DuckTales Remastered Preview of PS3

Life Is Like A Hurricane
by Jake Valentine

There was a buzz throughout the PAX East show floor, but this wasn't about the giant booths that occupied the expo hall. People weren't talking about Watch Dogs, hyping up Assassin's Creed IV, or trying to figure out just what Hearthstone is. No sir, there was a different buzz entirely, one that can be summed up with just two syllables: "Woo-oo."

Capcom had announced the HD release of DuckTales during their panel that morning and, as you could probably expect during a convention filled with nerds and geeks, we all started humming the theme song. We were in nostalgia overload as we impatiently waited in the hour-plus line to get our hands on the game's demo at the Capcom booth.

As it turns out, the original 1989 DuckTales for the NES is still considered a beloved classic, but I was the ripe young age of 2 in 1989, so I don't exactly remember it being a great game. So I wondered, as I got closer and closer to the demo, would this be worth my time?

After playing with the demo at PAX East, I’m beyond on board for this.

When dealing with remakes, there are a couple of things you always have to worry about: How loyal will it be to the original? In the case of DuckTales, how would they handle the source material? Off the bat, both these questions are answered: DuckTales Remastered is a faithful remake of the game with an expanded narrative and the original voice actors from the cartoon series. That sense of exploration we remember from the original release is promised to remain intact. Its visuals are gorgeous and exactly what you want from a game based off a beloved Disney cartoon.

DuckTales Remastered has us take control of Scrooge McDuck. He’s able to move across each level, jump, and use his cane as both a weapon and pogo stick. This all handles quite well, which is good news for game that’s reportedly pretty challenging. I never felt frustrated or annoyed at the controls, feeling confident in every one of my movements.

When we’re not playing, we’re treated to cutscenes that are, as you may have guessed with the return of the original voice actors, fully voiced, helping to increase our nostalgia. It also has a pile of money that Scrooge is able to swim through, no doubt a dream of every DuckTales fan.

Capcom and WayForward are hitting all the right notes with Duck Tales Remastered. I remain a bit nervous about what could be fairly expensive for a downloadable game, with a $14.99 price point pretty likely. Still, unlike other remakes that lack soul or personality, DuckTales Remastered is filled with both. Expect to make a welcome return to Duckburg when the game drops this summer.