DuckTales 2
Nintendo Entertainment System
Nostalgia Factor:
I'm a big fan of the original DuckTales for the NES. When I initially reviewed it almost two years ago, I had nothing but glowing things to say about the game. Read the review and tell me I didn't love that game!
I didn't even realize at the time that it had a sequel. This was something I discovered fairly recently. When I heard there was a second, very rare DuckTales game out there that I had never played before, I immediately knew I had to try it out. And here I am.
Would this game be as good as the original, or would I come away disappointed? Let's dive in, shall we?
Story:
Scrooge's nephews find a piece of a long lost treasure map while playing around in the basement of the mansion. Scrooge and Co. head off on an adventure to find the lost pieces of the map, while uncovering brand new treasures in the process.
There are five stages to pick from. It doesn't really matter what order you complete them in. If you finish them all without collecting all the map pieces, you are taken to the final stage, where Glomgold tries to steal everything you've earned throughout your playthrough. Defeat him, and the game ends.
But what about the treasure?! If you want to find out what happens there, you have to play the game again. This time, make extra sure to collect all those map pieces as you make your way through each stage. Doing do unlocks the "real" game ending. There is a third ending as well for finishing the game with no money or no treasure, but I didn't bother going after that one.
This game plays out almost exactly like the original DuckTales. The controls are identical, except this time you don't have to hold the down button while jumping to use the cane. Just jump and hit the action button and voila: you're bouncing on the cane. It is a small adjustment, but it makes the game much easier to handle.
There are a few other wrinkles thrown in as far as the gameplay goes. You can collect items that upgrade your character, like giving you the ability to break previously unbreakable blocks with your cane. This game allows you to play levels you've already beaten, so if you uncover a new ability you can revisit those old levels to see if you are able to find anything you might have missed.
The levels are short and full of secrets to collect. If you are trying to find everything in the game, none of them should take you more than 20 minutes to complete - although I did have to look online a few times because some of the treasure map pieces were evading me. The bosses in the game are relatively simple. Just bounce on them five times to defeat them. I'd go so far as to call them complete pushovers, to be honest with you.
If you are simply looking to make it through all the stages and beat the game as quickly as possible, you'll be done with this in under an hour. This game is not difficult in its base form. I know some people out there say that the first DuckTales is a hard game, but I thought it was fairly easy. This one is even easier. I haven't read any reviews for the game. I wonder if people think this one is hard, too? Well, it's not.
The game does have some replay value in the form of the treasure maps. Finding them is the most time-consuming part of the game. If it was 1993 and I had just gotten this game for Christmas, I probably would have spent a long time looking for these treasures and extending the lifespan of this easily-beaten game. But in 2023 you can find anything online. I didn't feel like spending too much time on this game, since I have so many other titles out there to play. So admittedly I did "cheat" from time to time.
Even without doing this, I think this game wouldn't have occupied my time for much more than a day or two. There's just not a whole lot you can do here. I know the first DuckTales game was short and simple too, but I still loved it and had a great time with the game. I don't know what it is about this one. I still like it, sure. But the magic just isn't there for me.
Graphics:
Graphically, this game is just as good as its predecessor. It might even look a smidge better. I like the rain effects on the pirate ship. There were a few other areas I passed through that had me nodding my head, like alright - this is cool.
That said, if the game does look better than the original, it is not by much. If DLC existed back in the early 90s, this could have easily just been a DLC patch for the first game.
Sound:
The classic DuckTales theme song makes its return once again. Unfortunately, you only hear it at the title screen and then never again. The in-game music is good. Really reminiscent of something you'd hear in a Mega Man game. But it seems to be lacking that extra special oomf that makes an 8-bit soundtrack stand out. I played through this game twice, but looking back - there is not a single musical track that I can remember. It all kind of blends together.
Overall:
I liked this game. It may seem from my comments like I didn't, but I really did. It handles well. The stages are creatively designed and full of secrets. There are some decent puzzles. If anything, the game makes you think a little bit more than the first one.
There's just something about DuckTales 2 that just doesn't quite "do it" as much for me. It's a perfectly fine platforming game, but let's be real - in two weeks I am not going to be able to remember a darn thing about this game. There are some games that are absolute classics that stick with you forever, and others that, while they may be fun, don't. And this game definitely falls into that second category.
If this game is so similar to the first one, what was it that I didn't like? What makes it not as good? It is hard to say. I struggle to say it is a nostalgia or rose-tinted glasses thing. I only played the original DuckTales for the first time two years ago. It's not like I grew up with that game or anything. It's very hard for me to pinpoint the reasoning. This game just doesn't seem to have the same "magic" as the first.
If I had played this game first, and then the original DuckTales second, there's a chance I might come away saying this one is better. I don't know. All I can say is that my personal experience playing this game was worse than my experience playing through the first game. It seems kind of weak coming from my own mouth seeing as how I can't really pinpoint a reason why it isn't as good. It just isn't. That's my final answer, and you'll just have to accept it for what it is. Or better yet, play these games for yourself and see if you have the same impression I did. In fact, I encourage you to do so. These are good games that need to be played.
THE GRADE:
B-
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