Count Duckula Longplay (C64) [50 FPS]
20Developed by Enigma Variations and published by Alternative Software in 1989.
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As a child of the 1980's and 90's, I grew up watching plenty of cartoons of the day. While the US produced it's fair share of hit series (The Real Ghostbusters, He-Man and Thundercats), the animated shows by UK-based studio, Cosgrove Hall Productions, will always be some of my favourites.
Alternative Software had a history of acquiring licenses for children's shows and cartoons and Count Duckula was a natural extension to their portfolio.
Duckula has transported his castle to the deserts of Egypt in a quest to locate the mystical saxophone of the ancient Pharaoh Upanatem. The instrument is hidden somewhere within the Pharaoh's tomb and it is up to Duckula to traverse the many maze-like passageways in a bid to locate the treasure before time runs out and the castle must relocate back to Transylvania.
The game is divided into a number of interconnected screens, many of which are populated by ghostly mummies and hungry bats.Coming into contact with these nasties will quickly reduce the amount of the time you have to complete the game, so the player should take time to observe enemy movement patterns and to jump over enemies when possible.
To complicate matters, it seems that the infamous Crow Brothers managed to hitch a ride in the castle when it left Transylvania and these villainous birds are also out searching for the saxophone. They can often be found rappelling up and down ropes in several locations within the tomb and should also be avoided.
As if finding his way through the tomb wasn't difficult enough, Duckula will find many locked doors that can only be opened by finding keys that are hidden in several of the game's screens. These doors usually guard access to one of the three items required to solve the game's final puzzle.
It's true to say that Count Duckula is a very short game and won't take long to complete once the challenge of mapping the tomb has been completed. Although this was originally a budget release, there were many other games offering far more content for the same price.
Even so, there's a certain charm to the game and it's enjoyable while it lasts. Both of Duckula's servants occasionally make appearances, with Igor the butler wandering around carrying a plate with the Count's favourite snack (broccoli sandwiches) and Nanny making her usual entrance by crashing through the walls of the tomb in a shower of rubble. I noticed that this actually had the chance of removing some of the locked doors in the game.
The game features some nicely drawn artwork, with many of the back-drops featuring duck-inspired hieroglyphics. The character are nicley drawn too, particularly Igor and Nanny.
The game's audio consists of a continuous loop of the theme tune from the TV show. While it's acceptable for the first few iterations, it soon gets repetitive and you'll be reaching for the volume dial to turn the sound down.
In conclusion, there are better budget games out there, but what content is on offer is reasonably entertaining and should keep you occupied for an hour or so on a rainy afternoon.
#retrogaming