SNES

Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow

A Disney-themed platformer featuring Donald Duck as Maui Mallard, a private detective who transforms into the ninja Cold Shadow to battle the evil witch Mojo Levo and her minions across tropical islands.

Release Date
January 1, 1996
Players
1
Region
US

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Story

Maui Mallard is a "medium-boiled" detective visiting a tropical island when the mysterious Shabuhm Shabuhm idol goes missing. Shabuhm Shabuhm is considered the island's native guardian spirit, and unless the idol is recovered, the whole island will explode. Maui is put on the case, and his investigations lead him through a creepy mansion to ancient ninja training grounds -where he gains the ability to change into Cold Shadow- and a native village, where Maui is thrown into a volcano as a sacrifice to the native gods. Maui survives the volcano, and the islanders put him through the "test of duckhood", which Maui passes, gaining the natives' trust.

The natives tell Maui that the only one who knows the location of Shabuhm Shabuhm has long since died, and Maui goes to recover his remains from the bottom of the sea before going through the land of the dead to escort his soul into rest. Ultimately, the location of Shabuhm Shabuhm is revealed, and Maui goes head-to-head with the witch doctor at his Mojo Stronghold over the idol. Maui is triumphant, and as a sign of their gratitude, the islanders name their island after their hero, despite their misgivings that the name "Mallard" has little potential for attracting tourists.

Gameplay Systems

This section does not cite any sources . Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . ( July 2024 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Besides platformer gameplay, one of the game's most distinctive gameplay features is allowing to switch the player character's form to suit one's needs.

The player begins the game as Maui, whose only means of self-defence is an insect-launching pistol that can launch several forms of bugs, some of them combined for greater effect. However, once the player reaches the second level, Maui transforms into Cold Shadow, his ninja alter ego, who defends himself with short-range attacks using a bo staff . Cold Shadow's staff is also primarily used to explore the level further, such as climbing a narrow tunnel. After the second level, the player can switch back and forth between Maui and Cold Shadow at will, provided he has enough ninja tokens for the transformation.

The amount of ninja tokens Maui or Cold Shadow holds determines Cold Shadow's strength – who can then chain more and more attacks as his skill improves – when played as him in the SNES version. On Mega Drive, however, Maui needs to collect red ninja tokens instead, the amount of white tokens being useful for metamorphosis alone. Some levels of the game, however, prevent Maui from transforming at all, as Cold Shadow cannot bungee jump on vines, for example, which forces the player to use Maui throughout the level.

Media Reviews

GameSpot
7/10
Famitsu
5/10
Electronic Gaming Monthly
8/10

About Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow

Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow is a classic video game released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System on January 1, 1996. This title has become a beloved entry in the retro gaming library.

This wiki entry provides comprehensive information about Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow, including release details, gameplay information, and story synopsis. Whether you're looking to revisit a childhood favorite or discover classic games for the first time, Emulator Games Wiki has you covered.

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