Reviewer: Amy Pistone
Epic Mickey is a game that seems to have already
The story of Epic Mickey revolves around true Disney history – forgotten Oswald the rabbit. Oswald was Walt Disney’s character before Mickey took center stage, and in Epic Mickey, Oswald’s out for revenge. Nostalgia plays a huge role in this game as well as the fact that this game exposes all to parts of Disney they may not know about. Familiar characters such as Donald Duck will make an appearance but much of the game centers on the unappreciated characters in Disney history. Most importantly, this game seeks to dignify Mickey once again – develop him back into that multi-faceted, flawed character we all know and love rather than the cheesy and bland mouse we’ve come to begrudgingly accept.
Graphics in this game are uncharacteristically dark for Disney – it resembles Tim Burton in a way, with the general creepiness that is also coupled with some cute to prevent it from becoming morbid. The setting in parts is meant to resemble some of Disney’s features in their parks, which furthers the nostalgic feeling of the piece. In the open-scenery format of the game, Epic Mickey is reminiscent of the cheesy games that are released whenever a movie is released – but in a good way. This familiar ease of the movie-game genre is innovated with cool techniques such as cool colors and the juxtaposition of sweet and sour. Overall this game appears to be visually appealing, almost like what an abandoned theme park would look like if the Beatle’s LSD collection threw up all over it.
Gameplay centers around Mickey’s paint brush. With it, he can erase or add pieces to his world, determining his morals as a main character. If the gameplayer chooses to erase everything, Mickey will appear as the sinister, mischievous hero often found in past Disney cartoons. If the gameplayer is feeling sweet and chooses to add things instead, Mickey will become the happy-go-lucky
courageous “epic” hero. This moral choice allows more of a freeform feel to the Disney games rather than constricting the gameplayer. A slight concern of mine is based on the previews and trailers I’ve seen: the use of the paint, at times, seems to resemble Super Mario Sunshine in many ways, and I’m hoping that somehow this difference is clearly depicted within the game. It also appears that the actual gameplay may not be very versatile – just the same few moves, and I worry that this may become repetitive. Despite this, these concepts are fairly innovative for a Mickey game, so kudos to Disney for that.
Overall, Epic Mickey looks like it could be the breakout star of the holiday season. The story appears to be fairly complex and avant-garde for the Disney genre, breaking away from the cookie cutter storylines we’ve come to accept. The graphics seem to be crisp and colorful without looking like the typical Disney movie or game, which is a major improvement. Furthermore, the gameplay seems to have an appeal to both young and old gamers, which is what many Disney games were lacking. Epic Mickey is definitely a step in the right direction for the future of video games, especially in regards to Disney. This game explores the dark underground of Disney all children and adults want to know and investigate, but I hope that someday adults may be able to welcome an M-rated Disney game into their homes, where true macabre and horror can be mixed with the nostalgia of our childhoods… but I fear this may be a pipe dream. Regardless, Epic Mickey seems like it is definitely going to be found in Santa’s sack of presents this year… let’s just hope he’s willing to give it up to us gamers.
Gameplay centers around Mickey’s paint brush. With it, he can erase or add pieces to his world, determining his morals as a main character. If the gameplayer chooses to erase everything, Mickey will appear as the sinister, mischievous hero often found in past Disney cartoons. If the gameplayer is feeling sweet and chooses to add things instead, Mickey will become the happy-go-lucky
courageous “epic” hero. This moral choice allows more of a freeform feel to the Disney games rather than constricting the gameplayer. A slight concern of mine is based on the previews and trailers I’ve seen: the use of the paint, at times, seems to resemble Super Mario Sunshine in many ways, and I’m hoping that somehow this difference is clearly depicted within the game. It also appears that the actual gameplay may not be very versatile – just the same few moves, and I worry that this may become repetitive. Despite this, these concepts are fairly innovative for a Mickey game, so kudos to Disney for that.Overall, Epic Mickey looks like it could be the breakout star of the holiday season. The story appears to be fairly complex and avant-garde for the Disney genre, breaking away from the cookie cutter storylines we’ve come to accept. The graphics seem to be crisp and colorful without looking like the typical Disney movie or game, which is a major improvement. Furthermore, the gameplay seems to have an appeal to both young and old gamers, which is what many Disney games were lacking. Epic Mickey is definitely a step in the right direction for the future of video games, especially in regards to Disney. This game explores the dark underground of Disney all children and adults want to know and investigate, but I hope that someday adults may be able to welcome an M-rated Disney game into their homes, where true macabre and horror can be mixed with the nostalgia of our childhoods… but I fear this may be a pipe dream. Regardless, Epic Mickey seems like it is definitely going to be found in Santa’s sack of presents this year… let’s just hope he’s willing to give it up to us gamers.
Title: Epic Mickey
System: Wii
Genre: Platformer
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