Duck Tales 2

With the world at his webbed feet and an entourage of gadgets, gizmos, and feathered friends at his disposal, Scrooge McDuck sets off once again to seek fame, fortune, and the title of "World's Richest Duck." Greedy skinflint though he may be, we love the ol' chap, and he's back on monitors in Duck-Tales 2 by Capcom. The return game is much like any new episode in the animated Disney TV series -- a new plot, but the same digs.

You Might Solve a Mystery...

Scrooge's quest for mo' money, mo' money, mo' money begins when his nosy nephews unearth a fragment of a treasure map that leads to the fabled Lost Treasure of McDuck. Legend has it that the rest of the map has been torn to pieces and hidden in five side-view, multi-scrolling stages that span the world. Scrooge launches his mission from Duckburg and takes the stages in any order.

Scrooge hops, skips, and pogos his way through Scotland, Niagara Falls, the Bermuda Triangle, Egypt, and Mu. The natives look comical, but don't be lulled into a false sense of security -- the bosses are bad news. Luckily, they all still fall to the old "stomp-the-head" routine.

DT 2's five stages, plus one secret area, are approximately equal in length to the first game. Overall, the game could use more beef to its stages. The game's maybe half the size of a Mega Man game. The adjustable challenge settings are good for kids of all abilities, and there are multiple endings that are determined by how many map pieces you find.

That Fantabulous Cane

Scrooge's spry for his age, but he does carry a cane. Good thing! This versatile device triples as a golf club, a pogo stick, and a pulley. The golf club enables Scrooge to bat away rocks, boulders, and other obstructions. The pogo maneuver adds spring to his jump and sticks it to his enemies. The pulley move, new for DT 2, can drag heavier objects along the ground.

Game play in DT 2 is simple but satisfying stuff. Mostly, you'll need to make deft moves with the pogo stick and bounce into all the right places. Occasionally, you'll face a tricky puzzle that requires a combination of bouncing, clubbing, and pulling on a specific object. Combat is on the light side, while reflex actions and small doses of thinking are emphasized.

It's a Duck Blur

During his travels, Scrooge meets the entire cast of the DuckTales characters, who're stationed conveniently throughout each stage. Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby provide helpful hints; Gyro enhances Scrooge's cane with power adaptors; and Launchpad gives Scrooge a one-way ticket back to Duckburg. Scrooge can also accumulate cash on his travels, which he'll find in each stage. With the extra dough, he can buy extra lives, continues, energy, and other goodies back in the 'burg.

A DuckTale You've Heard Before

Despite a doubling of game space, you won't find many major improvements. Graphically, this Duck's feathers shimmer, but it won't take first place in a livestock show. The backdrops are cool, with a few color-cycling effects in places. Together the music's upbeat 8-bit fare. The graphics and sounds fall just below par of Capcom's greatest NES masterpiece, Chip 'n' Dale's Rescue Rangers.

If it's more of the same you want, Duck-Tales 2 delivers. For better or for worse, Capcom's got a knack for introducing an eye-opening 8-bit game and then essentially recasting the gameplay with a few minor tweaks in sequel after sequel. DuckTales 2 is fun while it lasts, but it's too short. It's recommended without hesitation, though, for first-time players and DuckTales fans.

What appears to be an old torn-up piece of paper could turn out to be a fortune for Uncle Scrooge and the rest of the gang, as they set off on their newest adventure, Duck Tales 2. It seems as though Great, Great Uncle Fergus has skillfully hidden pieces of a treasure map in five different locations around the world. Now with a little help from Launchpad and those mischievous nephews of yours, Huey, Duey and Louie, you're off on another swashbuckling adventure that will take you from the breathtaking Niagara Falls all the way to the mystical Egyptian pyramids.

Duck Tales 2 was a good idea, but it gets quickly lost on the tiny screen! You get a sense of grand adventure, but the game gets tiresome quickly with so-so graphics and OK control! Capcom has been good at some GameBoy titles in the past (look at what they did with the Mega Man series), but DT2 doesn't cut it.

Scrooged again! Capcom brings the quacky Duck Tales 2 to the NES for loads of fun!

Scrooge McDuck is off on another wild adventure. Help him find lost treasures around the globe, including the hidden world of Atlantis. Brandishing only his trusty cane, McDuck must climb, hang, hit, jump and pogo. Each world holds a boss to tackle along with many treasures to find! Bills up, go get that treasure!

Scrooge McDuck is off on another quest to find lost treasures around the world. Armed with his nasty cane, he can pogo through almost everything. He won't be alone, though: Huey, Dewey, and Louie are out there to offer advice. Even Launchpad is offering his help. The play techniques are almost exactly the same, with only the special ability to pull items added. This cart is graphically superior to its predecessor. There are many mysteries in each level as well as the hidden world of Atlantis that you must discover on your own!

It took over three years, but Capcom is finally releasing a sequel to its successful Duck Tales NES cartridge. Fans of the original platform-jumping game won't be disappointed in the follow-up--it's a scavenger hunt that follows Scrooge McDuck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie across the globe as they search for the missing pieces of a treasure map.

Like most of the Disney-licensed NES games. Duck Tales 2 is a scrolling, run-and-jump contest with dozens of hidden power-ups and special items.