Duck Tales/DuckTales (NES, 1989)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-8.5 Control-7.5 Challenge-7 Story-5
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7.5 Fun-8 Originality-6.5
Overall Score-7.5
+
Some exploration elements (hidden rooms, keys, alternate paths)
Some creative and fun use of the cane (bounce on spikes/enemies to propel yourself forward and upward, use it as a golf club or hit switches)
Minor puzzles (hitting objects to reach treasure, bouncing on treasure chests in the right order to reach higher)
Difficulty options (easy-hard/difficult - on Easy you can take twice the amount of hits before dying, on Difficult cakes don't appear nor do timed invincibility coins)
You can exit a level by getting a lift from McQuack who's placed somewhere in each level (this lets you keep collected money while everything also respawns so it can be used for grinding - works on all difficulties)
Plenty of hidden items (money, extra HP, timed invincibility, 1-ups)
Very precise jump height control
Good enemy variation
Pretty fast paced
Alternate endings (get 10 million and the hidden treasures or finish with zero money)
Can refill your HP for 3 mil (press select)
Minecart segment
Health bar upgrades (2 hidden ones - transylvania and himalayas)
Quickly regain control after getting hit in mid-air
+/-
Choose your path/non-linear structure (level select/hub map screen) besides the part where you get the key for the mines
Some maze levels and most levels have some non-linearity to them
Respawning enemies
Can only exit levels via McQuack once per level
Pretty easy to find 1-ups
Some instant death pits
Secret bonus levels - your money sum has to end with 70k (so a 7 for the fifth digit from the right) to enter these
No item inventory (for saving health or invincibility for later)
-
Mostly easy bosses (especially the final boss)
If you land with the cane on the edge of a platform the bounce doesn't connect - instead you'll land on your feet
Some slowdown
Some trial & error (falling traps, cane bounce mechanic - need to bounce once before you can let go of Down on the d-pad, boulders popping up out of nowhere, jump from airplane in first area (the bee), need to hit enemies precisely with your cane - landing on them isn't enough)
A bit short
Can't replay beaten levels
You can get stuck in the floor/walls in some areas (you can still get out though)
Artificial gating in first area (need 300k to pass) - this can be skipped via a secret path
Need to go to African mines to be able to fetch the needed key from Transylvania (it's a short return trip though)
Ducking when on a moving platform makes Scrooge loose his foothold (Moon, Himalayas)
Final area is just a revisit to Transylvania with a new boss
No save or password save
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7.5 Fun-8 Originality-6.5
Overall Score-7.5
+
Some exploration elements (hidden rooms, keys, alternate paths)
Some creative and fun use of the cane (bounce on spikes/enemies to propel yourself forward and upward, use it as a golf club or hit switches)
Minor puzzles (hitting objects to reach treasure, bouncing on treasure chests in the right order to reach higher)
Difficulty options (easy-hard/difficult - on Easy you can take twice the amount of hits before dying, on Difficult cakes don't appear nor do timed invincibility coins)
You can exit a level by getting a lift from McQuack who's placed somewhere in each level (this lets you keep collected money while everything also respawns so it can be used for grinding - works on all difficulties)
Plenty of hidden items (money, extra HP, timed invincibility, 1-ups)
Very precise jump height control
Good enemy variation
Pretty fast paced
Alternate endings (get 10 million and the hidden treasures or finish with zero money)
Can refill your HP for 3 mil (press select)
Minecart segment
Health bar upgrades (2 hidden ones - transylvania and himalayas)
Quickly regain control after getting hit in mid-air
+/-
Choose your path/non-linear structure (level select/hub map screen) besides the part where you get the key for the mines
Some maze levels and most levels have some non-linearity to them
Respawning enemies
Can only exit levels via McQuack once per level
Pretty easy to find 1-ups
Some instant death pits
Secret bonus levels - your money sum has to end with 70k (so a 7 for the fifth digit from the right) to enter these
No item inventory (for saving health or invincibility for later)
-
Mostly easy bosses (especially the final boss)
If you land with the cane on the edge of a platform the bounce doesn't connect - instead you'll land on your feet
Some slowdown
Some trial & error (falling traps, cane bounce mechanic - need to bounce once before you can let go of Down on the d-pad, boulders popping up out of nowhere, jump from airplane in first area (the bee), need to hit enemies precisely with your cane - landing on them isn't enough)
A bit short
Can't replay beaten levels
You can get stuck in the floor/walls in some areas (you can still get out though)
Artificial gating in first area (need 300k to pass) - this can be skipped via a secret path
Need to go to African mines to be able to fetch the needed key from Transylvania (it's a short return trip though)
Ducking when on a moving platform makes Scrooge loose his foothold (Moon, Himalayas)
Final area is just a revisit to Transylvania with a new boss
No save or password save