When the going gets tough, the Ducks get going... Across the planet, that is, and in search of treasure!
The graphics, for being 8-bit, were well done. With the exception of breaking graphics when you're walking on the top of the terrain (where the health meter and time are shown), and the inability for the NES to display that much 'action' on the screen at one time, the graphics look much like the cartoons (much like Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers looks).
The sound will immediately take any old school cartoon lover back to Duckburg when the opening theme starts playing. Aside from the memorable theme song, the music is all new - the sound effects for each stage, however, get old quickly. On the other hand, the stages aren't too long, so it works out well.
Speaking of the stages, there are five of them, plus the final Boss Stage. With different paths to take to get to the boss of each stage, it usually takes most gamers a few times to find the path that gets them the most rewards. The boss fights can be tricky, and some of the stages require you to walk through or jump over walls to proceed, without giving many, if any, hints about it, but it's fairly easy to navigate once you get the hang of it.
The gameplay, however, isn't all it can be. No special items can be picked up and used, and aside from Scrooge's cane, the only major pickups are one- or two-use items (such as a remote control to call Gizmo Duck). There's no variation on weapons or abilities, either - what you can do at the start of the game is pretty much what you can do throughout the whole game. However, this is redeemed by having to do it under pressure, and in different circumstances. Bouncing on your cane to go higher doesn't do you much good when there's giant boulder rolling behind you, a la Indiana Jones, and the roof is right above your head... Right?
Having bought it new and kept it working since it was released in 1989, I still find myself dragging it out of the closet and playing for a few hours every now and then, just because it's that good of a game. Challenging, even now, in it's simplicity, yet entertaining enough (almost addicting enough) to keep you coming back for more.
Definitely worth the few bucks it's worth now, and was definitely worth it then! A NES Classic!