Eric Neigher, Contributing Editor: So, I hear this is a game starring this mouse cartoon from the 1940's called Steamboat Willy. Is it about fighting Hitler?
Ryan Scott, Executive Editor: It is. Something about finding the Ark of the Covenant, too. And I think a giant boulder might play into it.
Eric Neigher: Seriously, though -- you and just about everybody else were raving about this one. Why?
Ryan Scott: It's a big, beautiful platformer by Warren Spector, the dude behind System Shock, Deus Ex, and Thief. It stars Mickey Mouse, who's trapped in the world of Wasteland, where all of Disney's forgotten and rejected designs go. Spector literally took unused concepts from the Disney archive, so the source material is an authentic representation, as far as the story the game's trying to tell. For instance, did you know that one of Disney's first breakout characters was a Mickey-lookin' dude named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who they lost the rights to during a contract dispute in 1928? That's the whole reason Mickey even came into being -- because Disney lost the rights to this other character. And in Epic Mickey, he's the ruler of Wasteland, and he hates Mickey for stealing the life he should have had. How awesome is that?
Eric Neigher: Actually, that is really frickin' awesome. Holy crap. So, it's interesting, because you say it's a platformer by a guy who has... zero experience designing platformers. What's the gameplay like? Super Mario Galaxy? And is the tone happy-Disney, or a little bit on the darker side like the games that Spector's done in the past?
Ryan Scott: It struck me as very Mario-like. Mickey's armed with a paintbrush, which he can use to draw and erase objects in the environment. It sounds like the game includes something of a slight alignment system, with some of Mickey's sidekick characters reacting differently based on whether you err on the side of fixing and repairing things -- or erasing them -- to meet your goals. It's definitely not a "Mickey can be good or evil" thing; Spector stressed that Mickey's a good guy at heart no matter what, but he gets that mischievous glint in his eye every now and again. And the world of Wasteland itself is definitely a bit dark, yet still colorful and very much a Disney creation. The actions that you take affect the world's aesthetic in ways that Spector's not yet ready to reveal; in the end, I assume Mickey will wind up changing Wasteland's dreary demeanor to one of happy sunshine and puppies. Spector also showed off some Steamboat Willy levels, which are black-and-white side-scrolling affairs that break up the 3D areas.
Eric Neigher: Interesting. It almost sounds like the game is infused with some role-playing game elements; which I wouldn't put past Spector, since every game he's ever done has incorporated those. Did you notice any multiplayer components? Can Donald show up as the game's Luigi? And is the paintbrush functionality sort of like Okami? That's the impression I'm getting.
Ryan Scott: No multiplayer stuff yet, but the paintbrush is something that Spector mentioned as very central to the reason they chose the Wii as the game's platform. I guess they were initially planning on making Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions as well, but the motion control was something they decided to embrace full-on. It's so rare that we see a game that utilizes that stuff well, too; I really have high hopes here. This might be my favorite game of the show.
Eric Neigher: Ironic that the 360 and PS3 both have motion controls now. At least in theory. Well, I have to say -- just from the hype alone, I'm excited about this one. I have to think that the Mickey Mouse IP is a bit lost on most of today's kids... but hell, maybe this will be just the thing to resurrect its appeal. Maybe that's Disney's thought in the first place. Any parting thoughts on this one? Stuff you hope makes it into the game?
Ryan Scott: The first question that I asked Spector is how jealously Disney guards their properties -- I have to imagine they maintain a mile-long list of the stuff you just can't do with Mickey Mouse. But it really sounds like Spector and his team "got" it, and treated the character with such care that Disney didn't keep them on a leash. In fact, the one thing Spector says Disney brought the hammer down on him for is "Mickey absolutely cannot have teeth." Funny, eh? Anyway, this is one game I'm really looking forward to. And yeah -- it's about time Mickey stepped back into the limelight.
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