Yes, nostalgia plays a big part in my enjoyment of these games, but I don’t have blind love for The Disney Afternoon Collection. These side-scrollers have just as much charm now as they did in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and I’m thankful I can finally own DuckTales 2 and Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers 2 without spending hundreds of dollars at a retro gaming store. This is a loving and handsome collection. If you had any affinity for these games growing up, I guarantee that they’ll still make you smile.

The Disney Afternoon Collection is a pretty solid compilation of six classic Disney NES games. The extras included are a nice touch, even if some of the gallery pictures are skewed more toward Ducktales. But the time trial and boss rush features are great for veterans to see how they stack up to the rest of the world, while the rewind feature is great for younger players. Plus you can play two rare NES games without shelling out hundreds of dollars for the original carts.

This product sets out to do one thing: repackage and sell my childhood. In that department, it is a smashing success.

If you’ve never come across these titles, you should get acquainted with them, as they come from the era when Disney licensed games were really great. The only flaw I have to point out is that the emulation sometimes stutters. [06/2017, p.51]

For those who didn’t fall in love with these games way back when, they’ll look too childish and, at the same time, punishingly difficult. There are no endless respawns on checkpoints, so if you run out of lives – you gotta start from scratch. For a fan, however, that collection is a real treat. [Issue#220, p.77]

With three hits and three duds from Capcom/Disney years that you might remember with varying levels of fondness, the Disney Afternoon Collection is clearly aimed at children of the 90s. I have trouble seeing its appeal to anyone else. But if vintage duck-based platformers are your thing, grab a Capri Sun and a handful of Gushers and invite your friends over to play.

The Disney Afternoon Collection is well polished, and a solid collection piece. Each title is ported over well, with tight controls and fluid responsiveness, but there’s also plenty of extra features to enhance gameplay. For those who have been interested in playing any of these retro titles or want to replay them on a newer system, this is a game pack to consider.