Super Mickey 64!
It seems that mascot led 3D platformers are making a comeback in the gaming landscape. With the launch of Astro Bot, Horizon Lego Adventures around the corner, and even a remake/remaster of Sonic Generations it seems there has never been a better time for a kid (or an adult who loved these kind of games in the past) to pick up a controller. Enter Epic Mickey: Rebrushed developed by Purple Lamp and Published by THQ Nordic. This is a remake of 2010’s Epic Mickey, a Nintendo Wii exclusive title. Is the power of nostalgia strong with the Mouse this time around? Or is it best this one was kept in the Disney vault? Let’s paint a few broad strokes in this hopefully, epic review.
Splattered Story
Mickey Mouse is back to his old jovial ways of causing mayhem in the World of Disney. Many people may forget that Mickey Mouse was a mischievous character in his original inception. His presence was more likened to Looney Tunes than the cookie cutter wholesome vibe we associate the Mouse with today. Mickey is a trouble maker and a risk taker! For those unfamiliar with the game, the set up involves Mickey Mouse messing with Merlins paint set.
Curiosity ends up being the crutch that sets off the adventure into a cartoon paint land where we meet Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.l after Mickey is sucked into the Art table. Before getting placed in this magical world, Mickey manages to grasp onto Merlin’s magical paint brush which serves as his weapon of choice to navigate through the Wonderland/Disneyland World.
Oswald acts as a foil to Mickey Mouse magic. He clearly wants to get rid of Mickey at the start, and this is akin to Oswald being the original Disney cartoon in real life. To those not in the know, Mickey was embraced by audiences and Oswald fell off to the sidelines back when Walt Disney first began in the animation business. The story is not voiced, and there is a lot of reading which occasionally took me out of the game. But overall it’s a clever tale and kept me hooked and wanting more detail in the lore. This is a game for Disney fans. Each beat in the game has players collecting items, finding coin like tickets, and unearthing treasure chests with Gold, Silver, and Bronze pins. There is a ton to collect so replay value is definitely a must. It’s tough to uncover everything the guest go around as the games unique thinner and painting mechanic keeps level designs and secrets very fresh.
Paint Gallon Gameplay
Epic Mickey breaks the mould of other platforming titles through its unique painting and thinning mechanic. Worlds are built with toon like and more realistic set pieces. Every toon set piece can be thinned to disappear into the background or every invisible toon piece can be painted to be interacted with or walked upon. Therefore, there’s a ton to discover during exploration. Small puzzles and diverse pathways await players discoveries and there’s always multiple ways to traverse levels.
Painting and thinning aren’t solely for exploration though, they also function as fight mechanics. Mickey Mouse can use the magical paint brush to paint enemies into allies. This is great to help aid Mickey in the fight to reclaim the land from Oswald’s painting.
Gameplay shifts from 3D to 2D as well with some worlds. The story serves as a retelling of Mickeys origins and cartoons from the past. Gameplay revolves around exploring some of Disneys most iconic areas and fights with enemies and more formidable foes definitely capture the magic Disney is known so well for. Players who enjoyed the original title will definitely appreciate the tweaks to gameplay here, jumping and moving feel smoother. New players will marvel at the environments and set pieces of the land.
Production Level Presentation
Epic Mickey originally released on the Nintendo Wii and the art style was definitely original and a fresh take on the Mickey Mouse design. But Rebrushed takes this design to the next level and earns its name!
The game is gorgeous and even turned a few of my family members heads when I was playing. The music also sets the tone and serves as an extra level of immersion.
When shooting paint and thinner, the colours are rich and the textures of each level and world are diverse and command the attention of players. I found myself walking around a lot just to explore the mystical world. I also found out that if I sneak slowly as Mickey, there’s a small sound bite that changes the song with each step. It’s very clear that the developers paid attention to detail with this one.
Oswald Overall
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a gorgeous, well crafted, and fun remake of an already great game. Coming in at a reasonable price of $59.99, players are getting a splatter of a deal on this one. Coming in at around 18 hours, or well over 25 if you want to try to collect everything, it’s a solid title, with unique gameplay mechanics, and a charming story.
While it’s occasionally bogged down by a bulky amount of reading, the magic never ceases to amaze. Hopefully we’ll see Mickey Mouse and his magical paintbrush even more in the future!
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
Summary
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a tight, bright, and fun 3D Platformer starring Mickey Mouse. It captures the magic from the past and works well with the present showing it was always ahead of its time. While nothing here is absolutely revolutionary, it’s good messy fun!
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