• Review: Disney Epic Mickey

    by
    Beatboxtaun
    Published on 12-29-2010 03:25 PM
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    Disney Epic Mickey
    Developer: Junction Point Studios
    Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
    Platform: Nintendo Wii
    Genre: Adventure
    Rating: Everyone
    Release Date: November 25, 2010

    Mickey Mouse returns to the gaming world for some more mischievous mayhem as he attempts to right his wrong, after curiously playing with Yen Sid's magical paintbrush on his creation. He tries to use paint thinner to erase a blot he created, but was unsuccessful. As Mickey enters this magical world, that was created by this magical paint brush, he sees many of his friends and makes some new friends along the way. As Shadow Blot is determined to wash out the Wasteland, Mickey is racing to keep this from happening.


    Presentation
    As Mickey is sucked into this land, filled with forgotten cartoons, he runs into his half-brother, Oswald. Mickey also encounters various Botlings, Beetleworx, and Bunny Children, which are all enemies, along the way. Of course each of them will try to do some damage to Mickey and attempt to slow him down on his mission, by tossing him into a pool of thinner or taking his health.

    The top left corner of the screen shows a health status bar for Mickey. If he is happy, he is in good health. There are red dots, known as health pips, that are displayed with the health status bar. As Mickey loses pips, Mickey will become sad and if all are lost, Mickey must play that area again. The player can run around the stage to look for more health pips, to regain his energy to make Mickey happy and healthy again. Mickey can fight back by using his paint or thinner capabilities. The player points to the screen with the Wii Remote and fire using the B button. To use the thinner, the player presses the Z button on the Wii Nunchuk. On each side of the bottom of the screen, it will display both the paint and thinner meters, to show the player how much of each they have to use. Although power-ups will aid in refilling these meters, there will always be some in reserve to use. As the player uses more paint and thinner, the guardian bars fill up and the player gains a guardian for each bar filled up. The player can gain up to three guardians for Mickey to assist him on his quest.

    Sketches are displayed on the top right corner of the screen. There are three sketches available, to help Mickey, including Anvil, TV, and Watch. Mickey can use these sketches to aid him in various situations against enemies. He can use the anvil sketch to deploy an anvil to drop on the head of an enemy. The Watch sketch slows everything down to give Mickey some extra time to solve puzzles or take out a large group of enemies. The TV sketch will distract enemies close by, by providing them with a limited time of entertainment.


    Sound/Music
    The music of Disney Epic Mickey was composed by Emmy Award winning composer, Jim Dooley. Dooley is known for many film scores, from The Da Vinci Code to The Simpson's Movie. He has also worked on music for television shows such as Pushing Daisies. Dooley has also worked on music for other video games, which includes Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions, inFAMOUS, and Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier.

    “Jim Dooley’s music perfectly captures the environment and feel of Disney Epic Mickey, raising players to great heights of emotion. His music perfectly completes the world of Wasteland,” said Warren Spector, the Creative Director and General Manager of Junction Point Studios, and I have to agree. When the players hear the orchestrated music of Disney Epic Mickey, they will recognize some of the songs, however they have an eerie tone to them. "It's a Small World", for example, is composed to be identifiable to the original, yet it still captures the mysterious mood of the surroundings of this land.


    Graphics
    Junction Point Studios kept the original cartoon Mickey, rather than updating him with a modern look. During the cut scenes, they mixed things up a bit by using an artistic feel, where the characters have a sketched look.

    When Mickey enters Wasteland, it has a gloomy feel, with dark colors. When Mickey goes around and paints it, the world takes on that happy look. It brought in that authentic Disney feel.
    It is the best looking third-party Wii title that has been released.


    Gameplay
    As Mickey makes his way through Wasteland, his decisions will affect the way he is viewed by the residents. Mickey can resort to attacking his foes, or attempting to reason with them, or even attempt to pass them altogether. The same goes for Wasteland. Mickey can also restore Wasteland, run right through it, or use thinner to further destroy it. Wasteland is home for many. How the player decides to handle what is before him, will alter the residents reactions toward him.

    The basic controls for Mickey would be walk, run, both a jump and a double-jump, and a spin move. To jump higher or further, the player holds down the A button longer. To perform a double-jump, the player taps the A button again after jumping, but before landing.

    As mentioned above, the paint and thinner is used with both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The paint is used to restore Wasteland and to befriend foes. The thinner can be used to defeat enemies, by erasing them with it. The thinner can also be used to erase parts of Wasteland to discover hidden areas.

    The controls of Disney Epic Mickey seem like they should have been a little bit more fine-tuned. They seemed a little clunky at times. Sometimes when you are in a crucial point of the game, in which you need to position the screen to benefit you for the angle you are going for, the camera does not always cooperate. To face the camera in the direction that Mickey is facing, the player must press the C button, however, this did not seem to work all the time. Another distraction occurred with the painting. The painting did not feel as fluid as one would like it to be.

    Warps in Disney Epic Mickey brought back that nostalgic Disney feeling, by allowing the player to play through classic Mickey cartoons that most of us grew up watching, such as Steamboat Willy. The warps brought excitement, however once the player passes through the warp, it could have been skipped when passing back through, to break the monotony.

    Along Mickey's journey will be pins and film reels that can be collected and later traded in for cartoons, power sparks, and e-tickets. E-tickets can be used to purchase power-ups. Gremlin Gus will guide Mickey through wasteland, giving the player helpful tips and teach them the basics.


    Lasting Appeal
    The game's length depends on the individual. A stage can be passed, by doing the bare minimum. to get from point A to point B, and completing the main objective. Although, on the other hand, for the player that wants to immerse themselves into the game and experience it to its fullest, they can take about 40 minutes longer, in doing side objectives and completing the stage and all that is in it. There are secrets in each level that can be achieved by painting everything or thinning out and then repainting areas of the level.

    One can see the game completed when they have reached the end. Others may even go in and play it once or twice more, to obtain 100% completion.


    Conclusion
    Disney Epic Mickey is a must for Disney fans. They will love the characters and will enjoy all the game has to offer, and will want to keep playing it. For the non-Disney fan, it is still very much an enjoyable platformer that should not be overlooked. Some objectives of Disney Epic Mickey will be challenging, but it is not impossible to beat.
    The ending was left open for the anticipation of the sequels to come.

    Score
    8/10


  • Review Scale

    Score 10- Flawless Victory: A score not handed out to every game. Games earning this rare score sit at the very pinnacle of excellence. These games act as the examples for which all others should be measured with. They are instant classics from the beginning. These games not only deliver what was expected of it, but also exceed the player’s expectations. The game’s features are innovative and original. No game is without its absolute flaws, but the finished product you bring home surpasses the anticipation the game has formed. A day one buy is a must. The game you hold in your hands with this score is a video game jackpot.

    Score 9 - 9.5- Outstanding: Games earning scores such as these absolutely must be played. Games that achieve this high ranking do so because they define the genres that they are in. Flaws are few and barely noticeable. Features seen in the game have been renovated to provide something new and fresh. The story, gameplay, graphics, and lasting appeal are all fantastic and is reason enough to bring the game home and to enjoy with family and friends. Every penny you spend on the game is so worth it.

    Score 8 - 8.5- Great: Any flaw the game may possess is overshadowed by its fun factor. These games would be great for gamers to play. These great games appeal to gamers more and more outside its normal player base because of what it brings to the table.

    Score 7 - 7.5- Good: Flaws do exist in these games, but the positive features of the game can counterbalance the flaws. Additionally, players who are predisposed to liking a game of a particular series or genre with this score should enjoy the game. These are in no way bad games, and much fun can be had with them. An overall good game is worth taking a look at, whether you are willing to buy the game or rent it first. That or you can also wait for the game to reach a good price.

    Score 6 - 6.5- Decent: Games falling into this category may suffer from numerous flaws (for example, graphics or gameplay), but are still worth playing. Granted, the player should be aware that a game with these scores may not guarantee them full satisfaction.

    Score 5 - 5.5- Average: An average game is one in which a game’s features are neither good nor completely terrible. Instead, the finished product is manageable. Little has been done to hold the player’s interest. If anything, rent this game before you consider buying it so that you can at least get a feel for the game’s overall experience.

    Score 4 - 4.5- Poor: Games falling into this category may only keep gamers entertained for a short while. While the game may seem enjoyable for moments at a time, it can quickly grow old and may never be revisited again. The game’s overall function is lacking in quality and may not hold the player’s attention for long. The game leaves little or nothing else to return back to.

    Score 3 - 3.5- Bad: If any positive qualities about a game in this category exist, it is not enough to redeem the game for its shortcomings. Sure you may find yourself playing it, but for how long? You will wind up not giving the game a second glance.

    Score 2 - 2.5- Horrible: Games such as these may not be totally unplayable, they nearly are. Additionally, they may lack, or greatly suffer in, the fundamental functionality of the software as a whole. The game simply does not come close to meeting industry standards at the time of its release.

    Score 1 - 1.5- Appalling: Gamers should avoid this game at all costs. The game was clearly not ready to make its way to store shelves in its status. Save your money and find something else. See it in the bargain bin? No! Stay away! Keep moving and look for something else.