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DEEP DUCK TROUBLE
review | MASTER SYSTEM
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Publisher: SEGA.
Developer: Aspect. Released: January 1994. Genre: 2D Platformer. Other versions: GG. Posted 9th July 2025. By Tom Clare © 2025 |
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Uncle Scrooge has landed himself with a curse and it’s up to Donald Duck to rid him of it. Donald doesn’t need to be asked twice when it comes to chasing adventure, but returning a stolen amulet to a remote, dangerous island won’t be easy. Venturing there by boat, guided only by Scrooge’s diary and a signature bout of overconfidence, our plucky duck hero must collect treasures from four perilous locations. Legend has it that throwing the trinkets into a lake should reveal a shrine for the amulet, thus allowing Scrooge to escape his predicament. Of course, all of this is mere housekeeping. The real news for gamers was that Deep Duck Trouble represented another exciting meeting of minds between SEGA and Disney.
Released at the beginning of 1994, Deep Duck Trouble marked a lovely, late gift for supporters of SEGA’s marvellous 8-bit Master System. With the Saturn just around the corner, it’s understandable that Aspect’s title wasn’t going to carry the big-budget fireworks of a headline platformer or produce the level of invention showcased by the Illusion games. This doesn’t mean it isn’t a thoroughly decent platformer, though. If you love straight-laced, old-school adventures that deliver a dash of colour and fun, then you’ll find little to grumble about.
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The controls couldn’t be simpler, with run and jump forming the backbone of the experience. In addition, Donald can kick rubble, blocks, and treasure chests to hinder foes, open new paths and collect items. If you’ve played any of his earlier titles, such as The Lucky Dime Caper, you’ll feel immediately at home. Donald moves at a leisurely pace (there’s no sprint option as in Quackshot), but the responsiveness and the hit boxes are pretty solid.
Taking a leaf from the Mega Man games, Deep Duck Trouble allows the first four stages to be tackled in any order. Each contains two levels and culminates in a chase sequence. The difficulty is mostly fairly gentle, if a touch inconsistent at times. Three of the four are relatively comfortable: Jungle, Inlet (read: underwater) and Volcano, whilst Valley is much harder. The upshot of this level selection freedom is the option to tackle the trickiest parts first. A liberal helping of spike pits, slippery surfaces and yetis, as well as some nasty surprises (Narwhal spikes poking through the ice) can quickly see players haemorrhaging lives.
Taking a leaf from the Mega Man games, Deep Duck Trouble allows the first four stages to be tackled in any order. Each contains two levels and culminates in a chase sequence. The difficulty is mostly fairly gentle, if a touch inconsistent at times. Three of the four are relatively comfortable: Jungle, Inlet (read: underwater) and Volcano, whilst Valley is much harder. The upshot of this level selection freedom is the option to tackle the trickiest parts first. A liberal helping of spike pits, slippery surfaces and yetis, as well as some nasty surprises (Narwhal spikes poking through the ice) can quickly see players haemorrhaging lives.
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Volcano is the next most taxing, comprising of several hair-raising jumps and a nervy scramble to escape a rising lava flow at the end. Jungle is your traditional starter, a reasonably easy level with conventional platforming challenges and enemies to bop on the head. Whilst fairly routine, this is livened by alternative paths through the trees and a cool chase that sees a gorilla swinging through the canopy, throwing fruit at Donald. You’ll need to keep an eye on what your foe is up to, whilst avoiding pitfalls.
The underwater Inlet level provides the greatest freedom and creativity. The swimming sections grant a little more litheness of movement, you could say Donald takes to them like a duck to water (I’m so sorry). The first section sees him swimming around the seabed, the second a sunken ship. Though it’s pretty easy, there are definite shades of World of Illusion to these stages and they’re a lot of fun. You even have to escape the maws of a shark at the end. The Shrine, the fifth and final level, proves the best (and the toughest). Striking visuals meld with devious design, resulting in some compelling high-stakes platforming. Perhaps most memorably, Donald rides a log downstream that will lead him to his doom, should you fail to note the hints given by stone statues in the background.
The underwater Inlet level provides the greatest freedom and creativity. The swimming sections grant a little more litheness of movement, you could say Donald takes to them like a duck to water (I’m so sorry). The first section sees him swimming around the seabed, the second a sunken ship. Though it’s pretty easy, there are definite shades of World of Illusion to these stages and they’re a lot of fun. You even have to escape the maws of a shark at the end. The Shrine, the fifth and final level, proves the best (and the toughest). Striking visuals meld with devious design, resulting in some compelling high-stakes platforming. Perhaps most memorably, Donald rides a log downstream that will lead him to his doom, should you fail to note the hints given by stone statues in the background.
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Whilst the scenery doesn’t play as immersive a role as earlier Donald Duck adventures, the game still looks pretty. The Shrine, with its ornate architecture and cascading waterfalls, is gorgeous. The simpler Jungle is elevated by some nice enemy sprites, whilst the underwater levels see the various flora undulating effectively on the seabed. It’s the lead character who’s the star though, blessed with smooth, expressive animations and a mountain of small but meaningful touches that add to the game’s charm. Take the resting animations, for example. Ordinarily, Donald will tap his foot, looking at the player with impatient disapproval. However, amidst the red-hot Volcano levels, he instead appears to sag with the heat, whilst in the glacial Valley stage, hanging around causes him to shiver. Another lovely touch is the brief introduction scene to the Inlet level, showing Donald aboard a boat, switching to his diving gear. Deaths by falls are granted a bit of a cartoon flourish by Donald appearing to clamber up the screen, before plunging to his demise. Should he slip into the Valley ice flows, you can expect to see him emerge encased in a block of ice.
Unlimited continues help ease the difficulty, as losing all your lives will see you having to tackle the most recent two-stage level again. This works out fairly: younger gamers will have a much greater chance of finishing the game, but the Shrine level and a tricky last boss ensure it isn’t a pushover. There’s a humorous ending too, as a reward for getting over the line. Ultimately, Deep Duck Trouble isn’t as spectacular a journey as Quackshot, but it has a lot going for it. For youngsters with an affinity for Disney, it’s well worth experiencing.
Unlimited continues help ease the difficulty, as losing all your lives will see you having to tackle the most recent two-stage level again. This works out fairly: younger gamers will have a much greater chance of finishing the game, but the Shrine level and a tricky last boss ensure it isn’t a pushover. There’s a humorous ending too, as a reward for getting over the line. Ultimately, Deep Duck Trouble isn’t as spectacular a journey as Quackshot, but it has a lot going for it. For youngsters with an affinity for Disney, it’s well worth experiencing.
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VERDICT"Despite an occasionally erratic difficulty level, Deep Duck Trouble is a charming, colourful adventure. Straightforward platforming with a myriad of lovely touches, fans of old-school platformers will enjoy this deep dive." OVERALL: 7/10 |
OTHER NINETIES PLATFORMERS REVIEWED
World of Illusion (1992, Mega Drive)
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Cool Spot (1993, Mega Drive)
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