For older gamers raised on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Capcom and WayForward’s surprising DuckTales Remastered announcement at PAX East was a dream come true. After all, it is not everyday that a classic game from the NES-era gets remade in HD by one of the premier 2D platformer development studios. As if the news could not get any better, we are now hearing that there is a chance Disney could license Capcom to remake other classic NES games.
Speaking to Polygon, DuckTales Remastered producer Rey Jimenez revealed that Capcom put a considerable amount of work into getting approval from Disney for the upcoming remake. If the title generates enough sales, Jimenez stated that other NES Capcom/Disney titles — like Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, and Aladdin — could be next.
“For a remake of an NES game I’m surprised how much dedication they are putting into this,” Jimenez said. “In a purely hypothetical world [where the DuckTales remake turns into a hit], I think Chip n’ Dale would be the next logical one. It makes sense because it’s the next in the hierarchy.”
As for what we can expect from DuckTales Remastered, Jimenez revealed that the game will offer “harder difficulties” for players wanting “the pure experience”, but there will also be several changes “to make it significantly easier and more accessible” for those not accustomed to how crushingly difficult NES games could be.
Some of the changes mentioned by Jimenez include getting rid of the requirement to revisit the Transylvania level multiple times before progressing to the next level, and removing the “treacherous shortcut” that allowed players to skip the entire African Mines level. Apparently the shortcut area is still in the game, but now players are rewarded with some items.
The biggest change in DuckTales Remastered comes with the addition of an entirely new level in the game, which will put in as the final level. Sadly, Jimenez didn’t expand on exactly what will be in this new end level.
On top of the new content in the game Capcom and WayForward were also able to get some of the original show’s cast to record new voiceover work for DuckTales Remastered. Specifically, the actors who voiced Scrooge McDuck (the now 94-year-old Alan Young), Magica De Spell, and Launchpad McQuack.
DuckTales Remastered is scheduled to launch digitally on Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Network (PS3), and on the Wii U eShop sometime this Summer. If you have not done so already, make sure to check out the debut trailer embedded below.