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Reader review by JoeTheDestroyer
March 22, 2012
Devious. Diabolical. DEADLY!
Ancient ponds were breeding grounds for danger, especially for ducks. As everyone knows, the natural enemy of any peaceful mallard is Carpilius volatus, what many of us terrified citizens know as the flying crab. This particular species builds nests in peaceful bodies of water by dropping bricks in arbitrary locations. These creatures used to be a costly nuisance for pond ecosystems until about ten thousand years ago, when duck evolution reached a milestone. It was then that the first ducks were born with projectile-shooting barrels that protruded from their bills. Originally, it was bricks that littered the ponds of the past, but nowadays its Carpilius volatus chitin.
Deadly Duck is not so much a game as an educational tool teaching us about the struggles between modern duck and the vile flying crabs. Assuming the role of one pissed off water fowl, it is your task to commit genocide on the crabs. With each exploded carapace, you'll rack up points and gain extra lives. The crabs, however, have a means of reprisal by dropping bricks on you. Let one slip by and it'll become a road block, reducing your range of motion and possibly setting you up for a massive cranial contusion in the future. Thankfully, the bricks are temporary and will disappear after a few seconds.
Crabs understand the value of a fair fight. They like to keep things interesting as long as possible by gradually increasing the severity of their attack. Going balls to the wall would be effective in eliminating the duck, but what's the fun in that? First the crabs increase in speed and move more erratically, canceling any sense of rhythm or timing the ducks might have. After they've frustrated the ducks with their crazy lack of flight pattern, they call upon the dragonflies to block their shots. These dragonflies also have a knack for crumbling duck shots, turning them into deadly shrapnel that threatens to tear unsuspecting mallards to bits.
It's this factor, the progressive climb in difficulty, that separates Deadly Duck from other obscure additions to the 2600 library. Where many games either go from easy to face-crush in a level or two, or are far too easy throughout, Deadly Duck turns up the challenge by adding small constraints with each new level.
Small these constrains might be alone, but they add up quickly. Soon there will be a huge line of dragonflies. Shooting them will send down three individual groupings of shrapnel. The crabs' motions become so quick and random that the ducks can't even plan to shoot them, but must do so accidentally. Rather than a game of timing and precision, Deadly Duck shifts into one of patience and reaction. The ducks must learn to watch every factor--the crabs, the dragonflies, the falling bricks--and wait for the moment to shoot, doing so regardless of whether or not there's a crab in their line of fire. Even if there isn't, there's still a good chance one might wander in front of a shot. All the while they must be aware of any bricks or shrapnel and be ready to dodge in an instant, as both of them increase in speed in later levels.
While the increase in difficulty reduces playing to waiting and firing mindlessly, it's still an appreciable factor. I also don't think this shift in focus, in going from a precision-based game to one of patience, was unintentional. It's like the developer found a new constraint to throw on you, one that you can't perceive, by changing the gaming skills emphasized. The game lead you in one direction, then sucker punched you while your attention was diverted. If you tried to play the precision game after the shift, you got your feathers plucked. It definitely kept the game interesting.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this title is brilliant. Deadly Duck is, however, a competent and addictive addition to the vast number of Space Invaders clones. Don't let the lack of recognition scare you off. If you still play games that require only a single button and you enjoy shooting flying menaces, look up Deadly Duck and defend the pond!
Closing note: Let me get this straight... You play as a duck who can destroy crabs with his projectiles, but not dragonflies? "Why yes, I own a gun that can fell an elephant, but it's completely ineffective against deer." I know, I know, don't question 80s game logic...
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10-Yard Fight (NES)
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Not so dreamy... |
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Zeno Clash II (PC)
It's bigger, badder, and WTFier, but it still needs some fine-tuning. |
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