A Cult Favorite Disney Game to Make an Epic Comeback
By Joseph Montgomery
On November 25, 2010, Disney Interactive Studios, with the help of Junction Point Studios, released “Epic Mickey” as a title for the Nintendo Wii. The game follows Mickey Mouse as he is transported into Wasteland, a realm that serves as a home for Disney’s forgotten characters and scrapped projects.
As Mickey, players can traverse through twisted versions of Disney theme park attractions as they fight enemies and solve puzzles through the use of a magic paintbrush, whose concepts correlate with the Wii’s trademark motion control. With the paintbrush, players can use the paint and thinner to build and to demolish respectively; in fact, some key moments in the story can be influenced by how the players utilize either the paint or thinner for certain parts of the game.
“Epic Mickey” received positive feedback for creatively building darker and more mature portrayals of various Disney iconography, all while serving as a heartfelt tribute to the broad history and legacy of Disney. This was especially the case with the game’s efforts to reintroduce obscure and lesser-known Disney icons back into the limelight, including the Mad Doctor, the Lonesome Ghosts, and especially Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald was created by Walt Disney about a year before he created Mickey, an aspect of the company’s history that contributes as a main focus in the game’s story.
A couple of years after its release, the game received a sequel with a multiplayer setup for both Mickey and Oswald, as well as a spin-off game exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS. Unfortunately, the sequel underperformed in terms of sales, and Junction Point was shut down shortly after the release of the sequel. The closure of Junction Point consequently canceled the opportunity for a third and final “Epic Mickey” game to be produced.
While the “Epic Mickey” franchise was short-lived and forgotten, however, it managed to gain a cult following over the years. The first game, in particular, has been treasured and admired for its distinct depictions of Mickey Mouse and Disney in general ― as seen in the game itself and even in the concept art made for its production.
Now, about twenty-four years later, “Epic Mickey” will be making a comeback from obscurity.
On February 21, it was announced that the game will be given a reboot titled “Epic Mickey: Rebrushed”. Footage of the game itself, some of which was shown in the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase uploaded that day, exhibits some of the enhancements applied to the graphics of the original game.
The official website for “Epic Mickey: Rebrushed” provides further information regarding the game, from various screenshots further showcasing the updated graphics to details regarding “new skills for Mickey, such as dash, ground pound and sprinting.”
The game will be developed by Purple Lamp, which previously worked on “Sea of Thieves” and “Guild 3”. THQ Nordic, best known for games such as “Destroy All Humans!” and “SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated”, will be involved with publishing the game. Although a specific release date has not yet been revealed, it has been announced that the game will be released sometime this year for the Nintendo Switch; PC; PlayStation 4; PlayStation 5; Xbox One; and Xbox Series X and Series S.
Warren Spector, the director of the original “Epic Mickey”, expressed his excitement for the reboot, considering how he received a ton of praise and recognition for his involvement with the game “than any other project I’ve worked on – a true indicator of the timelessness of this game.”
“That my team and I contributed to that legacy is truly an honor,” he stated in light of the reboot, “and I’m delighted that old fans and new will get to enjoy the adventures of Mickey and Oswald in Wasteland once again.”
With that, the massive return to Wasteland is sure to attract the excitement of, in the words of the game’s official website,“long-time fans and newcomers alike.”