Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion is a video game for the Nintendo 3DS. It is a spin-off from Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. It was developed by Dreamrift Studios. The game was revealed in the April 2012 issue of Nintendo Power. The game is a follow-up to Epic Mickey, as well as a follow-up to the Illusion series for the Sega Genesis / Master System. The hand-drawn sprites in Power of Illusion are extremely compelling, and, thanks to scrolling parallax backgrounds (a heavily-used graphic technique in the days of 16-bit gaming), reportedly look great in stereoscopic 3D. Every level in the game is based on an animated Disney adventure, from Sleeping Beauty to Tangled and lots in between.
Every character that Mickey saves in Power of Illusion will take up residence in the fortress that Mickey uses as his home base, a confirmed nod to the esteemed Suikoden RPG series. Sometimes, you find references in the unlikeliest of places.
Storyline[]
The story is set sometime after Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. When Mizrabel finds herself an unwilling resident of the Wasteland, she wants to find a way out. By using the powers of the Castle of Illusion to drain the paint of popular characters in the cartoon world, she seeks to gain some means of traveling back there. Mickey must rescue his fellow characters, save Minnie, and defeat Mizrabel.
Throughout the Castle of Illusion, there are manifestations of the characters Mizrabel is draining paint from; Mickey can save them and bring them back to the Fortress in the center of the castle. It is not necessary to save all of them, just enough to increase the Heart Power to break through Mizrabel's illusions.
Gameplay[]
Power of Illusion makes heavy use of the Nintendo 3DS's stylus. By tapping the item icons exist in every level, you'll be able to "paint" (trace) those items into existence, including cliffs, cannons, and floating platforms. The more precisely you trace, the better for Mickey. A flawlessly-painted cannon will only damage Mickey's enemies, for instance, but if you mess up the painting, the cannon will be a danger to everyone in the area. Sometimes you'll need to erase objects, which is done by spreading thinner. Again, the stylus comes into play here.
Other details[]
- Mizrabel from the original Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse returns as the main villain, redesigned to resemble Maleficent.
- Characters you "save" appear in a safe part of the castle known as The Sanctuary that acts as a HUB when you progress on.
- Several Disney characters also appear.
- Mickey Mouse
- Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
- Minnie Mouse
- Lost Boys
- Donald Duck
- Goofy
- Pluto
- Big Bad Pete
- Jiminy Cricket
- Alice
- Beast
- Belle
- Peter Pan
- Wendy Darling
- Michael Darling
- John Darling
- Lost Boys
- Cubby
- The 7 Dwarfs
- Pinocchio
- Snow White
- Rapunzel
- Pascal
- Genie
- Scrooge McDuck
- Simba
- Timon
- Pumbaa
- Captain Hook
- Jafar
- Aladdin
- Jasmine
- Ariel
- Ursula
- Aurora
- Cinderella
- Tiana
- Rajah
- Fa Mulan
- Lumiere
- Iago
- Zazu
- Mushu
- Queen of Hearts (cameo on the cover)
- The Evil Queen (Both forms) (Two of Mizrabel's transformations)
- Scar (One of Mizrabel's transformations)
- Cruella De Vil (One of Mizrabel's transformations)
- Hades (One of Mizrabel's transformations)
- Gaston (One of Mizrabel's transformations)
- Maleficent (One of Mizrabel's transformations and her main form)
- Magic Carpet
- Royal Guards (Aladdin)
- Peddler
- Cheshire Cat
- Mad Hatter
- Goons
- Tinker Bell
Reception[]
Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion received mixed reviews, holding a Metacritic score of 63/100. GameTrailers gave the game a score of 7/10, praising some unique ideas and presentation, but criticising slow gameplay mechanics and copious amounts of backtracking. IGN also gave it a 7/10. Destructoid gave it a 6/10, stating "The building blocks of the ultimate Mickey Mouse game are here, but we'll have to wait yet another day to see that vision become reality." Eurogamer gave a highly critical review, saying that "Power of Illusion is unlikely to entertain fans of the Mega Drive game beyond the initial buzz of nostalgia, and kids of today won't fancy trekking all the way back through the Neverland jungle to find Wendy's needle when they could be watching the Power Rangers kick space robots to death." However, GameSpot gave a positive review, stating that Power of Illusion is "Mickey's best adventure in years", awarding the game an 8/10.
Trivia[]
- Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, Tiana and Rapunzel are the only Disney Princesses to appear in this game.
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion' Preview Courtesy of Nintendo Power
- Epic Mickey 2: Power of Illusion (3DS) first details
- Epic Mickey 2: Power of Illusion on the Epic Mickey Wiki
