DuckTales Remastered is now available for download on most services – it hits Xbox Live next month – and fans everywhere will be able to soak in every bit of nostalgic gaming goodness. There’s a lot here to remind you of the NES classic while providing great new visuals and sound that pump new life into the franchise.
For our latest level overview, we’re headed to the Himalayas looking the Lost Crown of Genghis Khan with Scrooge McDuck, his niece Webby, and clumsy co-pilot Launchpad McQuack. It’s not an easy journey, but it’s a worthwhile one if you’re a sucker for treasure.
Enemies
When you work your way through the above-ground levels and icy caverns, you’ll deal with a few troublesome enemies. The first is the rabbit which digs beneath the ground and jumps up high repeatedly. Watch for his side-to-side pattern and bop him on the head with a pogo attack. You’ll need to hit a few of these since a few rabbits made off with pieces of Launchpad’s fuel regulator, which you’ll need to retrieve to make it to the next part of the stage.
Next up are goats which come from either the left or the right of the screen, and hop over platforms to get closer to you. They’re a little tougher to hit because of their height, but time your pogo bop just right and you’ll take them out.
Spiders are a nuisance that you’ll find in the caverns and a higher-up platform close to where Launchpad is doing his repairs. They’ll lower themselves down – in your path at times, so be careful – then crawl back up and hesitate for a moment before dropping back down. You can either bop them on the head to get past, or wait for them to rise up and sneak past while they’re waiting. In some situations (next to bottomless pits, for example), it’s best to just walk past.
Lastly, the hockey players are no Mighty Ducks, despite this being a Disney game! These nuisances skate from side to side, knocking anything in their path with their hockey sticks. You can easily finish them off by either bopping them on the head or striking a nearby block into them before they hit it into you.
Getting Around
Pogo jumping on the ground isn’t advised in the Himalayas because you’ll instantly drop down into the show. This doesn’t do any damage to your help, but it does temporarily leave you defenseless, and an enemy coming onto the screen can easily pounce on you. Just stick with walking on these surfaces and use your pogo attacks with enemies.
In the underground caverns, you’ll need to watch out for dangers from above and below. Icicles that hang above can easily impale Scrooge, costing him some of his health. Meanwhile, the slippery ice can cause you to fall off a ledge if you’re not careful. Proceed with caution.
Heya Bubba!
While running through the caverns, you’ll run across Bubba Duck, Scrooge’s stone-age ally. Breaking him out of the ice is recommended as you won’t be able to access part of the stage without him. He’ll jump ahead of you and bust bigger blocks with ease, while also dispatching of any enemies in your path. He’s only with you a short time, but he certainly comes in handy.
Flintheart Has a Grudge
Upon fixing the plane and taking to the air, Scrooge’s nemesis, Flintheart Glomgold, attempts to attack you from a distance, launching Beagle Boys and bombs onto your plane. Bop on the Beagle Boys to take them out – you’ll see where they’re landing from the shadows on the ground – then use your golf club swing to knock the bombs back Flintheart’s way. Five explosions later, and he’ll be done for – for the time being, anyway.
Boss Time
Finally, you’ll come to an oversized yeti, the last thing standing in your way before acquiring the Lost Crown of Genghis Khan. Defeating her is easy. Watch out for her stomping attacks and run underneath her, so you safely end up on the other side. She’ll punch a wall in frustration, knocking down several ice blocks and a rock. Dodge the ice blocks and then hit the rock to a larger ice block up above. She’ll get buried in the ground, giving you a free opportunity to bop her in the head.
Her frustration grows in the face-off and she’ll hesitate and do a fierce ground stomp that will hurt Scrooge if he’s standing around. When you see her hesitate before coming down from a stomp, jump in the air. You’ll avoid the impact and prepare for her to return to the wall, where you can hit more rocks to bop her on the head a few more times, and win the round.
Following that, Webby will help Scrooge make peace with the Yeti – she actually isn’t as harmful as she looks – and he’ll acquire the Lost Crown.
Enjoy, and don’t forget to collect treasure and look for hidden areas!
DuckTales Remastered is available now for PlayStation Network, Wii U eShop and PC/Steam, and releases September 11th on Xbox Live Arcade.
