By: Stephen Duetzmann, Editor-In-Chief

WayForward Technologies

ESRB Rating – E 10+

August 13, 2013

Reviewed on PS3 (Also available on, Wii, WiiU, 3DS and PC,  Xbox 360 version available on 09/11/2013)

Overall Review:

Just about everyone reaches a point in their adult life where they begin to develop a yearning to re-experience the things they held dear as a child. They ride on the gentle waves of nostalgia until it’s all they can do to keep themselves from spending all day at work reading Wikipedia about their favorite cartoons as a kid.

Ducktales: Remastered is the perfect game for people who are experiencing that right now. Many of us played the original title back in 1989 when it was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Remastered is crafted in such a way that it looks and sounds the way we imagined it so many years ago. The 8bit era of the Nintendo gave us the freedom to imagine the world, but Remastered allows us to enjoy it.

The feeling of playing this game, at least for a longtime fan, is the most important thing to discuss here. I could pick at dodgy controls and somewhat intrusive story sequences for a few hundred words. But, there is an intangible element to this game that transcends the game mechanics and storyboards. Most games today are full of tension. They want to evoke a feeling of dread, excitement, joy, or all of the above. Ducktales: Remastered stands apart from all that. Instead it lets me be 9 year old boy sitting cross legged in front of the TV with my brother again. That is worth my $14.99 every single time.

Family Gaming Assessment:

I’ll make this quick. This game is rated E 10+, but the content is very mild. It plays out like an episode of the Ducktales cartoon. If you would let your child watch that, then this game is no problem.

Conflict in Ducktales: Remastered is resolved through using Scrooge’s cane to pogo bounce off of enemies. There are no weapons or fighting of any kind. If violence is a concern for you, then this game should not be a problem.

The only real theme that is worth noting is that the Transylvania level does have a horror movie aesthetic. If you are concerned that your kids are easily scared by cartoon ghosts and mummies, then that level is something to consider. With that said, it is goofy enough looking that it should be easily explained away.

Playability Assessment:

This game is very difficult. I would expect children to have a fair amount of difficulty with this one unless they have had a fair amount of experience with other 2d platforming games like Rayman Origins or the New Super Mario Brothers series.

With that said, the game does have a difficulty selection option. Putting the game on “Easy” lessens the challenge by reducing the damage you take from running into enemies. It also removes the “life” counter from the game and prevents you from getting a game over. This should be very helpful for young and/or inexperienced gamers that might be discouraged by losing their progress.

Conclusion:

Ducktales: Remastered is a great game. It is not without its faults, but I found the experience to be fun and engaging. Kids will have a lot of fun playing through the colorful environments and becoming acquainted with some of the less appreciated characters on the Disney roster (a Gizmoduck/Phineas and Ferb crossover would be amazing).

All of my praise so far is based on the assumption that the prospective player is a fan of the series. The waters are far muddier if you are not a fan of the original game or the Ducktales series. The game relies on the nostalgia effect to overcome some of its weakness. When I wipe that away and think objectively about it there are not many reason to go out of your way to play this game.

My final verdict:

Fans: Buy it. Now.

Non-fans: Buy it when the price drops unless your kids REALLY like Disney games. 

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By Stephen Duetzmann

Editor in Chief Founder/EiC EngagedFamilyGaming.com Blogger, Podcaster, Video Host RE: games that families can play together. Editor@engagedfamilygaming.com

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