![]() ![]() While taking a moment to appreciate the scenery, I noticed a pair of glasses a little bit to my right, ones in the background closer to the player, while Mickey was on the foreground a little farther away. For example, in the Library level of the game, there are a ton of books and tables about that Mickey jumps and scampers across. The amount of polish these visuals have is absolutely breathtaking. The already charming 16-bit visuals have been reimagined entirely-enemies, flora and fauna are all cohesive and seem to be in a living, breathing world. I can’t even begin to describe how fascinated I am with this game’s graphics. It doesn’t add any unnecessary complexities or depth to the story it just feels like Castle of Illusion with an earnest tour guide explaining your surroundings. It’s a real treat-it certainly made the several lines of text from the Genesis version seem worth expanding upon. He does a lot to signpost the adventure, for those of you who might consider experiencing this game alongside your children or significant other. The entire tale is given more context than the Genesis original-all of Mickey’s actions, the places he visits, and the Masters of Illusion he faces, are told to the player by an earnest-sounding narrator. Artwork like what you see above accompanies opening scenes and various “rising action” moments throughout Mickey’s venture in the Castle of Illusion. The story is still the same (and it doesn’t begin with “Once Upon a Mouse”, so let’s get that out of the way right now), but it’s drawn to life more. It’s heavily inspired by it-but it brings so much more to the table. This is not the same game you played on the Genesis. Castle of Illusion truly envisions a remake to challenge WayForward’s Remastery of DuckTales. But this review seeks out to challenge that stigma. I agree: Epic Mickey and its sequel weren’t very memorable in my opinion, and Power of Illusion was woefully short for the full-game asking price. I imagine folks who didn’t run out and make an immediate purchase like me have this preconceived notion that Castle of Illusion’s remake will be less-than-stellar, thanks to the stigma associated with Epic Mickey as of late. Castle of Illusion deserves the love that it gets from Disney fans. Its controls were a bit loose (Mickey always felt a little “floaty” to me, insofar as it was difficult to master his jumping without a bit of practice), but overall: if times were different and I were reviewing the original game, I could easily offer up a 3.5/5. The soundtrack offered many a memorable tune. ![]() Indeed, the original Castle of Illusion is certainly worthy of being called a “classic”-its levels are charming and fun, filled with many a unique design choice to keep seasoned platforming veterans coming back for more, especially with the ability to go back and play on tougher difficulties, aiming for high scores, etc. I find it appropriate to touch on my past (and present) experiences with the Genesis classic before moving on. What has changed? Do the concepts present in the original game age well (assuming it’s been quite some time since the original release)? In the case of Castle of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse, there’s a fair bit to say about both past and present. When writing, you always wonder how much of what you say about the game will be dictated by nostalgia. Reviewing a remake is always a difficult endeavor. Truth be told, I was able to experience the original game mere days before playing through its remake courtesy of a nifty pre-order bonus. ![]() I have fond memories of playing through the original game over and over again, enjoying the story of how Mickey saves Minnie from the jealous witch Mizrabel. Originally released for the Sega Genesis in 1990, Castle of Illusion charmed the world enough to inspire an entire series of Illusion games (including the first one I ever played, World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck way back in the days of my youth). Games like Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse and Mickey’s Magical Quest had so much polish to them and (dare I say) seemed to capture this sort of “Disney Magic.” The Kingdom Hearts franchise often tries to emulate it, and goodness knows the Epic Mickey series ( especially “Power of Illusion”) tried to recapture that lightning in a bottle, but… there will never be another game starring Mickey Mouse quite like Castle of Illusion. But Walt Disney’s shining star seemed to evoke some of the most talent-filled projects. The many, many developers tasked with creating games featuring Disney characters and worlds offered up plenty of gaming goodness during the 8 and 16-bit eras. By Jonathan Higgins / September 10th, 2013 ![]()
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