What is the Disney Afternoon Collection?
Growing up, I loved the Disney Afternoon cartoons. They hold a special place in my childhood, even if I watched many of the shows well past their air date. Paired with quality shows for all ages, these fantastic NES and SNES games were produced by Capcom’s talented teams. In 2017, they published a collection on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms, but Nintendo missed out on the 90’s fun.
Fast-forward to 2026, with Atari and Digital Eclipse team up to bring the collection, alongside two new additions, to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. After playing all the games in the collection and enjoying the behind-the-scenes history content, this is one Saturday morning worth waking up for.
Publisher/Developer: Atari/Capcom, Digital Eclipse
Platforms: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2
Price: $19.99 (Digital SW1 & SW2), $29.99 (Switch Physical), $39.99 (Switch 2 Physical)
Release Date: February 26th, 2026
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2
Changing the Channels – Featured Games
Included in the Disney Afternoon Collection is Capcom’s line-up of classic 8-Bit and 16-Bit adventures themed around Disney Cartoons from the late 80’s and early 90s.
Ducktales & Ducktales 2 (NES)
Starting everything is 1989’s Ducktales, a 2D platformer where Scourge McDuck explores several locations around the world to collect rare artifacts and treasure. Each level is somewhat open-ended, with players encouraged to explore every nook and cranny for treasure. The richest duck in the world accomplishes this through his trusty cane, which he can use to hit objects and bounce around like a pogo stick.
Bouncing on the cane is one of gaming’s most iconic moves, with future titles like Shovel Knight taking inspiration from the mechanic. The 1992 sequel, Ducktales 2, takes everything introduced in the original but adds improved controls for the pogo jump, new abilities with the cane (like grabbing objects and hanging off hooks), and elements present in future Capcom Disney games (like an item shop to buy lives and continues using the money you collected).
Both games are timeless classics, easily being the standout games in this collection.
Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers 1 & 2 (NES)
Chip & Dale go on two adventures on the NES, with both playing similarly. The duo can pick up objects like apples and boxes to use them as projectiles, forcing players to be attentive. Platforming controls are simple and work well with the game’s rewarding level design.
Overall, these two are charming platformers that honor the show it’s based on, with Chip & Dale’s allies like Montie and Gadget making appearances throughout the adventure.
Darkwing Duck (NES)
The danger that flaps in the night joins the line-up as one of the best Capcom Disney games on the NES. The game is structured similarly to a Mega Man game, with Launch Pad taking Darkwing to various locations in the city and fighting his infamous villains.
Gameplay leverages the Mega Man NES engine, with Darkwing’s jumps and gas blaster feeling similar to the Blue Bomber’s moveset. The innovations in gameplay mechanics stem from Darkwing’s ability to block and deflect attacks with his cape (pressing Down on the Stick/D-Pad) and the ability to hang off objects. This gives combat a unique twist over the classic Mega Man games and keeps platforming fresh.
And that’s important, since defeating Darkwing’s rogues gallery doesn’t unlock new ammo types for his gas gun (though you can collect power-ups to make shots more effective). Overall, this is one adventure that easily stood the test of time.
Talespin (NES)
Rounding out the NES games in the collection is Tailspin, a high-flying adventure where Baloo soars through the skies to defeat Don Karnage and his Air Pirate crew.
What makes this unique from other flying shooters from the NES era is the ability to control how the screen moves. Pressing the A Button, Baloo flies upside down, causing the screen move left instead of right. This does multiple things, such as going back to collect any missing items and better positioning yourself.
Upon completing each level, you can buy items from Wildcat. This makes Baloo’s Sea Duck plane stronger with better engines and faster weapons.
Goof Troop (SNES)
Released in the early 90’s and being one of Shini Mikami’s (Resident Evil) earliest projects, this co-op adventure is an interesting one. Playing as either Goofy or Max, players can pick up objects to throw at enemies and use items like a Grappling Hook to explore the world.
Each Goof can only carry two items at a time, switching between them with the shoulder buttons. Doubles for many items are easy to find, but having the right item for the job has that classic Zelda feel in the best way possible. Speaking of puzzles, they can be real head scratchers, but are rewarding to solve.
But while I played this adventure solo, the game is built with co-op in mind. I have fond memories of watching the Game Grumps play this together a few years ago, seeing just how fun co-op adventuring can be.
Overall, this top-down Zelda-inspired adventure is a unique experience amongst the Disney Capcom line-up and a fantastic inclusion in this collection.
Bonkers (SNES)
As the final SNES game in this collection, Bonkers stands out. Based on the Disney cartoon, this cartoon bobcat goes on an adventure to collect missing items, like the Magic Lamp and Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice Hat, that were stolen in Hollywood.
Bonker’s moveset is seemingly simple: a bomb attack that costs ammo, and he can jump on enemies to defeat them. But he can also dash, giving him momentum to reach out-of-reach platforms and break things that a simple jump can’t.
Timing when to use the dash is a fun mechanic to be mindful of, and the level design, while nothing special, kept me on my toes. What made the levels stand out were their themes. I really enjoyed running through a mansion and seeing statue busts of Donald. Speeding across a Wild West-themed set was another highlight.
Overall, this was the biggest surprise of the collection, and I enjoyed this wacky bobcat’s adventure.
That Disney Magic – Quality of Life Features
- Features like rewinding, controller remapping, and more help modernize these classics for modern audiences.
Many of the quality-of-life features present in the original version of The Disney Afternoon Collection carry over, such as rewind support via holding down the left trigger. In addition, each game has one save state, and you can load that by pressing the right trigger to open up the game option menu.
Other notable features, like button remapping and CRT filter support, are also present. The newest features, exclusive to the NES games, are Time Attack and Boss Rush modes. These offer additional replay value, giving new content for players who enjoyed the collection on other platforms.
Behind the Steamboat – History
- Concept art, promotional materials, and more are included, offering a window into how Capcom USA developed these experiences for the NES and SNES.
Building on the work done on the Mega Man Legacy Collection, a nice variety of historical content is included. Alongside the soundtracks for each game are promotional art for various regions and some fun bits of trivia about each game’s development. These give a window into an era where Disney earnestly trusted Capcom USA to deliver quality experiences.
The most interesting pieces of info I enjoyed learning about were the trivia about how Capcom’s teams used art from Disney Animation as reference material for some of the games, like Ducktales and Tailspin.
A Missed Opportunity
The history section of the Disney Afternoon Collection is similar to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One release, save for some additional artwork and trivia for Bonkers and Goof Troop.
In contrast, Digital Eclipse’s most recent work on the Rayman 30th Anniversary contains a more robust history section. The fact that this part of the package is not expanded upon is a minor disappointment.
Painterly Touch – Presentation & Performance
Completing the collection is a great presentation, composed of imagery taken from official ‘Disney Afternoon’ promotions. Bright colors and a 90s-inspired interface make booting up each game feel like changing the channel to your next favorite cartoon.
Regarding each game’s emulation quality, they play similarly to the native experiences on NES and SNES hardware. However, there are minor rewind hang-ups (when you lose control for a short moment if leveraging the feature too much).
Closing Thoughts on the Disney Afternoon Collection
When the original Disney Afternoon Collection was released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, it was surprising that the Switch was excluded. Classic platformers and adventure games are at home on Nintendo’s hybrid console, so the collection arriving on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 is awesome.
Containing everything the original release offered, the new modes and games cement the package as a loving homage to quality Disney video games from one of Japan’s best studios.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
The publisher provided a code for the purpose of this review.
Pros:
- Game selection is strong
- Emulation quality solid
- Quality of Life features make the games more approachable for modern audiences
- The history content is a nice inclusion
- New Boss Rush & Time Attack Modes add replay value
Cons:
- Rewind Support has minor issues
- The history section is not as in-depth as Digital Eclipse’s other efforts
