After hearing that DuckTales and Castle of Illusion were getting HD remakes, GamesBeat decided to celebrate by listing some of the other old-school Disney games that deserve a little modern polish. Hooray for nostalgia!
But be careful! Those rose-tinted (and Mickey Mouse-shaped) glasses may make every 8-bit adventure look like a historic masterpiece, but plenty of those old Disney releases were outright terrible. Below are three of the worst. All of them deserve an HD remake about as badly as Goofy deserves a doctorate.
Mickey Mousecapade
What it was: The first Disney game published by Capcom, Mickey Mousecapade was a Nintendo Entertainment System platformer where Mickey and Minnie just wander around and throw ninja stars.
Why it sucked: Everyone loves the Capcom Disney games, but Mickey Mousecapade was a rough start for what would eventually be an awesome partnership. In Capcom’s defense, they only published the North American version. The game was actually developed by Hudson Soft (who also published the Japanese version). So what was so bad? For one thing, Mousecapade is hideous. Just look at that Mickey sprite and those boring backgrounds. I’ve played better looking platformers on calculators. They were probably more complex, too. Well, that wouldn’t really much of a challenge since Mousecapade made its sidescroller contemporaries look about 10 years ahead of their time.
What to play instead: Any of the great 16-bit Mickey games released on the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo, like Castle of Illusion, The Magical Quest, or Mickey Mania.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
What it was: Who Framed Roger Rabbit was an NES adaptation loosely based on the plot of the popular film. Part sidescroller, part inventory-based adventure game, part isometric driving, and all boring mess.
Why it sucked: You rarely had any idea what you were doing when playing Who Framed Roger Rabbit. You spent most of your time searching every drawer and closet in LA for random items and then wandering the streets with some of worst driving mechanics ever conceived as you looked for boring platforming segments. Like most adventure games, you have to do events in a very specific order. Good luck figuring out what that order actually is, though. You’re far more likely to spend your time wandering around, occasionally punching the hell out of Roger Rabbit in a desperate bid for amusement.
What to play instead: Unfortunately, no one ever made a good Roger Rabbit game, but if you want to drive around the streets of Los Angeles and solve some murder cases, then try LA Noire.
Disney Adventures in the Magic Kingdom
What it was: This was another Capcom/Disney collaboration for the NES. Goofy loses the keys to the Magic Kingdom’s parade, so Mickey asks you to search the park before all the tourists ask for a refund. You have to beat several mini-games, each themed around a popular ride.
Why it sucked: The idea of travelling around a virtual Magic Kingdom is certainly an appealing one, but this 8-bit version of the park barely resembles the actual thing. Yes, I know they didn’t have much to work with on the NES, but they don’t even come close to matching the park’s real layout. Also, while some of the mini-games are alright (the Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion levels resemble decent platformers), most of them are dull, confusing, or overly difficult, like the Space Mountain-themed mission where you have to press certain buttons to avoid asteroids and stars with little room for error. You know, just like the ride!
What to play instead: Kinect Disneyland Adventures is a more modern collection of mini-games based on Disney rides, but at least its virtual park is identical to the real thing.
Do you remember any especially terrible Disney games? Share them with us in the comments!