QuackShot Starring Donald Duck

About QuackShot Starring Donald Duck

QuackShot Starring Donald Duck (1991) is Sega's Indiana Jones-inspired platformer in which Donald and his nephews follow a treasure map around the world, armed with a plunger gun.

QuackShot Starring Donald Duck in Depth

Searching his uncle's library, Donald Duck finds an incomplete map to the treasure of King Garuzia, ruler of an ancient kingdom, who hid his most prized possession shortly before his death. Ignoring Daisy's concerns, Donald sets off with Huey, Dewey and Louie, while his rival Pete overhears and sends his own team after the prize. The trail leads to Count Dracula's castle in Transylvania for the full map, a Viking ship crewed by undead Vikings, and the South Pole for an old diary, which Pete takes by holding the nephews to ransom before Donald wins it back. The treasure turns out to be a plain stone statue, until the nephews break it and reveal a jewelled golden necklace.

Most levels have an overland section, which can be tackled in any order, and a dungeon such as the Maharajah's palace, which must be entered in a set sequence; clues found in some levels solve puzzles later on. Donald travels between areas by calling his nephews' biplane. His gun fires unlimited plungers that stun enemies, plus popcorn and bubble gum, the latter also supplied by Gyro Gearloose. Later the plunger can stick to walls as a temporary platform or to a passing bird to carry Donald further. In Duckburg, India and Egypt, chilli peppers raise his temper until he enters a "quack attack", charging forward invincibly and knocking out everything in his path.

Making QuackShot Starring Donald Duck

Sega developed and published it for the Genesis, releasing it in North America in November 1991, in Europe a month later and in Japan on 20 December, drawing on the Indiana Jones films. Reviews were positive and universally praised its graphics, along with its music and puzzles. Computer and Video Games liked the graphics and gameplay but noted a slower pace than typical action games, MegaTech felt it lacked difficulty, and Console XS called it one of the best Mega Drive games. Sega Pro's Damian Butt criticised Donald's controls in places and the unlimited continues, but said that "QuackShot is everything a cartoon game should be". IGN later criticised its lack of speech samples. It was bundled with Castle of Illusion in The Disney Collection in 1996.