Digital Shorts: ‘The Disney Afternoon Collection’ Review (PS4)

In DIGITAL SHORTS we review some of the latest video games that are only available digitally (at least in the UK), in a short-form review format. In this edition we take a look at The Disney Afternoon Collection, a brand-new compilation of six classic Disney/Capcom games from the NES era – available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Ahh… NES era Capcom. When the game studio could do no wrong; and nowhere was that more apparent than in the companies videogame adaptations of Disney titles. The eagerly awaited The Disney Afternoon Collection – available now on PS4 and Xbox One – contains six games from this era including two NES games released in the latter part of the consoles life,  that, if you want to buy the original carts – loose or boxed – will today cost you a pretty penny:

• Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers – This classic lets players team up with a friend in co-op play as they assume the roles of the mischievous Chip and Dale as they take on memorable villain Fat Cat and attempt to solve the mystery of a missing kitten.
• Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 – Fat Cat has escaped and his plans are even more dastardly this time. The titular heroes and supporting cast Monterey Jack, Gadget, and Zipper must stop Fat Cat from his evil dream of world domination!
• Darkwing Duck – Play as the original caped crusader and fight a city full of criminals from the infamous F.O.W.L. organization in this action-packed platforming epic.
• DuckTales – In this iconic platforming adventure, players help Scrooge McDuck fill his feathery pockets with vast riches from across the world.
• DuckTales 2 – The sequel to the original game comes jam-packed with more action and an even bigger caper set in new locations like the Bermuda Triangle and Niagara Falls!
• TaleSpin – Take to the skies as Baloo the bear navigates his plane through exotic and dangerous locations in this side-scrolling shoot-em-up.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do like the fact that some companies are going back to older, classic, games and giving them a graphical overhaul (case in point the previously released Duck Tales Remastered on PS3/Xbox 360) but there’s nothing like playing old games they way they were originally released.  But The Disney Afternoon Collection isn’t just a re-release of old games as is. All six games are pixel-perfect HD versions of the originals and feature a number of filtering options that replicate a classic retro look and feel. Which for retro gamers is only a good thing.

Plus, as if releasing pixel-perfect HD versions of classic NES titles wasn’t enough, Capcom have also added extra game modes to all six games… The Disney Afternoon Collection also offers new ways to play with Boss Rush and Time Attack modes for each game. In Boss Rush mode, players battle through challenging boss encounters consecutively, while Time Attack mode encourages time-based gameplay and provides online leaderboards that track the fastest times for each game.

And, in case you’re of the mindset that old games were harder than current gen titles, The Disney Afternoon Collection also features a cool “Rewind” option that, with a tap of a button, allows you to rewind time and enjoy a swift recovery from blunders – even if that blunder is death (as long as you’re fast enough). Though if you’ve played these games before you shouldn’t need to rewind – it was surprising, whilst playing through Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, how much I remembered from playing it years ago, like some form of videogaming muscle memory!

A fantastic collection of some of the best platforming games to be released on the NES, The Disney Afternoon Collection is an essential purchase for gamers, retro and new alike.