None of it pushes the platforming genre as a whole forward even an inch, and the themed worlds that seemed so imaginative in the ‘90s are now utter cliches, but these reworked return trips certainly beat Sega’s designers just copying and pasting from a ROM and having an early night. A clock tower whose grinding gears keep switching the perspective. A micro-scale bonus level set in a swirling tea-cup.
#CASTLE OF ILLUSION REVIEW SERIES#
A series of false platforms solved by referring to the true reflection behind them. It’s stylish, it moves well, and every stage is packed with character and gimmicks to uncover and enjoy.
Castle of Illusion isn’t close to Rayman-level artistry, but its looks and personality easily earn its Disney logo. Everything benefits from great art and at least a little 3D though, with flat routes now able to curve around towers, follow train tracks, and other well-implemented effects. Older segments be can a mite bland if you have no emotional connection to their original versions, but the new stuff around them is surprisingly seamless. The actual game is a strange mix of old and new, with lots of specific level design copied outright, but expanded on every axis – the action mostly being 2D with polygons instead of sprites, but with the camera regularly zooming out into the third-dimension proper for bonuses, some set-pieces, bosses, and the Castle itself, which has now been upgraded from a few humble doors to a shameless copy of Peach’s place from Super Mario 64. Unlike the intrusive story of Duck Tales Remastered though, CoI’s plays behind the action rather than constantly interrupting it, and the narrator shuts up when returning to levels to sweep for collectibles. And, well, that’s about it, with the added detail in this remake limited to little more than a narrator on hand to constantly add comments like “Mickey bravely continued through the castle.” This narration can get irritating after a failed jump too many on a specific section, and contributes little. Mickey of course races to rescue her, content from the title of this game that at least he knows exactly which castle his princess will be in. There's a lot to like about Castle of Illusion, and it's well worth picking up.The premise (“plot” would be a little strong), is that Minnie gets captured by the witch Mizrabel – the Queen from Snow White working under a different name – to have her youth and beauty siphoned off. Two: as a game made for consoles and PCs, and selling at a price point that's cheaper than those platforms but more expensive than the going rate for mobile games, this helps to mature the platform as a whole. One: I like games that mix just enough of retro and modern mechanics and aesthetics to get the best of both worlds. I hope to see more games like this on iOS for multiple reasons. Again, it's that great mix between the old ways of doing things and the new that this game just absolutely nails. Its platforming can be challenging, and its boss fights require a bit of patience. Still, gamepad support would be fantastic.Ĭastle of Illusion isn't necessarily inordinately difficult, but it does put a bit of resistance to players where they have to take some care in trying to tackle the levels. Having the ability to tap anywhere to jump and to just hit a button to toss projectiles helps to keep things simple and effective. The controls use a virtual joystick which is, well, a virtual joystick - a bit loose but it does an okay job at the proceedings. The game looks fantastic on Retina displays, runs smoothly, and is incredibly detailed.
#CASTLE OF ILLUSION REVIEW PC#
There's that feeling of rigidity to the way that levels are arranged and laid out that makes it have just enough of an old-school feel while feeling loose and new.Īs a game that originated as a console and PC title, the flash and polish really come through. This is not just in looks: many of the original enemies and bosses are still here in some form, but the game has the trappings of a kind of late 8-bit and early 16-bit platformer. It's been modernized, but it still has enough of that classic flavor to it. So no, it's not just a straight-up paint job on the original game.
This is a 2.5D platformer in that it does contain mostly 3D characters along a 2D plane, but moments where 3D movement is possible do pop up and are parts of some of the game's cooler moments - like a puzzle where players must discover if tiles they're running on are fake or not by looking into a mirror. It's certainly a welcome addition to the platform. Device Reviewed On: iPad Mini Retina, iPhone 5Ĭastle of Illusion, a modern remake of the Sega Genesis platforming hit, has made a surprise landing on iOS after launching on console and PC not long ago.
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