robio said:I'm not sure what the sales predictions of this game are, but I'm going to say 2 million easy. I was at Disney World 2 weeks ago and they had posters for the game EVERYWHERE. To the point where it was attracting the attention of non-gamer friends who asked me for an explanation. They will also be having playable copies of it in Epcot this weekend from what I was told. So just based one what I saw in the theme park Disney seems very dedicated to getting it lots of attention.
I remember when Innoventions had tons of unreleased Sega games to play. I played Shenmue a year before release there.
Iga_Bobovic said:I just saw this game for 40 Euros in a store. Yes this game is already out in the Netherlands. Did not buy it, too busy playing Muramasa and after that Jungle Beat.
What... Did you... holy... You could be the first one to play it, whats wrong with you.
Got to say, this is the first time where I have tracked a game and thought: yeah that's enough.
How many fricking interviews did spector do? At a point I just thoughy, hells no I'm not reading.
Dvader said:I remember when Innoventions had tons of unreleased Sega games to play. I played Shenmue a year before release there.
YEah I remember those days too. They still have games to play there, but most of them are half-assed Disney games.
gamingeek said:Got to say, this is the first time where I have tracked a game and thought: yeah that's enough.
How many fricking interviews did spector do? At a point I just thoughy, hells no I'm not reading.
It was good PR, I'll him that. The mainstream media really ate it up. USA Today did a big write up on it today that I was going to put on the newsboard but then I realized... does anyone really want to read more from Spector? It definitely got a ridiculous amount of pre-release exposure.
robio said:Dvader said:I remember when Innoventions had tons of unreleased Sega games to play. I played Shenmue a year before release there.YEah I remember those days too. They still have games to play there, but most of them are half-assed Disney games.
gamingeek said:Got to say, this is the first time where I have tracked a game and thought: yeah that's enough.
How many fricking interviews did spector do? At a point I just thoughy, hells no I'm not reading.
It was good PR, I'll him that. The mainstream media really ate it up. USA Today did a big write up on it today that I was going to put on the newsboard but then I realized... does anyone really want to read more from Spector? It definitely got a ridiculous amount of pre-release exposure.
I bet he spent 70% of his time doing interviews and 30% on the actual game. 
Agnates said:But I guess he hasn't been in such a story for quite some time? Just every day stories with Goofy, Pluto, Donald for decades?
No Mickey hasn't done much for a while outside of TV shows on the Disney Channel for the last 10 years or so. The one exception is a straight to DVD release of the 3 Musketeers that came out 3 or 4 years ago starring the original 5 (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto). Part of the reason is they don't really know what to do with him for movies. With the exception of his part in Fantasia, all of his iconic moments are from shorts, not movies, and there's no place to really showcase those anymore. So once again I'll give credit to Robert Iger for taking off the kid gloves with Mickey and letting someone do something different with him for a change.
And while I'm on the subject if anyone is curious about the best use of Mickey in the last decade, there was briefly a show called House of Mouse that featured the Disney characters running a night club. Mickey acted as an emcee as he presented a mix of old classic shorts and some surpringly good new ones made for the show, while a subplot took place in the night club to wrap everything together. If you're familiar with the history of Disney animation there was a lot of subtle jokes and references made through. Old characters would be watching the show from the floor of the club and there were always interesting moments.
Dvader said:What... Did you... holy... You could be the first one to play it, whats wrong with you.
Darth has him beaten.
Epic Mickey reviews
IGN UK
It’s tough to criticise a game that gets so much right and Disney Epic Mickey is just so close to being an outstanding experience. It’s disappointing that a game as richly imaginative and thoroughly charming as Epic Mickey stumbles at a fundamental level, particularly when its problems simply belie a lack of polish rather than any cataclysmic design missteps. 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. True, its rough edges grate more often than they should but Disney Epic Mickey ultimately proves to be a solid, rewarding, frequently delightful, oft-times magical game.
ONM
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.
CVG
Disney Epic Mickey, with its freeform nature and deep exploration, has plenty of appeal - and completists and adventure fans may even adore it.
But its rough edges ultimately dampen its potential. If only it had been given an extra lick of paint...
1up
Epic Mickey doesn't make a great first impression. Sure, it at least looks good, and the cut-scenes are done in a charming-without-being-saccharine art style (though one that's completely separate from the main game). But what's more important to me is that I actually want to go back through the game and find out just how much my choices mattered. 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.
IGN USA
Can a stellar story, fantastic characters, incredible cutscenes, and a solid core gameplay mechanic overcome numerous, fundamental problems with controls, the camera, and even continuity? Ultimately, the positive elements of Epic Mickey do manage to make this worth a shot. Going in with the proper level of expectation should manage to keep some of the WiiMote throwing to a minimum… just keep that wrist strap tight.
Eurogamer
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.
GAMESRADAR
For me, the surprises, historical reverence and inspired platforming creativity make this the Wii game of the year. Hopefully, it won’t all be lost on the broad audience it’s aiming for, because both Disney nuts and old school gamers will find Epic Mickey well worth their while. 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.
SCORES
Seem to range from 6/10 to 9/10 but most fall around the 8/10 range. Seems flawed but good despite it.
Something tells me I will really like Epic Mickey despite the rough edges. I think I will especially appreciate the dark/dystopian atmosphere of it. I think a lot of people here and on other forums were sort of very excited to begin with, and then cooled off it (especially since the very mixed reviews), but personally I have been the opposite.
Definitely buying this game, and feeling very excited for it (not as much as I am for Donkey Kong but a lot nonetheless)
___
Listen to Wu-Tang and watch Kung-Fu
The Gamesradar guy is a Disney nerd and platformer nerd and he gushes about Epic mickey in his review. He seems to love the platforming, which everyone else says is average.
Gamesradar Choice quotes from the review said:Now, that’s not to say you too must be able to tell the difference between a Horace Horsecollar and a Clarabelle Cow in order to enjoy Epic Mickey. Nor does it require you to have played all the Jak, Ratchet & Clank games, or everything ever released on N64… but it certainly does help. And judging by those criteria alone, Epic Mickey is absolutely breathtaking.
For animation nerds, it’s going to be nothing short of a godsend. The thousands of pieces of Disneyana tucked into every fiber of Epic Mickey’s being is inarguably part of the game’s charm. And recognizing them, especially for an animation enthusiast, is a wonderful, nostalgia-fueled game in and of itself.
I think these are some of the most elaborate, well constructed platforming levels I’ve ever seen.
Some of the most complex, vast, and impressively branching game environments the genre’s ever seen.
For me, the surprises, historical reverence and inspired platforming creativity make this the Wii game of the year.
I haven’t fallen so head over heels with the look, feel, and play of a third-person platformer since the original Banjo-Kazooie.
And through it all, Mickey runs, jumps, and spins attacks with all the grace found in Mario Galaxy, only with collectibles Disney fans will find infinitely worthwhile.
What I played wasn't really platforming. Sure, you jump a lot but it didn't require precision so much. The more "advanced" stuff I did had more to do with the painting and thinning mechanic to alter the geometry so that you can pass/reach through. But I suppose maybe that changes later, but I didn't get that vibe from it. More about the exploration and discovering stuff in the levels than about precise expert jumping. The double jump was fairly forgiving. The 2D levels were the only hint of real platforming (you don't use paint and thinner there either) and weren't very involving (like a couple minutes each) but maybe others differ. It's more Zelda than Mario imo. But not too much like either. And the jumping controls were fine, only the camera was a minor issue which didn't look like it would cost deaths or anything, just make you more careful in positioning yourself before attempting a jump. It didn't change mid-air or something. And it was a bit erratic in tight spaces but again you just dealt with it.
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Agnates said:What I played wasn't really platforming. Sure, you jump a lot but it didn't require precision so much. The more "advanced" stuff I did had more to do with the painting and thinning mechanic to alter the geometry so that you can pass through. But I suppose maybe that changes later, but I didn't get that vibe from it. More about the exploration and discovering stuff in the levels than about precise expert jumping. The double jump was fairly forgiving. The 2D levels were the only hint of real platforming (you don't use paint and thinner there either) and weren't very involving (like a couple minutes each) but maybe others differ. It's more Zelda than Mario imo. But not too much like either.
I can't really see the game as a platformer. Honestly I was up in the air about how it would turn out, it seems okay and interesting enough to try out. Visuals are nice from the gametrailers video.
Yeah it's an action adventure and definitely worth it. Basically it's like GoldenEye. A great game with some unpolished bits (probably less so in Mickey) that most people will easily get over while others latch onto and bash like there's no tommorow, somehow missing the whole point, either genuinely or to push an agenda... I think I'll just go rent it tommorow, I'm very intrigued to see the rest of it... Shit, I was pretty negative about the game previously and I'm not a Disney nut so yeah, it must be pretty good to turn me around...
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The optimist proclaims we live in the best of all possible worlds while the pessimist fears this is true. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Might as well post the scores over. Since I'm using Opera I can't just copy rich text links - they are all in the updates if you search NEWS for Epic Mickey.
G4TV 5 out of 5
Gamesradar 9/10
Gamereactor 9/10
ONM 85%
Guardian 4 stars out of 5
Gametrailers 8.2
Videogamer 8/10
IGN UK 8.0
IGN US 8.0
1up B
And then a couple of lowball scores:
CVG 7.5 review by Andy Robinson (Don't trust this guy - he lowballs Wii stuff all the time, he's a 360 mega fan and posted my looks-like-PSP COD story)
Eurogamer 6/10 (Read the last paragraph of this review - his biggest problem is that he doesn't want a dark mickey game)
GAMESREACTOR
But if you feel like playing a game with Mickey Mouse, then things just don't get any better than Epic Mickey and it might just be the best non-Nintendo game on Wii. It's fun, charming, well polished, entertaining and fairly challenging. I have enjoyed every moment spent with Mickey, Oswald, Pete, Animatronic Goofy and the rest, and I'm already thinking about my next playthrough. Don't miss out on Mickey's journey through Wasteland.
9/10
THE GUARDIAN
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. At last, Mickey has a suitably credible means of making an impression on the world of video games.
4 out of 5
G4TV
Disney Epic Mickey is the rare ambitious game that manages to hit all of its declared targets. Disney fans (particularly those who love Disneyland) absolutely must play this game. Platformer fans (particularly those who love N64 platformers) absolutely must play this game. If you love meaningful player choice, freeform gameplay, piles of quests to complete, inventive level design, and an ending that can break or warm your heart depending on your decisions, you are Disney Epic Mickey’s target audience. It is relentlessly imaginative, surprisingly thoughtful and strikingly fresh. It takes Mickey Mouse and uses him to do something most modern audiences didn’t think he could: surprise us.
Walt would have loved it.
5 out of 5
VIDEOGAMER
It's clear that a lot of love went into making Disney Epic Mickey. 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. Even with a smattering of issues that will cause annoyance, Disney Epic Mickey is a fine addition to the upper echelon of the Wii's software library.
8/10
Epic Mickey get. Impulse buy but it was supposed to be a Christmas gift for me and it was roughly the same price online as I got it in store.
For a start, it's not a platform game. Not in any way, shape or form so get that notion completely out of your head.
Controls are fine, jumping feels good, IR is decent. Those reviews saying that Mickey shoots ink at his feet, jesus, they are pointing at his feet.
Camera has a C-button center which works well and you will end up using that the most. You can use the d-pad to manually turn the camera and it's perfectly functional - BUT - you cannot invert the axis of either horizontal or vertical. So if you like pressing down to tilt the camera up - you will have to get used to pressing up to make the camera go up.
Combat, is okay, functional, nothing special. You can spin attack or jump on them or shoot paint.
Puzzle solving is rudimentary, environments are designed in an okay fashion, nothing special. The game levels are constructed so you use the paint or thinner to make your way through them - but only on the areas the game specifies. Using the brush is like using a paint hose, but it feels good and is quick and painless to use.
The first 2D level was simple fun and reminded me of old snes games. It was nothing special either.
So, from the first 50 minutes or so - gameplay wise - it's pretty functional and simple. Nothing to get excited about.
That's half the story. The other half is the beautiful world they have constructed. Everything is lavished with loving care and if you like N64 like platformers or the atmosphere of Mickey Mouse games you will love this. The cutscenes are either stylised and really lovingly animated, or graphics that look too good to be realtime yet not good enough to be CGI. It looks realtime with a few post effects added, very special.
The in game character models are perfectly rounded and sumptuously animated. The music adds to the mystical, dark cartoon world. The lighting is superb, colours are rich, colourful and deep. They even have things like little notes played each time Mickey's feet touch the floor when creeping. You feel almost immersed neck deep in the environment and you just want to explore - despite knowing full well that the rewards for exploration are most probably just a chest or barrel with a collectible in.
So far, so good, I hope you guys put more merit in the words than the score, but tentatively I would agree with the 8.0 mark so far. Although bear in mind I am very early in the game.
Played more Epic Mickey.
Gets much better.
Firstly, the manual camera is only a pain if you like to invert the axis, you can't here so you have to get used to it. That said the c-button centering works very well for the most part. In the parts where they fix the camera I have actually found it helpful, more often than not.
Yeah the reviews were right on the paint shooting out at Mickey's feet. This is because, logically you would think that where you point with the cursor, the paint should go there. In this game the paint shoots out in relation to Mickey's position in the environment and depending on the angle of the camera. It's a bit unwieldy and should have been checked by playtesting but wasn't. You can alter the camera angle to get the precise shot, but that said, I have found that if you use c-button centering it sorts the problem out and you will very rarely have problems using the automatic cameras natural angle and position - when shooting paint.
Oh and the sections you play up to the circus is just a flat tutorial, so my impressions that it wasn't a platform game were wrong, it is a platform game and has some decent stuff. It's not Mario Galaxy, but it plays like an N64 platformer with IR and obviously better visuals. If you liked Rare made N64 platformers back in the day then this will bring a smile to your face. So the game has gone up a couple of notches in my estimation, perhaps 8.3 inching ever upwards?
I also saw evidence of how doing things differently could make the game a different experience. I saved all of these creatures and because of that they all ganged up together and helped me pass a section I would have otherwise had to playthrough. Also a gremlin asked for some of my cash (e-tickets?) to do a job for me. I said no and did it myself.
Also there are quests (objectives really) and they are logged and you can do them, they are simple and mildly entertaining. There are also different ways of doing things. I jumped through a series of revolving fan blades and did what they wanted. Then later on in the level I looked back over from a panoramic view and saw something. I dissolved a wall, went up the back route and bypassed the fans by going overhead and achieved the same objective in a different way.
Also I missed finding Small Petes ship log, so there is stuff to come back to and try again.
There is potential here to explore the levels too and some non-linear design. It's not amazingly varied or open, but its nice to have options in how you deal with the obstacles in the levels.
Thanks for the impressions. Sounds like an N64 platformer made today.
Well only his appearance changing was left out, you can still be an asshole in it, I think. Although he was always gonna be a hero anyway, just change how he goes about being one... always after trinkets and mostly destroying stuff with thinner instead of helping others and painting stuff in... that sort of thing. I didn't really like how he looked in that concept anyway. And it's good they got rid of the yellow gloves and went back to white. Although now it's not much of a redesign, he just has a white face. And I'm not sure I like it better than pink. But I guess he hasn't been in such a story for quite some time? Just every day stories with Goofy, Pluto, Donald for decades?
The optimist proclaims we live in the best of all possible worlds
while the pessimist fears this is true.
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