This approach makes Disney Illusion Island not only very kid-friendly, but also truly unique within the Metroidvania space. Any “enemies” I encountered during my demo, including a cactus ball, were to be avoided, not attacked. What also makes Dinsey Illusion Island stand out from other games of its ilk is that there’s no combat. When these are unlocked, the game’s map will mark where these moves can be used to access new areas, making it an approachable Metroidvania. During my demo, I could pull off a satisfying double jump and wall jump to get to new places, but Dlala teased that more abilities like gliding, swinging on grapple points, and swimming will come later in the adventure. Thankfully, the core platforming is more than enough fun to make up for it. Dlala told Digital Trends this decision was made because they realize each one of the four is someone’s favorite character, and they didn’t want to punish someone for picking their favorite by locking away abilities or making them easier or harder to play as. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald are all animated uniquely and can use different items for certain moves, but these differences are purely visual. Dlala made the decision not to give characters distinct abilities. The game’s first intriguing design choice pops up as soon as you have to pick a character. Dlala went a step further, though, and has made a full-blown Metroidvania platformer that has some unique gameplay ideas and will appeal to all ages.

This game could have gotten away with being a pretty, but extremely simple level-based platformer only meant to be played by young children for a couple of hours. Developer Dlala Studios was an excellent choice for this game as it’s already established itself as a go-to studio for stylish 2D games with 2020’s Battletoads. In all regions, the voice actors for the characters reprise their roles from the shorts. It’s a straightforward pitch: pick Mickey, Minnie, Donald, or Goofy and jump around some Disneyfied locales. Disney Illusion Island is a 2D platformer utilizing the visual style of the recent The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse shorts.

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