Disney Illusion Island is a 4-player platform video game that was released for the Nintendo Switch on July 28, 2023.
Description[]
The Fabulous Four have been summoned to the mysterious island of Monoth to embark on a dangerous mission. Three magical Tomes – powerful books used to protect the island – have been taken, throwing Monoth into chaos! Vowing to be the heroes Monoth needs, Mickey & Friends set off on a perilous quest to explore this vast, unknown world to recover the mystical books. But the journey will not be easy, and with intrigue afoot, not everything is what it seems on this "Illusion Island"!
Plot[]
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy arrive on the island of Monoth, expecting a picnic. They instead discover a giant bookshelf and meet Toku, leader of the Hokuns, who admits to inviting them for a fake picnic. Toku seeks their help to recover three stolen Tomes of Knowledge that supposedly protect the island, under the guise of being "too small and weak" to stop the thieves and appealing to their better nature by alluding to previous "adventures". Aspiring to become heroes, Mickey and his friends accept the mission, keeping in mind a spell that will petrify the thieves.
Their first target is Terrarium Town in Pavonia, Monoth's biological biome. The way is blocked by an unjumpable gap, so the Fab Four look for a way to cross it. During the search, they meet inventor crocodile Mazzy, who provides them with items allowing the Boost Jump. With their new items, the team passes the gap and venture into the forests. To get to Terrarium Town, they must first enter the Overgrown Farmlands, but they can't reach as they can't jump off of walls, so they instead head deeper into the Deep Roots and the Quarry. They they again find Mazzy, who gives them items granting Wall Jump. They jump through the Overgrown Farmlands and make their way to the gates of Terrarium Town, only to find that they've been locked for a hundred years. A smuggler weasel named Dex informs them that there are smuggler tunnels that bypass the gate, but he doesn't remember where they are. He instructs the four to ask his Uncle Steve at MOPS in Gizmopolis, the mechanical biome, about the location. For the time being, the four will have to change biomes
[To be expanded]
Placing the Tomes on the bookshelf reveals a portal. After the Hokuns take the Tomes and enter it, the bookshelf transforms into the Tome of History. They learn from it that four heroes who once ruled the island created the Tomes to share knowledge with the public. Grayzar, the creator of the Tome of History, desired the other Tomes' power and was defeated in a battle and banished by the other three heroes. Mickey and his friends use the spell in reverse to free the defeated guardians, who then open a portal for Mickey's team to enter and prevent Toku from returning Grayzar into Monoth. The group faces Grayzar, who is revealed to be Mazzy, and breaks his crown, making Grayzar friendly. Grayzar reveals Toku manipulated and brainwashed him with the crown during the previous battle against the three heroes, but he was able to project his subconscious to aid Mickey's team with no knowledge of Toku's plan. He then explains that 'Mazzy' was a nickname the PostOfficer gave him for "being both mad and sassy".
They find Toku casting a spell with the Tomes in order to control the island. Despite Toku's attempts at excuses, Minnie kicks him far away. The group interrupts the spell that was still being executed by the Tomes with the help of four words given by Grayzar. In the end, the group shows the Tomes to Grayzar and the other three guardians, who then call them heroes and let them guard the Tomes. Grayzar and Mickey's team celebrate with a picnic while the Hokuns assault Toku elsewhere. Grayzar also gives Donald the canon he's been asking for the whole time, which Donald fires off offscreen.
Gameplay[]
The game has elements of a Metroidvania, but is focused on platforming rather than combat. All of the characters play the same. The game can be played in both singleplayer and multiplayer. In the case of the latter, characters can drop ropes to one another.[1]
Characters[]
Playable[]
- Mickey Mouse (cutscenes voice by Bret Iwan)
- Minnie Mouse (cutscenes voice by Kaitlyn Robrock)
- Donald Duck (cutscenes voice by Tony Anselmo)
- Goofy (cutscenes voice by Bill Farmer)
Non-playable[]
- Narrator (voiced by Corey Burton)
- Toku (voiced by Rasmus Hardiker) (true main antagonist)
- Hokuns (true secondary antagonists)
- PostOfficer (voiced by Debra Wilson) (boss, false antagonist)
- Peahen Hero (voiced by Kosha Engler) (boss, false antagonist)
- Old Timer (voiced by Lucy Newman-Williams) (boss, false antagonist)
- Grayzar/Mazzy (voiced by David Holt) (final boss, false antagonist)
- Dex
- Uncle Steve
- Jido
Collectibles[]
Mickey Memorabilia[]
- Peg Leg Pete
- Mickey Mouse (Black + White)
- The Helm
- Clock Cleaner Mickey
- Goofy (Clock Cleaner Outfit)
- Old Man Bell Ringer
- Crab
- Minnie Mouse (Hula Outfit)
- Donald's Uke
- Horace Horsecollar
- Mickey Mouse (Conductor's Outfit)
- Paddy's Tuba
- Playing Card
- Mickey Mouse (Top + Tails)
- Fountain Pen
- Ghost
- Goofy (Ghosthunting Outfit)
- Donald's Net
- Pointed Pluto
- Mickey Mouse (GolfOutfit)
- Mickey's GolfClub
- Clara Cluck
- Minnie Mouse (Party Outfit)
- Birthday Cake
- Willie The Giant
- Mickey Mouse (Jack Outfit)
- Harp
- Weasel #1
- Mickey Mouse (Prince's Outfit)
- Pete's Underpants
- The Beagle Boys
- Musketeer Outfit
- Troubadour's Mandolin
- Shortless Mickey
- Goofy (ChefOutfit)
- Spatula
- Goofy in Blindfold
- Donald Duck (Potato Suit)
- Potato
- Daisy Duck
- Donald Duck (Everyday Outfit)
- The Cloud
- Muscly Minnie
- Conducker's Outfit
- Cable Car
- Chip + Dale (Spaceship)
- Pluto (Space Suit)
- Pluto's Bone
- Scrooge McDuck
- Waitress' Outfit
- The Sandwich
- Ludwig Von Drake
- Donald Duck (Deep Sea Outfit)
- Organ
- Hog + Key
- Minnie Mouse (Hanbok)
- Heart Padlock
- Cowboy Donald
- Goofy (Cowboy Outfit)
- Cheese Wheel
- Big Bad Wolf
- Minnie Mouse (Roast Chicken)
- 3 Little Pigs Photo
- Jiminy Cricket
- Minnie Mouse (Christmas Outfit)
- Marley Door Knocker
Production[]
When developing the game, inspiration was taken from 90s Mickey games, as well as Rayman Legends. The nature of the characters' movement was one of the most important design pillars. Combat was kept to a relative minimum, as the characters didn't seem fitted to that style of gameplay. The ability of characters to drop ropes was taken from World of Illusion.[1]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- When Toku recounts Mickey's past "adventures", he references the following cartoons:
- One of the Hokuns is briefly seen wearing a T-shirt with Daisy Duck's face beside a question mark, this is a reference to her absence in the game.
- The hopper ball Mazzy gives Mickey for his ground pound, bears a striking similarity to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
- Jido, the toaster robot who gives maps of the area you find her in, will have a different costume in each area. In the Sky Below, she is dressed up as Ariel, topped with saying "under the sea" in her line.
- During a cutscene where Mickey explains they turn out to be villains, he, Donald, Goofy, and Minnie are seen dressed as four Disney Villains:
- Mickey Mouse as Captain Hook
- Goofy as Maleficent
- Donald Duck as Cruella De Vil
- Minnie Mouse as Jafar
- This is the first to feature Mickey as the main star since the Castle of Illusion remake.
- The game is not a sequel to Castle of Illusion, but rather a homage/spiritual successor.[1]
