QuackShot

QuackShot

European Mega Drive box art
Developer(s) Sega
Publisher(s) Sega
Director(s) Emiko Yamamoto
Programmer(s) Hiroshi Momota
Masato Omori
Keiichi Yamamoto
Artist(s) Takashi Yuda
Composer(s) Shigenori Kamiya
Platform(s) Sega Genesis,
Sega Saturn
Release date(s)

Sega Genesis

Sega Saturn

  • JP October 15, 1998
Genre(s) Platformer
Mode(s) Single-player

QuackShot, known in Japan as I Love Donald Duck: Guruzia Ou no Hihou (Japanese: アイラブドナルドダック グルジア王の秘宝 Hepburn: Ai Rabu Donarudo Dakku Gurujia Ō no Hihō), is a 1991 platforming video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. The game was released in Europe in 1991, in North America on December 19, 1991 and in Japan on December 20, 1991. QuackShot stars Donald Duck and his three nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, as treasure-hunters, and is part of a series of games published by Sega that were based on Walt Disney cartoon characters.

QuackShot was released to mostly positive reviews from video game journalists. The game was universally lauded for its graphics, with magazines like Sega Pro describing them as "some of the best graphics around." The game was also praised for its music and puzzles, as well as their clever use in the game. However, QuackShot was criticized for its controls, being described by IGN as "float-y" and making certain segments of the game unnecessarily difficult. The game was also criticized for its lack of difficulty overall as well as its lack of speech samples, which several other Genesis games of the time had.

Gameplay

Donald traverses platforms in a level modeled after Mexico. The player's health is signified by the hearts in the lower left corner.

The player, as Donald, ventures through a variety of side-scrolling levels. Generally, each level is divided into an overland part and a dungeon, such as the Maharajah's palace or the temple in which the Great Duck Treasure resides.[2] Although the player may choose any order to play the overland sections, various obstacles prevent the player from entering the dungeons outside of a specific order. In addition to this, some levels provide the player with vital clues which solve puzzles needed to progress in later sections. Once Donald has completed the overland section of an area, he may leave by calling his nephews' biplane, and will return to the dungeon entrance of that area if the player chooses to return.[3]

Donald is armed with a special gun that can shoot plungers, popcorn or bubble gum.[4] Donald has unlimited plungers which can only temporarily stun enemies (though bosses can still be damaged with plungers), and can collect popcorn and gum along the way or get the latter from Gyro Gearloose.[4] Later in the game, the plunger is upgraded to act as a temporary platform to climb walls with and, when stuck to a passing bird, allows Donald to traverse longer distances.[4] In Duckburg, India and Egypt, Donald can also pick up chili peppers which increase his temper, eventually temporarily allowing him to become invincible, increase his speed and knock out enemies in his path.[4]

Plot

While Donald is flipping through some books in Scrooge McDuck's library, a map falls out of a book relating to the treasure of King Garuzia, ruler of the Great Duck Kingdom in ancient times.[5] The map leads to the location of the king's most prized possession, hidden in a secret place shortly before his death.[6] Donald thinks this is his path to riches.[7] Unfortunately Big Bad Pete overhears and pursues Donald throughout the game hoping to steal the treasure.[8]

Teamed with his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and using the partial map from the library, Donald begins his search in Duckburg, with the trail being directed to an Aztec pyramid in Mexico. Outside the pyramid, he is directed by a "sweet seniorita" to obtain a "hero key" from an explorer back in Duckburg to open the pyramid. Inside the pyramid, Donald meets Goofy, who gives him a strange note and a plunger to help him reach higher places, and tells him that Gyro Gearloose is looking for him back in Duckburg.[9] Travelling across the rooftops of Duckburg to meet Gyro, Donald is given Gyro's latest invention, bubblegum ammo that can break through walls. The last location on the partial map is Count Dracula's castle in Transylvania, where Donald encounters a ghost who tells him that the Count carries the real treasure map. [10]

After defeating Dracula, Donald receives a more complete map. In India, Donald enters the palace of the Maharajah, where she challenges him to defeat the tiger in her garden in exchange for a Sphinx Tear.[11] Donald succeeds and receives the Sphinx Tear, which is the key to open a temple in Egypt. Donald is able to solve the "Riddle of the Sphinx" using the note Goofy had given him, and obtains the Scepter of Ra before escaping in a mine cart. From there, he journeys to the South Pole, where he finds a key frozen in ice, and uses the Scepter of Ra to melt the ice and grab the key. The key unlocks the hold of a Viking ship, which contains an ancient diary with the secret to locating the treasure. The ship is haunted by ghosts, and the Viking captain sends Donald below decks to get rid of them. After defeating a skeletal Viking warrior, Donald returns to the deck, where the captain informs him that the diary is hidden in ice near the South Pole, and gives him an "ancient Viking plunger" that attaches to flying creatures. [12] Donald then returns to the South Pole, hitching a ride on one of Pete's bird minions to reach the diary.

However, upon finding the diary, Pete shows up, holding Donald's nephews hostage in exchange for the diary.[13] After giving Pete the diary, Donald travels to Pete's hideout to defeat Pete and get the diary back. The diary reveals that the map, when dipped in water, will reveal the location of the Great Duck Treasure.[14] Donald flies to the island where the treasure is hidden and manages to evade its traps in order to reach the treasure vault. After defeating the ancient spirit guarding the treasure, Donald opens the vault only to find a simple stone statue.[15] When the disappointed Donald returns home, Huey, Dewey and Louie accidentally break the statue, which reveals a golden jeweled necklace was hidden inside. Donald gives the necklace to Daisy and the two fly off into the sunset together.

Development and release

QuackShot was developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis as part of a series of games that were based on Walt Disney cartoon characters. The game was released in Europe in 1991, in North America on December 19, 1991 and in Japan on December 20, 1991. QuackShot was later released as part of a bundle called The Disney Collection for Genesis in 1996 alongside Castle of Illusion.[16] The game was also ported to the Sega Saturn and released exclusively in Japan alongside Castle of Illusion again as part of the Sega Ages series in 1998, entitled Sega Ages: I Love Mickey Mouse.[17]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings77% [18]
Review scores
PublicationScore
IGN7.3/10[19]
MegaTech82%[20]
Sega Pro95%[21]
Computers & Video Games89%[22]

QuackShot received a mostly positive response from critics upon release. GameRankings, an aggregator for video game reviews, assigned the game a score of 77% based on 2 reviews.[18] Mega placed the game at #7 in their "Top Mega Drive Games of All Time" list.[23] MegaTech magazine praised the game's graphics, but criticized the game's easy difficulty level, explaining simply that "the graphics are excellent, but the game is easy to complete."[20] Damian Butt from Sega Pro also praised the graphics, stating that the game has "without [a] doubt some of the best graphics around" and that "the sprites and backgrounds are consistently excellent."[21] He also noted the game's various puzzles and their use in the game, explaining that "[e]ven if the ideas are not original, the way they are strung together to accelerate the pace to overload is nothing short of breath-taking."[21] Levi Buchanan from IGN gave QuackShot a 7.3/10, also lauding the graphics and animation as excellent and saying the music was pleasing.[19]

Butt criticized Donald's controls in certain situations in the game, as well as the difficulty of some levels and puzzles.[21] Buchanan also criticized the controls, calling them "float-y" and noted the difficulty in executing precision jumps, explaining that "[i]t's far too easy to over- or under-shoot a narrow column and slip to your doom."[19] Butt was also "dubious of the number of credits," stating that the game may seem easy with unlimited continues, but that the player will "still need considerable skill to reach the treasure island."[21] Buchanan was disappointed with the lack of speech samples, explaining that it's "a bit of a drag with a character that is so defined by his voice."[19] Ultimately, Butt said that "[y]ounger players will instantly be enthralled by Donald's quest" and that "QuackShot is everything a cartoon game should be and more."[21] Buchanan summed up the game as being a "good platformer tripped up by some questionable controls" and recommended the game as "a mildly enjoyable 16-bit platformer that would fit nicely in your Genesis collection."[19]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Quackshot: Starring Donald Duck Release Information for Genesis, GameFAQs, archived from the original on 2012-10-18, retrieved 2013-09-12
  2. ↑ Disney Interactive Staff (December 19, 1991), QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck Instruction Manual, Sega, pp. 16–17
  3. ↑ Disney Interactive Staff (December 19, 1991), QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck Instruction Manual, Sega, p. 12
  4. 1 2 3 4 Disney Interactive Staff (December 19, 1991), QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck Instruction Manual, Sega, pp. 9–10
  5. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Narrator: One day, Donald came across an old book in Uncle Scrooge's study. The title of the book was "King Garuzia's Great Duck Treasure". According to the book, Garuzia was once the leader of a great duck kingdom.
  6. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Narrator: Just before he died, King Garuzia hid his most prized possession in a secret location.
  7. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Narrator: "Wow!" Donald exclaimed. "If I could find a treasure like this, I'd be richer than Uncle Scrooge."
  8. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Narrator: But one of Pete's gang had been spying through the window and saw everything. ... Donald and his nephews took off in their plane, leaving a furious Daisy behind. Moments later, Pete's gang flew after them in a plane of their own.
  9. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Goofy: Gawrsh, Donald, it's swell to see you. Donald: Goofy, what are you doing here? Goofy: Oooh, just looking around. I found this strange note. I don't know what to do with it. Do you want it? Donald: You bet! Goofy: I also found this funny plunger thing. Maybe if you shoot it at walls and things it will help you reach high places. And Gyro in Duckburg is looking for you.
  10. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Ghost: King Garuzia's treasure! Now I remember! Count Dracula has the treasure map in this castle. But I don't think Dracula will give up the map too easily.
  11. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Maharajah: I offer you a challenge. If you can defeat the tiger in the garden, I will reward you with this Sphinx Tear.
  12. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Donald: I got rid of all the ghosts. Can I have the Viking diary? Viking Captain: I'm sorry, but to tell the truth, I don't really have it. Donald: WHAT!!! Viking Captain: But an old legend says that it is hidden in ice near the South Pole. Maybe this ancient Viking plunger can help you. It can be used to fly with by catching things that fly.
  13. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Pete: Donald, if you want to save your nephews, you'd better give me that treasure map and diary!
  14. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Donald: It's the ancient Viking diary. The diary reveals that the map must be dipped in water. When this is done, the location of the real treasure will appear.
  15. ↑ Disney Interactive (December 19, 1991). QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck. Sega. Donald: Oh my gosh! It is just a plain stone figurine of a duck princess!!
  16. ↑ "The Disney Collection for Genesis (1996) – Mobygames". Moby Games. Sciere. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  17. ↑ Miles, Nathan (March 15, 2012). "Review – QuackShot". Retro4Ever. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  18. 1 2 Quackshot: Starring Donald Duck for Genesis - GameRankings, GameRankings, retrieved 2014-06-13
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 QuackShot Retro Review - IGN, IGN, archived from the original on 2014-06-13, retrieved 2014-06-13
  20. 1 2 MegaTech rating, EMAP, issue 5, May 1992
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Out-of-Print Archive • Mega Drive/Genesis reviews • Quackshot
  22. ↑ "Computer and Video Games 122" (122). January 1992: 52. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  23. ↑ Mega magazine issue 1, page 76, Future Publishing, Oct 1992

External links

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