Back in the 90s, one of my favourite cartoons was Darkwing Duck. Set in a world loosely tied to DuckTales — thanks to characters like Launchpad and Gizmoduck making appearances — it followed the adventures of the caped hero himself. A wannabe Batman type, Darkwing juggled battling villains with his trusty gas gun and looking after his adopted daughter Gosling.
Unlike most Disney cartoons of the era, Darkwing Duck stood out to me because it mixed slapstick humour with genuine action. So when I spotted the Game Boy game in stores, I knew I had to ask for it for my birthday.
Released in 1993 by Capcom, this handheld version is a port of the more colourful NES game.
Gameplay
There isn’t much of a story here — villains are causing chaos, and it’s up to Darkwing (with help from Launchpad and Gosling) to put things right.
The game is split into seven zones, each ending with a boss fight. You can choose the order of some levels, but it doesn’t really change the experience. Hidden bonus stages can be uncovered by firing your gas gun into empty spaces, rewarding you with extra points and lives. Still, the short level count makes the game feel a little too brief, and it didn’t take my younger self long to finish it.
Your main weapon is the gas gun, which can be powered up with special abilities:
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Lightning bolts fire in multiple directions.
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Heavy shot deals extra damage.
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Suction cup lets you access hidden areas.
Ammo is limited, so careful management is needed. Enemies also have weaknesses, like shell-firing turtles that can only be hit after dodging their attack.
At its core, this is a straightforward platformer — learn patterns, dodge attacks, and leap across ledges. A lot of time is spent dangling from hooks, which can feel repetitive, but the varied level designs keep things engaging.
Presentation
Visually, the Game Boy port can’t compete with the NES version, but the environments are varied enough to hold your interest.
The sound is typical of early 90s handheld titles: serviceable but unremarkable. The background music suits the cartoon vibe, and enemy defeat sounds are satisfying, though the screeching wheel hooks are downright painful on the ears.
Final Thoughts
By itself, Darkwing Duck on Game Boy is a solid but unspectacular platformer — short, repetitive in places, but competently built. What really elevates it is the tie-in to one of my favourite cartoons. Playing as Darkwing Duck, blasting enemies with the gas gun, and hearing the familiar catchphrase in my head brought back all the Saturday morning cartoon magic.
As the masked mallard himself would say:
“Let’s get dangerous!”