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Disney Epic Mickey Review for Nintendo Wii (Wii)

Disney Epic Mickey Review for Nintendo Wii (Wii)

Mickey Goes Epic

Disney Epic Mickey certainly lives up to its title. The story in the game is amazing, the visuals are stark (and just a little disturbing) and the gameplay mechanics make the world of the game interactive and fun. However, there are some things that hold Disney Epic Mickey back from being one of the best games ever for the platform. And even though a lot of these small issues won’t hamper the overall experience for many gamers (especially those who are big-time Disney fans), the game isn’t perfect.

The start of Disney Epic Mickey is definitely one of the most memorable moments of the entire game. The game’s strongest point is its story, and the way things get started is nothing short of, well, epic. Mickey Mouse is in his bedroom and notices something is amiss with his mirror. Upon investigation, he discovers he can travel through the mirror. On the other side, he sees Yen Sid, a powerful sorcerer and teacher, in a world that looks almost exactly like the Magic Kingdom theme park and is designed for creatures that time forgot. Unbeknownst to Yen Sid, Mickey is watching him from behind a wall, and as he goes upstairs to retire for the night, Mickey picks up Yen Sid’s magical paintbrush and paint thinner, and ends up ruining Yen Sid’s creation and creating a wasteland filled with an evil Phantom Blot. However, instead of fixing his mistake, Mickey runs away through the mirror and never looks back.

Disney Epic Mickey  Screenshot

Of course, this turns out to be a horrible decision, and several years later the Phantom Blot finds its way through the mirror and drags Mickey back into the wasteland where he must face his mistake and help restore the wasteland back to what it should have been. Along the way, he meets his brother, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who originally pre-dated Mickey. Although the game presents itself as kid-friendly fare, themes of interrupted destinies, guilt, and of course jealousy come through as strikingly adult.

The game makes it clear from the opening cutscene that the wasteland is not a happy place, but once you actually get to the world of the wasteland, it is hard not to be amazed at the level of darkness put into the game’s visual design. One of the earliest areas that you’ll visit is a recreation of the “It’s a Small World” attraction from the Magic Kingdom Park. But instead of happy, friendly faces singing that familiar tune, you’ll see ride boats crashing, ride features in disarray, and decapitated animatronics emerging from the water. The wasteland truly is a horrific place, and the visual design in this game is second-to-none.

Disney Epic Mickey  Screenshot

Even on a technical level, the visuals impress, which is quite a feat considering the Wii’s technical limitations. Levels are fairly lengthy, and there is plenty of room to discover secret areas within each stage. Although the game is built in such a way that you can run through each level, jumping on platforms and flipping switches, that play style misses the point. There is so much to discover in Epic Mickey that you’ll miss more than half the content if you just run through. For instance, even though the wasteland is designed for old or forgotten Disney characters, you’ll notice plenty of modern elements in the hidden areas of the world. In the game’s opening level, I was able to spot the Beast and the Stone Dragon (from Mulan). And if you’re willing to look, there are plenty of references to modern Disney that even the youngest fan will appreciate.

But enough about the story and visuals, let’s talk about gameplay. The main mechanics in Disney Epic Mickey revolve around the use of paint and paint thinner to restore the wasteland to its former glory. Most of the game will be spent using these two elements to solve puzzles and create platforms to get from one area to another. However, the game also has a strong combat mechanic, and you’ll be able to either re-paint enemies to make them friendly, or thin them out to destroy them. This is where things get interesting. While re-painting enemies is the “right” thing to do, it takes quite awhile, costing Mickey valuable time. However, if you thin enemies, you’ll get a much faster result, but there will be a moral cost. Mickey’s outward appearance will change depending on how much paint and/or thinner you use on enemies, and the environment will also change too. Although Mickey never really takes that step into “evil” territory, you can see how his less-than-noble decisions can affect the world around him, and effect how the citizens of the wasteland treat him. The morality system never really affects the story, but being able to shape your world with the mechanics is an interesting twist, making this game ripe for replayability.

Disney Epic Mickey  Screenshot

The game also provides a collectible incentive for those who want to relive the game. The game awards collectible in-game pins for accomplishing various goals, and because a lot of the goals require taking different paths and being on opposite sides of the game’s morality system, it is impossible to get them in a single playthrough. In addition to the collectible pins, there are also hidden video clips and concept art that die-hard fans will definitely want to unlock.

Disney Epic Mickey  Screenshot

However, as I mentioned before, there are some issues that hold this game back from being the perfect homage to Disney’s past. One of the big issues that you’ll notice right away is the camera system, which frequently focuses on the wrong thing or won’t let you swing it around so you get a clear view of your surroundings. This can be especially frustrating in platforming areas where you’ll have to make precision jumps. If the angle is just slightly off, you’ll find Mickey springing off in the wrong place, which can be especially frustrating if it ends in character death considering checkpoints are not exactly frequent.

Another issue that Disney Epic Mickey has is with the combat targeting system. Though targeting one or two enemies in the beginning is as easy as pointing and clicking, the game frequently targets the wrong things when there are multiple enemies around or there are obstacles in your way, which can often lead to wasted paint and/or thinner and frustrating boss battles.

Still despite these few gameplay issues, I found Epic Mickey to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The story is top-notch, and while the gameplay mechanics are simplistic on the surface, there is a surprising level of depth to the game. Unlocking movies, earning pins, and finding all the game’s secret areas certainly pushes the game’s play time into the 20+ hour region and provides plenty of incentive for replay. This game is a can’t-miss title for Disney fans, and even if you aren’t one, Epic Mickey is a solid title that has plenty of fun mechanics and a great (and surprisingly adult) story to tell.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.4 Graphics
The world of the wasteland is beautifully realized and animations are incredibly smooth. Camera troubles become an issue in later levels, however. 4.3 Control
Controls are intuitive and easy to use, but imprecise targeting hampers precision during combat sequences. 4.2 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Background music is wonderful, but the lack of a voiceover is regrettable. 4.8 Play Value
The wasteland has plenty of secrets to uncover, and with a plethora of pins and other bonuses to unlock, replaying this game is a must for Disney fans. 4.4 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Use paint and paint thinner to change the world, interact with friends and enemies, and solve challenges.
  • Choose the best path to become an epic hero because “Playstyle Matters” and choices will change the outcome of the game.
  • Explore and solve challenges in an alternate Disney world ruled by Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first cartoon star.
  • Travel between lands in Wasteland through classic platforming levels inspired by animated films and shorts.
  • Experience an innovative mix of platforming, action-adventure, and light RPG elements.
  • Collect over seventy-five virtual Disney pins in the game by completing specific challenges and quests and discovering hidden collectibles.

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