March 1, 2011

Pap the Disney Gamer's Highlights: Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse

System: Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Sega CD

Developed by: Traveler's Tales

With Mickey Mouse being one of the most iconic cultural icons the Disney company has ever produced it would be silly to NOT feature him in a video game of sorts. Mickey Mania is one of the many attempts at bringing the mouse and his legacy onto the video game world. What's unique about this game is that it celebrates Mickey's film career in the form of playable levels based off of many of his movies and short films, something that wouldn't be done again until games like Kingdom Hearts and Epic Mickey came along. You start with Mickey's first sound short, Steamboat Willie, and end with Mickey's the Prince and the Pauper, which at the time of the game’s release it was the latest short Mickey had starred in.

What's captivating about this game is how the game presents this concept. All of the character sprites were hand drawn in order to capture the vividness of Disney animation, and the characters and worlds were designed to resemble the featured short. This means that you can meet with black and white Mickey Mouse, fly around a tornado with Band Concert Mickey and even see Beanstalk Mickey shoot out of a champagne bottle. You can also see other classic characters like Pluto and Pete, and some of the lesser known characters like the Mad Doctor and the Lonesome Ghosts.

The gameplay in Mickey Mania is of the platformer variety, much like Nintendo's Super Mario series. Mickey can defend himself by shooting balls at his enemies. Despite the friendliness of the main character, Mickey Mania offers a decent level of challenge thanks to both clever level design and unrelenting enemies. There were many versions of the game release, each one with different additions and upgrades. For example, the Genesis version added a bonus level based on “The Band Concert”, while the Sega CD version featured vocal samples for Mickey as well as a fully orchestrated soundtrack.

This wouldn't be the first and last game starring Mickey Mouse, and while the gameplay wasn't as polished as it should be it is fondly remembered by gamers thanks to how it takes advantage of his unforgettable legacy, and in stunning Disney animation to boot.