Epic Mickey, Part 1: Overview

"Epic" truly describes this Wii game.  Coming out in 2010, the game now runs for about $19.99 at most retailers.  Also available are Epic Mickey 2: the Power of Two and Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (for 3DS only), however, this article will only concentrate on the original.

The story goes that the wizard Yen Sid has created a land for old and forgotten Disney characters such as Horace Horsecollar, Big Bad Pete, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.  Mickey travels through a "looking-glass" (like in Lewis Carroll's novel) and discovers Yen Sid's work.  Like in the Sorcerer's Apprentice scene from Fantasia, Mickey tries to take things into his own hands when Yen Sid isn't looking.  In doing so, Mickey creates "the Blot", who goes into Wasteland.  Trying to avoid being caught by Yen Sid, Mickey leaves back through the mirror and into his own world again.  Time passes, and Mickey becomes a superstar, the world's most well-known cartoon character of all time.  However, also during this time, the Blot grows.  Eventually the Blot grows big enough to travel out of Wasteland for a moment to capture its creator and takes him back to Wasteland.

That's the journey:  Mickey escaping Wasteland.  But there's so much more to the journey that you'll have to find out on your own.  Would the Pixie Dust Posse recommend this game?  Short answer: Yes.  Longer answer: This game, despite starring a cartoon character, is not for young children.  Many scenes may appear scary, especially when you're playing in it! The controls can be complicated for those new at playing Wii. The game is not only the simple jump and fight bad guys to win.  There are different puzzles to solve and riddles to understand. We recommend it for ages 10+ or possibly younger, if you know they're mature enough for it.

The game is only single-player.   It also requires a nunchuck.  Make sure you're okay with this before purchasing.  The story in itself is highly entertaining and sometimes astonishing all on its own, but what makes this game unique is the fact that YOU choose parts of the story.  Your choices with thinner and paint, the way you interact with other characters, and finding hidden objects changes your outcome along the way.  When we first played, a couple of us sold a "pin" to a gremlin and ended up having to fight many splatters as a result (or you could say as "punishment").  That's only one example of the many mistakes we made!  Since the game can change depending on what you choose, Epic Mickey does have some replay value.

We hope this article helps you judge whether or not this game is a good fit for your family.  Stay tuned for more articles regarding the Epic Mickey games!

Concept Art unlocked during gameplay