The Disney Afternoon Collection PS4 Game Review

Reviewed by Max C. on Apr 21, 2017

Rating:

The Disney Afternoon Collection brings back some classic Capcom NES games for the modern gamer. Read on to see Kidzworlds thoughts on these games from yesteryear.

By: Max Cannon

Digital Eclipse's collection of classic Capcom games focuses on a simple addition to make these games more playable for a modern audience. The Disney Afternoon Collection includes 6 games of various difficulty/quality from the late 80's/early 90's that originally released on the NES. It's a quality package for older gamers but younger players may have a tougher time finding a reason to play, even with the rewind feature.

The Whole Package

The Disney Afternoon Collection includes Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 2, Ducktales, Ducktales 2, Darkwing Duck, and Talespin. You may be familiar with Ducktales, as it's a cartoon that's being rebooted soon, but all of these games are based on cartoons from the titular Disney Channel programming block. Watching all of these cartoons as a child fueled my love for their games (I still have my copy of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers in my cabinet.)

The Disney Afternoon Collection Announcement Trailer

To make these games more accessible to today's audience, you can rewind at any time. Pressing down the L1 button will send the game backward, and pretty far in my experience, to pull you out of any pits fallen into, the beginning of any boss fights, and to grab that treasure you missed earlier. On top of that, added modes are included into the game like Time Attack and Boss Rush. These added features are a nice bonus but it would've been nice to see a bit more -- remastered music/graphics, commercial/promotional material, etc.

I'd also like to see a little more inclusion in future projects, there were some awesome Capcom/Disney games outside of the NES library and extending onto the Super Nintendo. The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse, Goof Troop, Aladdin, and Bonkers would've been great inclusions that also snuck their way onto Disney's TV lineup. With games that were exclusive to the NES on their original release, it's baffling that this collection hasn't released on the Switch but I'm happy to have it in anyway that I can.

My childhood copy of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers for the NES.

But what about the actual games themselves?

Ducktales & Ducktales 2

These are the crown jewels of this collection and one of the first games I'd ever played. Ducktales brings Scrooge McDuck on a pogo-jumping, treasure hunting, challenging adventure. Both games can be painfully unforgiving but they control so well that unfair deaths are rare in the game.

Ducktales is an important part of NES history.Courtesy of PlayStation

Ducktales 2 is a shorter game that adds more variety to what made the first game so special. Pulling platforms, unlocking new moves, and better graphics kept Ducktales 2 on par with the original. And of course, you can't discuss either game without mentioning the great music -- shout out to that Moon level.

Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers & Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers 2

This game/show has one of my favorite theme songs of any media. While the first game is reasonably lengthy and tough to finish, similar to Ducktales 2, the second game is impressive looking, especially for an NES title.

One of the earliest instances of quality co-op gameplay, and it still holds up.Courtesy of PlayStation

What really makes Chip 'n Dale stand out is the inclusion of co-op, running through a brightly colored level with a friend is fun and picking up your ally and throwing him off a cliff is always good for a frustrating smile. You'll also find some of the most clever boss design of the 90's in each of these games.

Darkwing Duck & Talespin

Darkwing Duck was Disney's Batman and played like a dumbed down Mega Man. Some of the bosses can be a real challenge in this game, which makes me very gracious for the rewind feature, and this platform heavy game isn't always as tight to control as its peers. It's art style is still a standout from the NES and hearing the show's theme takes me back to being 10.

Darkwing Duck's lite Mega Man platforming is as unforgiving as ever.Courtesy of PlayStation

Talespin takes that unforgiving-ness and turns it up to 11. Even with the rewind feature I was wondering how I even played this game as a kid. Dodging a screen full of bullets feels impossible, especially when fighting a particularly nasty pair of bosses. This side scrolling shooter is by the far the weakest game of the bunch because of its obscene difficulty.

Talespin isn't just tough, it's brutally unfair.Courtesy of IGN

Final Thoughts

For gamers as nostalgic as myself, playing through The Disney Afternoon Collection is a firm reminder of the importance of these classic, foundational games. The rewind feature makes it a pleasure to return to this games but some players, both young and old, will have a tough time dealing with the past. Basically these old games feel old, but adding a rewind feature makes them feel playable for those looking to see where home gaming really started.