VGR Chip 'n Dale

It's been so long since my last video game review!

Here's another one I kept postponing for way too long.
If today's to be the "last day on Earth", let me offer you yet another classic NES game review!

VGR: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers 

From Capcom

Played on Nes

Also available on /

Type Sidescrolling platformer

Year 1990

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers is yet another classic licensed Nes platformer.
Back when those used to be good and fun.
 
During the 80s until the early 90s Capcom was able to get the copyright of various Disney characters. And since they add such a popular gaming series in the form of Mega Man, they decided to use that same formula for a bunch of other games.

Based on the similarly titled animated series, the game follows The Rescue Rangers (aka Chip and Dale) as a series of simple missions turn into quite a much bigger wider plot.

The story is nicely presented by little (slightly animated) cut scenes.
Our tiny heroes, two chipmunks, are tasked to help out some small kitten around the neighbourhood. Helped by their friends - Gadget, the mechanical genius, and Monterey Jack, both mice, and finally Zipper, a little fly - our heroes start to look for the sightings of some "mechanical dogs" around the streets.

The little story might be simple at first glimpse, but it works just fine for these sort of games.
Also quickly it gets progressively more interesting.

Soon this adventure leads our characters from the streets to laboratories from where the robots were attacking.
And it all culminates with them going face to face with their traditional arch-nemesis from the TV series, the feline kingpin Fat Cat!
All these missions were but distractions. He kidnaps Gadget and escape with the brain of the Rescue Rangers!

At this point the game moves forward and offer another selection of levels!
The goal is reach the villain's secret hideout!

The game plays like your usual sidescroller platformer of the time. In that way, the game's pretty similar to DuckTales (and is sort of a "spiritual sequel" to it).
You can walk, jump, etc. The game's main gameplay mechanic being that you can pick up various objects around!
You can that way either throw stuff at enemies (mostly boxes, but also fruit, items, etc.) or around the place to reach other platforms.

The game is greatly inspired by the show, uses a lot of elements and foes from the cartoon.
And the other characters even appear as support or during the story.
Zip' will provide a sort of invincibility and Monterey Jack will pop in every time you find some cheese to break a new path away.

Gadget might disappear midway but she'll continue to contact the gang to help 'em out throughout the rest of the game.

The game offers quite a lot of levels compared to DuckTales, but they're also much easier.
Basically you can select some of the levels you'll take, choose your own alternate path in the map. You don't have an easy access to all stages from the go as in Megaman, here it's closer to what Capcom did in Bionic Commando.
The bosses are some of the easiest I've ever seen on the NES! 

The game offers some fun co-op play, which wasn't that common back in the old 8-bits days.
It becomes quickly quite chaotic, but it's fun! 

These heroes may be small but there's no case too big for them to take on!

Overall, another great hit from Capcom!
Simply a great, well crafted, well presented title like you'd expect from the publisher back then.

It might be a bit easier than their other games but it's just as well made.

I'd recommend any NES, Capcom or Disney fan to have a look. And if you're into platformer, it's a must play!

Chip 'n Dale would get a sequel much later in '93, but that is a story for another day...
 

I give it:

2.5 / 3 Bruces!