Written: March 24th-29th, 2014 / Published on: April 5th, 2014
Hello everyone, StarBoy91 here; very passionate about video games, big retrophile, and fan of all things 16-bit. ... Yeah, I'm gonna have to work on that if I'm going to use that opening. =$ Anyway, April 5th is almost here. It's that day of the year again, and you know what that means?
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! =D
This is a wonderful day to celebrate for more reasons than one! =) Like last year with Skyblazer, I'm going to review a very special video game classic for my 23rd birthday, and it's one of my favorites. Ah, twenty-three years; how time flies. But before I start and reveal which game it is, allow me to make a recap.
This game was (for the most part) on fire |
After Capcom unleashed The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse for the SNES to the world in 1992, it became a huge hit, and for good reason. Not only was it the first 16-bit Disney (and Mickey Mouse) game that Capcom developed, but it also proved to be a competent adversary for Sega's Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse from two years prior. It had everything everyone ever wanted from a Disney platformer: incredibly polished and intuitive controls (introducing the magic outfit system that served you well under various circumstances), a very good amount of charm, well-designed areas, colorfully beautiful visuals, a wonderful and atmospheric soundtrack, a magical feeling lingering throughout, as well as a decent amount of challenge. The only thing it didn't have? A GOOD ENDING!!! >=(
Beautiful area, way too short =( |
Look, I don't expect a really complex plot when it comes to platformers, nor do I expect them to be perfect, but gosh-damn does it really upset me when a game has the makings of something spectacular in terms of buildup and atmosphere, only to be undone by a hard slap in the face unsatisfying payoff (which devalues the whole buildup that led up to it), which was this game's biggest sin. And it's too bad, because if not for that then it would've been really great; instead it turned out to be just merely great. =( And it's not the only thing that's wrong with The Magical Quest, for there was a timer which was a wasted element entirely and the fact that some areas were longer than others, meaning that a few stages were over before you knew it. Aside from those aspects, there's nothing really that bad with it, as I consider it to be about four-fifths of a good game; it just fell a little short of being a completely good one. Still, it did good nonetheless, so Capcom figured that a sequel was in order; which I'll review for this occasion. =)
Alternate Name: Mickey & Minnie: Magical Adventure 2 [|O|]
Console: SNES | Year: 1994 | Developed and Published by: Capcom
Sometimes I miss the days of magazines |
Having come out two years later for the same console, The Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie was the first follow-up of The Magical Quest. Like the first game, I first found out about today's game through a magazine (albeit as a Game Boy Advance game before I found out they were originally SNES games). It was in Issue 126 of Game Informer back in late 2003; unlike the Nintendo Power issue from the year before where the first game generously got coverage alongside the maligned Disney's Magical Mirror starring Mickey Mouse, the second game (titled Disney's Magical Quest 2 starring Mickey & Minnie when the GBA port was made) only appeared in this magazine in a small blurb. Some games would get coverage in the middle of the page, while some (to fill in room) only small space, especially when it came to would-be releases. When I read the blurb, I remember being a little flabbergasted and uncertain from it by the time I finished. Don't worry though, my readers, I'll get to that later.
After I found out these two were SNES originals several years ago (talk about a dummy moment for ya), I wanted to experience them; and after one of my cousins lent me his SNES console back in 2008, these were some of the games that were on my wishlist. But there were several problems along the way: I'm not just a gamer, but a collector too. Which meant that any time I thought that either The Magical Quest or The Great Circus Mystery would be next to buy on eBay, another game would always catch my attention. Another issue was sequential order; when I read a positive review of today's game on one of the websites I was intrigued, but I was conflicted because I wanted to try these games in their proper order (since playing game series out of order is something I consider a bad habit... one I admittedly haven't completely given up on), and sometimes I considered trying the opposite when I knew it wasn't proper. So it would be awhile before I tried either of them.
Fast forward to March 2012 when I paid a visit to the retro game retailer 3D Games. I was in the mood for an SNES game (I was searching for Drakkhen at the time since I remembered them having it). What I had planned to find wasn't there, but that's okay, since I found something a lot better: two games caught my eye. One of them was The Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie, while the other was the SNES video game adaptation of The Pagemaster. =) Both these games I've been curious about for so long (in particular the latter since childhood), so I decided to buy them at the same time; it wouldn't be until my 21st birthday less than a month later that I would play The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse. As far as I'm concerned both were worth the wait and the price of admission; so now that I got all that out of the way, how does Mickey's second Capcom-flavored magical adventure fare compared to its predecessor?
One day Mickey Mouse and his girlfriend Minnie decided to head to the circus. They had planned to meet their companions Goofy, Pluto, and Donald, but Mickey overslept so the two arrived late to the party by metro bus.
Apparently it's a good thing the events unfolded like they did because something went awry at the circus. As the two arrive Goofy comes out all glum stating that the circus is ruined and has been invaded by monsters and ghosts. Wanting to investigate further, Mickey and Minnie decide to take matters into their own hands to find out the cause behind all this. So our heroes decide to right the wrongs that have been caused before having arrived at the scene.
Along the way they discover that the mayhem was all set up by a criminal mastermind, known to many as Baron Pete. Wait, in the first game he was an emperor, now he's a baron? What's next: Pete becomes a king?? XD =| Oh...
Donald: "Now where's that Mickey & Donald game we're supposed to be in?!" >=( Mickey: "Don't worry Donald, old pal, it'll come out next year, I promise!" |
The gameplay is like that of The Magical Quest, and for those that don't know how it plays I'll explain the basics. Mickey (and Minnie) can jump, duck, swim, throw projectiles at enemies, throw stunned enemies (after having jumped on top of them) themselves, and run down diagonal slopes. But the biggest selling point for these games are the magical outfits and how they serve you well to overcome specific situations, and The Great Circus Mystery is no exception in that regard. There are three outfits you'll find and wear throughout, and it's important to alternate between them in moments that matter; which can be cycled through with either the L or R shoulder buttons and then confirming them with the A button. The controls in this game are very good, and they have a polished feel to them.
The first one you'll find is the sweeper outfit with a vacuum containment unit, which you can use to suck up small enemies for coins, blow fire out of candles, and even pull heavy objects towards you in order to get across. Huh, I didn't know Capcom were fans of Ghostbusters. However use is not unlimited, which means you'll have to find some batteries to keep its charge replenished. Next is the safari outfit, which allows you the privilege to climb up walls and swing from hook chains thanks to your hook; it may not prove great it battle, but it does give you mileage as far as reaching higher spots is concerned. And last but not least is the cowboy getup which gives you a cork pistol and a stick horse which you can use to bounce up and down (though you can stop by ducking). Like the sweeper outfit, ammunition is limited so you'll have to find some extra corks to fire if you're running on low. Experiment to your heart's desire. =)
The visuals have been slightly updated since the last game, and they look more colorful and beautiful than ever, even better. The colors are well-chosen, and each stage has nicely detailed foregrounds with good-looking backdrops in the distance (creating a bit of depth in the process). The map screen before you start off any area looks sweet, the Jungle area has got a good look and feel with the drops of water on the trees shining in the gorgeous backdrop, and the Frozen Plains have got neat ice and snow landscapes with an impressive-looking aurora borealis around. But you know what's even more impressive than that? The tower segment of the Haunted House! =D Normally in these kinds of locations you'd be ascending through a series of steps while outside, but in here you climb it upward while inside as the walls both in the background and on the sides gradually move as you do! Dude, not even Mickey's Wild Adventure and Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday could pull off something this amazing, it looks really good in motion. There are even some color layering effects that help augment a sense of depth, like in the outside portions of the Haunted House and while you're swimming underwater where it's always wavy (which looks sweet). Every other area looks good as well.
Another improvement from The Magical Quest was the character design and animation.
Seriously, just compare and contrast Mickey's sprites between the two, you'd be astounded by how improved the quality is in The Great Circus Mystery. Also, it's smoother and better polished this way.
Whilst in the previous game there were only a few frames of animation, this sequel ups the ante by making several frames' worth of it, resulting in a very fluid and smooth animation. Mickey and Minnie have different walking and posing animations, but the other animations are pretty much equal (save for a few changes). It's not bad really, for it's honestly very cute. The Lonesome Ghosts look good and animate decently what with their green garb (wait, green, why is it not blue??). Some of the charming yet imposing enemies you'll fight are the Mini-Petes (of course), a few variations of Weasels, small clown balls, tiny skeletons posing as ghosts, flying squirrels, small anthropomorphic candles, plus more. The midbosses and bosses are big and look detailed, for they have great designs like the grimacing ice cloud, the dinosaur, and the wolf with his spinning hair. Baron Pete looks fantastic as well. =)
The soundtrack of the first game had a distinct sound and feel that was not only fun to listen to but did a very good job at representing the appropriate tone and mood for each area. The Great Circus Mystery's music, on the other hand, falls short of that. =( And that's saying something, because it's Capcom we're talking about, and a lot of their games whether you like them or not have always offered a solid soundtrack to back them up. So, what happened here? And what's disturbing is that this serves as proof that the first sequel (regardless of whether or not the sequel is better than the first game) will almost always have an inferior soundtrack to its immediate predecessor; this applies to not just this game but other examples too like Croc 2, Kirby's Dream Land 2, Super Wagyan Land 2, Breath of Fire II, ActRaiser 2, Mega Man X2, and even Final Fight 2. Such is the curse of trying to top an overall aura that once made cannot be beat. I mean seriously, name one first sequel that had better music than the original!
Um, okay... name me a first video game sequel that had superior music that trumped the original!
Heh heh,... right. >_>
"I WAS FROZEN TODAY!!!" |
So, ignoring all that, what is the soundtrack like? Frankly speaking, this is a weak effort for Capcom-branded Disney licensed standards. Okay, that's a bit harsh; it's a noble attempt, but I wish all the soundtrack was high-quality as opposed to just a few legitimately good songs (even then they sound shorter); I'm not certain making the music significantly lightweight was well-advised. The Caves theme is short and repetitive (despite the sweeping flourish near the end; Disney's Aladdin had better cave music than this), the player select theme sounds more upbeat and colorful, the Frozen Plains theme has an icy feel but is super short and feels unfinished at worst, the boss themes sound nowhere near as imposing as the ones from The Magical Quest, and the Haunted Circus music? Not really big on circus-themed music, but seeing as it's a miracle that it didn't turn out to be super annoying, I find it to be passable at best. Good news, Mr. Nutz, you and The Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie have got one thing in common! Erm, ... except for the adorably realistic-looking bees anyone has ever seen in a 16-bit platformer.
Nicolas Cage: "No, not the bees! NOT THE BEES!!!" DX |
Beautiful aurora borealis in the sky, part 2 =) |
So are there any good songs? Actually yes, though they range from barely good to really good. The ironic thing about this game's soundtrack being weaker than the first game is that the title, intro, ending, and credits themes are better; but that's not saying much exactly. The title and intro themes fall in the category of barely good, and not just due to their quality. The only in-game songs I considered to be genuinely good were the rousing and adventurous-sounding Jungle theme, the ever-brooding and mysterious Haunted House theme, and the theme for when you fight Emperor Pete in frame format (if only because he was the main villain in the last game, and Capcom even remixed his theme from there). The ending theme is wonderful and feels very rewarding when you finish the adventure, and the credits is good to a point but serviceable. =) The sound effects are good, plus Capcom improved upon the dialogue box text effects by giving them tolerably light sounds (in the first game it sounded rambunctious, in here it sounds just right).
Comparatively speaking, The Great Circus Mystery is a much easier experience than The Magical Quest in more ways than one. The timer's gone this time around, which is good since the first title really had no reason to use it at all. Capcom's implemented a password feature too (since the previous game had to be beaten in one sitting), but since this is a Disney game by Capcom it's not like you'll really need it all that much. In The Magical Quest if you lost a life then you would have to restart the stage portion all over again (say Stage 3-3), while in The Great Circus Mystery if you do lose a life you'll restart by the exact point of the area you lost your life in. Even without all these comparisons, this is still an easy game, but to a point.
There are three difficulty settings to choose from, and how the game will be depends on the setting you played under. On Easy you start with five hearts (which can be added should you find heart containers in either covert rooms or in a "General Store" for two hundred coins), on Normal you begin with three hearts, while on Hard mode you commence with two. Depending on the mode you play there will be fewer enemies and more platforms on the easier setting and vice versa for the harder setting, with every amount in-between for the normal setting. The bosses have got decent patterns, and while they're easy they are fun to battle, especially Baron Pete with his two forms. Like the first game there are unlimited continues, and while it is easy even when the mode is set on Hard it does offer a decent amount of challenge. But hey, so long as the game is fun, I don't care whatever difficulty it is. =)
When The Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie was released in 1994 for the SNES it did considerably good but reaction towards it was mixed to positive, whilst the first game's reception was generally positive. One of the common complaints geared towards it was the fact that it felt too much like the first game, and it's true; one of the biggest challenges of continuing with a formula set by the original is how to make it not feel stale. A fair of amount of people will admit that once you've played a Mega Man game, you've pretty much played them all (for exemplification purposes); some people that played both The Magical Quest and The Great Circus Mystery shared the same sentiment here. It also did not help matters that the SNES version of Traveller's Tales' Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse came out around the same time, so both titles were compared with each other (talk about bad timing). This game also garnered a MegaDrive/Genesis release a short time after the fact (making it the only Capcom-developed Mickey Mouse game ever made for that system), and nine years later it was remade for the Game Boy Advance as Disney's Magical Quest 2 starring Mickey & Minnie. General consensus was about on par for all three versions of this game, though the handheld version fared a lot worse. And speaking of which, it's time for me to introduce to you all how I came to know about this game:
[Warning: This segment that you are about to read is done purely out of fun and not mal-intent; expressive passion will also be present, so tread carefully]
Certainly, this caught me by surprise when I read it back in 2003, as at the time I couldn't fathom the prospect of a bad Mickey Mouse game (then again, I didn't know any better and I didn't play that many Mickey platformers back then). Still, I have so many questions. For starters, everyone has a different perception of what score constitutes as bad (for me, if a game scores below a 5, then it's officially bad); in this mini-blurb Lisa the reviewer comments that it's bad, yet the 6.75 rating she gave it contradicts her attitude towards it. Second, this isn't a review; this is small superficial summary, it doesn't add anything. Third, the lack of elaboration does not help matters at all (she's said the visuals were "respectable", but that's it). Finally, "worst jumping controls in memory"? Really? As opposed to what, exactly? Why does she feel that way? We don't know why because she doesn't give an explanation behind the reasoning. Okay, since she hadn't really gone too deeply into it, I'll try to explain for her.
The jumping controls in The Magical Quest were a little bit floaty, but they were still good and solid. In The Great Circus Mystery you spent less time in the air than you did in the previous installment, since the jumping was fine-tuned and made a bit more solid. But is that justifiable enough reason to condemn it for having the "worst jumping controls in memory"?
If that's not it though, is Lisa referring to the fact that you consistently bounce up and down with the cowboy getup? Because if that's the case, you do realize that you don't have to stay with that outfit the whole time, right? You do know that it can be worked around and that you can stop bouncing by holding down to duck, right? <=| That's not reason enough to make that outlandish claim. I'm going to go out on a limb and presume that either something terrible happened while the game was converted to GBA format (since I only played the SNES original), or she must've not have experienced the SNES and MegaDrive/Genesis versions and only tried the Game Boy Advance port. Again, there is no elaboration; all we get is "worst jumping controls in memory".
I'm... not going to pretend that I feel adverse to moments like these, because trust me when I say: I do. =( The fact that Ecco Jr. got a 2 out of 10 in NintendoLife is bull crap; the review itself is bull crap too (though I blame that more on the older version's format than the reviewer; the game was treated poorly because it was compared unfavorably to its two predecessors as opposed to being treated as a game on its own, which made the assessment highly unfair). The fact that Motorcity and Tron: Uprising were cancelled too soon, even though they were legitimately good Disney XD shows, in favor of puerile and unfunny crap like Lab Rats and Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja is unfathomable. The fact that the fun and high-adrenaline pumping giant on giant creature feature Pacific Rim got snubbed not once (landed in third in the first box office weekend behind Grown Ups 2) but twice (what do they nominate instead of this movie for Best Special Effects? Gore freakin' Verbinski's The Lone Ranger, are you kidding me?!?) by a very bad movie is inexcusable. The fact that 4Kids altered much of the content of acclaimed Japanese anime for American distribution to "ensure American kids would get the proper silly and clearly censored treatment" is highly off-putting at worst.
But you know what? I don't blame or insult people for that, you know why? Because these are all based on my opinion, and each and everyone of us has got personal feelings and views on stuff; if every single person felt the same thing, the world would be boring. Opinions make the world a more interesting place. To each their own, I say that all the time. If I do poke fun, it's usually for characters in media or professionals, but not regular people themselves; not due to meanspiritedness, but out of harmless fun plus justification. I'm not one of those "you're opinion sucks because it doesn't match mine" kind of people, I respect other peoples' viewpoints regardless of whether I agree with them or not. If I do need an elaboration on why someone might feel a certain way (even if it's on something they like but I don't or they don't but I do), I just ask. I politely ask "why". "Why do you feel this way?" You don't even have to write a book about it, just a simple single-sentence reason is enough (and if it's not, you can add a couple more if you feel it will explain it a lot better). Pretty much all my reviews elaborate on why I feel the way I do about specific games; if you're going to say a statement that will raise an eyebrow or two, then you had better have a good enough reason to back you up on that.
Now, what did Lisa say about the game's jumping controls in that Game Informer magazine? "Some of the worst jumping controls in memory". Uh, huh, right. Well, since that's all we have from her, we don't know why she feels that way. Maybe it's the GBA transition, maybe it's her initial experience with it, maybe it's nothing; but if anyone knows why Lisa feels the way she does about the jumping controls, it's Lisa. If you say something that will ignite a reaction (in a "professional" review, no less), you'd better have at least a good reason to say that, otherwise your word will be challenged and not at all be taken seriously. It's a little hard to believe that out of all the games she'd reviewed by 2003, this was on her bottom list as far as jumping controls were concerned. Now I'm a reasonable person and do not bash people because of their opinions... however, since she failed to elaborate on her comment, I hope Lisa forgives me when I express how much I disagree with her through this fan-made image of mine:
[This section is now finished, now to the final paragraphs of my review]
A lot of criticism for The Great Circus Mystery was aimed at the fact that it felt a little like the first game all over again. And while it's true that it is like the first game, it is far from the only thing that's wrong with it. The soundtrack was disappointing in comparison to The Magical Quest's, as it felt lightweight and uninspired at times (with a few exceptions). Emperor Pete makes a cameo, and while it's nice, it feels off-putting to me when all it does is give me a painful reminder that the first game was nothing but a dream. =( Another flaw is the name: why is it called The Great Circus Mystery? The circus only takes place in the beginning stage, and the mystery (which isn't all that great) is figured out before you reach the halfway point. Conversely, the buildup feels weak (but the payoff here is good), and there's a reason for that: I don't feel the same amount of magic here that I felt in the first game.
A mistake I felt this game made was being more grounded to reality, with a few supernatural elements thrown in. Yes, the magic curtain magically appears when you change outfits, and I can buy the Haunted House fitting in the theme of magic, but tell me: does a circus, a jungle, a cave with fossils, and a frozen plain sound like magical places? The areas in the first game had an authentic magic aura surrounded to them; this one didn't all that much.
I thought World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and Mickey no Tokyo Disneyland DaibÅken had a bigger and more realized sense of magic, to be honest; despite the fact that the latter takes place in the real world, there was magic happening around.
Heck, even the incredibly obscure Mickey Mouse: Magic Wands! had a bigger sense of magic.
So, even though it's got all these flaws, it doesn't prevent me from enjoying The Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie. It doesn't mean I haven't grown to accept that its got imperfections, because I have. Like Mr. Nutz which I reviewed last time, I personally enjoy it for what it is but I do understand why others wouldn't. =) To each their own. Despite its issues, I like this game more than The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse. For one, I played this one first, but that alone wouldn't cut it. The visuals were colorfully polished and more detailed than before, the game was fun to play with fine-tuned controls and polished gameplay, the charm was still there, each stage felt about equal in length, the moot timer was no longer used, the payoff was fantastic despite a less than impressive buildup towards it, and the ending was actually nice and worthwhile (it's made even better by the fact that: it's not a freakin' dream!). =D Each individual area was still pleasing to the eyes (especially the rotating tower, that was awesome), and this game left an impact on me when I first played it two years ago. For the longest time Mickey's Wild Adventure for the PlayStation One was the only 2D Mickey platformer that I played, and to experience another 2D entry after all this time was a very pleasant surprise and experience for me. I had a lot of fun with it the first day I played The Great Circus Mystery, and I still have fun with it; this is a Disney platformer that I have a lot of fondness for, and it makes me wish that I played it when I was little. It may be easier than the first game, but it's still a hell of a good forty-to-fifty minutes whenever I play it.
If you fancy a good 2D platformer with Mickey Mouse and his girlfriend Minnie in it, then I think you'll have a good time with this one. =) If you're looking for a challenging Mickey platformer, I suggest looking up Mickey no Tokyo Disneyland DaibÅken instead. If you're looking for non-demanding entertainment and fun, well you've got it! If you expect it to match the magic and atmosphere of The Magical Quest, then you should lower your expectations in that regard. If you could care less about its challenge and enjoy a platformer for what it is, I think it's worth a look. I don't think it matters if you play this game before (or after) The Magical Quest, because even though some flaws will be more apparent if you play one before the other, it's still one of the best Disney-themed platformers you'll find on the SNES. Take it for what it's worth, for Mickey's second (not so aptly named) magical adventure is really good. =)
When looking at both these games, it's easy to appreciate them for the games that they are. It's also easy to wish for Capcom to combine the best of both games and create the ultimate Nintendo 16-bit Mickey platformer. Capcom granted gamers' wishes in 1995, but only in Japan; ten years later it would see a Western release as a GBA release. Oh yeah, because as we all know that's the perfect way to experience Nintendo 16-bit titles! =P
I can't imagine how painful it must be to have to swim through icy cold water |
Mysterious fog |
"Take that!!" |
[Warning: This segment that you are about to read is done purely out of fun and not mal-intent; expressive passion will also be present, so tread carefully]
......................................... What? @_@ |
The jumping controls in The Magical Quest were a little bit floaty, but they were still good and solid. In The Great Circus Mystery you spent less time in the air than you did in the previous installment, since the jumping was fine-tuned and made a bit more solid. But is that justifiable enough reason to condemn it for having the "worst jumping controls in memory"?
If that's not it though, is Lisa referring to the fact that you consistently bounce up and down with the cowboy getup? Because if that's the case, you do realize that you don't have to stay with that outfit the whole time, right? You do know that it can be worked around and that you can stop bouncing by holding down to duck, right? <=| That's not reason enough to make that outlandish claim. I'm going to go out on a limb and presume that either something terrible happened while the game was converted to GBA format (since I only played the SNES original), or she must've not have experienced the SNES and MegaDrive/Genesis versions and only tried the Game Boy Advance port. Again, there is no elaboration; all we get is "worst jumping controls in memory".
Swinging while battling a sneaky turtle |
But you know what? I don't blame or insult people for that, you know why? Because these are all based on my opinion, and each and everyone of us has got personal feelings and views on stuff; if every single person felt the same thing, the world would be boring. Opinions make the world a more interesting place. To each their own, I say that all the time. If I do poke fun, it's usually for characters in media or professionals, but not regular people themselves; not due to meanspiritedness, but out of harmless fun plus justification. I'm not one of those "you're opinion sucks because it doesn't match mine" kind of people, I respect other peoples' viewpoints regardless of whether I agree with them or not. If I do need an elaboration on why someone might feel a certain way (even if it's on something they like but I don't or they don't but I do), I just ask. I politely ask "why". "Why do you feel this way?" You don't even have to write a book about it, just a simple single-sentence reason is enough (and if it's not, you can add a couple more if you feel it will explain it a lot better). Pretty much all my reviews elaborate on why I feel the way I do about specific games; if you're going to say a statement that will raise an eyebrow or two, then you had better have a good enough reason to back you up on that.
Now, what did Lisa say about the game's jumping controls in that Game Informer magazine? "Some of the worst jumping controls in memory". Uh, huh, right. Well, since that's all we have from her, we don't know why she feels that way. Maybe it's the GBA transition, maybe it's her initial experience with it, maybe it's nothing; but if anyone knows why Lisa feels the way she does about the jumping controls, it's Lisa. If you say something that will ignite a reaction (in a "professional" review, no less), you'd better have at least a good reason to say that, otherwise your word will be challenged and not at all be taken seriously. It's a little hard to believe that out of all the games she'd reviewed by 2003, this was on her bottom list as far as jumping controls were concerned. Now I'm a reasonable person and do not bash people because of their opinions... however, since she failed to elaborate on her comment, I hope Lisa forgives me when I express how much I disagree with her through this fan-made image of mine:
Created on MS Paint by me; Commander Peepers (c) Craig McCracken, Disney |
"Worst jumping controls in memory", give me a break!! >=(
I'm sorry I have to be like that, I really am. I didn't even want to give her "review" more attention than it deserved, but your unelaborated comment provoked me, Lisa of 2003's Game Informer, and you have no one to blame but yourself for that! I'm sure you must be a nice person, but your thoughts on the game lacked credibility because you didn't give a reason to be negative for the jumping controls, in my opinion. *breathes* And scene! Wow, that feels really good to have gotten all that out of the system! =) Nothing against Lisa, the way she wrote her review just rubbed me the wrong way, was all. All right, back to business!![This section is now finished, now to the final paragraphs of my review]
This would be a very good nod to the first game, if the first game wasn't a dream |
The Magical Quest had moments that inspired awe and wonder, like this tree sap portion; moments like these were absent from this game =( |
I thought World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and Mickey no Tokyo Disneyland DaibÅken had a bigger and more realized sense of magic, to be honest; despite the fact that the latter takes place in the real world, there was magic happening around.
Heck, even the incredibly obscure Mickey Mouse: Magic Wands! had a bigger sense of magic.
Swim, Mickey, swim! =O |
Why aren't the Lonesome Ghosts blue? Even Mickey's Wild Adventure got that right! >=( |
When looking at both these games, it's easy to appreciate them for the games that they are. It's also easy to wish for Capcom to combine the best of both games and create the ultimate Nintendo 16-bit Mickey platformer. Capcom granted gamers' wishes in 1995, but only in Japan; ten years later it would see a Western release as a GBA release. Oh yeah, because as we all know that's the perfect way to experience Nintendo 16-bit titles! =P
That game was Mickey & Donald: Magical Adventure 3. But that's for another time, I'm afraid.
P.S.: I hope none of you thought I was being too harsh when I expressed my disagreement with Lisa's "review" for Game Informer. What I was trying to get across was that if you don't clarify a reason for making a statement like that people will get confused and want to know why it was uttered to begin with. Again, not being mean, but it just bothered me.
P.S. 2: I had originally planned to review this game back in early 2013, but I felt I didn't have a sufficient amount of screenshots at the time, so it was delayed as a result. =(
P.S. 3: Now that I reviewed a game for my 23rd birthday, it's time ponder what I'll review for my 24th? But that's a year away from now, so we'll see. ;-)
P.S. 4: I had to make a Wander Over Yonder reference, I had to! It's been almost two months since the last episode aired, and while I love the show to death I don't know how I feel about its new episodes first airing on Disney XD as opposed to Disney Channel.
P.S. 5: Glad I got my thoughts on The Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie out of the way! =) Hopefully it'll take less than a year and one third until my review for Mickey & Donald: Magical Adventure 3 comes out.
P.S. 6: I still miss Mickey's old voice actor Wayne Allwine. =(
Thank you for reading my special birthday review, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Take care!!! =D