World of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck is a magical platform game that takes place in the world of Disney. The game was released on December 14, 1992, for the Sega Genesis. It was both developed and published by Sega.
World of Illusion received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and players alike. At the time of its release, it was even praised for having some of the best graphics in a Disney game. To this day, the game is still considered one of the best for the Sega Genesis. For that reason, it is clear to see why the Illusion series is still ongoing.
World of Illusion Premise
In the wonderful world of Disney, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are preparing to perform a magical act. But in the middle of preparation, these amateur magicians find a magical box. Little do they know, this magical box was sent by the evil magician Pete. After interacting with the box, both Mickey and Donald get sucked inside and sent to a magical world full of illusions.
If they want to get home, they must use their magic and work together. To do this they must learn new magic tricks, traverse the five stages, defeat multiple stage bosses, and finally defeat the evil Pete who sent them here. Remember, the show must go on.
World of Illusion Main Characters
The players have the option to play as either of Disney’s most iconic characters, Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck. Or they can grab a friend and an extra controller and experience the magic with both of them.
Both characters can run, jump, and flourish their magical cape as an attack move. Since this is a quirky Disney game, enemies aren’t technically killed. They are magically turned into harmless butterflies, flowers, doves, and playing cards. Most of Mickey and Donald’s abilities are the same, except when traveling to different stages.
Mickey can squeeze through certain gaps that Donald can’t which leads to Mickey and Donald occasionally having their own optional stages that are only available for their respective character. But for those playing two-player, characters can stand on each other’s shoulders, pull each other through, or toss a rope down for each other so they can stick together.
World of Illusion Series
This title is the second in the Illusion series by Sega, following the Castle of Illusion. It is considered a semi-sequel to the original. Several games follow, including a recent addition called Disney Illusion Island which was nominated at The Game Awards 2023.
- Castle of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse (1990)
- World of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck (1992)
- Land of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse (1993)
- Legend of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse (1995)
- The Disney Collection: Castle of Illusion & Quackshot (1996)
- Sega Ages: I Love Mickey Mouse (1998)
- Castle of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse (Remake) (2013)
- Disney Illusion Island (2023)
And if you’re still looking for more fantastical Disney games, check out these related games.
- Fantasia (1991)
- QuackShot: Starring Donald Duck (1991)
- The Lucky Dime Caper: Starring Donald Duck (1991)
- Deep Duck Trouble: Starring Donald Duck (1993)
- Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (2012)
- Disney Illusion Island (2023)
World of Illusion Cheat Codes
Like many retro games from the ’90s, this whimsical side-scrolling platformer has several cheat codes players may find useful. The base cheat codes available for the game allow players to access any stage in the game they would like.
Sega Genesis Cheat Codes
| Effect | Code |
|---|---|
| Donald & Mickey Stage 1 | 04, 03, 01, 02 |
| Donald & Mickey Stage 2 | 01, 02, 05, 04 |
| Donald & Mickey Stage 3 | 05, 00, 01, 04 |
| Donald & Mickey Stage 4 | 03, 01, 04, 00 |
| Donald & Mickey Stage 5 | 05, 03, 04, 00 |
| Donald Stage 1 | 02, 01, 00, 03 |
| Donald Stage 2 | 05, 04, 03, 01 |
| Donald Stage 3 | 03, 02, 00, 05 |
| Donald Stage 4 | 00, 04, 02, 05 |
| Donald Stage 5 | 05, 02, 03, 04 |
| Mickey & Donald Stage 1 | 02, 04, 05, 03 |
| Mickey & Donald Stage 2 | 05, 02, 01, 03 |
| Mickey & Donald Stage 3 | 04, 01, 02, 00 |
| Mickey & Donald Stage 4 | 01, 00, 03, 05 |
| Mickey & Donald Stage 5 | 03, 04, 05, 02 |
| Mickey Stage 1 | 01, 02, 00, 05 |
| Mickey Stage 2 | 03, 00, 02, 04 |
| Mickey Stage 3 | 02, 05, 04, 01 |
| Mickey Stage 4 | 00, 04, 05, 03 |
| Mickey Stage 5 | 04, 03, 02, 05 |
Another way to use cheats to get to a different stage is based on the playing card portraits of the characters. Here is an example of the portraits, this is the code for going to The Forest Stage as Donald and Mickey in 2 Player mode.
Here are the different combinations possible to get where you want to go.
Codes to spawn to the Stage as Donald
| Stage | Password |
|---|---|
| Mountains in the Sky | Pluto, Donald, Cow, Minnie |
| The Forest | Goofy, Minnie, Daisy, Pluto |
| Giant’s Den | Daisy, Donald, Goofy, Pluto |
| Magician’s Realm | Pluto, Goofy, Cow, Donald |
| Under the Sea | Cow, Goofy, Daisy, Pluto |
Codes to spawn to the Stage as Mickey
| Stage | Password |
|---|---|
| Mountains in the Sky | Cow, Daisy, Goofy, Donald |
| The Forest | Minnie, Goofy, Daisy, Pluto |
| Giant’s Den | Daisy, Donald, Pluto, Cow |
| Magician’s Realm | Donald, Cow, Goofy, Pluto |
| Under the Sea | Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Minnie |
Codes to spawn to the Stage as Donald & Mickey (2 Player)
| Effect | Password |
|---|---|
| Mountains in the Sky | Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald |
| The Forest | Donald, Cow, Minnie, Goofy |
| Giant’s Den | Cow, Minnie, Donald, Daisy |
| Magician’s Realm | Pluto, Cow, Donald, Daisy |
| Under the Sea | Pluto, Daisy, Minnie, Donald |
Codes to spawn to the Stage as Mickey & Donald (2 Player)
| Effect | Password |
|---|---|
| Mountains in the Sky | Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald |
| The Forest | Goofy, Donald, Pluto, Cow |
| Giant’s Den | Minnie, Daisy, Cow, Pluto |
| Magician’s Realm | Pluto, Cow, Donald, Daisy |
| Under the Sea | Donald, Minnie, Goofy, Daisy |
And for those who have a Game Genie for the Sega Genesis, here are some codes you can use.
Sega Genesis Game Genie Codes
| Effect | Password |
|---|---|
| Start with 1 try (Player 1) | AEST-BA30 |
| Start with 9 tries (Player 1) | BEST-BA30 |
| Start with 25 tries (Player 1) | DEST-BA30 |
| Start with 50 tries (Player 1) | GJST-BA30 |
| Start with 75 tries (Player 1) | KNST-BA30 |
| Start with 99 tries (Player 1) | NNST-BA30 |
| Infinite tries | BM2A-AA9R |
| Infinite health | AX2A-AA62 + DM2A-AA8T |
| Candy restores health to full | FF5T-BAWC |
| Candy worth nothing | AK5T-AA4C |
| Cake worth nothing | RZ5T-A6W8 |
| Gain an extra try with every card instead of 52 | AF6A-AAA2 |
| Gain an extra try with 10 cards | BK6A-AAA2 |
| Gain an extra try with 26 cards | DK6A-AAA2 |
| Start on stage 2 | AJST-EAH2 + HAPA-BEWE |
| Start on stage 3 | ANST-EAH2 + HAPA-BEWE |
| Start on stage 4 | ATST-EAH2 + HAPA-BEWE |
| Start on stage 5 | AYST-EAH2 + HAPA-BEWE |
| Enemy hits cost 2 health points | A92A-BJYL |
| Enemy hits cost 3 health points | A92A-BNYL |
| Enemy hits cost 4 health points | A92A-BTYL |
World of Illusion Cheat Code FAQ
Does World of Illusion have any cheat codes?
Yes! World of Illusion has several cheat codes and Game Genie codes that can give players an advantage. They can help players move to a different stage, get infinite tries, and more.
What is a Game Genie?
A Game Genie is a cheat device that allows players to input different cheats and passwords for multiple different consoles like the NES, SNES, original Game Boy, Genesis, and more. It was released in 1990. They manipulate the memory of the game code itself to allow cheats like more lives, more powerful weapons, and even saving the game when it is not intended to have a save mechanic.