others, and here's where Ducktales shows some limitations that more modern games have been able to move past. Barring the interesting environments (made even more so with more current graphics) every stage feels very similar to the last. Players will use the same skills and reflexes to jump up cliffs and avoid baddies or pits as they did in the last level they played. Enemies are somewhat simple and predictable too, though they are by no means boring. Constantly respawning meso-american warriors caused me to restart a level once or twice. The game itself is also somewhat short by modern standards. Players possessed of some degree of skill will beat all six fairly challenging stages in a day or two's worth of free time. In the end however, the game is still a blast to play, and defeating that boss you've been struggling with still feels rewarding.
WayForward took an interesting direction with the revamped art style that oddly enough seems to fit perfectly. Every room of every level is rendered in a 2.5D cartoony atmosphere, but characters and enemies are all lovingly animated two dimensional sprites. Initially this disparity in style feels somewhat awkward, but it quickly grew on me, and having had more time to consider it, I cant imagine the beloved characters would have translated well to 3D models. The music has also received the modernization treatment, but once again holds on to more retro sensibilities as well. I was sure I heard classic chiptune beats and melodies alongside more realized instrumental sounds. As a fan of retro game music, I found this melding incredibly interesting and fun to listen to. Something that is wholly new to the remake is a series of story cutscenes voiced by the cast of the original show. This added quite a bit to the nostalgia factor and had me longing to go back and watch the classic series all over again.
All in all, Ducktales remastered is an excellent callback to the beginning of the golden age of platformers. Gameplay feels solid and enjoyable, if a little limited, and mastering the game is uncomplicatedly rewarding. People with fond memories of retro platformers will absolutely love this remake, while younger players might be turned off by its simplicity, but that shouldn't stop some from giving the good-ol' days a chance.
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