Disney Illusion Island Preview - A Mickey Mousetroidvania

Disney Illusion Island Preview - A Mickey Mousetroidvania https://ift.tt/hFbtSLe

As both a new mom and video game enthusiast, I often find myself thinking about when and how I can introduce my son to certain games and series. Naturally, I reflect a lot on the games I grew up with--the days spent curled up on the couch playing Donkey Kong Country, Mario Kart 64, and Goldeneye with my mom, and the nights hunched over the computer running through Diablo with my dad. Nowadays, however, it feels a bit harder to find a solid split-screen co-op game to play alongside someone with small hands and an even smaller attention span. And if you can find one, the chance that you'll enjoy the experience just as much as your kiddo is a bit slim. This is precisely where Disney Illusion Island has the potential to shine.

I recently got the chance to sit down and play about 20 minutes of Disney Illusion Island alongside the game's creative director, AJ Grand-Scrutton. While I initially went into the game expecting a sort of baby's-first-Cuphead experience, I was delighted to find out the game is far more akin to Metroid, a series I have far more familiarity (and success) with.

The game begins with you selecting from four characters: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald. Despite their differences in size and animation, each character has the same skill set and movement speed. Grand-Scrutton told me that while the team was focused on making each character feel different--Goofy has a bit more heft to him whereas Minnie is a bit more floaty, for example--the reality is they all function the same. After you and your fellow Mouseketeers select your characters (the game allows up to four players to play together on the same screen), you can then select if you want to play through with one HP, two HP, three HP, or an iron heart granting you invincibility, with each player able to choose their own HP amount. It's a fantastic feature that prevents less experienced players from getting frustrated, while also allowing experienced platformers the opportunity to challenge themselves.

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