Disney Epic Mickey

Disney Epic Mickey is delightful, funny, charming, highly entertaining and quite challenging game. It mostly treads familiar ground, but also has a few original ideas, and the paint/thinner mechanic gives the designers plenty of opportunities to encourage exploring. The enviroments ooze wonder and imagination, and there's always something to catch your attention and lure you off the obvious path. If you're into action platformers and adventure, don't miss out on Mickeys journey through Wasteland.

With quality dripping like paint from a very warped canvas, this is a flawed masterpiece. [Jan 2011, p.]

This is not just a wonderful experience but it is the perfect homage to the rich Disney heritage.

For me, the surprises, historical reverence and inspired platforming creativity make this the Wii game of the year...It's a life-affirming tribute to both forgotten characters and game genres well worth remembering, with an all new added twist. And contrary to how it looks, there's a startling amount of maturity and replayability wrapped within this family-friendly package.

This game is a great use of the Wii's technology, and combined with Disney characters, art and music themes we know and love, this is a charming game, and it's not too cutesy for the older kids in your family - although your emo teenager will probably turn their pierced nose up at it.

This is a magnificent game. It is a priceless revision, almost erudite, of the Disney world, and as a platform-adventure game is one of the best in the last years.

All in all I can only recommend the game to all core gamers on the Nintendo Wii. It's pretty amazing to see what Warren Spector and his team at Junction Point have created. The atmosphere, the story and the gameplay are pretty good, and will convince every Wii gamer.

Epic Mickey is an animated love letter to all things Disney. It captures all of our favorite characters plis some we had forgotten about, or some we never even knew. Kids will certainly love the game, even if they need help getting past difficult parts.

The developers have done a great job in making this universe quite epic as you attempt to colourise this dull and dark universe. Sent there by a bad scientist, it's once again up to Mickey to save the universe and the game gives the player some power in how this will be done.

The story is top-notch, and while the gameplay mechanics are simplistic on the surface, there is a surprising level of depth to the game.

Clumsy design holds it back from true greatness. [Christmas 2010, p.46]

Bold, inventive, yet deeply reverent, Epic Mickey makes us really care about its legendary protagonist for the first time in years and stands as his greatest video game to date. [Jan 2011, p.88]

Epic Mickey is a great game. Moral decisions, the paint-brush all these things are brilliant ideas. But there are serious issues with the camera. Why didn't they fix those camera problems? Anyways Disney Epic Mickey is a wonderful Wii game that must be remade for Xbox 360 and PS3.

At times, it's one of the best-looking games on Wii - it swims in its own painterly style, and the Disney-grade animation lends every motion some real punch. If you look past its shortcomings as an admittedly un-epic platformer, you'll see that Epic Mickey is a deep game with explicit replay value and immense character.

The biggest flaw in Epic Mickey is that it's on the Wii - without having waggle controls and limited camera control forced upon it the game would be nigh on flawless.

Quotation forthcoming.

Mickey's latest adventure's a mixture between graphic epicness and some strange decisions that affect the gameplay style of this Epic Mickey. It's one of the greatests games of this console, but it isn't flawless at all. If you like its cinematic style, just go and buy it. If you're looking for an incredible experience and something by the like, bear in mind you'll have to be patient. It takes it time, but in the end it's a successful experience.

There are enough side missions to keep the main game feeling fresh, and enough darkness for Mickey to overcome, once again showcasing his badass side.

Though it may not paint precisely by the numbers laid out by more substantial action games, Epic Mickey succeeds in crafting a deep, story-rich adventure in which choices ultimately matter. It's a shame that the minute-to-minute gameplay doesn't quite measure up to the rest of the package. Nevertheless, Epic Mickey is grand in scope, replayability, and charm.

The last game of the most famous mouse all around the world, Mickey, is not so epic and dark as expected, but it's still an excellent, enjoyable and long platform and adventure game for Wii.

Quotation forthcoming.

Not the revolution we expected, Epic Mickey is still a solid, entertaining and fun platform adventure with a gorgeous take on the Disney iconography. It's a shame for the dull camera and the frequent highs and lows in the gameplay area.

A fantastic concept, an enchanting story, a wonderful cast of characters and a setting that still fascinates no matter how many times you visit. But, the Wii's hardware is showing it's limitations at every turn, hampering everything that Warren Spector and crew set out to accomplish.

Epic Mickey could have become the best game on the Wii, as it certainly has the tools to be so. The camera issues will annoy many of players, diminishing the game as a whole. Don't let it stop you, however, from playing what is still a great game.

Warren and his team did it : they brought back MIckey's former videogame glory. There are still some camera issues tainting the gameplay, but the variety (with quests and choices, 2D gameplay phases, etc.), its clever mechanics, brilliant art direction, and great music make it an integral herald of the heritage of excellence of its 16bit ancestors. Its bewitching world, with its melancholy vibe, will undoubtedly charm all Disney and Animation History fans. Its a must-have for the Wii.

Warren Spector's twisted, eerie take on Disney's most famous character is a dark delight.

Its only drawback is a somewhat unhelpful camera – a typical failing for platform games – although it seems to be at its worst in the earlier stages. Overall, though, Epic Mickey proves satisfyingly original, fun and absorbing – it's a pleasant, and at times interestingly twisted world in which to immerse yourself.

The "easier" stuff – finding a camera system that works, finding a control scheme that's suitable – is flawed to the point where the larger experience becomes damaged. If story and character matter more to you than technical details, or if you and your family are Disney fans, many of these problems won't matter.

Yet, in spite of its obvious flaws during 3D platform sections, there're still moments of genuine bliss to be had as you stumble through lovingly-recreated cartoon classics and muck around in Junction Point's wonderfully warped world.

You don't need to be a Disney fan to appreciate the high points of Epic Mickey, but it certainly helps when the going gets rough. Thankfully, the moments of sheer joy this game creates -- whether it's the umpteenth weird twist on a Disney classic or the multitude of fantastic side-scrolling levels themed after Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts -- mean there's always something worthwhile just around the corner.

A legendary character and some really good ideas are mixed in this far-from-perfect experience, somehow spoiled by pace, camera and controls. Still, at times it's so inspired and funny that all the flaws just disappear. Try before you buy.

The attention to detail in the environments is superb, with little touches here and there for fans to pick up on, and the many forgotten characters are excellent. The platforming is top notch when the camera doesn't get in the way, and the paint and thinner mechanics give the game a unique hook.

It's astonishingly dark. Maybe too dark for kids at all. Epic Mickey is extraordinary.

Overall, Junction Point did a pretty good job; however, the game does have some deficiencies that hurt the overall experience, with control and camera issues being at the forefront. Regardless, this game does stand out from the holiday crowd and anyone who owns a Wii, and wants to see a different vision of the Disney universe, should definitely take a look at this game.

Mickey Mouse comes to the videogames world and the result is quite good: a peculiar gameplay, a big main actor and excellent technical work all give a new life to an historic brand.

A real surprise and a good adventure, although it's a shame the last levels aren't very inspired and there are some clear mistakes in gameplay design.

A fantastic historical / interactive / playable document and sometimes irregular, expressed in its good and bad moments.

It achieves greatness through its creation of an incredible in-game world and its atmosphere, but is held back by its problematic camera and controls.

If you are willing to put up with an incredibly frustrating camera and problematic combat in order to experience a rich world and entertaining story then give Epic Mickey a try.

Its reach exceeds its grasp, but at least Disney Epic Mickey is reaching. Occasionally it brushes its fingertips up against something amazing that might have been.

In the end, all but the hardcore Disney fans among us will be disappointed in what Epic Mickey brings to the table. Despite its huge concepts and lofty goals, EM functions as a barely serviceable action/adventure/platformer on a system that has two of the best in the genre already available.

Unfortunately, not every aspect of the game works as well as it should, and even though it's an enjoyable title, Disney Epic Mickey is far from the blockbuster it could have been.

Epic Mickey has become a good game that is perfect for younger and more casual gamers. The game will disappoint hardcore gamers because it is almost to easy to reach the end of the game.

Epic Mickey despite its mechanical flaws and sometimes over-reliance on gaming tropes, makes me want to play through it again and see how the world would be different if I wasn't so nice.

As a platformer, Disney Epic Mickey's mechanics are disappointing. It's a shame - because this really is a good game hampered by some bad gameplay systems, rather than a bad game held up by a few good ones.

Ultimately however, Epic Mickey proves to be a challenging and engaging experience. It is loving homage to an entertainment empire that has stood the test of time.

Disney Epic Mickey is an exercise in patience and nostalgia, dominated by bizarre mutations of familiar (and obscure) Disney properties, but polluted by a terrible camera and hollow fetch quests.

Marvelous game, stunning animations, RPG motives, multiple solutions to puzzles, stylish visuals, great hero with potential to compete with iconic Mario – all buried six feet under because of crappy camera and controls. [Issue#199]

It's unfortunate that Epic Mickey has such a nasty barrage of poor gameplay design choices as the story is absolutely top notch.

Epic Mickey may not always be entirely satisfying to play, but it's still enormously interesting to wander around with an eye open for the detailing. [Jan 2011, p.92]

If not for the clumsy camera it would be a timeless classic, but with the camera Epic Mickey can be dated at approximately 1997.

While Epic Mickey struggles with a few camera problems, it's a great and kind of unique platformer. The mood is great, mixing both nostalgic disney with a little darker steampunk elements to create an interesting world with a truly good soundtrack and enviorments. You are also able to alter the story in the game in a way rarely seen in games like this.

Epic Mickey falls short of brilliance, but because it stands on such a strong concept, it doesn't always need brilliance to remain compelling.

Epic Mickey goes out of its way to show gamers Walt Disney's body of work, but rarely fires on a level that turns this beloved content into exciting gameplay.

It's still arguably an above-average 3D platformer, even considering the flawed platforming fundamentals. The style, story, core gameplay concepts and attention to Disney history go a long way toward redemption. It's just so damn disappointing because a few short months ago, it looked like it would be so... epic.

Disney Epic Mickey is a good game that ultimately didn't live up to its potential, but that doesn't mean it's not worth playing. It gets increasingly more fun, especially towards the end, and it's sad to think that some players may not make it this far due to early frustrations.

Epic Mickey is a game that falls short in the part that counts: the gameplay.

Epic Mickey could have been a much better game than it ended up. If you're a Disney fan, I'd highly recommend picking it up: if not, you can pass this one up without too much fret.

Epic Mickey comes together as a decent, if not heavily flawed platformer.

A wonderful love letter to Disney art and memorabilia, but a disappointing gameplay debut from Junction Point, set back by unpolished and unrefined design.

Epic Mickey is the most disappointing kind of game: a high-concept affair that does so much right, it's crushing that the one thing is does most wrongly is not be fun to play. This will be a frustrating game for core and casual gamers alike, but mostly for casual gamers who, attracted by the story and presentation, will be put off by the dated and difficult play.

The platforming, while serviceable enough on its own, is made needlessly annoying with a horrendous excuse of a camera. But if you manage to get it working long enough, you'll be treated to some of Disney's finest, from the animated shorts of the early twentieth century to the nightmarish visions of a world that is normally reserved for cherished childhood memories.

Even though I cursed and swore my way through the bulk of the game, the characters and the story moved me in a way that very few games do. But, epic disappointment or epic tale, it definitely earns its name.

Disney Epic Mickey is undeniably the disappointment of the year for us. It was a concept that promised so much when it emerged last year but has ultimately ended up falling far short of the mark. What's more troubling than all of this, though, is that it feels like a game that's been held back from reaching its full potential; you do get the sense that it's perhaps not Junction Point's lack of talent but its lack of creative license that's led to these disappointments.

For all its big ideas, Disney Epic Mickey never quite weaves its disparate strands into a convincing whole. Its conceptual ambition is let down by merely adequate mechanics, and Mickey himself remains a rather abstract figure at the centre of it all.

The Mickey Mouse's return finally isn't as epic as we could expect, but the Wii got close to having a great game.

Tedium and monotony overwhelm Mickey's new adventure, smothering its clever use of the Disney license.

It's lovely and beautiful, and the attention to detail is wonderul. Sadly the game is wrecked by the terrible camera that will ruin some of it's finest moments.

To have this checklist of all the genre's flaws step up in place of the ambitious and promising title we were promised is wildly disappointing. [Issue#104, p.106]

This game has so much going for it, but the crippling problems make it hard to recommend as more than a rental.

Epic Mickey was supposed to prove that in the right hands, even an established character and dull-as-dishwater brand could be exciting and different. Instead, what we get is a really amazing concept and cool story wrapped around a stinker of a game.

Sadly, the execution simply falls well short in this case.

A bad idea poorly realised, with some below par 3D platforming married to mismatched graphics and a vague and unsatisfying morality system.

In short, the game is a complete turd that wastes the idea of its central mechanic and couples this with platforming gameplay that would have been woefully underwhelming a decade ago. Nothing else is anything to write home about, from the characters to the story to the sound design.

Epic Mickey is a solid product that suffers from a hodgepodge of shortcomings and misguided philosophies.

With such a strong creative vision and almost unlimited access to Disney's archives, not to mention Mr. Spector's innovative and undeniable talent, it's an utter disappointment that the game has reached the public as an unpolished, uninspired effort riddled with slapdash technical qualities, dated gameplay concepts, and a surprising lack of direction.