GOBBLE GOBBLE and JINGLE JANGLE The holiday season is in full swing! What a gift we have for all you folks: December’s game of the month is DuckTales! Woo! This was picked by our buddy Josh Adams. Let’s see what he has to say:
—–
I’ve been a fan of the NES DuckTales game for just over a decade when I played it for the first time. Simple but fun and full of discovery. Referencing the original show and the original characters, at every opportunity, especially my boys LaunchPad and Gizmo Duck. Now that I’m such a fan of the remake series, going back to play the NES title is even more fun than when I first played it a decade ago. So, of course, if I’m given the option to choose DuckTales on Game Boy for Yokoi Kids, a companion to the NES game, I’m going to take it.
Funnily enough, unlike a few Game Boy games from those early years, DuckTales on Game Boy actually had all of its levels redesigned from the NES game. Most likely due to a lack of space, from NES Cartridge to Gameboy Cartridge but it definitely makes for a more concise and efficient adventure.
The graphics are just as fantastic as on the NES. Almost like all of the assets were directly lifted but I think that the Gameboy sprites were redrawn but that’s my unsubstantiated hypothesis.
The music and sound effects are just like the NES, although, some notes aren’t held as long for some reason? Like, the note lengths were mistakenly cut shorter, semi-quaver instead of quaver, for example.
The only slight detriment is that the Cane Pogo ability is easy to miss if you’re near the edge of an object or ledge. Though, it’s easier to pull off, compared to the NES version. Just Jump and hold B. Done.
A short, enjoyable, pretty GameBoy romp. Genuinely simple reasons for me to choose DuckTales on Gameboy and it’s just a bonus that I have an excuse to play a game, tied to a show that I adore so much. I hope everyone who plays it for this month takes a break from the difficult, the bad, and the intense Game Boy games, lately and revisit or have a fresh experience with Scrooge McDuck.
–Josh. The guy who makes Metal songs for YokoiKids.
—–
Thank you Josh for bestowing this classic on us to wrap up 2021. The original NES game is one of my all-time favorite video games overall. I got it for Christmas one year and remember my pops didn’t take to it like other NES games, but my mom loved it. If it wasn’t for her, I’m not sure I would have ever beat it as a kid. I was lucky to be able to watch and glean her strategies. I’m excited to revisit the Game Boy version which I recall being great, just like Josh does. Hope you all enjoy! –IF
Yokoi Kids 