Disney what you’re used to
Mickey and his friends have been hugely popular in film land for over a hundred years, but they are also doing more and more good business in the game industry. For example, we were recently treated to Disney Dreamlight Village, Kingdom Hearts and Disney Speedstorm. Games in which the old mouse plays a major supporting role. So it’s time to play a game completely focused on Mickey and his friends again. Disney Illusion Island is supposed to fill this void and immediately jumps into another genre in which we would expect the mouse: a Metroidvania game
We start this adventure with Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy on their way to a picnic spot. The foursome had received an invitation from a mysterious character. It soon turns out that this is Toku of the Hokuns people. He asks the foursome to save their island of Monuth. The three Tomes of Knowledge have been stolen by three thieves. If these Tomes do not return, then the world will fall into darkness and evil will prevail. Of course, Mickey and his friends can’t let that happen.
Minnie-malistische metroidvania
Disney Illusion Island can be captured as a metroidvania for all ages. The good thing is that this has become a great party game, in which you can play with four people at the same time. This is of course also ideal if you want to play with your child as a parent. In multiplayer you can perform multiple skills that enrich the gameplay just a bit more. For example, you have the option to give each other a hug, which gives you an extra heart. You also have the Leap Frog to jump higher or the Down Rope to help your fellow players up.
The further you get in the game, the more moves you will have at your disposal. This is because of Mazzy, a kind of crocodile that gives you various items. These items do the same for each character, just cosmetically different. For example, Minnie gets climbing gear for the Wall Jump, Goofy gets a fork, and Donald gets a plunger.
Kwik-Kwek-Quality
The first thing you notice about Disney Illusion Island is the graphic design. These are entirely in the style of the new Mickey cartoons of recent years. The personalities of our four protagonists can also be found everywhere. For example, Donald is the eternal hothead who gets offended by everything and Goofy is the clumsy good guy who doesn’t really understand the world. The soundtrack, for example, has beautiful orchestras that are sometimes reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts. The voice acting is strong and there is a lot of humor in the game.
Earlier we mentioned the different objects that made each character unique. This can also be heard in the sounds. For example, with Mickey you hear the sound of a pencil or with Goofy you hear a fork scraping against the wall. These small nuances create a huge atmosphere. Plus the animations are also tuned to the different characters. For example, Goofy will be less subtle than Minnie.
We even dare to say that graphically this game is one of the nicer 2D platformers on the Nintendo Switch. This is all thanks to developer Dlala Studios who also previously handled the remake of Battletoads.
Mickey Mouse hunt for secrets
Although the charm of the game certainly comes across, you still notice that this game is really for the younger fans. The game is actually quite easy. There are also no enemies to fight or jump on. Still, the game keeps you entertained by the graphics, humor and beautiful music. The game also comes into its own in multiplayer.
The challenge to complete the game 100% is a nice addition for us older gamers. There are plenty of collectibles to find and you are regularly backtracking when you have learned a new skill. A point of criticism is that the game is in English, so you will have to translate the necessary things with children and they may not always understand the jokes.
Disney Illusion Island takes you on a colorful journey with your favorite Disney friends from the very first moment. The charming graphics and music take this game to great heights. Despite the playing time of about six hours, the youngsters among us will have a great time. Think of this game as a simple introduction to the Metroidvania genre and a nice game to play with friends.
2023-08-13 06:00:00
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