Consoles: Sega Genesis / Mega Drive / Master System / Game Gear
Game: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Genre: Platformer
(The Walt Disney Co., / Sega Enterprises, Ltd., 1990 / 1991)
What if Witch Mizrabel hosted for Halloween?🧹👻💎
There was really something magical about the Sega / Disney partnership that resulted in some truly incredible platform games that are still highly regarded to this day. The first game from the illustrious pairing of the House of Mouse and House of Hedgehog was the platformer Castle of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse. Originally released on the Genesis and Mega Drive in late 1990, this magical, imaginative adventure was a real showpiece for 16-Bit ingenuity, and its success lead to two other sequels in the Sega / Disney “Starring…” series with Quackshot: Starring Donald Duck, and World of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
Castle of Illusion sees Mickey on a quest to save Minnie from the evil Witch Mizrabel. Mickey must defeat Mizrabel’s minions and face a Master of Illusion boss at the end of each stage to obtain the 7 rainbow gems necessary to reach Mizrabel and rescue Minnie.
From giant rolling apples to ghostly woods, and from swimming in a cup of tea, to leaping through a lavish land of sweets, Castle of Illusion had no shortage of creativity on display. Its soundtrack by Tokuhiko Uwabo and Shigenori Kamiya, is also considered by many to be one of the 16-Bit era’s finest offerings (which was also lovingly recreated for the 2013 remake).
While the Genesis game always conjures up a witch's brew of 16-Bit nostalgia, the equally impressive Game Gear and SMS versions of Castle of Illusion are every bit as deserving of the term classic as their bigger sibling. The real beauty in the GG / SMS Castle of Illusion is in its originality. While some set-pieces, and musical tracks from the Genesis outing are present, the entire aesthetic and gameplay aspects of this adventure are wholly unique. It’s largely an entirely different experience to the Genesis / Mega Drive version, and one that should be equally experienced, as this variation dared to be a bold, new adventure of its own, which lead to a different series of unique 8-Bit sequels with Land of Illusion, and Legend of Illusion, both starring Mickey Mouse.
Castle of Illusion delighted a generation of gamers back in the early 90's, and is sure to continue to enchant many, many more on the rainbow road ahead, and whether at home with Mickey on console or on the frolicking go with the Game Gear, these 8 and 16-Bit games are truly timeless gems. 💎
(*Bonus Stage: In 2013, Sega Studios Australia’s splendid 2.5D remake of Castle of Illusion released on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. This overlooked, and highly recommended redux is also currently available on iOS and Android. Additionally, the original 16-Bit version of Castle of Illusion is also playable on the Sega Genesis / Sega Mega Drive Mini console.)