The Disney Afternoon Collection Review (Switch 2)

It’s been a long time coming — almost nine years, in fact — but Capcom’s The Disney Afternoon Collection is now finally heading to the Switch and Switch 2 under the stewardship of Atari and developer Digital Eclipse. Not to rub it in the faces of PlayStation and Xbox owners (except that’s exactly what I’m doing), but it’s also better than ever, offering up a total of eight playable games with the addition of two SNES titles exclusively for Nintendo’s platforms.

The end result is a glorious throwback to the early ‘90s (or very late ‘80s if you bought DuckTales at launch in North America) that wisely refrains from messing too much with the games’ presentation. For folks who grew up with these titles, playing them will be the equivalent of Anton Ego reminiscing about his childhood in Ratatouille, while newcomers may be surprised at just how satisfying they remain after all these years. Difficult, yes, but satisfying.

The full lineup includes the aforementioned DuckTales, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin, Darkwing Duck, DuckTales 2, and Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2, all for the NES. Representing the SNES for this release, meanwhile, is Goof Troop and Bonkers. The former is a particularly interesting slice of history, since it’s one of the first games designed by Shinji Mikami, famed creator of the Resident Evil series.

Goof Troop is actually the outlier in that it’s really the only one that’s not a side-scrolling action game of sorts. Instead, you navigate a top-down environment with each screen presenting a small selection of light puzzles. You’ll spend your time kicking blocks to reveal secrets, chucking items at enemies, and using a hookshot to get out of tricky situations. It’s a lovely little game, though one that’s clearly designed for two players.

Indeed, there are no gameplay changes to account for whether you play solo or with a friend, so given that it’s very much intended for the latter, you might find it lacking if you’re going it alone. Still, it’s a worthy addition for the Switch 1 and 2 edition, and one that boasts some absolutely banging music.

The other SNES game, Bonkers, is a delight. Published by Capcom, but developed by Sun L, it’s a pretty basic platforming experience in which you navigate a series of simple levels with a few boss battles thrown in. The key mechanic here is that you’re able to dash, using the added velocity to destroy items and defeat enemies.

Visually, Bonkers looks, well… bonkers for 1994. The character sprites are wonderfully detailed, and the backdrops make great use of colour gradients to depict sunsets. It really is a beautiful game, and though it feels a little sluggish at first compared to the NES games included, the more approachable difficulty makes for a nice change of pace.

Speaking of NES, the remaining six games are mostly great. Honestly, the only one I’d say you could get away with skipping entirely is TaleSpin, and maybe Darkwing Duck at a stretch.

TaleSpin, which is a side-scrolling shooter, isn’t even that bad. My main issue is that it’s just overly difficult thanks to the excruciatingly slow rate of fire and brutal precision of your enemies’ shots. Even the collection’s rewind feature — triggered at any point by holding ‘ZL’ — isn’t enough to alleviate the frequent frustrations.

Darkwing Duck, meanwhile, is a perfectly fine spin on Mega Man, though I’d argue the level design just isn’t anywhere near the ingenuity showcased in Mega Man 2 or 3. That said, there are some flashes of inspiration, including the ability to temporarily light up a pitch black sewer by hanging from light switches. Like Mega Man, it’s also really challenging at times, and will require lightning-fast reflexes to vanquish some of the more devious foes.

DuckTales and Rescue Rangers, plus their respective sequels, are the stars of the show here. Both offer up compelling mechanics (the pogo jump in DuckTales and the box throw in Rescue Rangers) that, while certainly not new or unique by today’s standards, nevertheless contribute greatly to the games’ overall appeal. Add in some surprisingly appealing visuals for the NES and a smattering of catchy music, and these four games really stand the test of time, representing Capcom at the top of its game in the early ‘90s.

Originally launched in 2017, The Disney Afternoon Collection was one of Digital Eclipse’s first projects under its current form. As such, the way in which it presents its bonus material doesn’t quite reach the heights of Atari 50 or Tetris Forever, but there’s still a lot here to appreciate.

Concept art, packaging material, and original advertisements can be found in the Gallery feature, with some useful contextual annotations provided for each piece. A music player is also available immediately, letting you replay your favourite tracks at any point (and yes, I have the To The South tune from Goof Troop playing right now).

You’ve also got the usual visual options available for each game, including TV and monitor filters alongside the ability to view each game in its original resolution, enlarged to touch the top and bottom of the screen, or stretched to fill the entire view (don’t go for this last option, though, for goodness’ sake). You also have optional custom borders, though I’d argue that it’s best to play these kinds of games without any border.

Finally, all of the NES titles also include Time Attack and Boss Rush modes to increase their otherwise short length. These are nice additions and I imagine a small chunk of the retro community will relish chipping away at their times and climbing the leaderboards. The SNES games don’t include these, which is a shame.

It’s worth just considering that even with eight games to enjoy, The Disney Afternoon Collection is still a fairly brief experience. Its longevity will ultimately rest on your willingness to replay each game and improve your completion efficiency.

Conclusion

The Disney Afternoon Collection is a delightful throwback to the ’90s, offering up eight mostly great games across the NES and SNES. While you could potentially skip one or two, the lineup represents a particularly prolific period for Capcom, one in which licensed games were — contrary to much of the competition — actually worth your time and money.

With a handy rewind feature and the sort of supplemental material you’ve come to expect from Digital Eclipse, this is a great compilation that deserves a second chance on Switch 1 and 2.