Out of nostalgia - and a bit because it was on sale - I
got Castle of Illusion on Steam. Back in the days I played it on my Megadrive and
have some good memories of it, so why not?
For context, we´re talking of a 3D reboot
of a 2D platform game. While most reboots are questionable, this one came out
better than expected, since the game offers several substantial advantages over
the original. The most notorious being checkpoints: If memory serves in the
original if you ran out of lives you had to start over. In this new version
completed levels are saved, so you can continue playing from the last completed
checkpoint. This makes a world of a difference from the original, which was a
good platforming games with some fresh ideas, but it was fucking hard to
finish. I don´t think I managed to do it
But this new version not only upgrades the
game to 2.5D graphics but also adds some interesting camera variety, while
keeping the excellent level design ideas. It´s still fairly simple in its
proposal: Mickey can walk, jump and throw apples. That´s pretty much it. Each
scenario is somehow unique, with lots of exotic gameplay elements. This is a
rare luxury in these days where budget constraints favor reusable systems.
Another advantage is that, since the mechanics are that simple, you can´t blame
the game for your failures. It´s all on you
On the minus side I´d say the ending
cinematic was underwhelming, much like if they ran out of money at the last
minute, and the game was a bit short. Presuming the game has the same number of
levels than the original it´s understandable: Since the player is not forced to
start from scratch it´s easier to run through the game. That also makes the
“Lives” system a bit superfluous, I see the game being clearer without them
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