Ducktales; a rich duck and his nephews going on adventures to gain more wealth that is really needed. It seemed to be a popular TV cartoon, I wouldn't know, I've never watched it. However, I heard the game was relatively fun to play, and picked up the Game Boy copy at an expo, failing to get the NES version. So with that, let's look into this crazy new world of ducks and money.

The story is that you are Scrooge McDuck, the worlds richest mallard of Duckburg. However, your reputation of worlds richest duck is at stake, as other ducks are looking for the five great treasures or something, which would make them richer than you. So you go out to the world, with your three nephews, to find these treasures and become the world's richest duck. I find it interesting how they are incorporating a hint of greed into the story here (although "hint" might be an understatement). You must explore the Amazon Forest, Transylvania, the Himalayas, the African Mines and finally......the moon....riiiiiiiight. The moon....

A little like Megaman, you can select what level you can go to first. The controls are fairly simple. You can move around like a normal platformer, however, you can use your cane to jump higher while you are holding down the B button. you defeat enemies and open chests with these. Hold down the B button to open chests right next to you that you can't jump on. Now, how can a cane make ducks jump higher? On top of that, how can it open chests? Is it a knife cane? Has it got springs in it to allow jumping higher? It's gotta be an expensive cane, tailor made for adventuring, not that I would bring a springy cane to the Amazon or something like that. If he can buy a cane that well designed, imagine his toaster. Each level is unique to its own and has a fun design to it. There are secrets here and there all over the level. Those who have played Super Mario Bros. will find some of the secrets easily. Some levels have a secret treasure in them, granting extra money. Some parts are rather clever, requiring you to think for a bit to get to a certain chest. At the even of every level is a boss. Defeat the boss, and you get one of the great treasures. Then the money for that level is added to your total money, and you are unable to go back to that level.

Although you are restricted to going to the African Mines until you find a key in Transylvania, which is a nice touch, if a little flawed. The African Mines are the third level down, and although you don't have to do the levels from top to bottom, you kinda feel a little compelled to. Before the African Mines is Transylvania, and if you are like me, you'll explore every nook and cranny before going to the boss. This includes going into the mirrors and finding out they are sort of like teleportation devices. if you play Transylvania before the African Mines, you're going to check out the first mirror you see, and find out it doesn't teleport you. Once you complete that level and move onto the African Mines, and then are moved back to Transylvania to find a key, you're going to skip the first mirror as that did nothing the first time, so why should it do something now? You assume the level is exactly the same as before. However, the first mirror actually teleports you to a place where the key is in a chest. You would not have worked that out unless you picked the African Mines first (and why would you when Transylvania is in front of the African Mines). I can even prove this, as I let my little sister play this game. She picked the African Mines first, and instantly found the key there in the first mirror, which I was completely surprised at, as I was looking everywhere for that key. Wouldn't it have killed them to have they key there always instead of going to the African Mines first to trigger an event to put it there? As you pick up the key, it would be stored somewhere, ready for the use at the African Mines. Was that so hard to do on a Game Boy game?

What I don't quite understand is how Scrooge McDuck is still alive on the moon. He isn't wearing a space suit of any kind, yet he is still living. There isn't any air on the moon! Moreover, he has the money to go to the moon, and is able to find treasure on the moon. How can there be treasure on the moon? It doesn't make any sense! Wait, I've got it. Scrooge McDuck can breathe on the moon because he had a vast amount of money invested into making something that could make him hold his breath for a vast amount of time. Which would explain him not dying on the moon. But if he has so much money to make something like that, then why does he need more money to still be the richest duck in the world? By the sounds of it, taking into account the cost to get the rocket the breath holding stuff, he doesn't need it at all. *sigh* Never mind....

The music in this game is amazing. The title theme is an 8-bit rendition of the Ducktales theme, which sounds pretty sweet, and the music in this game seems the same as it was in the NES version, if I am not much mistaken. The Moon theme seems a little out of place, but it's still awesome. I also like the Amazon theme and the Himalayas theme the most. There is something about the music here that seems different to other platformer games I've played, but I can't put my finger on it.

The graphics are pleasing to look at. The backgrounds are fairly detailed, which is almost a rarity, as a fair few Game Boy games have plain, white backgrounds. Everything looks like it's supposed to look like The thorny vines looked like thorny vines, the suits of armour looked like suits of armour. I never said once "What on earth is that supposed to be?", it was clear hat things were intended to be, and the artists in making the graphics did a good job on it.

The game is fairly easy, to be honest. Being the hardened retro gamer I am, I found little to no trouble finishing this game on Normal. Some parts of the game I did struggle with, but only because the controls weren't fully cooperating with me at that time, and decided to find a way around it. The bosses are a joke, very easy to defeat, but maybe this means that it was aimed at a younger audience. Either way, it was a fun experience.

As I play this game, I notice that Scrooge McDuck is not one to care about the ecosystem. He's killing off the bees spiders and snakes in the Amazon, attacking snow rabbits in the Himalayas, and taking down fish and sharks in the African Mines. Also, in the Amazon, this duck pilot in a helicopter is there to help you across a gap, and it makes this huge ruckus over the awesome level theme. Is that really necessary?

Overall, I give this game a 7.4/10      It's a fun and enjoyable game to play, but short lives it life and is not one you might play again straight away. The most remarkable part about this game is the music. Sure, it has a few plot holes here and there, but I somehow have a feeling that's in the spirit of Ducktales. It's worth a play if you're looking for something a little different.

Great review, I enjoyed reading it. So this game is a direct port of the NES version isn't it? I know I have played it, but it's been awhile. Do you like the NES game?

The NES game is one of the best platformers on the system. Great music and great gameplay. I love that game, still one of my favorites to this day.

Jordanv78 : The Game Boy and NES games are the same? Well, I might just get the NES version for collection purposes then. No, I haven't played the NES version.

Darkpower508 : Yes, I believe this is a direct port of the NES game. There is also a sequel.

Try out Ducktales on the NES. If you like platformers, you won't be disappointed.