Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow (1995). Play online

Summary

Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow lets you play a duck detective who moonlights as the ninja Cold Shadow, a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to Magnum P.I. & Hawaii‑5‑0. After the second level you can flick between Maui’s bug‑spraying pistol and Cold Shadow’s bo‑staff, the transformation powered by ninja tokens that also boost the ninja’s attack combos. Some stages—like the vine‑heavy jungle levels—lock you out of the ninja form, forcing pure Maui play. The SNES version features 23 sprawling stages ranging from a volcanic peak to a sunken seabed, a spooky Realm of the Dead, and a gritty Ninja Training Grounds, all packed with Muddrakes, pirate skeletons, duck zombies and Amazon warriors. A quirky Easter egg is that the North American release renamed Donald Duck to just "Maui Mallard" because Disney thought the brand wasn’t cool enough here. The game was revived on Steam and GOG in 2019, though the announced sequel never materialized.

Storyline

Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow follows a medium‑boiled detective who lands on a tropical island after the sacred Shabuhm Shabuhm idol disappears. The island’s guardian spirit is gone, and without it the volcano‑filled land threatens to explode, so Maui is thrust into a frantic investigation. His quest takes him through a creepy mansion, ancient ninja training grounds where he unlocks the ability to become the ninja alter‑ego Cold Shadow, and a native village that later throws him into a volcano as a sacrificial offering.

Maui survives the molten plunge, passes the "test of duckhood," and earns the islanders’ trust. They reveal that only a dead elder knows the idol’s location, prompting Maui to retrieve the remains from the sea floor and then guide the spirit through the land of the dead.

At the witch doctor’s Mojo Stronghold, Maui confronts the villain, recovers Shabuhm Shabuhm, and saves the island. Grateful, the locals rename the island after their hero, despite doubts that "Mallard" will attract tourists.