The game was also included on the Sega Genesis Mini in 2019.Ĭastle of Illusion is a side-scrolling platformer in which the player takes control of Mickey Mouse as he goes inside the Castle of Illusion in order to rescue Minnie Mouse from an evil witch named Mizrabel, who wants to steal Minnie's youth and beauty.
A remake of the game by Sega Studios Australia was released for PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and PC in September 2013. It was re-released in 1998 in Japan as part of the Sega Ages: Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck for the Sega Saturn, which features both Castle of Illusion and QuackShot.
It was the first game in Sega's long-running Illusion video game series starring Mickey and was also a part of the second wave of games initially released for the Mega Drive/Genesis which helped seal the console's reputation within the period until the release of Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991.Ĭastle of Illusion was very well received by critics, especially the original 16-bit version. The game follows Mickey Mouse on a quest to save Minnie Mouse from the evil witch Mizrabel. An 8-bit version of the game was later released for the Master System and Game Gear. More info GenreĬastle of Illusion is a complete re-imagining of the 1990 Mega Drive/Genesis side-scrolling adventure featuring new gameplay mechanics.Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is a 1990 platform game developed by Sega and released for the Mega Drive/Genesis. This review was conducted using the Xbox 360 version of the game. The controls do need some work, but while Castle of Illusion is high on mechanic problems, it's even higher on whimsy. Even if you hold no affinity for the original title, this version will likely make you nostalgic for something.Ĭastle of Illusion is a solid remake all-around, offering a unique vision of the core design that will give fans something fresh to delve into while modernizing the experience for newcomers. He has the ability to make music that's simultaneously playful and grandiose, and his work here is magnificent.
Even better, Sega employed Grant Kirkhope, who wrote the music for games like Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64, to remaster Castle of Illusion's soundtrack. The completely redesigned hub world, which has Mickey exploring a witch's castle and using amassed collectibles to unlock doors, feels like something out of a Nintendo 64 game. The game also succeeds in feeling like a faithful homage not just to the Genesis original, but to old-school platformers as a whole. On the other hand, it certainly never runs out of steam along the way. On one hand, Castle of Illusion won't last you very long. That the game can be completed in less than three hours is both a curse and a blessing. The game also leaps from one eye-catching set piece to the next-outrunning a giant apple here, swimming through an ocean of tea there-so quickly that it's never dull. But the game finds its rhythm in a big way during the game's last few levels, when you must outmaneuver enormous books and mace-wielding suits of armor. "Castle of Illusion won't last you very long."įor a while, Castle of Illusion's primary source of challenge is wrestling with the controls.