It was my recent privilege to speak with Rey Jimenez, the Producer from Capcom on DuckTales: Remastered.  He was able to carve out some time from his busy schedule to answer my questions on what is one of the Wii U’s biggest releases so far.
PNM: First of all, congratulations on the game!  What’s it been like seeing all the positive reaction from gamers, especially those who are fans of the original DuckTales?

The reaction has been absolutely fantastic.  It’s really evident by playing the game that the guys at WayForward are HUGE fans of both DuckTales the show and the classic NES game.  The love and attention to detail really comes through and pulls the inner fan out of anyone that plays the game.

PNM: How cool was it to be able to work with many of the original cast from the cartoon?

For the members of the team that were able to attend the VO sessions themselves, it was a complete honor for them.  The actors (both the young and the seasoned) were extremely pleasant people.  An actor is an actor in our book, and just hearing any of them (original voice or not) emote the voices from our childhood really brought out the kid that still resides in us.

PNM:  Is there any particular part of the game that is a team (or individual) favorite?

That answer varies wildly among the team, to be honest.  Personally, I would have to say it’s the VO work.  It’s the one major new addition that was really new to the game.  Plus, this was the avenue to really bump up the story elements in the game and it made each level feel like its own unique episode of the show.

PNM: The music in the game is amazing, and deserves its own soundtrack! 

It’s really a fantastic soundtrack.  I know some fans have caught a little bit of it, but there are elements of the DuckTales theme in all of the level music.  I hear that even the Transylvania level music is hidden in the final boss music, a reference to the final boss being Dracula Duck and that in the NES version you played him in the Transylvania level.

PNM: Why do you think DuckTales strikes such a nostalgic chord with so many gamers?

As far as the original NES game goes, first and foremost, it was an excellent game.  It’s still highly regarded for its simple, yet challenging, platforming.  Plus, it has some of the best 8-bit music ever composed.

-PNM: Those promotional golden DuckTales cartridges look awesome! Can I have one?  ;)

We have a small amount left, but they are reserved as giveaways to our fans at Capcom Unity.  So, keep checking the site as our community guys will be revealing more details soon on how to get your hands on one of those beauties.

PNM: I’d love to play a port of DuckTales on the 3DS.  Is there any chance of a port?

There’s always a chance for anything, but we’re only talking about the console and PC versions at this time.

PNM: Now that you’ve worked on DuckTales (and with the lessons learned and assets that could be reused) how feasible would a remastered version of DuckTales 2 be?  I’d buy it!

Again, anything is possible, but our focus is still on DuckTales: Remastered for now.

PNM: Rescue Rangers, Tale Spin, Darkwing Duck, etc … the Capcom Disney classics of the NES era are many!  Is there a desire to work on any (or all) of them also?  Is it dependent on how well Duck Tales sells?

That’s determined (at least in part) by how well DuckTales: Remastered does.  I, personally, would love to do more.

PNM: Way Forward has successfully worked with many older franchises such as Centipede, Double Dragon, Contra, A Boy and his Blob, etc … Is that what drew them to Capcom for this project?

As a studio, Way Forward has the perfect storm of skills that made them ideal for DuckTales: Remastered.  They are an extremely talented group and they’re excellent at creating 2D platform games.  They know the esoteric secrets that have been forgotten by most and they’re probably the best studio doing 2D animated sprites today.  They are trained in the traditional techniques, with many having Disney training themselves.  Finally, and I believe we’re coming full circle from the beginning of the interview, they are huge fans of the NES game and the show. Adding this all up, they were the clear favorite for the project.

PNM: Pure Nintendo is a big fan of DuckTales.  I recently posted a glowing review for the original NES classic, and the Remastered version scored a perfect 10 from PNM writer Tristan Meiman.  Any final words for PNM readers?

The team at WayForward saw the review from PNM and they were beaming with pride at the perfect 10.  The whole team is thankful to each and every fan that purchased the game and if you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for?

 

Thanks a million to Producer Rey Jimenez for taking time from his busy schedule to answer these questions!  I’d also like to express my appreciation to Jason Andersen, Senior PR Manager at Capcom, for coordinating this interview.  Lastly, thanks to the teams at Capcom and WayFoward who helped make this project possible!