Developer: SEGA Enterprises
Publisher: SEGA of America
Released: 1992
Completed: March 8, 2020
The original Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse was one of the standout titles from the early Genesis library. It was an early showcase for what the Genesis was capable of with stellar presentation and tight gameplay. Two years later, SEGA tried to catch lightning in a bottle once again with the much-anticipated sequel, World of Illusion. This time, Donald Duck was along for the ride and the game featured two-player cooperative play, as well as branching paths depending on who you picked in single player!
It's a mostly successful endeavor. World of Illusion fails to capture the magic of Castle, despite magic being a prevalent theme ironically, but it's still a solid and beautiful platform adventure that's perfect for family gaming.
In fact, if you're looking to get your children into gaming, this is a perfect jumping off point. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are still beloved by children (and adults) the world over, and the two-player option means you and your child can work together to solve the game's traversal puzzles.
World of Illusion is significantly easier than Castle was, owing perhaps to the attempt to cater towards young and old alike. Playing as either Mickey or Donald is relatively the same, though there are some exclusive stages to each which greatly enhances replayability. Playing cooperatively yields even more variances in the path you'll take, but none of them will test your reflexes too harshly.
On the whole, the game plays a little slower as well, but there are lots of neat mechanics such as climbing along a spider's web, swimming in a bubble in the rare underwater level that doesn't totally suck, and using Alice in Wonderland's card guards as platforms.
Like its predecessor, it's also an absolutely gorgeous game. Stunning backgrounds are complimented by outstanding animation. It's vibrant, colorful, and filled with detail. Every level is a treat to behold, marred only by some unfortunate and unexpected slowdown.
A cheeful, bouncy soundtrack accompanies you on your journey through five levels. Again, it's at least on par with Castle of Illusion's score and has that vintage Disney feel. The voices have that trademark Genesis scratchiness to them, but like the slowdown this is only a minor complaint in an otherwise flawless presentation.
Heck, even the box art is phenomenal! I miss the days when video games had such eye-catching artwork!
If it's all so great, then why only a 3.5/5? Well, it's simply that it's not as good as Castle of Illusion. Make no mistake: this is a fine game, and absolutely one you should play. It's just lacking that small intangible thing that Castle had, whatever it may be, that made it so special. Maybe it's just that the Genesis had been around longer by the time World of Illusion was released and it was harder to be impressed in my cynical teenage years, but I'm a cynical old adult now and playing this game in 2020 still put a huge smile on my face. It's one of the best looking games on the Genesis, and I'd argue of the entire 16-bit generation. I appreciate all the added replayability as well, but the slower pace and shorter adventure keep it just shy of true greatness.
World of Illusion was completed on a real Genesis with no cheats.
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