Keith is Good!

That's a clown game, bro.

Yes, the header is correct. And no, I haven't sustained any (serious) brain damage. This entry into our 8-Bit Encyclopaedia intends to elucidate a NES game about McDonalds and their eponymous Clown Mascot.

Developed by Virgin Interactive and released Stateside in February 1992, M.C. Kids (titled "McDonaldland" in Europe) follows two kids--Mick and Mack--as they try to retrieve Ronald McDonald's stolen magical bag.


Seeing only screenshots like the one to the left, most dismissed the title as shill for hamburgers and french fries. Honestly, it's hard to fault this snap judgement; M.C. Kids, like so many product tie-in games (I'm looking at you Barbie and Muppets), looks cheap. The sprites, shown in the header above, are monochromatic and blocky compared to Mario and Luigi. And McDonald's golden arches are literally on every screen of the game.

Much better, right?

These first impressions are a shame, because M.C. Kids stands alongside Super Mario Bros. 3 as the pinnacle of platform gaming on the NES. So I propose we re-brand the game and scrub away every last trace of McDonald's grease. Instead of M.C. Kids, let's call it Magic Kids. Instead of running through McDonaldland at the behest of Ronald McDonald, let's say Nick and Will are questing through Magic Land to help Walter Wizard regain his stolen Magic Bag from the sly Dragon. Much more palatable, no?

So. Let's hit the reset button...