Welcome to another edition of Playing With Power. The review article that looks at all things Nintendo Entertainment System. The video game industry has seen practically every kind of licensed game from pretty much every major franchise. So, is it really all that surprising that the biggest fast food chain in the world would try their hand at the gaming market? Well, maybe to most people, but let’s not forget this was around the same time that Yo! Noid was released for the NES, as well as the 7-Up Spot game. And it’s still done to this day. Lest we forget the infamous Burger King Xbox games. But we’re not looking at the antics of one creepy king. Instead, we’re going to look at the infamous NES game made by McDonald’s. Is this game an underrated gem, or a crappy case of McPropaganda? Let’s feast further.
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1991
PUBLISHER: Virgin Games
GENRE: Action Platformer
If you don’t know of McDonald’s, then you may just be a bigger shut in than I am. McDonald’s is of course the world’s largest fast food chain. Though if you really weren’t born outside of say the last decade or so, you may not know the denizens of McDonaldland, namely the legendary clown himself, Ronald McDonald, the franchise mascot, as well as the many characters that have since gone the way of the McDodo.
But in the 90’s, before the real fight over childhood obesity and fears of McPropaganda went into full swing, McDonald’s was massively popular, especially with kids. Commercials would air practically non-stop on Saturday mornings with Ronald and his troupe, Birdie, Grimace (a being which nothing can kill), and the Hamburglar, among others, often engaging in wacky adventures and shilling the fatty food of the company. And we kids ate it all up… literally. So naturally, there was an audience that would be down for anything, especially a video game.
McDonald’s would get video game company Virgin Interactive to work on the title. Virgin is perhaps best known for their work on many 16 bit games such as Cool Spot, Disney’s Aladdin, and The Lion King, while also working on many PC games like The Seventh Guest, as well as multiple European ports of video games up until their eventual closing in 2001. This would be Virgin’s first title for the NES console. They would release the game in 1991. The PAL port would be ported over by OCEAN, and the game would be retitled McDonaldland, to which it would see ports to the Gameboy, Amiga, Commodore 64, and Atari ST. The game sold well enough that McDonald’s and Virgin would release another game for the Genesis known as Mick and Mack: Global Gladiators.
The game has earned a mixed reaction over the years. Even James Rolfe’s iconic Angry Video Game Nerd would review the game negatively. Even McDonald’s themselves were unhappy with the finished product, feeling the game was too hard for the intended younger audience. But despite that, it has earned some cult popularity. Is the game deserving of the hate it has earned? Or is this a happy meal?
COVER STORY
The cover is really basic, but still works fine for what it is. It shows our protagonists, as well as the all important McDonald’s golden arches in the background. I would say it’s a bit too bland, and something about it makes it feel a little too generic for my tastes (the white background may be what’s setting me off), but it still is an eye pleasing cover. So, how does the European box favor?
Okay, this cover is a lot better looking in my opinion. I would say that the kids look a bit too stereotypical. The white kid comes off being too stereotypical 90’s dude, and the black kid being a pair of glasses away from going full blown Urkel, but those are minor gripes. You get Ronald’s mug on the box, though looking quite creepy. Almost as if he’s snorted some coke, and is staring into your soul. The red behind the arches adds far more familiarity to the McDonald’s logo than the other box does. It’s definitely the more eye pleasing cover.
For the most part.
STORY
Youngsters Mick and Mack are spending the night camping out in their tent, and reading the story of Ronald McDonald and his friends in McDonaldland. In the story, they learn that Hamburglar has stolen Ronald’s magic bag in his never ending quest to have all the hamburgers in the world (Robble Robble). Mick and Mack end up magically transported into the book, and are tasked by Ronald McDonald to head through McDonaldland to find his magic bag. Why the clown can’t do it himself is beyond me, but that’s the plot.
GAMEPLAY
M.C Kids is a two player game. You control either Mick or Mack, as you head through the McDonald’s land, to find Ronald’s magic bag. You move your character with the D-Pad, jump with the A, and lift and throw blocks and items with the B button. You can choose which of the two you want to be at the start screen by hitting the moon block above the signpost.
To beat M.C Kids, you have to go through each of the six worlds in the game. In each world, you are tasked by a certain McDonald’s character to find a certain amount of cards to move forward in the game. These cards are scattered throughout each level of the game, and it’s up to you to collect them. Cards are represented by red blocks with the McDonald’s logo on them. Once you complete the stage, if you have the right card for that area, it will remove a piece of the puzzle on the top screen, which hides the face of the character in the world. Some levels have more than one card to collect.
Your main weapons in the game are blocks that are scattered all throughout the level. The downside to these blocks is that they fire diagonally, which means it’s easy to miss. You can also find items like snowball piles, and ash piles which can make balls you can use. They shoot in an arch pattern, and can also be tricky to use. But honestly, it becomes easy to get the handle of them.
you will have to help a multitude of classic McDonald’s characters. There’s Ronald’s world, which is basic levels. Birdie, who has levels of the ice and sky variety to deal with. Grimace, who lives in the mountainous regions. The Professor, who has sandy areas you have to dig through, CosMc, who lives in outer space, and finally Hamburglar, who has the tough lava levels in the game. Helping find the certain amount of cards for them will get you further in the game. Though you can earn rewards for finding all six. For example, if you get all six cards for Birdie, you get an extra life., or an easy path to Ronald’s from the Professor. Though some are stingy, like Cosmc, who gives you… nothing!
No wonder nobody remembers this stupid character.
You also can find secret cards, which are usually stashed in the hardest areas of the game. Once all six are collected, along with all of Ronald’s cards, you will open the secret area, which will give you three more levels to beat. each with tricky gimmicks that can make them almost impossible if you don’t know what to do properly. These levels aren’t needed for any special ending or whatever, but you do get 10 lives for beating all three.
You collect McDonald arches, similar to coins from Super Mario. Also, at the end of each level is a goal line with a moving M. If you hit the M moving across the line, you will earn extra arches. If you complete the level with over 100, without dying, you’ll be taken to a bonus level, where you have to jump on blocks. If you hit the block with an up arrow, you will go higher. Hit a block with a down arrow, and it will go lower. Once at the top, you can find a zipper you can enter to collect extra lives. And trust me, this game can be extremely generous with extra lives. But I’ll elaborate more on that in a bit.
This game has some interesting gimmicks to the gameplay. One of the cooler ones is the ability to go upside down, by running over these cross things on certain platforms. As a kid of about eight or nine, this blew my mind. I had no idea this was even possible from a game like this. Other tricks are block outlines you have to fill with a certain block, super high jumps on the moon levels, the ability to run through clouds, as well as jump higher on giant platforms with the use of a block. Some of these I’ve never seen done since in a video game, and I personally love this game for them.
The game has some solid controls, but I will say the biggest issue can be the jump. It works well enough, but to get decent jumps, but require a lot of momentum from running to do well, and sometimes in tighter spots, it can be tricky to land them just right. it can be especially tricky if you have to jump over something like a long goal to get the card that may be lurking over it. Other than that control issue, there really isn’t too much to complain about.
you start with four lives, but as mentioned before, you will earn plenty as the game goes on. You also have four hit points, but only start with three hearts filled. You earn extra hearts by killing enemies. The enemies in the game vary from everything from gophers, birds, raccoons, a moose, and walking flowers. So, essentially, you have to kill innocent animals to help a clown that works for a legendary fast food chain? Weird message man.
The game has a decent difficulty, although, unless you’re really seeking everything, it shouldn’t be impossible to beat. The real difficult levels are definitely Hamburglar’s stages. With instant kill lava, and many fiery creatures to destroy you. You have unlimited continues, however should you get game over, you will have to restart the entire world again, and get back any cards you missed. It’s a pisser, but if you find plenty of lives in the game, you may never have to worry about it. The game has a decent length, and if you search for every card and item, it could take a couple hours to complete on the first try or so. There are sadly no passwords or save functions.
I’ve often heard this game called by people as a Super Mario Bros. 3 knockoff. Personally I don’t see it that way. Other than the map screen, and the arches, there really isn’t too much that makes this game similar to Mario 3. Honestly, it may use some similar ideas, but to me, if Mick and Mack were flying with raccoon tails, or shooting fire, then maybe I’d see it that way. Honestly though, it’s not that big a shock for a lot of games to try to ride the coattails of Mario 3. it was a major game changer cart in the NES library. If M.C Kids does rip it off slightly, it’s still not as bad as it could be.
There is only one boss in the game, and that’s the magic bag. It has three different phases of attack, and can be tricky if you have no clue what to do against it, but once you do, it really isn’t that tough a boss. It shouldn’t take too much trial and error to get the hang of things.
Now as much as I praise this game, there is one infamous moment I have to talk about. Now, in the second stage of Hamburglar’s world, you’ll hop from rock to rock, avoiding lava which will insta-kill you. Now, before you finish the level, there is one certain pool of lava to have to cross with a rock you’ll find in the level. But notice the lava…
THERE’S A 1-UP IN THERE!
I want to know what game designer was half-asleep at the job when they thought to put a 1-up in an area that you can’t touch without dying. Of all the crazy things in this game, this is definitely a legendary flub.
POWER TIP
As I got into, you can find dozens of extra lives in this game, enough that you may not have to worry about getting a game over. But there are some areas that can just help build that collection of 1-ups higher and higher. In the Grimace level 4 “Fry Kid Falls”, at the very beginning, you’ll see two 1-ups in a pit. Grab both of them, and die. To make things faster, press start and select, which is an instant suicide button, a la Adventures of Lolo. Keep going into this stage as much as needed, and you’ll earn as many lives as you need.
GRAPHICS
The game has excellent graphics. All the sprites look great, and every McDonald’s character looks like their actual counterpart. The stages are all very well detailed, and use the limited NES palette to the fullest of its capabilities. Simple things like fast moving waterfalls, and rocky areas with plenty of small rocks all make the game look that much nicer. For a game released right before the real dropoff in quality that would be to come in 92 and 93 especially, this is a nice example of the true abilities of the console.
MUSIC
I love this soundtrack. If ever there was an underrated soundtrack, this is definitely it. Every song is very peppy and energetic, giving a great sense of adventure to this game. My favorite songs are the title screen theme, and the 2nd level tune. It’s definitely some well done work, and I’m saddened to see a lack of love for it.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
When I was a kid, I really never rented a lot of the major games like Contra, or Castlevania. Hell, the first Mega Man game I played in full was 3 back in 1998. I used to rent games a lot, and I vividly remember renting this game, from the same place I rented another game known as Muppet Adventure: Chaos at the Carnival. I abhorred that game, but I was in love with this one. I had the game bought and owned at one point in the late 90’s/early 2000’s before becoming a collector. Sadly, the game was taken from me without my consent honestly. When I became an NES collector, there were several cartridges that I was seeking. This was one of them. Not just to repurchase it, but to see if the comments of one person were true.
I’ve said before that I’m a fan of AVGN, and his reviews were what spearheaded my decision to be a retro game collector in 2007. I agree with almost every one of his reviews, but his M.C Kids review has always bothered me. Mainly due to how lazy it felt (he intentionally dies after missing an easy to find block to cross the lava), and that this childhood favorite was being tarnished. When I finally bought the game recently after such a long time, I had to know if the nostalgia was blinding me. And honestly, it wasn’t.
I still love this game, and consider it wickedly underrated.
It does some unique things with the gameplay that I haven’t seen many games do, it has some solid levels, great graphics, and excellent music. Other than some mild control issues, there really isn’t too much that honestly makes this bad in my eyes.
Many people dislike this game believing it to be McDonald’s propaganda to sell to the youngins, but I don’t see it that way either. Other than the arches, and the characters, there’s really nothing else that ties it to the restaurant. You aren’t eating Big Macs or McNuggets to gain strength. Hell, even the main characters are chubby kids (not so much on the PAL box, but still). So I don’t believe those claims at all.
If you can find this game, I honestly hope you can give it a try. It’s not perfect, it has its flaws, and I’m certainly not treating this game like the 2nd coming, but honestly to me it’s a gem of a title, and one of my top five favorite NES games of all time.
RATING: Thumbs Up