Mickey Mouse, though the corporate identity of Disney, has been lacking a little personality in the last decade or two. A new title coming out for the Wii looks to breathe some life back into the iconic mouse. Epic Mickey has the makings of an excellent action/adventure/platformer that will be kid-friendly as well as interesting for adults.
The premise Epic Mickey is based in Walt’s animation history. Before Mickey, there was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald was Walt’s original animated lead character, but he was owned by Universal. When they pressured him, he abandoned the intellectual property with them, created a new character (Mickey) and started his own studio. This game allows the user to experience Mickey’s realization of his past and enter Oswald’s world.
The primary play mechanic allows the player to either paint the world with the brush or use paint thinner to erase parts of it away. This provides a perfect opportunity to use the Wiimote to interact with the environment. Granting an RPG element to the experience, the world treats Mickey differently depending on which approach he uses. Furthermore, his appearance even changes depending on which tool he uses more – paint or thinner.
I have to admit that this title looks promising enough for this gamer to consider acquiring a Wii for the family. There are plenty of other titles for justification, but there’s something about this one that has really piqued my interest.
The expected release date for Epic Mickey is Fall of 2010. In the meantime, we will keep you posted as more becomes available.
‘Tis the day after Thanksgiving and the official holiday shopping season has begun. There are a number of good deals to be found including the following at your local GameStop:
Buy 2 get 1 free (Valid in store or online 11/25/09 – 11/29/09)
Considering that we’re all trying to do our best to make ends meet, a used game or system is a great way to get more for your gaming dollar. One tip: GameStop online does not guarantee an original case or instruction manual for pre-owned games. However, if you go to your local stores, you can verify on-the-spot if the game appears to be “gift worthy.”
Also, GameStop is not the only option for purchasing used games or systems. Most areas have local mom-n-pop shops that offer similar merchandise. Many feel that their money is better served supporting locally-owned stores as opposed to national chains.
Check your local listings for vendors in your own neighborhood and good luck from the Frugal Gamer!
Though fellow PSP/PS3 owners in Japan have enjoyed this application for months now, it was released yesterday via the PlayStation store for the U.S. This is a utility that allows a PSP owner who has a PS3 to use the console as a bridge to other PS3/PSP owners. This then allows such gamers to play any AdHoc PSP title through the internet with others. In essence, it converts any old AdHoc title into an infrastructure networked game in the privacy of your own home.
The video above demonstrates the utility in action. For more information, point your browser to Sony’s U.S. PlayStation Blog.
This weekend I was browsing the Web as part of my ongoing quest to learn EVERYTHING and I stumbled across Etsy.com. This is a site where a number of different people/companies offer their handmade creations. I must admit, there is a reporter from Moses Lake, Washington who calls her creative endeavor Digital Soaps and makes some very interesting (wait for it…) soap. If you need some form of incentive to get your kid off the console and into the tub, or if your spouse would get a kick out of such a novelty, I have to say that these are pretty neat. Click below to see even more of these creations!
For some of us who have been gaming for more than a decade (or two, or…), the title Prince of Persia brings back memories of classic 2D platforming mixed with puzzle strategy that all had to be accomplished in a one-hour time frame. Though the franchise was brought into the third dimension for PCs and the Dreamcast with the title Prince of Persia 3D (aka Prince of Persia: Arabian Nights), it wasn’t until Ubisoft resurrected the franchise with Prince of Persia: Sands of Time that the gaming public would take notice again. Two additional titles followed in the last generation of consoles – Warrior Within and The Two Thrones. However, the first of these three seemed to have captured the imagination of some folks at Disney.
Considering that Disney was able to get three full films out of an original theme park ride called Pirates of the Caribbean, I can’t imagine that it would be difficult to get a decent film out of the world portrayed in the Prince of Persia games. This is particularly true with the added visually dynamic moves that Ubisoft incorporated into their newer titles like the Prince’s ability to run along walls or jump back and forth between chasms to ascend cliffs quickly. These acrobatics should transfer to the screen quite nicely and the concept of the dagger that turns back time provides an opportunity for blockbuster eye candy.
Though Disney isn’t going to be giving us the next Citizen Kane, their new film looks to be an entertaining diversion. And as far as video game inspired films go, it can’t be as bad as Super Mario Bros.
Mickey Mouse, though the corporate identity of Disney, has been lacking a little personality in the last decade or two. A new title coming out for the Wii looks to breathe some life back into the iconic mouse. Epic Mickey has the makings of an excellent action/adventure/platformer that will be kid-friendly as well as interesting for adults.
