I think this game is one of the best side scrolling games out there. The touch controls are well thought out and remember that this is a painting game based on drawing and deleting the artwork. I am addicted to saving the Disney characters and following the story as it unfolds. I think this game is under rated and needs to be acknowledged for what it is, a sequel to the best Disney game from the 80's Mickey Mouse and the Castle of Illusion. This game is a worthy sequel and I give a special thanks to the creators of this game for taking the risk and releasing this game as a tribute to the original. Thank You for this game.… Expand

I was really disappointed by this one. There is a good game in there somewhere but it's buried under awful required touchscreen segments and poor implementation of movement/combat mechanics.

Game developers need to learn that just because you have access to a new tech or control scheme doesn't mean you need to use it. The touchscreen drawing mechanics here take what would otherwise be an "OK" (but not great) platformer and turn it into a tedious chore. Gameplay is stalled every time the game forces you to stop and trace the all too detailed outline of an object on the touch screen to progress. This will happen 4-5 times per level and even more if you intend to use any of your special abilities or try to collect everything in the game.

The final "world" also pushes the difficulty through the roof; not because of logical level progression but because the combat mechanics will screw you. To kill enemies you need to stomp on them, often 3-4 times but doing so makes you bounce high into the air. The last world has you working down through platforms with enemies on each layer. Every time you bounce on one you go flying back up multiple layers and have to dodge spikes with each bounce adding to the tedium.

Making matters even worse the only reliable way to recover health is to draw a magical chest on the touchscreen. You get health from the chest but not very much and in random quantities. In the later sections of the game I spent upwards of 5 minutes after each combat heavy section drawing the chest over and over just to recover enough health to carry on.… Expand

Quite disappointed in the game play for this game, the controls were easy yet for overall storyline this one dropped the ball. A total of 3 bosses were provided and this game can easily be beaten with 100% in less then 8 hours. The artwork kept with the classic Disney theme, but for a game that cost over $40, the game play should of been a lot longer.

This game really is incredibly charming, and it's clear that the creators were fans of the disney platformers from the good old days. I couldn't help but smile seeing things like Aladdin showing up and stunning an enemy by throwing an apple at him, or the numerous pete shaped enemies and hazards making me think back to that 2 player game starring Mickey and Donald. On top of that, the graphics are incredibly nice. The backgrounds are richly detailed and colourful and the sprites are easy on the eyes. People have slammed this game for using 2D sprites, but honestly, the console's 3D works best with that kind of style. Just play Mutant Mudds. I'm glad 2D sprite based gaming lives on in spirit. However, this game is far from perfect. It sadly inherits all the problems I had with Henry Hatsworth and Monster Tale. Mickey walks at a snail's pace and his jump is incredibly floaty. Also, this game's idea of difficulty is giving the enemies way too much health and having them everywhere, surrounded by narrow corridors, usually made of spikes. It's nice and at the same time nostalgic to see the level aesthetics and enemies from Aladdin, but while in that game, it takes one swift, satisfying jump to beat down the bad guys, in here, you'll be jumping on them 4 or 5 times before they finally decide to die. I find that combat tends to get rather repetitive because of this. And while you can upgrade Mickey in the shop, it really doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Plus in a 2D sidescroller that harkens back to days of old, I don't feel like I should be required to grind money and buy abilities. Feels like a waste of time. On the topic of time, another problem I had with this game was the drawing mechanic. It works fine at first, but you really notice how long it takes for your drawings to come to life in the second boss fight (which you might remember if you're a fan of a certain SNES game I've mentioned twice). He destroys the platforms you walk on, and you have to redraw them. The fact that it takes a split second for him to destroy them and a good 3-5 seconds for them to re-appear after you've drawn them makes this mechanic feel really flow breaking. Having said that, it's still a fairly decent game. Tolerate the flaws and you'll really be able to enjoy the lovely visuals and creative callbacks.… Expand

Power of Illusion is very much a sequel to Castle of Illusion, which is very obvious within 10 minutes of playing it. Not only does it reference it, it goes even deeper than that, though I'll leave that for you to discover so I don't spoil it for you. Some have expressed that they didn't care for the controls, as they felt floaty to them, but I assure you that they're no different if your memory of Castle of Illusion is clear. I played through a few levels of Castle of Illusion 2 days ago before writing this review to compare and contrast, and I was shocked by how faithful Power of Illusion is to Castle of Illusion. While yes, you do have the paint and thinner mechanic that wasn't in past Illusion games, everything else about this game is a faithful recreation of the gameplay. Also, this game looks absolutely stunning. The 2D art is phenomenal. The 3D effect shows off each layer of this beautiful world. Power of Illusion's quite the looker. I wish there were more 2D games like this these days.

As you can see by my review, I really enjoyed Power of Illusion. I can understand if someone doesn't like the pain & thinner portions since those weren't in past Illusion games, but I think it's unfair to pan an overwhelmingly enjoyable game just because of one thing you didn't like. Open your mind, heart, and go on a trip with Mickey. Give it a chance.… Expand

Great game, however it has its flaws, like the incorporation of the mechanic of having to draw, it feels forced, and after a few times it can get repetitive.