Boo, Hiss--and Play

Children of all ages will enjoy Walt Disney Software’s “Duck Tales: The Quest for Gold.” Younger children will enjoy leaping around on the backs of hippos, taking pictures of pink elephants or meeting a green mummy in a dark cave. Older children--and more than a few adults--will find themselves snickering as they try to fly a bouncing airplane made of Flubber.

Cartoon fans will be familiar with the characters --Scrooge McDuck and his great-nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Webby (the token female) joins the McDucks and a trusty crew as they travel the globe in a race for treasure against tycoon Flintheart Glomgold (boo, hiss). Challenged by Glomgold (boo, hiss), Scrooge McDuck must collect the most money in just 30 days. The game is a lightweight and lighthearted exploration of geography, economics and logic.

After accepting Glomgold’s (boo, hiss) challenge, it’s a good idea for new members of the crew to spend a few minutes with the Junior Woodchuck Guide. The information can come in quite handy.

Most of the treasure hunting resembles fairly harmless arcade playing. At least one of the nephews must successfully scale the mountain or cross the jungle river to collect the prize. It’s nice that tumbling down the mountain results only in lost time--not the popular Sudden Death Routine.

They do add some depths to the game by including various difficulty levels, and an unusual twist to a children’s game--the stock market. If you can’t beat Glomgold (boo, hiss) to the treasure, you can take your cash to Scrooge’s and invest it.

DUCK TALES

Rating: * * *

IBM PC or compatible, Tandy (Omega and Commodore 64 versions available); joy stick optional. List: $44.95.

Computer games are rated on a five-star system, from one star for poor to five for excellent.