Digital Eclipse’s New Capcom Compilation is The Disney Afternoon Collection

A couple of weeks ago, word got out that there was a new collection of Capcom games on the way from Mega Man Legacy Collection developer Digital Eclipse, but we didn’t know what it would be. A new Mega Man collection, i.e. the Mega Man X games from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System’s heyday? Maybe NES ports of the company’s arcade hits? Or maybe even that magical collection of licensed classics that some of us wouldn’t even dare hope to dream of?

Well, it turns out it was that last one, as Capcom announced today that The Disney Afternoon Collection is on its way!

One small point of amusement to me here is that while it is true that each title in this collection was based on a cartoon from The Disney Afternoon block of shows (but far from all of them), I don’t think that the games had ever really been associated with the programming block itself except perhaps tangentially (via news and reviews and the like).

In case you can’t see the video, here’s what the collection contains:

• Darkwing Duck – Pretty much the entire reason I’m running this story here in the first place,  this title was often viewed as being Mega Man-esque before many of us even really considered such a thing. Fun bonus tidbit: This daring duck of mystery’s adventure is close enough to Mega Man that once upon a time, I thought a hack of it into a Proto Man game would be cool (Darkwing can even raise his cape up to use as a shield), but I was never able to get that idea off the ground.

• DuckTales – Pretty much the marquee title of the lot, this one was popular enough to get the Remastered treatment a few years ago. Now you can play the original — just in time for the new DuckTales cartoon that’s coming up, no less!

• DuckTales 2 – Released late in the lifespan of the NES, this one is something of a rarity in the aftermarket. Now we can play it for ourselves and see if it was really worth the high prices the original cartridge has frequently demanded!

• Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers – These two chipmunks have gone from causing Donald Duck no end of grief to helping others in need. Two players can play simultaneously, throwing anything that isn’t nailed down in a pseudo-Super Mario Bros. 2 style — and that includes each other, in a New Super Mario Bros. Wii style over two decades prior!

• Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 – If DuckTales 2 arrived late to the NES party, then this sequel arrived by the time most of the guests had already left. Another uncommon aftermarket find that may be worth checking out for fans of the original, though one should probably not let that rarity get their hopes up too high.

• TaleSpin – Well, they can’t all be winners. It’s the only non-platformer on this list, and as beloved as the show was, the game’s unusual approach to shooting was a pretty hard sale.

As if the six games weren’t enough (okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a little disappointed that Adventures in the Magic Kingdom isn’t here, but that wasn’t part of The Disney Afternoon anyway, so yeah), there will be options to play them in high-definition or with filters to approximate more classic visual styles, a Boss Rush, a Time Attack mode with Leaderboards, an in-game Disney Museum with concept art, advertisements, character art, and music, “all preserved in their original glory.”

Plus, a Rewind feature a la Rare Replay has been added, which should help make some of the more challenging parts (and maybe just TaleSpin in general) a bit more palatable to newcomers.

The Disney Afternoon Collection will be available in both North America and Europe on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam for $19.99/£15.99/€19.99.

Huh… no Nintendo Switch version? Given these were all NES games in their day (with Game Boy ports, in some cases), it just doesn’t seem quite right, does it? As it happens, my wife has a few things to say on the matter over at USgamer, if you’d care to take a (Gladstone) Gander.

LBD "Nytetrayn"

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

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