The 1990s return today with Capcom’s Disney Afternoon Collection

Remember the glory days of the Disney Afternoon? Remember all those awesome Capcom NES games that went along with it? Well, they’re back.

Bless me bagpipes!

There are no –no– 90s kids who didn’t watch at least some part of the Disney Afternoon after school. I feel pretty comfortable saying that since I definitely didn’t know any when I was a kid. Ducktales, Darkwing Duck, Talespin and others were instant classics, and aired mainly in the 90s in syndication as a block. That block was, of course, called The Disney Afternoon. And there were games too. Oh were there games.

From Capcom, the NES saw a full-on assault of (mostly) excellent video games in the classic platformer style. And much like the cartoons they were based on, they were almost all instant classics. Long story short, here we are 20+ years later and we’ve got an impressive collection of games hitting consoles and the PC from -you guessed it- Capcom.

The set is available right now, and includes:

• Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers – This classic lets players team up with a friend in optional co-op play and assume the roles of the mischievous Chip and Dale as they take on memorable villain Fat Cat and attempt to solve the mystery of a missing kitten.
• Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 – Fat Cat has escaped and his plans are even more dastardly this time. The titular heroes and supporting cast Monterey Jack, Gadget, and Zipper must stop Fat Cat from his evil dream of world domination!
• Darkwing Duck – Play as the original caped crusader and fight a city full of criminals from the infamous F.O.W.L. organization in this action-packed platforming epic.
• DuckTales – In this iconic platforming adventure, players help Scrooge McDuck fill his feathery pockets with vast riches from across the world.
• DuckTales 2 – The sequel to the original game comes jam-packed with more action and an even bigger caper set in new locations like the Bermuda Triangle and Niagara Falls!
• TaleSpin – Take to the skies as Baloo the bear navigates his plane through exotic and dangerous locations in this side-scrolling shoot-em-up.

Rare gems

The first thing that you should notice there? There are some rarities. I mean, some games that are nearly impossible to find at a good price. Rescue Rangers 2? DuckTales 2? Yeah, you’re not getting either of those for anything close to cheap on eBay… or probably anywhere short of a yardsale. Both games came out in the waning days of the NES after all, when gamers were way more into the new hotness of the SNES, so copies are scarce.

Aside from them though, everything else there is great with the exception of Talespin. Not that the side-scrolling shooter is bad really, it’s just not as great as the rest. No complaints though, since that’s a pretty stacked roster of titles.

There’s some bonuses here too. Aside from some slightly improved visuals, The Disney Afternoon Collection also includes an in-game museum, so you can reminisce. And there are some extra modes too, like Time Attack, Boss Rush, and the ability to rewind the action.

All in all, it sounds pretty terrific, and should be just the thing to while away a few hours on a warm and sunny spring afternoon. the Disney Afternoon Collection is available now for the Xbox One, PS4, and PC. No, there’s no Switch version.