M.C. Kids (NES)
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- For other games in the series, see McDonald's.
M.C. Kids is a platform game that was first released for the NES in 1992. It is an "advergame" that utilizes characters from McDonald's "McDonaldland" setting, used to advertise their food to children. However, none of the cast is playable - instead, two children named Mick and Mack are tasked with helping them out by finding cards throughout a series of levels. Doing this allows them to progress through various worlds in search of Ronald McDonald's magic bag, which has been stolen by the Hamburglar.
The gameplay has often been compared to the Super Mario Bros. series (Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) in particular), though M.C. Kids has a number of features that help it stand out. The most prevalent is the ability to pick up and throw objects (usually blocks), which is critical to defeating enemies and traversing each stage. In addition, every level is built around exploration, with McDonald's cards and other items being hidden in areas that aren't immediately obvious with increasing frequency. Other mechanics include the ability to get turned upside down (reversing gravity in the process) and zippers that lead to bonus areas.
The game was also released on home computers such as the Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, as well as a Game Boy version. These versions all released under the name McDonaldland. M.C. Kids was also the second game for the NES based on the McDonald's franchise, the first being Data East's Donald Land (FC), which was only released in Japan.
Screenshots
Music
For his only known NES game, Charles Deenen converted his last sound driver from the Commodore 64 and created the game's soundtrack by himself, composing it in 6502 assembly. According to Deenen, the music was done on the NES itself, and not through a computer.
The music is generally light and cheery, in keeping with the game's child-friendly nature. Certain songs stand out by taking influence from other genres, like the jazzy Map theme or the techno-esque Level Theme 2, while still fitting in with the overall upbeat tone.
The computer versions of M.C. Kids have the same soundtrack arranged by Andi McGinty, as well as the Commodore 64 version by Henry Jackman. However, the NES version is the original version, and Deenen confirmed that the songs were his. The Game Boy version of the game does not share the same music.
The prototype version of M.C. Kids has a few of the songs in the final with slight changes to the instrument design and volume, and should be recorded.
Recording
| # | Title | Composer | Length | Listen | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Intro | Charles Deenen | 0:53 | Download | |
| 02 | Cutscene | Charles Deenen | 0:54 | Download | |
| 03 | Map | Charles Deenen | 1:09 | Download | |
| 04 | Level Theme 1 | Charles Deenen | 1:24 | Download | |
| 05 | Level Theme 2 | Charles Deenen | 1:54 | Download | |
| 06 | Level Theme 3 | Charles Deenen | 0:54 | Download | |
| 07 | Level Theme 4 | Charles Deenen | 1:07 | Download | |
| 08 | Hamburglar's Hideout | Charles Deenen | 0:48 | Download | |
| 09 | Level Clear | Charles Deenen | 0:03 | Download | |
| 10 | High Five | Charles Deenen | 0:05 | Download | |
| 11 | Life Lost | Charles Deenen | 0:03 | Download | |
| 12 | Bonus Game Intro | Charles Deenen | 0:02 | Download | |
| 13 | Bonus Game | Charles Deenen | 0:39 | Download | |
| 14 | Bag of Magic Retrieved | Charles Deenen | 0:03 | Download |
Credits
- Rippers: Josh W. (NSF), The789Guy (VGM)
- Recorder: Theand
- Game Credits:
- Music and Sound Effects: Charles Deenen
- Uncredited Music Driver Programmer: Charles Deenen
According to "Programming M.C. Kids" by developer Gregg Tavares, Charles Deenen was also responsible for programming the game's music driver.
Game Rip
Releases
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Links
- mobygames.com/game/12794/mc-kids - MobyGames.
- gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/563436-mc-kids - GameFAQs.
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.C._Kids - Wikipedia.
- Nintendo Entertainment System Games
- Games Released In 1992
- Games Developed By Virgin Interactive
- No Amazon
- Games
- M.C. Kids (NES)
- Games By Charles Deenen
- Games That Use NSF
- Games That Use VGM
- Games Released In USA
- Games Published By Virgin Interactive
- Games Released In Canada
- Games Released In EU
- Games Published By Ocean Software
- Needed Song Descriptions
