It’s no secret that Capcom’s has DuckTales for the Nintendo Entertainment System is a bona fide classic, especially in the realm of video game music. But as a NES game, it only has about a dozen fast tracks to enjoy. An early prototype currently making the rounds, however, expands on the final soundtrack with another song by (I assume) the original composer Hiroshige Tonomura.
It Ducktales build, which according to The Cutting Room Floor is from February 5, 1989, is the earliest look we’ve ever had during the iconic platform’s development process. (The final game appeared around September 15, 1989.) As such, several key elements are missing (such as red diamonds, treasure values, HP refills, and final level names). You can read all about things on the TCRF wiki; what I’m specifically excited about is the new music on stage:
It definitely felt different than the original map theme. Where the job it made in the official DuckTales release is more mysterious and repetitive, the prototype song is uplifting and adventurous as you would expect from a game based on a cartoon for children. I also really love the subtle bassline that drives the whole thing.
Let’s be honest, but the song is not as immediately iconic as not the track that plays during the Moon stage, it’s always nice to have a little more insight into how a video game is made, especially one that depends on music like DuckTales. There’s no reason why the developers preferred the final arrangement over this newly discovered treasure, but I’m glad there are people like TCRF cataloging these discoveries.