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Disney's Magical Mirror Starring Mickey Mouse

At Nintendo's Space World 2001 show, where it was just beginning to unveil more GameCube software, a Disney title slipped itself into the mix on one of the demo reels. With not to go on but some shots of Mickey in a 3D environment, it was assumed to be an all-new platformer, much in the vein of Disney's Magical Quest, which appeared on Super Nintendo many years ago. However, when Nintendo finally debuted the product, Disney's Magical Mirror Starring Mickey Mouse, at the 2002 Electronic Entertainment Expo, it proved to be quite different.

Disney's Magical Mirror is a point-and-click adventure that is targeted solely at children. Unless you're a parent or very curious GameCube fan, this review isn't for you.

Point and click Disney adventure for kids only
Play tricks on Mickey to trigger interactive sequences and solve puzzles
Plug in a second controller to help guide your child through the levels
Colorful, well animated 3D worlds
Progressive scan support for the discerning youngster
Link up to the Game Boy Advance to slightly alter the game world

It doesn't take much brainpower to muster up enough logic to move the pointer over to the door and click with the A-button. Sure enough, it's as simple as that, and subsequently we see a real-time cut-scene unfold. As Mickey passes through the door, he comes out on the other side of the room back where we started. Then soon after him a second Mickey walks through the door, sneaks up behind him, and kicks him in the pants. Uh-oh! That's right kid; it's zany tomfoolery. The biggest problem with the game presents itself very early here. Magical Mirror is cumbersome and tedious, even to children. Not nearly as lively or entertaining as the actual cartoon, the cut-scenes prove to consistently be quite dull. Anyone who has a child will know that, unless instantly gratified, their short attention spans will send them elsewhere.

Of course, the game isn't entirely dull cut-scenes and one-dimensional gameplay. The main gameplay mechanic behind Magical Mirror has Mickey questing to collect stars, which in turn allow the player to play pranks on him. For example, when you collect your first star, you must play a prank on Mickey by clicking on the door. Out comes the ghost, who spins around Mickey to frazzle him, but also ends up dropping a key that was in his hand. This allows Mickey to open the door and continue forward. In other instances the puzzles are more difficult, and require trial and error. There are times when you don't want to play a prank on Mickey because it has a negative effect on his progress. Still, it's all pretty basic and the puzzles are mostly straightforward.

All in all, despite Mickey's pure focus on an extremely young audience, it proves to be far too slow-paced and uneven. Your money would be much better spent on a new episode of your child's favorite cartoon, which they'll undoubtedly watch over and over again.

Graphics
Magical Mirror is pretty average and ultimately not very ambitious considering the usual lack of action on the screen. Many of the rooms in the mansion look very similar, and there just is very little high-level technology present. There's a reflection on the floor, but that's about it. It all seems a bit odd in presentation, since it's not quite a carton, but modeled after one. It's certainly not poorly done either, though. Each room is exaggerated with mixed proportions, lots of curves, and bright colors. The Mickey model is somewhere in between. It suffices as the center of attention, but with slightly sunken eyes and hit or miss animation, we weren't particularly impressed.

Interestingly, though, it does support progressive scan like all good first-party published titles. We can be thankful for that.

Sound
Barely worth mention, the sound effects and music are just sort of "there." Mickey's voice is the dominating effect, and even it is most average. Lots of pointing, clicking, and cut-scenes are enough to drive any parent crazy. Get your kids a good pair of headphones.

Verdict

Reviewing a game for a child always proves rather difficult, as it's pretty difficult to try to remember what you remembered when you were young. However, there are enough basic concepts, such as a child's attention span, that helped me decide what to make of Magical Mirror. It's just plain boring and often tedious. Most kids will find the game as just that, and for the monetary investment, it's not recommended.

Definitely rent first and see how your child reacts. Only if they beg and plead to keep it will you know it's a worthwhile investment.

Magical Mirror Starring Mickey Mouse Gamecube