October 11, 2011
Pap the Disney Gamer's
Highlights: Disney DVD Game World
With the advent of DVD
technology (and now its successor the Blu-Ray
disc), it allowed for a far deeper level of
interactivity beyond just watching a movie in
its clearest video and sound presentation. The
DVD technology was strong enough that movie fans
could watch a lengthy documentary while the film
was playing and even listen to multiple audio
tracks. Disney pushed this to the next level
with their various DVD releases, including
everything from in-depth documentaries to fun
video games. In 2006, they took the idea of DVD
gaming even further and released two games under
the name of Disney DVD Game World.

The idea behind Disney DVD Game
World is to expand upon the concept of DVD set
top games and allow stronger focus on this being
its own unique game rather than a bonus feature
on a DVD. This meant that they weren't limited
to just the feature film and further experiment
with their own franchises and characters. Disney
had already experimented with this concept with
2003's Lilo and Stitch's Island of Adventures,
but that is a whole different game altogether
(stay tuned for that game here on Gamer
Tuesday!).

The first Disney DVD Game World
release was Disney Dogs: Blue Ribbon Challenge
featuring famous Disney dogs such as Pluto,
Tramp, and a Dalmatian. They are all competing
for the important Puppy Cup prize. Later, Disney
released a Disney Princess edition featuring the
famous and world renowned Disney Princesses.

Both games feature the same
basic gameplay structure. Played like a classic
board game, players choose their character and
compete with each other by answering trivia
questions as well as partake in other challenges
in order to reach the finish line and be crowned
the winner. Up to four players could participate
in each game. On Disney Dogs, each board
featured segments from famous Disney films such
as 101 Dalmatians and Fox and the
Hound, while the Disney Princess version
featured a virtual castle, each room themed
after the various Disney Princesses.

If you played some of the games
featured in other Disney DVD releases, then you
will understand how the Disney DVD Game World
controls and works. All it takes is the DVD
remote control to mark your selections. Both
versions of the game feature hundreds of
challenges as well as trivia questions based on
Disney films and other pieces of Disney trivia.
The 2006 release of the Fox and the Hound 2
DVD features a demo of the Disney Dogs edition,
so if you are curious, you can check it out and
see what you think before you buy.

The creation of the Disney DVD
Game World titles proved that Disney gaming
didn't have to limit itself to consoles,
handhelds, and computers. Like I mentioned at
the beginning of this article, the DVD
revolution already allowed for this kind of
experience to exist, but Disney went above and
beyond and gave us some really unique releases.
It shattered the limitations of presenting both
the game and the film and instead focusing on
delivering a gameplay experience anyone could
really enjoy without even needing prior gameplay
knowledge.