It really is impressive how beautiful this once 16-bit game has become, as it has been brought to life in 3D with vibrant colours and good detail. Disney’s power of imagination shines through majestically here, as the storybook cut-scenes and level rendering are great. One 3D-plane boss fight, in particular, is really irritating.Ĭastle of Illusion soars particularly in its production, however. The static camera and controls simply don’t work as well during these moments. Unfortunately, some troublesome 3D sections also make an appearance. A special jump can be performed after jumping on enemies, allowing you to reach higher places and find extra secrets. That being said, Mickey must still combat enemies, whom can be eliminated with a jump attack or by throwing objects at them. The deliberate pacing contributes to this, as rather than overwhelm with enemies, Illusion favours minimal encounters and exploration. During 2D platforming, the controls work well and jumping remains fluid. The good news is that Castle of Illusion is still a smooth platformer for the most part, if not as varied and fresh as other recent platformers. Smartly, SEGA Australia opens up elements of exploration, as certain sections are changed into optional dreamscape worlds, making these transitions more natural. A majority of this remake is faithfully recreated from the original: moments you remember, such as a topsy-turvy world which can be flipped to disillusion enemies or a pursuit with a giant apple, remain in the remake. Two are your standard platforming, while the third contains a boss fight. A hub structures all the levels together, with each world is divided into three acts. All of the original levels are fully intact and rendered in 3D for the remake. The story isn’t the only part that's very similar to the original. The story is pretty thin to be fair, but it still manages to ooze with whimsy and charm. This is good, and another bright spot is the added narration, laced throughout the game, which makes the whole thing feel like a story being read to you before bedtime. The main difference is the inclusion of fully-voiced dialogue, in comparison to text and scrolling cut-scenes of the Mega Drive original.
The story remains almost identical to the original, as Mickey attempts to rescue Minnie from Mizrabel, a witch who wants to absorb Minnie’s beauty for her own gain. Mickey’s journey is filled with charm and fun, but is also criminally short.
Praised for its magical whimsy and incredible production values back in the day, SEGA Australia looks to present much of the same magic to a new audience.
#Castle of illusion xbox one full#
Now, SEGA’s classic Castle of Illusion is getting a full remake for downloadable platforms. From Flashback to Speedball 2, classic games of yesteryear are getting updated, ranging from extremely good to mediocre. 2013, in particular, has seen dozens of remakes. One of the most prominent trends in recent memory is remaking old games.