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World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive)

World of Illusion

Developer(s) – SEGA AM7

Publisher(s) – SEGA

Director(s) – Emiko Yamamoto

Producer(s) – Patrick Gilmore

PEGI – 3

Released as a Sega Genesis exclusive, unlike its predecessors Castle of Illusion and Land Illusion, World of Illusion is the third game in the series, which puts players in the shoes of not only Mickey Mouse but also his companion Donald Duck. Offering two different experiences depending on which character the player chooses at the start. It was released to rave reviews back in 1992 with critics praising the graphics and multiplayer. But it also had one or two detractors in addition. With some labeling the single-player mode as dull or bland. 

Growing up, World of Illusion was the Illusion game I spent the most time on. And as a prerequisite, I enjoyed it very much back in the day. Nostalgia aside, I still enjoy playing it. In terms of quality, I put it in between the original two. It’s not quite as good as Land of Illusion. But it’s slightly better than Castle of Illusion in my opinion.

Graphics – 8/10

The first thing to notice right off the bat compared to the other two Illusion games is that the graphics outstrip both of them on the technical side. Everything from the environment to the characters looks better than they ever had done before. Showcasing in spectacular fashion what the Sega Mega Drive was capable of as the fourth generation was well and truly established. On the conceptual level, it still impresses, having been influenced by a number of Disney films such as Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland, and Sleeping Beauty to name but a few. Similar to how Castle of Illusion was put together. But on a greater scale.

Gameplay – 9/10

The gameplay also follows a very similar formula to that of Castle of Illusion, being a traditional 2D sidescroller offering two different adventures. One as Mickey Mouse and the other as Donald Duck. It’s nowhere near as open-ended as Land of Illusion is. But both playthroughs offer a very different experience to one another. As Donald Duck is forced to find alternative paths across each level due to his having different capabilities from Mickey Mouse. The multiplayer is also an outstanding experience to indulge in as it requires slightly more cooperation to progress through than in other side scrollers of the time. 

Controls – 9.5/10

The only minor fault I found with the controls, as I discussed in my review of Castle of Illusion, was the crawling mechanics. Whenever the player character crawls, it seems way too dragged on and nowhere near as fluent as a normal movement. But as I said, it’s only a nitpick. It doesn’t hinder gameplay to the point of it being unplayable. Regular movement is as fluent as it is in any of the best platformers released at the time. 

Lifespan – 7.5/10

Clocking in at around an hour, World of Illusion lasts about the same time as Land of Illusion despite its linearity, which for the time is pretty impressive in all fairness. Especially compared to what is essentially a Metroidvania. It racks up around the average lifespan of a game back in its time. So it may seem like nothing compared to what gamers will be used to in this day and age. But, for the time being, it’s impossible to complain about too much. 

Storyline – 7/10

The story of the World of Illusion is almost identical to that of the Land of Illusion. It involves Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck being swept away on yet another adventure, as they are taken by an evil magician in the form of Mickey’s long-standing arch-nemesis Pete. Again, like in the previous Illusion games, the cutscenes do as good a job as what could’ve been expected to tell the story as effectively as possible. But with respect to the game’s story, it falls a little short in terms of uniqueness.

Originality – 7.5/10

The aspects in which this game doesn’t fall short of in terms of uniqueness, however, are in both the graphics and the gameplay. The conceptual design, despite the fact they were inspired by several different Disney films, still feels like it’s its own cohesive idea as opposed to it feeling like a mish-mash of different previously conceived elements. Although the game isn’t quite on par with Land of Illusion in terms of gameplay, it’s necessary to appreciate the fact that the developers tried something new instead of simply giving the players the same experience all over again.

Happii

In summation, World of Illusion holds a lot of nostalgic value to me personally. But in the grander scheme of things, it’s still a great game to play. The multiplayer is immersing, the graphics look great, and whilst the story isn’t very original. Especially by Disney’s own lofty standards, there’s more than enough here on offer to make up for it.

Score

48.5/60

8/10 (Very Good)

Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Master System & Game Gear)

Developer(s) – Sega

Publisher(s) –  Sega

Director(s) – Yoshio Yoshida

Producer(s) – Patrick Gilmore

PEGI – 3

Released on third-generation hardware well into the fourth generation, Land of Illusion was brought out following the immense success of the previous Mickey Mouse game developed by Sega, Castle of Illusion. And for the most part, received the same level of critical acclaim being considered an adored classic by most who played it. Out of the original Illusion trilogy, Land of Illusion was the one entry that I never got to play. As, at this time, I was firmly immersed in fourth-generation hardware, such as the Super NES and the Mega Drive. And it’s a shame that this game never saw a release on the Mega Drive. Because for a multitude of reasons, it is the best in the Illusion trilogy in my opinion. Superior to both Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion.

Graphics – 8.5/10

Where the technical side of things is concerned, the game kind of looks like a mixture of both 8-BIT and 16-BIT visuals. Seemingly going above and beyond what many gamers may have thought the Sega Master System was capable of. People who have never played this game would most probably take a cursory look at it and may be too hasty to write it off immediately. As a game that seemingly came to a generation too late.

But the fact of the matter is Land of Illusion looks too good to be a third-generation title. The conceptual design is also even more of an improvement on what the developers did with Castle of Illusion. As it borrows elements from much darker Disney films than that of its predecessor. Most notably The Black Cauldron, as the antagonist is The Horned King under the guise of The Phantom. There are certain elements of certain levels that also look to be inspired by previous third-generation classics. Such as Super Mario Bros 3 and Castlevania.

Gameplay – 9/10

Perpetuating many of the same gameplay elements as seen in Castle of Illusion, Land of Illusion is another 2D side scroller. Whereby the player must traverse, explore, defeat bosses and take on the game’s end boss. What separates this game from Castle of Illusion, however, is that there’s a small Metroidvania element to it. Allowing players to backtrack to an extent with newly acquired abilities to reach otherwise impassable areas. There’s even a sidequest whereby there are a number of stars to collect throughout. Giving the game slightly more replay value than the average side-scroller. The boss fights throughout also provide a nice balance of challenge for players. 

Controls – 9/10

The biggest problem I had with the game is only a minor one. Which is that the jump mechanics can seem a little inconsistent. And as a result, gameplay can be hindered to a small extent unnecessarily. The same problem exists in the next game in the series, World of Illusion. But to a lesser extent. However, the jump mechanics are nowhere near as bad enough to be able to call the game unplayable. Like the last game, the controls are as fluent as what is needed to be for the most part. 

Lifespan – 7.5/10

Land of Illusion can be made to last around an hour. Which though the average lifespan for a game in the fourth generation is actually quite impressive compared to other third-generation titles. The amount of backtracking the game warrants makes it slightly longer than the average 2D side scroller that was a mainstay in the industry at this time. And it does fairly well to stand out on its own as a result. Of course, other games have been released by this time that lasted considerably longer like A Link to the Past and Final Fantasy games. But for what is a very retroactive experience, it succeeds to deliver.

Storyline – 8/10

The plot of Land of Illusion is extremely similar to that of Super Mario Bros 2. Mickey is reading a book one day only to fall asleep and awake again in an unfamiliar and fantastical land. Whereby he must recover a stolen magic crystal in order to help the inhabitants of a small village protect themselves from an entity known as The Phantom. Along the way, the player encounters several classic Disney characters to rescue. And along the way provides a greater deal of substance in the story and more memorable moments than Castle of Illusion. 

Originality – 8/10

Although it was released arguably three years too late, the fact of the matter is the game stands out for all the right reasons regardless of its late arrival on the Sega Master System. And for a game that at first glance would seem completely outdated, is immensely impressive. It’s amazing what developers have been able to do with basing games off of a pre-existing license before and after Land of Illusion. But very few developers took that concept to the heights that Sega took many Disney franchises in the realm of games. And this game stands out as yet another shining example of that.

Happii

Overall, I was surprised to find out that I would end up enjoying Land of Illusion more than any of the other Illusion games. It’s got a great deal to play for, for its time, the story is much more involved than in the previous game. And although it seems to be Castle of Illusion that gets the accolade of the classic Mickey Mouse game, the fact of the matter is that Land of Illusion is in many ways superior. 

Score

50/60

8/10 (Very Good)