DuckTales Remastered

DuckTales Remastered is a revival of the classic 1989 platformer based on the DuckTales animated series, released on Wii U as a downloadable eShop title after also appearing on other contemporary platforms. Playing as Scrooge McDuck, the player fights through five worlds inspired by the series - from the lunar surface to African mines, the Amazon rainforest, and a Transylvanian castle - using the signature cane-pogo bounce to glide over chasms, defeat enemies by jumping down on them, and bounce off walls and platforms, which remains the core of the entire gameplay.

The level design faithfully mirrors the structure of the original 8-bit-era game, but with modernly refined fluidity of movement, clearer controls, and fleshed-out boss fights that were only hinted at in the original and now get their own intro scenes and more distinct attack patterns. The graphics underwent a complete transformation into a hand-drawn 2.5D style with fully animated characters, the voice cast is drawn from the contemporary series cast including the voice of Scrooge himself, and the music consists of rearranged versions of the iconic NES tracks, which rank among the most praised elements of the whole remake, especially the Moon level theme, which earned the status of a standalone classic among fans.

The game was received as one of the finest remakes of its time, because it managed to pay tribute to nostalgia while also offering gameplay that met the standards of its day, including fully voiced dialogue and an expanded story. For fans of the platformer genre it stands as an exemplary case of how to sensitively revive a classic without losing its original character and challenge. It still plays briskly today and makes a fitting introduction both for those who remember the original and for players who only know the animated series and never experienced the original game, while its short length invites repeated playthroughs on higher difficulty.

Why play it: For a sensitively revived classic with voiced dialogue and an expanded story that still plays briskly today, it is an ideal introduction both for those who remember the original and for fans of the series who never played it.