And yes, up until the release of this game, that is largely how public opinion on Epic Mickey went. As the game was demonstrated at public and media only events repeatedly, there were those who proclaimed that this game would demonstrate what a quality third party title on the Wii should be like, that it would prove to be the game that would demonstrate the commercial viability of third party games on the Wii. And then there was the second camp, which maintained, in the face of increasing resistance, that this game looked very ordinary, that there really seemed to be nothing special about it, and that hyping it up because of Spector, or Mickey, or Nintendo, without the game itself conveying any substance worth hyping up, was just plain and flat out a display of the typical fanboy’s mentality.

Now that the final game is here, and in our hands, it’s probably a bit ironic, and more than a little hilarious, to realize that all that sound and fury was towards no end after all. Epic Mickey, as a game, represents what is probably Spector’s weakest work till date. However, at the same time, it is in no way a bad game- it’s a great game with a great story that is charmingly told, a wonderful sound track, high production values, and reeking of polish and finesse overall. However, once you’re done with it, it probably won’t stick with you as being anything special, anything remarkable, anything groundbreaking. It’ll probably fade into the background as being just another good game. In a word, Epic Mickey can best be described as inoffensive. On a system on which every game incites controversy and provokes impassioned arguments, Epic mickey is certainly a bit of an outlier in that regard.

Epic Mickey will take you all across Wasteland, the dystopian world featuring forgotten Disney locales, as you chase Oswald the Rabbit, the tragic character who seems to have sinister motives.

The first thing that stands out about Epic Mickey is its bold and stunning graphics. When the concept art for this game was first released over a year ago, there was considerable excitement amongst the gaming press and public. However, when the first build of the actual game was unveiled, there were murmurs of disappointment, as many felt that the final product did not seem to be living up to the original vision.  That may certainly be true- Epic Mickey definitely doesn’t look as good as the concept art indicated it would- but it looks like a hell of a game nonetheless.

It’s got bright colors, that stand out starkly with the ruined world that the game is portraying. Epic Mickey’s graphics come off as bold and powerful, with great character animation and perfect color saturation. When this is mixed with the game’s smooth framerate and its high resolution textures and environments, we have what might be one of the best looking games in the system, and a game that manages to convey the dystopia of Wasteland to the player admirably well. Epic Mickey’s graphics set the stage perfectly, pulling you into their world, and creating an atmosphere that is probably unrivaled by any other Wii title this generation, except for maybe Silent Hill.

The great graphics are complemented by stunningly well directed cutscenes. These cutscenes look gorgeous, whether they be the CGI rendered portions such as the game intro, or the 2D animated sequences that hearken to the old Mickey Mouse cartoons. The transition between the cutscenes and the in game sequences is generally seamless (although you are bound to notice when the game switches over from the gameplay screen to the cartoon cutscenes) and this keeps things moving, ensuring that, unlike so many other games, Mickey’s cutscenes do not interrupt the flow of the game.

The graphics of this game are backed by this game’s wonderful score, which sounds brooding and epic, grandiose and  menacing, all at once. And at the same time, it sounds alluring enough that a kid, many of whom will doubtless be playing this game, will not be intimidated, and in fact, might even be urged to play the game further simply because of how the soundscore of Epic Mickey subtly reinforces the game in our minds.

In Epic Mickey, we get to see a much darker and more mischievous side of the titular protagonist.

The game, sadly, has little to no voice work to speak of (see what I did there?)- most of the cutscenes feature nary but an odd grunt here an there (though some of them are voiced over by a narrator)- and this may been as a point in the cons column by many. However, when all is said and done, that’s probably for the best. Considering the design and direction of the game, as well as its starring protagonist, the decision to not have any voice acting was probably the wisest decision the developers made.

The cracks begin to show, however, with the game’s core underlying design. The foundation is solid, to be sure- we have what is essentially an adventure/platformer hybrid game, which is bolstered by several gameplay innovations such as the paint and the thinner (the former has the ability to restore and create objects in the game world, the latter can erase and delete them).

The paint brush and thinner actually add an interesting twist to the otherwise unremarkable rendition of the traditional 3D platformer. Often times, we run into a chasm simply too wide to jump across, and we have to use our paintbrush to restore some part of the floor that might have once been there before, but now isn’t, or use it to restore a gear that might be used to lower or raise some kind of drawbridge that might allow us to cross. Conversely, we often come across huge piles of debris or chasms that can only be crossed using the thinner properly- to clear the debris, or to delete a gear, that might be holding back some sort of platform or drawbridge.

It’s an interesting system, one that makes good use of the environment, and one that makes you think. It controls well enough too, using the Wiimote and nunchuk’s pointer abilities to be used intuitively.

But if all’s well and fine, then what is the problem with this game, you might ask? The issue with Epic Mickey arises primarily from two causes- one is rooted in the game’s platforming mechanics.

Now, make no mistake, Epic Mickey behaves as a solid platformer through and through. However, it suffers from somewhat floaty controls, which result all too often in you misjudging a jump, or falling to your death into a pool of thinner, or generally launching yourself in a direction you never intended. At no time is this more evident than when you are in combat. Your enemies are generally slow and they shuffle their way across, and to take them down should be a moment’s worth of task. That one has to follow them, take proper aim, jump to land on them, miss, and then repeat the entire procedure several times speaks volumes about the game’s controls. Certainly, they could have been tightened up. In a year when a game like Super Mario Galaxy 2 redefined 3D platforming controls, sloppy mechanics such as those boasted by Epic Mickey are inexcusable.

Ultimately, Epic Mickey is as flawed as its rendition of Mickey and Oswald- however, like Mickey and Oswald, you’re probably going to end up loving the game all the more for those flaws.

These problems are made worse because of the game’s camera. Now, I’m sure you’ve run into a lot of criticism for Epic Mickey’s camera online. While most of those complaints have been greatly exaggerated, there can be no denying that Epic Mickey’s camera could have used a lot of work. It has a tendency to place itself in just the worst spot when you are negotiating a particularly tricky jump, and while you can pull up the game’s auto camera center function, doing so costs us time, and it isn’t always as effective as we’d want. Whereas this generally isn’t game breaking, it causes a lot of unwarranted frustration, and is the cause for many of this game’s problems.

Then there’s also the fact that Epic Mickey’s morality system doesn’t amount to all that much in the end. If you’ll remember, the game’s morality system was one of its most touted features to begin with, and it involved Mickey’s appearance changing for better or for worse, depending upon your moral alignment. While that last feature was scrapped after many players complained during testing that it detracted from the Mickey Mouse they knew from their childhood, the morality system remains, and it’s generally implemented well, although it isn’t subtle or complex at all. Most of the times, Mickey is faced with two simple choices, one very obviously the ‘good’ choice, and the other very obviously ‘evil,’ and you’re asked to choose one or the other.

The problem is, barring maybe the story’s underlying ambiguity about Mickey’s morality, this system doesn’t really seem to have much of an effect on anything- it amounts to nothing at all. It’s a means unto no end, and that is its greatest undoing. Granted, you get different sidequests and allegiances based on the choices you make, but these are so opaque and so inconsequential anyway that they can be safely ignored. Players looking for the complexity of Mass Effect or even Fable best be warned, Epic Mickey won’t really ask you to make a morally tough decision.

Ultimately, Epic Mickey is a well made game with a lot of problems. It’s got a great story backed with charming visuals and a great soundscore, and it has unprecedented polish and finesse for a third party Wii game. It’s very evident that a lot of effort was put into making Epic Mickey, but this game clearly needed more time- the camera could and should have been fixed, the controls definitely needed more work, and the morality system needed a reason for being there at all. However, the game’s problems don’t detract from the fact this is a charming and fun game to play. If you’re willing to look past its issues, you’ll find a fun, if unremarkable, romp through forgotten Disney worlds that’ll tug at your heartstrings.

As for the game’s issues, here’s hoping that the inevitable sequel will fix all that is wrong with this game. Mr Spector is certainly capable of ironing out the creases, we know.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Wii.

To begin with, the Wii has become notorious for its shovelware- while no one is for a minute denying that there are good games to be found on the system (some of this generation’s best games are to be found on Nintendo’s little white box, after all), the problem that they are so greatly outnumbered by buggy and glitchy half assed titles that going shopping for Wii games is literally like finding a needle in a haystack.

The problem is further compounded when one considers that quality third party support on the Wii is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Although we still get gems like No More Heroes 2 and Monster Hunter, most developers and publishers are increasingly washing their hands off the Wii, claiming any kind of success on the console is hard to be had. They do have a point, though: quality third party games on the Wii have, with few exceptions, bombed hard. Add to that the fact that the Wii is considerably weaker than the other current gen consoles and the PC, and one can see why most developers refrain from releasing any of their popular multiplats- like Red Dead- on the console.

The final problem that the Wii faces, of course, is WiWare. It’s a great service- in theory. But Nintendo’s archaic online policies have been the bane of the service, with WiiWare missing out on so many quality games that it’s not even funny. Some ridiculous restrictions- like the 40 MB size cap- have ensured that most indie developers give WiiWare a miss entirely. The few gems that are to be found on the service almost never make their money back, simply because Nintendo cannot be bothered to promote the service, or its titles.

With so many problems to face, ans the competition becoming increasingly competitive- both in price, and in the motion sensing capabilities on offer- the Wii went into 2010 facing its toughest year on the market ever. Was 2010 the year when the Wii finally lost relevance, fading into the background to become the shortest lived mainstream console ever? Or was it the year when against all odds, the little white box gained favor with the fickle hardcore crowd? Read on…

Q1 2010:

Travis Touchdown kicked off 2010 for the Wii in style

The Wii was in a largely comfortable position coming into 2010, at least from a financial perspective- Q4 2009 had been its most successful tenure on the market, and it was riding on the blockbuster success of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a title that perhaps single handedly salvaged 2009 for Nintendo, as far as software sales for their flagship console were concerned.

Its lineup for 2010 looked interesting, if somewhat niche, and it certainly looked better than the pathetic 2008 and 2009 that the Wii had suffered. The Wii kick started 2010 silently, although with a showing of strong third party support. Within the first three months, the Wii got several quality titles that silently swelled its library to surprising proportions- and barring one, not a single one of them was a Nintendo title.

So, from January to March 2010, we got Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the atmospheric and chilling reimagining of the original Playstation Silent Hill, No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, the sequel to the stylish 2008 game featuring wiseguy Travis Touchdown, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, a crossover fighting game that, against all odds, had somehow managed to find its way overseas, and outside of Japan,  Endless Ocean: Blue World, Nintendo’s sequel to its unusual ocean exploration game, Sonic and Sega: All Stars Racing, Sega’s surprisingly competent take on the mascot kart racing formula and Red Steel 2, Ubisoft’s sequel to its 2006 launch title that righted all the wrongs of the original game, and made good on its promises.

What was even more surprising about these three months was the unusually strong showing exhibited by WiiWare- the service that is oft neglected by most developers saw some genuinely good games hit it in this timeframe that simply could not be missed. So, in this period, we saw WiiWare getting the definitive version of Cave Story, the darling hit PC indie title, Mega Man 10, Capcom’s continuation of its retro reinterpretation of its robotic mascot, and  of course, Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 5, which for many provided the return to the Golden Days of Lucasarts’ adventure games that they had so long been yearning for.

Clearly, this was an unusually strong quarter for Nintendo, as far as software was concerned. Quite a lot of titles hit the system in this period, and while most of them were too quirky to truly be mainstream (and hence achieve commercial success), they were all excellent and well made games, that ensured that the Wii’s library would have several gems when all was said and done.

Q2 2010

Behold one of the highest rated (and arguably the best) rated games of this generation, and of all time

But surely the Wii was running out of steam by now? After all, what major announced title for the system was left for release? A couple, that would be done with in the coming three months, and then what? Would the console be done?

Q2 2010 demonstrated that Nintendo had different ideas about where its system was going. Clearly pissed at the Wii’s perceived lack of hardcore games, these three months represented Nintendo jamming themselves into the drivers seat, and pushing down the pedal hard.

The Wii started Q2 2010 in style, with Capcom’s long awaited third entry into its divisive Monster Hunter series hitting the system exclusively in April. Critic scores were favorable, for once, and the response from the audiences was receptive- here was a third party game for the Wii that demonstrated quality, and achieved proper success, both critically and commercially!

As far as third party support is concerned, the Wii saw a respectable quarter. It got Trauma Team, which was the series’ debut on Nintendo’s motion wielding console, the Motion Plus enabled Tiger Woods PGA 11, and multi platform titles like Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (arguably the best on the Wii), Green Day Rock Band, and LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4. On its part, the WiiWare service continued to host some good games, with the most notable being Bit.Trip Runner.

However, these three months will be remembered not for what the third parties managed on the Wii, but for what Nintendo did. First of all, of course, was Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy 2. The first direct sequel to a console Mario in over two decades, Super Mario Galaxy 2 had been unveiled at E3 last year to a lukewarm reception at best, with many leveling allegations that the game was a glorified expansion pack. Of course, that couldn’t have been farther from the truth, as it eventually turned out. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was not only a breath of fresh air in a stale genre, it also was the best produced, best made Wii game, best 3D platformer ever, in the running for best platformer ever, best Mario game ever, and out and out in the running for best game ever. Critics went berserk awarding the game perfect scores, citing its variety and its creativity. Gamers went nuts purchasing the game in large numbers, as the game managed to sell in excess of five million units in a very short time. Super Mario Galaxy 2 represented Nintendo at its best, and delivered a very strong message- the Big N was back.

Clearly, because they followed up the success of Super Mario Galaxy 2 with a stupendous E3 showing, which revealed a lineup of several blockbuster Wii games all due in 2010- but we’ll get to that later.

Q2 2010 also had Nintendo following up on the success of Super Mario Galaxy 2 with a much less significant, although no less unique, game- Sin and Punishment: Star Successor was the sequel to the N64 cult hit, a shoot em up game that was as quirky as it was fun, and that (shock! horror!) represented a genuine effort on Nintendo’s part to implement online in a self published game.

The Wii, which had looked to be on the verge of fading into irrelevance, had bought itself time, and had gained some momentum with the release of one landmark title- would it be enough to tide the Wii over for the rest of the year?

Q3 2010

Also behold the most controversial game of 2010. Yeah, the Wii was where it was at in 2010.

Q3 2010 probably represented the quietest bit of the year for the Wii- probably it was the lull before the storm (but more on that in the last section).

These three months were marked with the release of a grand total of one major title on the system (two if you count the somewhat subdued Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock). However, that one title was controversial enough to keep things moving, and moreover, to keep things exciting on a system that was largely ignored by the gaming media.

The game I’m talking about is of course Metroid: Other M. Now, Nintendo has always been known to experiment with the Metroid series- no two titles are ever truly alike, and all of them do something new, whether its the forced challenge of Metroid II, or the first person view of Metroid Prime. With Other M, Nintendo and developers Team Ninja decided to take a dramatic step in a direction no one had foreseen- they decided to make the Metroid experience more guided, more cinematic.

So, in a shift from tradition, we had a Nintendo produced game heavy on the cutscenes and on voice acting, and a Metroid game that held the player’s hand and showed him where to go. Naturally, such a change was met with stiff resistance from the fans, who cried foul, claiming that the spirit of the series had been compromised.

However, the single most divisive aspect of this game was perhaps its portrayal of famed series heroine Samus Aran. With little or nothing to go by, fans had, over the years, formed a mental construct of who they believed Samus really was- a stoic, silent, brooding survivor, who was on a mission to help the galaxy. Naturally, when the portrayal of the game differed from their own interpretation, they screamed- nearly three decades of pedigree had been staked here.

In a year when there were MANY controversial games, Metroid: Other M stands out for the risks it took with one of the most hallowed franchises in gaming. Was it a good game? Sure. Was it a good Metroid game? That depends on where you stand, and on what your definition of a Metroid game really is. Be as it all may, Other M was the lone standout for the Wii in a rather quiet Q3 2010.

Q4 2010

Donkey Kong. 'Nuff said.

And at this point, I officially give up.

Q4 2010 can be described using two words as far as the Wii is concerned. One word is Oh. The other is F**k.

Remember how I’ve been hinting at a ‘storm’ and ‘Nintendo taking charge’ all throughout this article? Well, this, buddies, is it- this is when shit hit the fan. This is when Nintendo unleashed the Wii in a bellow of fury at everyone around, bolstered by jaw dropping third party support, to prove, once and for all, that the Wii was relevant, that it was here to stay, and that the competition better watch out.

There are so many games to list out! Beginning with the adorable and fresh new take on a beloved character with Kirby’s Epic Yarn, to the return of the undisputed king- I mean Kong- of gaming, with Retro Studios’ finely crafted Donkey Kong Country Returns, to the re imaging of one of the most beloved games of all time in Goldeneye 007,  to the triumphant return of Sega’s mascot in Sonic Colors, the game that finally got Sonic in 3D right, to Warren Spector’s finely made yet divisive epic, Epic Mickey, to Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops, which for once represented a third party game not compromised on the Wii, to the surprisingly party title Wii Party, to the sequel of the dance hit, Just Dance 2, to the return of a much loved SNES classic in NBA Jam, to Nintendo’s blast from the past with Super Mario All Stars, to the third hurrah of star music game series with Rock Band 3…

And even WiiWare got in on the fun. Whether we talk about Bit.Trip Fate, the last entry in the retro rhythm game series that truly was a fitting farewell to the beloved saga, or of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1, which was Sega’s attempt at taking Sonic back to his roots, the downloadable service was in full form these three months.

I mean, what were they smoking? How can one console see so many worthwhile and un-missable releases in so short a time frame?

If this is where the Wii picks up from in 2011, then well, I’m gonna have to throw my cynic hat away.

CONCLUSION

There’s a reason why so many people proclaim the Wii ‘won’ 2010- the console was a beastly juggernaut. Just look at that list of software. It’s not even half of what the console had to offer. Many worthwhile releases had to be trimmed down from this piece, just because this article was running so long.

2010 is the year when Nintendo took charge- it’s the year when they returned to their roots. Even as Microsoft and Sony began to chase after the fickle casual crowds with their own takes on motion control (with, I may add, varying degrees of success), Nintendo finally acknowledged the hardcore gamer, and gave him his due.

2010 was the year when the Wii’s library swelled to epic proportions. At this point, anybody who buys a Wii really has no right or reason to complain- there are too many darn games to play on the system!

2010 was the year when third parties game appeared on the Wii, and they actually sold. It was the year when Nintendo ditched the motion control act, and went after the traditional way of gaming. It was the year when the WiiWare service finally came into its own. The year when Nintendo’s sales, ironically, slowed down to such an extent that even company head honcho Iwata expressed concerns.

As always, it was a year riddled with contradictions. But, for the first time, it can also well and truly be said that this, this was the year of the Wii.

Here is the latest trailer actually showing some game play for Epic Mickey, and watch for Mickey, he is dangerous, he has a…. paintbrush.  He paints all over the place, can’t reach an area, paint a bridge or some slime for an enemy to slip on.  I have to admit the game looks very creative as well as bringing Mickey back into the Mainstream.  The game is only for the Nintendo Wii releasing November 30th.  Standard Edition only costs $49.99 while the Collector’s Edition is $69.99 which includes a 5 inch Collectible Vinyl Epic Mickey Figure, a Special Edition DVD with behind the scenes footage, an Epic Mickey stylized Wii remote faceplate,and 2 Epic Mickey stylized Wii console skins.  Below is the latest Behind the Scenes Dev Diary, more can be seen here.

Here is a video of renowned artist David Garibaldi having some fun with Epic Mickey’s painting mechanics. Have a look at it, it “paints oa good picture” of how much fun one can have with the game.

Pre-order the game right now, here!

Junction Point boss, Warren Spector, the head of the development team of the upcoming Wii platfomer Epic Mickey, thinks his game ‘is the best looking Wii game ever.’

“I think this is the best-looking Wii game ever. I think graphically it hits a bar that the best Disney stuff has to hit,” Spector said while talking to MCV.

“I think that will appeal to people. At the end of the day, Disney fans and non-Disney fans alike will come away with a greater appreciation of Disney’s creative heritage.

“This does not play or feel like any other game, but the gamer can make it feel like a Mario game, or a Zelda game. They determine the pace of play.”

Check out our recent exclusive interview with the Paul Weaver of Junction Studios here, where he said that he would “love to be involved” in Epic Mickey 2 and that the “Wii is full of memorable and classic platforming game“.

“If people react well to the game and want to see more Tales of Wasteland, then I’d certainly love to be involved on another adventure with Mickey Mouse!”

With all the latest footage and information that has been released for the game, it seems pretty much a confirmed fact that Epic Mickey will be successful, which means we haven’t yet seen the last of Mickey Mouse on the Wii. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Weaver also recently said that the ‘Wii is full of classic and memorable platforming games.’

GamingBolt had an exclusive opportunity to speak with Paul Weaver, who is the Director or Product Development at Junction Games who are currently looking after Epic Mickey. In our interview we asked him whether it was ever daunting to make a platformer on the Nintendo Wii, considering there is so much competition in that genre, to which he replied:

“It’s certainly been a daunting task, as Wii (not to mention the history of Nintendo) is full of memorable and classic platforming games going all the way back to the beginning of the genre. Fortunately for us, we’ve got some considerable strength in terms of development experience on the team and we probably spent as much time researching competitive titles as we did poring over Disney’s history. Remember though, Disney Epic Mickey as a platformer is only part of the experience; we’re also an action adventure title with RPG elements as well, and while we want our platforming experience to be fun and enjoyable, it’s not the only element of the game.”

We at GamingBolt surely think that the game is going to do well with the Paint and Paint Thinner feature. For all our avid readers check the full interview here.

Paul was born and raised in Wales, United Kingdom and has lived and worked in England, Texas and California during his career in video games. Paul loves every aspect of gaming, and when not playing games or spending time with his family, he enjoys running, movies and reading. Paul lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Nicola, two children and a couple of cats.

Check out the full interview below:

GB: Disney Epic Mickey has some very cool mechanics, like the “karma” mechanic. But it is something that we have seen in other games before, like inFamous. How do you plan on making it different and prevent it from being just another face in the crowd?

Paul: One of the coolest (and most subtle) aspects of our game is the implementation of choice and consequence. Disney Epic Mickey is not a game that “beats you over the head” when you make a significant choice, so don’t expect to see meters dominating the gameplay experience. Instead, you’ll be changing the story that you’re playing, making it your own experience. In the minute to minute, you’ll be able to attract guardians in the world if you excessively use paint or Paint Thinner, and these guys can be used to help support your chosen playstyle too. Finally, our game has no concept of “Mission Failed.” There are certainly boundaries and things you “can’t do,” but there is no moment in the game where we stop the action and make you start again because “that’s not what we want you to do.”

GB: The painting mechanic seems interesting. Although, it has not quite been detailed very much. As far as we know, there’s two meters that control the two different kinds of things that Mickey can do with his magic paintbrush. How exactly does this work?

Paul: Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, Mickey can paint things in by using the B Button on the Wii Remote and using Paint Thinner with the Z Button on the Nunchuck (we’ve also added a left hand mode version so you can switch these). Through the development of the game, we tried a lot of different looks for monitoring your paint and thinner – but finally came down to the decision to show your levels of these at all times, as you can use either ability at any time. Depending on the choices that you make, these monitoring bars will get bigger as you make major choices in the game.

GB: We can also paint stuff to distract enemies and the like, like paint a clock and slow time down and paint a television to distract enemies. Would you please tell us of a few more things like these?

Paul: Paint and Thinner has a lot of uses in the game; you can slow down the Beetleworx enemies with Paint as it gums up their works, or wear down their toon armor with Paint Thinner making them vulnerable to your Spin Move. Painting a Blotling repeatedly will eventually make them friendly and stop them from attacking you (in fact they’ll go after anyone attacking you at this point too), while using Paint Thinner will erase them from existence. Toon objects in the world can still move around, but will stop when thinned; painting and thinning them can allow the player to manipulate the platforms in the game world to their advantage. Also, larger objects in the game can sometimes rest on painted areas and by thinning them out you can get them to fall, causing other areas to open up. Players will need to be careful though as these decisions are sometimes irreversible.

GB: The opening cinematic that was revealed some time ago looked wonderfully gimmicky and represented exactly what Disney represents: fun. Is that the basic underlying theme of the game?

Paul: You’re absolutely right; Disney is synonymous with fun and entertainment that’s accessible for all family members to enjoy. We feel that we’ve achieved that goal with Disney Epic Mickey!

GB: Disney Epic Mickey was originally promoted as a game that painted Mickey Mouse in a darker and grittier role. Now, from what we have seen till now, the game doesn’t really move towards the “mature” side of gaming. Will it become darker as the game moves forward, or is unadulterated fun all there will be?

Paul: Actually, while we believe we’ve made a very fun and enjoyable experience, make no mistake that there is still a darker tone to this game that needs to be appreciated. We still have a world of the forgotten and rejected who’s happy life was altered by the Thinner disaster. As you make your way through the game as Mickey, you will see glimpses of what the world once was, and we think you’ll make an emotional connection with these characters who are making the best of a bad situation, but really need the help of a hero to make things right.

GB: You guys have been showing extreme interest in the Wii. Do you have any further plans for it, or maybe the 3DS?

Paul: We’ve had a great time developing for the Nintendo Wii and our partnership with Nintendo has been very enjoyable. I can honestly say that we’ve been so focused on this title and the past eighty years of Disney history that we really haven’t had time to think about the future :).

GB: Disney characters have done well on other systems as well, like the PSP, with the recently released Kingdom Hearts. Do you have any plans for the PSP or any other Sony systems, maybe?

Paul: We really haven’t had a chance to think about other systems and consoles. After Disney Epic Mickey launches, we plan to get back into prototyping ideas for games and we’ll see what happens.

GB: Have you ever considered making Xbox 360/ PS3 games? Or do you think you might want to make Disney Epic Mickey a multiplat title?

Paul: In the past we certainly considered all hardware platforms, but back in early 2008 when the idea of Paint and Paint Thinner came about, we realized quickly that the gestural control that was only available on Wii at that time was the perfect fit for the game that we’re making.

GB: With so many other awesome platformers on the Wii, like Super Mario Galaxy and the like, what gives you the fresh ideas and the strength to keep going? Doesn’t the idea of making a platformer daunt you when there is tough competition in the genre on the same system?

Paul: It’s certainly been a daunting task, as Wii (not to mention the history of Nintendo) is full of memorable and classic platforming games going all the way back to the beginning of the genre. Fortunately for us, we’ve got some considerable strength in terms of development experience on the team and we probably spent as much time researching competitive titles as we did poring over Disney’s history. Remember though, Disney Epic Mickey as a platformer is only part of the experience; we’re also an action adventure title with RPG elements as well, and while we want our platforming experience to be fun and enjoyable, it’s not the only element of the game.

GB: If Disney Epic Mickey is successful, will you consider making a sequel? If yes, will it be a Wii exclusive as well?

Paul: If people react well to the game and want to see more Tales of Wasteland, then I’d certainly love to be involved on another adventure with Mickey Mouse!

We thank the team at Junction Studios and specially to Paul Weaver for giving their valuable time to us.

Disney have released yet another video for Disney Epic Mickey. This time the video takes a look at the historical Disneyland.

Take a look at the video above in high definition.

Disney have released another video for it’s upcoming Epic Mickey. The video shows the different type of characters that Mickey will interact with. Check it above.

Stay tuned with GB for more news and updates.