Disney occupies so many spaces across entertainment, and chances are you have at least experienced one of the company’s numerous works. I have my favorites thanks to the Disney Channel, but Disney’s hold over my TV didn’t stop there, as I had my fair share of favorite games from them, too. A lot of those games, including DuckTales, are finally now available on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, thanks to the release of The Disney Afternoon Collection.
The Disney Afternoon Collection is a collection of games from The Disney Afternoon television block. It was originally released back in 2017 with DuckTales and DuckTales 2, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 1 and 2, TaleSpin, and Darkwing Duck. This updated re-release now comes with two extra games, Goof Troop and Bonkers, which are exclusive to the Switch versions. While these games are just a bit past my time, I still have a fondness for many of them. All these years later, they’re still a fun and nostalgic time, for the most part.
The Disney Afternoon
The Disney Afternoon Collection on Nintendo Switch consists the eight aforementioned games from the NES and SNES. There is a nice variety of games here, even if most are platformers. Each game plays differently enough to justify trying them all. The DuckTales games are among my favorites, and they’re simple platformers about treasure hunting. You play Scrooge McDuck, who is trying to collect rare treasures to beat his rival, Flintheart Glomgold. Each game has about five levels for you to explore, full of treasure. Each level has puzzles and secrets to find, and it’s a delight to explore. The platforming is simple, but the pogo jump is very satisfying. These were the games I had the most experience with before, and I’m glad to say they still hold up as short but fun adventures.
The included Chip n’ Dale games are also straightforward platformers with single-player or co-op. The levels are pretty linear, and there isn’t much in the way of exploration or collecting, either. You can pick up and throw items, and the Chip n’ Dale games have some fun boss fights. These are another round of fun, short games I could see myself replaying alongside DuckTales.
Goof Troop is an adventure game that can also be played in single-player or co-op. While playing as Goofy or Max, you must escape a pirate island and save their friends. Honestly, this is the most different game in the collection, and it prioritizes exploration and puzzle-solving. It’s also the only game in the collection with a top-down camera, while the rest are side scrollers. This is another game I revisited, and I think it’s still a great time for what it is. Goof Troop is the longest game to play out of the bunch, but it’s still short enough to scratch that adventure game itch.
Regarding the last three games, I’m not really moved by them. Darkwing Duck is another platformer where you play as the titular character, trying to save his city. Platforming and item use are similar to the Mega Man series, which isn’t surprising since Darkwing Duck was developed by Capcom in 1992. I don’t see myself replaying Darkwing Duck, but I thought it was a still a fun game to play at least one time through.
Talespin is a side-scrolling shooter where you fly a plane and make deliveries while under attack. The controls in Talespin are fine, and like the other titles, you’ll be able to finish this game in one sitting. While I could give or take with Talespin, I at least have a fondness for the original animated series.
Bonkers is the last game and the only series here that I’ve had no previous experience with. This is the only blank slate for me, and unfortunately, it did not leave a good impression. It’s an unremarkable platformer that doesn’t allow you to make real good use of its abilities, like speed dash and bombs. I typically only used the bombs in boss fights. This is an easy miss if you’re planning to try out The Disney Afternoon Collection.
What’s New in The Disney Afternoon Collection?
Although it’s a collection of ports of classic titles, The Disney Afternoon Collection brings some modern quality-of-life features and improvements. A rewind button and save states are present in all of the games, and you will especially want to make use of save states for Goof Troop. Time attack and boss rush modes are a fun new addition as well. You can also browse the art and listen to the music of each game’s original soundtrack in the gallery mode. I certainly love this because I can listen to “The Moon” from DuckTales, one of my favorite pieces of video game music ever.
While the collection is solid for the most part, there is one issue I have. The games can suffer from serious slowdown and lag at times. I found it baffling because my Switch 2 should have no problem running these games. It’s not game-breaking, but it happens often enough to be annoying. Hopefully, an update can fix this, but I’m still confused about why any modern hardware would struggle to play these games.
Changing the Channel
I enjoyed my time with The Disney Afternoon Collection. It’s a solid collection of games with modern quality-of-life additions, and it’s a look back to simpler times in the gaming industry. The time attack and boss rush modes are great, as are the art and music galleries—seriously, listen to the DuckTales soundtrack. Even if I spent most of my time with DuckTales, I can still recommend most of the games. The lag and slowdown are still annoying issues, but ones that never made me stop playing, and post-launch updates can fix such issues. I can recommend The Disney Afternoon Collection to anyone, even a little nostalgic for these games. If you come away with a favorite from this collection, it will likely be DuckTales.
Disclaimer: Atari provided a Nintendo Switch 2 copy of The Disney Afternoon Collection for review purposes.
