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Credit: D23Mickey Mouse has almost always been a pinnacle of wholesome, cute cartoons for the Walt Disney Company. However, that doesn’t mean he was always so sweet and lovable, as the video below demonstrates that his mischief can quickly turn to malice if he is properly motivated.
Disney fans who grew up with a Nintendo Wii will remember when Disney decided to embrace the darker nature of some of Mickey’s older cartoons in Epic Mickey. The original game was a 3D platformer that not only took players through some of the mouse’s early and semi-forgotten work, but introduced them to both Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, as well as a different side of the beloved character.
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Mickey will always be the classic symbol of Disney animation, that’s never going to change. However, it’s remarkable to see the studio embrace what is arguably considered his darkest outing in wake of his public domain persona climbing through the horror genre in recent reports.
Epic Mickey: Dark Side of the Mouse
The game itself was the typical cartoon platform or at its core, players would help Mickey explore a forgotten kingdom of half remembered cartoon characters from the early days of the Walt Disney Company, as well as restore some of the chaos Mickey created after an accident involving magical paint and paint thinner. However, Disney threw one of the biggest curveballs by introducing a morality system that allowed players to utilize Mickeys abilities to create or destroy the illustrated Wastelands.
The game keeps track of how much paint or paint thinner the player uses over the course of the storyline, and leaning too much into the destructive side of things could result in the game’s “evil” ending. A common criticism of Mickey, even from some of his animators, is that he can be too much of a good guy. So what would happen if that wasn’t the only option?
Not only that, but things take a dark turn for Mickey’s image right at the start of the game. What begins as an accident in Yen Sid’s workshop almost turns into a cartoon genocide as Mickey’s curiosity results in the destruction of the Wasteland of forgotten cartoons, and the creation of a monstrous Blot entity. In short, Mickey is made both the hero and the villain of this underrated outing.
Of course, it’s not all a game of paint and thinner. Epic Mickey also comes with a heaping helping of Disney fan service as the levels take the player through several classic Mickey cartoons from Steamboat Willie to Mickey and the Beanstalk and beyond, as well as introducing them to some of Walt Disney’s forgotten work like the Gremlins.
Nintendo and Disney Interactive have truly worked some animated magic in restoring this underrated classic. While no official date was announced during the Nintendo Direct, Epic Mickey: Rebrushed will be coming to Nintendo Switch sometime this year.
Did you grow up with this dark Mickey adventure? Tell Inside the Magic what you thought in the comments below!