I adore Donald Duck. He’s silly, surly, and decked out in a sailor suit without pants – what’s not to love? Despite my Donald fandom, I’d never before heard of Donald Duck no Mahō no Bōshi before this year. Thanks to Retro Handhelds’ “Game of the Week” challenge, I 1. learned of it and 2. beat the game!
The title translates to Donald Duck and the Magical Hat and stars Donald in quite the adventure. It starts out with Donald and Daisy out for a stroll when she notices a cute – and very expensive – hat in a store window. Donald would love to get it for her, if he only had the money. Thus begins the first few fake-out levels of the game. Players are presented with mini game missions of various tasks to earn money (ex: wash windows, deliver newspapers).
After completing enough to buy the hat, Donald returns to the shop only to find the hat has already been sold. That’s when a mysterious character appears and says he can get Donald the hat. This mysterious being is actually the king of a magical kingdom (no, it’s not Mickey/Disneyland) and needs Donald’s help to save the realm. This is where the rest of the game takes place.
Now instead of minigames with various goals you’re traversing a mystical world. The 2D platforming (along with a few slight puzzle traversal elements) is straightforward and responsive. There are not all that many areas, but each area receives a completely distinct visual aesthetic. Some of the graphics look quite crisp for a Super Nintendo game. There are a few moments of frustration, but overall, it’s a highly enjoyable experience.
All in all, Donald Duck no Mahō no Bōshi only takes around 2 hours to beat and never grows tiresome. While the game is fully playable in Japanese (I was able to accurately assume most of the plot), there is a fan translation available. It’s worth the playthrough, if only to hear Donald Duck belt out his quacking love song to Daisy at the end.
