.jpg)
I’ll admit that next to reading, video gaming is one of my primary hobbies. My love for Disney has always been a part of my video gaming experience.
In the early 1990s I had single-game bright plastic colored handheld devices. One, bedecked in perfect princess purples and pinks contained a “Beauty and the Beast” game wherein, as Belle, I had to race to Beast’s castle ahead of Gaston in order to warn the Beast of the advancing mob.
My other game, in frankly lurid shades of orange and turquoise, tied in with the Disney afternoon kids show “Rescue Rangers.” Disney’s mischievous chipmunks Chip and Dale teamed up with other anthropomorphic rodents to solve crime, and the game revolved around one of their many adventures.
Even my love of Disney history may have been cultivated by video games. Upon receiving my cousin’s castoff original Nintendo system I had a few Disney games, including one based on the movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” in which I could never figure out how to advance beyond the first ten minutes.
But the Disney game I loved most growing up was called “Adventure in the Magic Kingdom.” I played as an original character, trusted by Mickey Mouse to find six silver keys scattered around the Magic Kingdom that would open Cinderella’s Castle in time for that evening’s parade.
The keys were hidden in six different attractions within the Magic Kingdom, and I had to play various mini-games in order to locate them. The games involved everything from answering trivia questions about Disney history to playing through levels based on rides like Space Mountain and the Haunted Mansion. There was even a world in which I had to battle the titular “Pirates of the Caribbean,” long before the franchise became so much more than just another Disney World ride.
I would never be ashamed of the role Disney has played in forming my own video game experience, but thanks to a certain Disney-Square Enix venture, I don’t have to. When previewing “Epic Mickey” I mentioned the “Kingdom Hearts” games, but now that I’m profiling Disney gaming I want to take a closer look.
As I said before, we really have respected Japanese video game company Square Enix to thank for “Kingdom Hearts.” Disney may be a partner in the venture and its characters populate the world far more than those from Square’s beloved “Final Fantasy” series, but it’s really Square that created the game.
Still, the heart of the game comes from Disney. Players control an original character, the preteen Sora, who soon becomes wrapped up in a quest to save not his own world, but all the worlds beyond his as well. Darkness has begun to fall, and now King Mickey has vanished while on his mission to thwart it.
Sora joins up with Mickey’s loyal knight Goofy and court sorcerer Donald to trace Mickey’s path. That involves traveling to worlds inspired by many of Disney’s films, from the classics of its princess genre “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin” to quirkier fare like “Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Tron.” In the Kingdom Hearts sequel there is even a world based on Disney classics like “Steamboat Willie.”
Its solid creation by a venerated gaming company legitimizes “Kingdom Hearts” in serious gaming circles, but the opportunity to play within several Disney worlds is pure catnip to Disney fans like me. Some of the worlds may be disappointing; for instance, “Neverland” consists merely of the pirate’s ship and Big Ben, but “Kingdom Hearts” is chock-full of Disney lore.
Side quests involve rescuing the kidnapped 101 Dalmatians and the restoration of Winnie the Pooh’s memory by returning the pages torn out of the 100 Acre Wood book in which he lives.
My life suddenly became hectic right around the release of “Epic Mickey” so I haven’t yet had the chance to play the game. But I’m very much looking forward to exploring this latest chapter in serious Disney gaming.
Related Articles:
How to Spend Less on Video Games
Is It Time for Mickey Mouse to Get a Facelift?
*(This image by Jordan Roher is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
