My free time is incredibly limited. I work a full time job, own a home and have a family. I also have hobbies other than gaming, like reading books or watching movies. Gaming is a cornerstone in my life though, and has been for as long as I can remember, so I always make sure to set aside time for it, even if that time is hard to cobble together. This era of life has resulted in my largely eschewing of lengthy RPGs, MMOs and live-service fare, as I don't really want to spend my few free hours barely chipping away at some nigh on endless game. Solid, concise games are like finding gold for me; a proverbial diamond in the rough, not to mix up the precious metals metaphor. Too many games nowadays are needlessly lengthy, in my experience. I love finding a game that I can beat within a few sittings and feel like I got to see it thoroughly. Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is exactly that type of game.
I think the name "Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse" is needlessly wordy, but I'm sure it was a part of the marketing back in the day, so I'm just going to call it Castle of Illusion for the remainder of this review. This game was originally a Genesis title, released in 1990, and part of a franchise and partnership that Disney had going in collaboration with Sega in the 1990s. Castle of Illusion received this high-definition remake in 2013, and it was released on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, as well as mobile platforms: Android and iOS. As far as I can tell, it is only available on Steam now, which is where I played it. After playing this, I'd actually like to collect these Disney/Sega games when I eventually get a Genesis to play with my kids.
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| Image Credit: SuperPhillip Central |
Castle of Illusion is completely enchanting. I couldn't believe how felicitous this game was all the way through. The graphics are excellent and have aged really well for a "high definition" game from this era. I say that just because there are a lot of games from the PS3/360 era that are really ugly now, but they looked incredible in their time. The platforming feels precise and satisfying, like this was made by a talented team who knows how to make a tight platforming experience. In fact, the remake was actually developed under the supervision of the game director of the original 1990 title, so I'm sure he was instrumental in ensuring the faithfulness of the game's feel. The music of the remake was arranged by Grant Kirkhope, which became obvious once I saw his name. I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of Kirkhope's musical style, but his trademark sort of whimsical, children's storybook-esque music that you hear in Banjo-Kazooie is right at home in a game like Castle of Illusion.
The story of Castle of Illusion is simple, and classic in an archetypal sense. Minnie Mouse is kidnapped by the wicked witch Mizrabel and taken to the titular Castle of Illusion. She aims to drain Minnie of her youth, vitality and beauty. But, Mickey Mouse isn't going to stand by and let that happen, so he gives chase into the bizarre, seemingly abandoned citadel. The castle functions somewhat similarly to Peach's castle in Super Mario 64. It is a hub where you can navigate to the various stages, and you can also see the miscellaneous unlockable objects as you work through the levels. Each stage contains numerous collectibles, like gems, statue pieces, magic playing cards and Donald Duck's chili peppers. The statues, typically showcasing a world's boss, appear on pedestals back in the castle. Framed paintings of the myriad enemies that you encounter also begin appearing throughout the castle. On the third floor, there is a giant mirror that shows Mickey in various costumes that can be unlocked. If you collect all of the magic playing cards, he gets a magician's costume, which weirdly wasn't the iconic Sorcerer Mickey from Fantasia. If you collect all of the chili peppers, you'll receive an explorer's costume. If you beat the game, Mickey will get knight's armor, which is an appropriate costume given that he's filling the role of the brave knight in rescuing Minnie from the evil witch.
The settings and stages of Castle of Illusion are just wonderful. While the gameplay itself was solid and fun, the world design is really where the game shines. The enemies, bosses and regions all look like they were taken straight from classic Disney movies. You progress through a handful of visually distinct zones like an enchanted forest, a toy box, a library, etc. The enemies are all themed around their respective zone too, like mushroom men and haunted tree stumps in the forest, or toy soldiers and model airplanes in the toy box stage. Everything feels so deliberate and inspired with the design of every level. The art style is also incredibly charming. I could imagine a great movie adaptation of this game, though I don't know that I'd trust modern Disney with that.
I don't really have many complaints about the game. I bought Castle of Illusion as part of the summer sale on Steam for like $3 and it's probably the best money I've spent in quite some time. It was fun all the way through, never really putting up too much of a challenge; though revisiting every stage to get the 100% completion became frustrating in some instances. I wish Mickey's capabilities could've been upgraded as the game went on, maybe unlocking some abilities for a more satisfying combat system or a double jump for navigation, but truthfully the game is so brief and the levels are so quick and linear, that I don't think there was enough meat on the bone to really give room for enhancements and upgrades. This was a lean, tight game that really could've probably been beaten in a single sitting, if you don't have children or other responsibilities. I highly recommend Castle of Illusion if you enjoy a good, old-school 2D platformer.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PC
Reviewed on PC
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