Mean Machines


Castle Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
By Sega
Sega Master System (EU Version)

 
Published in Mean Machines #4

Castle of Illusion - Starring Mickey Mouse

Nearly everyone is happy in Vera City, especially Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The problem is, one person is incredibly jealous of Minnie's beauty and popularity. Mizrabel the evil witch was having a particularly bad day, and so decided to kidnap Minnie, using her evil magic to spirit her away to the Castle of Illusion. That's where she is now, and Mickey wants you to help him rescue her!

That's where the problems really start. When Mickey arrives at the Castle of Illusion, he finds out that to stand any chance of doing away with the evil Mizrabel, he has to infiltrate seven huge platform-infested scrolling levels. At the end of each is a Master of Illusion. Each guards a rainbow jewel, and when Mickey has them all he can use the power to overthrow Mizrabel in a final, epic confrontation!

Illusion Confusion

On the way to rescuing Minnie, there's plenty of devious platform traps that await the plucky animated hero. There's the usual smattering of platforms that drop from under your feet, conveyor belts and lifts. But on later levels, the game is so keen to make you goof (no pun intended) that some platforms don't actually exist - and jumping onto them just sends Mickey falling down to his doom! As with a lot of games of this type, there's plenty of hidden bonuses to be discovered. Hidden treasure chests abound, and to make them appear, Mickey must use his amazing bouncing bottom trick! On a couple of levels the platform gameplay is forsaken as Mickcy has the power to swim.

Taking The Mickey

Castle Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

Taking control of the Disney legend couldn't be simpler! The Sega joypad enables Mickey to run around, duck and jump with the best of em, but when it comes to blatting the enemy sprites, Mickey is spoilt for choice. He can pick up various objects dotted around the backgrounds and chuck them at the meanies, but the expert mouse uses his bottom to squash anything in his path! Whilst jumping, Mickey can change his gigantic leap into a mega-destructive bottom bomb which not only squashes any enemy sprites but also sends him up into the air again! This especially useful if you have to reach a ledge that's seemingly too high.

Cheesy Comestibles

There's a few helpful items dotted around the levels that actually aid Mickey in his quest. Most treasure chests yield pieces of yummy cake - and they come in two varieties. They either give Mickey back one star of energy, or if he's really lucky, the whole lot! Carefully hidden are flashing stars. These actually enable Mickey to pick up more energy - thus extending his life expectancy. Occasionally, mouse ears are located. These give extra lives!

Matt

Crikey! Sega have done Mickey Mouse proud with this absolutely superb platform game! Perhaps the reason behind its success is the fact that they "borrowed" elements from both the Nintendo Mario and Mega Man series. Some of the platform puzzles I recognised as coming straight out of Mega Man 2! That's no bad thing though, because Mickey Mouse is just so good to play that you'll be beavering away on your Sega for months. The graphics are brilliant - each of the seven worlds has its own theme, my fave has to be the ice-cream level (you can even swim in the ice-cream!). For graphical variety, addictive nature and brilliance of gameplay, Mickey Mouse is the best Sega release for a long while. Buy it now!

Julian

Castle Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

He might be over 50 years old, but Mickey Mouse is one of the most athletic heroes seen in a video game! There are loads of hazards to overcome, and you need to call on all your platform skills to guide Mickey past the tricky obstacles and traps evil witch Mizrabel has laid! To go along with the tough and challenging gameplay are some absolutely stunning graphics! The Mickey Mouse sprite is beautifully animated and looks just like he's been lifted straight out of a cartoon - wait until you see some of the expressions he pulls, and just watch him flail his arms when he teeters on the edge of a precipice! Not only are the sprites excellent, the backgrounds are also superb, with bright and colourful cartoon-style landscapes. Mickey Mouse is the best Sega game seen in a long time - make it a priority purchase.

Verdict

Presentation 90%
Disney-esque intro screens and a nice cartoon-like feel in the game itself.

Graphics 94%
Mickey is a treat to watch, and he's accompanied by brilliant enemy sprites and backdrops.

Castle Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

Sound 87%
Cutesy tinkling tunes that the Sega does so well!

Playability 95%
Mega-addictive platform gameplay makes Mickey Mouse a real winner!

Lastability 92%
Loads of level to conquer - and plenty of secret rooms and bonuses.

Overall 93%
One of the greatest Sega releases we've seen for a long while. Go get it as soon as possible!