DuckTales (video game)
A 1989 platformer based on the Disney TV series.
Here is the rewritten encyclopedia entry in a fresh voice. In 1989, Capcom both developed and published a platform game based on the Disney animated series *DuckTales*. It launched in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System that year, with a Game Boy port following in 1990. The plot follows Scrooge McDuck as he journeys across the globe to gather treasure and outmaneuver his rival, Flintheart Glomgold, in a bid to remain the wealthiest duck in the world. The game was a major commercial hit, with each version selling over a million copies worldwide—making it Capcom’s top-selling title for both the NES and the Game Boy. Critics praised its tight controls, open-ended level design, and vibrant visuals. It frequently appears on lists of the best NES games ever made. A sequel, *DuckTales 2*, arrived in 1993. In 2013, WayForward Technologies released *DuckTales: Remastered* for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U, featuring high-definition graphics and voice work from the surviving cast members of the original show. The original 8-bit version was later included in *The Disney Afternoon Collection* for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and was also released for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 by Atari in 2026.
Players control Scrooge McDuck as he explores five destinations—African Mines, The Amazon, The Himalayas, Transylvania, and the Moon—in any order to find five treasures and boost his fortune. He attacks enemies and navigates obstacles using his cane. On the ground, he can swing it to strike foes or break and throw objects. While jumping, he can bounce on the cane like a pogo stick to attack from above, reach higher platforms, or cross dangerous terrain. Scrooge collects diamonds from chests or scattered areas to increase his wealth, and ice cream restores his health. Characters from the series appear, offering hints, items, access to new areas, or blocking his progress. A hidden cheat—activated by pressing the select button while standing still—refills Scrooge’s heart points for $3,000,000. The African Mines and Transylvania must be revisited to obtain essential items. Two secret treasures are hidden across all five levels. Each destination ends with a boss fight.
Quick Facts
- Title
- DuckTales
- Developer
- Capcom
- Producer
- Tokuro Fujiwara / David Mullich / Darlene Waddington
- Programmer
- Nobuyuki Matsushima
- Artist
- Keiji Inafune / Naoya Tomita / Hironori Matsumara / Miki Kijima
- Composer
- Hiroshige Tonomura
- Platforms
- NES, Game Boy
- Released
- NESNA · October 1989JP · January 26, 1990 · EU · December 14, 1990Game BoyJP · September 21, 1990 · NA · November 1990 · EU · 1991
- Genre
- Platform
- Modes
- Single-player
- Director
- Keiji Inafune
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
DuckTales was developed and published by Capcom, marking the company's first licensed game. It shared key personnel with the Mega Man series, including producer Tokuro Fujiwara, character designer Keiji Inafune, and sound programmer Yoshihiro Sakaguchi. The story follows Scrooge McDuck as he travels the globe collecting treasure and outwitting rival Flintheart Glomgold to become the world's richest duck. The game features five levels: African Mines, The Amazon, The Himalayas, Transylvania, and the Moon, which can be visited in any order. Players control Scrooge, who attacks enemies using his cane on the ground and can bounce on it like a pogo stick while jumping. Hidden in the game is a secret life-restoring cheat, accessed by pressing the select button while standing still, that will refill Scrooge's heart points for $3,000,000. In order to do that, the player has to collect exactly $1,000,000 to get a total money of $6,000,000 because one gets a total of $5,000,000 from the bosses.
Reader's Guide
DuckTales was a commercial success, with the NES version selling approximately 1.67 million copies and the Game Boy version selling approximately 1.43 million copies worldwide, each becoming Capcom's highest-selling title for its respective platform. It received generally positive reviews, with Electronic Gaming Monthly praising its gameplay and colorful graphics, calling it 'a prime example of very good game design.' Mean Machines magazine called the game 'very tough and challenging.' Nintendo Power listed DuckTales as the 13th best NES game in 2008 and 44th in its '285 Greatest Games of All Time' in 2012. IGN ranked it 10th on its list of the 100 greatest NES games in 2009. The game's music, particularly the 'Moon Theme,' has been highly praised, with Polygon citing it as the most famous piece of music from the title and Geekparty calling it 'the most perfect piece of 8-bit music ever written.' The 'Moon Theme' later appeared in the 2017 animated series reboot. A sequel, DuckTales 2, was released in 1993, and a remastered version, DuckTales: Remastered, developed by WayForward Technologies, was released in 2013.
Did You Know?
- The game was Capcom's first licensed game, sharing key personnel with the Mega Man series.
- A secret life-restoring cheat is activated by pressing the select button while standing still, costing $3,000,000.
- The bad ending is only achievable by spending all accumulated money on the life-restore cheat, requiring exactly $6,000,000 total.
- The 'Moon Theme' was used in the 2017 animated series reboot as a lullaby for Della Duck.
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