The name "Disney" use ally invokes movie magic. With a little help from video game friends, the Mickey Mouse makers have conjured up some magical Genesis games, too. World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck by Sega is the latest. Mean Magic Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are two average magicians looking for something to add some pizzazz to their magic act. Suddenly...poof! A magic box appears! Unfortunately for the boys, the Box is bad news. The malicious Magic Master traps them in his World of Magic, and Mickey and Donald must seek him out for the ultimate magic duel. World of Illusion is a cute, enchanting, action/adventure game that's sure to make you go "awwwww". The side-view, multi-scrolling game play is just right for kiddoes of all ages. The game's no thumb buster, but it ought to keep advanced gamers intrigued for a couple of plays. Your quest to meet the Magic Master covers five stages. On each stage, you must overcome tricky obstacles, defeat weird creatures, and beat a boss to find the exit. You scamper through "The Enchanted Forest" and across its spider webs. You fly a magic carpet and climb perilous slopes in "Among the Clouds". Then, in "Underwater Adventure", you become submersible as you swim through a gigantic fishbowl and swash your buckle through a sunken galleon. "The Library" will warp you to new literary heights. Finally, "The Magic Box" spells trouble as the Magic Maker awaits you. ProTips: When you're stepping across the clouds, don't tarry too long on the small symmetrical clouds. They disappear in a puff of fluff. Some spider webs will not support you. When you dance on the piano keyboard in Among the Clouds, the notes turn into bonus items. Re prepared to catch them, but watch out for bombs! The Magic Master's minions block your path at every turn. Army Ants, Spiders, Eaglets, Tiger Fish, Star Fish, Fire Sprites, and Pencil Birds are among the menacing menagerie. Magic Hat 1-ups and Goodie Bags, which hold handy items such as Health Point Candy, litter the landscape and keep you going. Before you jump into the spiders' lair in the Enchanted Forest, jump up to the rocks on your left to find Health Point Candy. In the Underwater Adventure, keep a sharp eye out for the hard-to-see sea urchins. The Enchanted Forest's giant spider boss chases you in an "N" pattern. In the Underwater Adventure, the dams guard Goodie Rags and exits. If you hang by the bubbles, the mean mollusks move forward and block the bubbles. You can then just float past the shelled nuisances. Sleight of Hand Illusion's controls are top-notch. Basic moves are easy to master, and masterering magic items is a snap. Alone, you can either play Mickey or Donald. Two players play both characters. Your standard moves are a Jump, a Crawl, and a mad Dash. When the creepy critters attack, you make a nonviolent defense by waving your Magic Cape, which usually transforms them into peaceful creatures. After you beat a stage, you acquire additional magic power. You must fly a Magic Carpet, swim inside a Magic Bubble, and master Magic Warp Doors. Jump up and down on flowers. Sometimes the loose petals form steps. In Among the Clouds, there's a hidden Magic Hat (1-up) just past the last set of Goodie Bags. Fine Feathered and Furry Friends World of Illusion really shines in two-player mode. You and your pal encounter stage areas that are inaccessible in single-player mode. Moreover, all the obstacles and puzzles require cooperative solutions. For example, operating the Mining Cart in the Enchanted Forest requires players to alternately jump up and down on a seesaw pulley mechanism. This game's cooperative game play is great for gamers at unequal skill levels, such as an adult and a little kid. Players can climb on each others' shoulders to jump to high locations, lower a line and haul their friends up slopes, and pull their buds through tight squeezes. A Wonderful World of Color & Sound The graphics in this game are gorgeous. Mickey and Donald look great, along with the other character sprites. The backgrounds feature far-out fantasy scenes in the classic Disney drawing style. They look like they're straight out of a Disney animated movie. The character animation is superb. Mickey and Donald teeter precariously on one toe when footing gets uncertain. They even throw you a bundle of hilarious looks. The sounds are solid overall. The music tries hard to jazz up a basically cutesy score. The effects are competent, if minimal, but at least you get to hear some classic Donald Duck squawk talk. A Magical Adventure Mickey and Donald are in a World of trouble this time, and that's good news for you. If you dig Disney, go for it. Have no illusions, this is a good game.
