Mickey Mouse - Castle Of Illusion Remake PS3 review

[jim g]

So, I pre ordered this form USA store and downloaded it today.

It is a remake in super duper 2013 graphics of the original Castle Of Illusion which first appeared in Japan on the Mega Drive on 21st November 1990. Pre ordering the game on USA PSN store gave you a free download of the Mega Drive game and I played that over the weekend to get me set up for this remake.

So fast forward to 2013. The remake has been produced by Sega Australia the game remains the same as the original with all the graphics and sound boosted for 2013. There is now a spoken intro which sets the scene before you begin your quest in the Castle.

I have only played a little so far and will update this later. The graphics and Mickey are all OK, similar to the recent Duck Tales update, they are smooth and colourful (as Disney would expect).

So, how does it play? Well, on beginning my quest, I was immediately surprised by the control of Mickey. Having played Rayman Legends to death, the control of Mickey feels awful. Minor movements of the left stick and you miss jumps that you should not and the same goes for bouncing on the enemies. Mickey is simply not easy to control and certainly not intuitive, you really have concentrate, even for the simplest of jumps. This a huge distraction for what should be a fun game. I switched to the D Pad to see if it was easier, it was a little but not much. There is no option to adjust this either.

So I persevered through the Enchanted Forest and then you reach the first psuedo 3D bit. Then more platforming. By the end of Enchanted Forest, my teeth are grinding at the sheer frustration, not from my bad gameplay, but very poor controls.

In short, it looks good and I want to love it. But, give the demo a try first, because if you are like me you will want the smash the controller after not too long.

I will come back to it later today, but now I need a break.

[saturn-gamer]

I sort of expected this judging by the released footage. It seems difficult to control.

[jim g]

I have played some more into the Second Area (Toys) and am missing fewer jumps; either I am getting used to it or they are a bit more forgiving. There are some nice 3D sections and good hidden areas to discover. I won't reveal where, but they are worth seeking out.

Praying I grow to love it more, maybe they will release a patch for it? (which they shouldn't need to do, what happened to play testers?)

[saturn-gamer]

I played the trial just now and I actually find it to be very solid. The controls come off a ropey at first but after 1 minute or so I had no problems anymore. It might be the framerate, this is probably best on PC at 60fps. The console version is 30fps and it does chug during the end of the chase scene.

But I jumped from spider to spider, collecting gems. It all flowed nicely, level design is top notch. Atmosphere and music are excellent as well. I don't regret my pre-order.

[nakamura]

30fps? That's laughable. PS1 platformers are that.

[saturn-gamer]

720p too!

But its visually really well done.

[jim g]

I played the trial just now and I actually find it to be very solid. The controls come off a ropey at first but after 1 minute or so I had no problems anymore. It might be the framerate, this is probably best on PC at 60fps. The console version is 30fps and it does chug during the end of the chase scene.

But I jumped from spider to spider, collecting gems. It all flowed nicely, level design is top notch. Atmosphere and music are excellent as well. I don't regret my pre-order.

Frame rate could be it on ps3 it ain't good

[saturn-gamer]

Its unlocked on PSN, as is the MD version bonus.

MD port is brilliant! Its by M2 so you'll get the usual region select, myriad of visual options et al. No 50hz stuff in here either. I have to say the MD version doesn't play THAT different from the remake, he feels more weighty but its frustrating at times as well. Very strict with timing and hitboxes. Difference is that you have to press and hold jump button in mid-air in order to stomp enemies.

[yesteryeargames]

Not out in the uk xbox store ? :S

[jim g]

Not out in the uk xbox store ? :S

I know I have checked several times today, strange, wonder if there is a problem?

[jim g]

Jesus, who play tested this (PS3)? I am sick to death of falling off ledges because of the poor animation and crap control scheme. I WANT to love it, but this is silly. I read today the team that made it have been disbanded and gone to pastures new, so there will be no chance of a patch to fix the controls. The only"honest" review I have seen is here :http://www.videogamer.com/reviews/ca...se_review.html

The other reviews seem like PR bought scores to me or they simply haven't played it.

[saturn-gamer]

I have almost no problems with the controls. Just beat world 2 and thought it was another brilliant piece of level design. The boss was perfectly redone. Music is excellent as well.

I think its one of the most fun games of the year.

[Yakumo]

I have this on the 360. It hit the Japanese store yesterday (5th September) I have to say that I'm liking it. The analogue controls don't feel right but use a Joystick or good digital pad and you're going to be fine (No idea if the PS3 will be the same).

Graphically it is really nice but at 30fps it does have that ****ty blur on the graphics at times. Still, not enough to spoil the fun. I'm now up to the 4th world (The library) but had to switch it off for bed. I'll be back on it tonight for sure. I may even pop in my original MD game as well

The only thing that pisses me off is the voice over. It just gets in the way IMO. So I have that switched off.

[nakamura]

This is a terrible remake of a great game. Good levels, utterly worthless music, horrible frame rate and bad control. Still managed to be fun though.

[Widegoat]

I have to echo what people are saying about the controls - I think the issue might be input lag - I guess this is somehow linked with framerate. I really want to like it but it is just so frustrating. Good for those that can play the game and not be affected by off kilter controls, but for me it is a game breaking issue. I'm not sure what is up with the voice acting either, Mickey Mouse sounds more like Stacey Solomon than the original Walt Disney recordings.