A fresh coat of paint
Epic Mickey is an odd one, for me. In the late 2000s, at a time when I was committing every single word from my beloved Official Nintendo Magazine to memory, I obsessed over Epic Mickey. A dark, grotesque iteration of Disney and its properties? Sign me up. At 15 or 16 I wasn’t so shameless that I’d pretend I didn’t enjoy the animated output of the House of Mouse, but I’d certainly play down my love of it. Every screenshot printed across those pages spoke to me. Like Junction Point were putting together a Disney game I could play while blasting The Black Parade and it not feel like a total juxtaposition. I was seriously hyped.
And then I forgot about it. At the turn of the decade, Epic Mickey still hadn’t been released. I’d fallen into the world of Xbox Live, moved out for a bit, and Epic Mickey slipped from my mind. It, and its (seemingly failed) 2012 follow-up, passed me by completely. I did attempt to get into the series a few years later, however, but something just didn’t click. I loved so much about what the game showed me, without ever really loving the game itself. And, while it did kindle my love for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, it felt like the moment had passed for those games to cement themselves within me. Especially as Junction Point were shut down almost immediately after The Power of Two’s release.
Reanimated
So imagine my surprise earlier this year when it transpired that Purple Lamp (Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake) had been working on a ground-up remake of the original title, which would be released on everything in September 2024.
And then came my one concern: “What if there aren’t motion controls?”
I’ve thought about this question more than I’d like to admit. I’ve been in comment sections, Reddit threads, I even emailed the developers directly. You see, when Epic Mickey on the Wii flashed, it was thanks to its pointer-control setup. The Wii remote allowed you to point and shoot paint or thinner from Mickey’s brush, and it just worked. Not exactly revolutionary for 2010, but still a joy. While modern consoles don’t have the pointer system the Wii had, they all (Xbox excluded) utilise some sort of gyro-motion system within their controllers which, theoretically, could replicate that control setup.
I’ve played an hour each of Epic Mickey Rebrushed on the Nintendo Switch and on the PlayStation 5. My sole purpose is to determine which version is the most comfortable to play. I am determined to love this game, even if it kills me. But of there’s a version that feels right, that would go a long way to helping me with that. With that in mind, here are my findings.
Motion sickness
I think it’s only right to start with the controls, given that’s where my biggest concerns lay. And, I’m sorry to say that we’ve something if a mixed bag here. The good news is that the original title’s biggest issue, the camera, has been resolved. The Wii’s lack of a second control stick meant a lot of the camera work was tied to the “C” button and the remotes D-Pad. No such issues here. Everything camera-related is handled by the right stick of whatever controller you’re using. Which, naturally, makes for a far superior platforming experience. Any scenario where you felt like you were guessing where you needed to jump or land is gone, and the game’s overall level design shines because of it.
Unfortunately, my biggest fear for this remake has come to pass. While both the Switch and PS5 versions of the game have gyroscopic motion controls, it’s disappointing to report that they’re just not very good. The aforementioned pointer system from the original game has been scrapped in favour of an awkward aiming system. No longer do you simply point a cursor where you want to paint and have at it. Now, you aim with the right stick, shoot either paint or thinner, and then you can begin to move your shot with motion. And it’s all just a bit cumbersome.
During my time with both the Switch and PS5 versions, I very quickly opted to ditch motion controls altogether. Nothing about the new motion system feels particularly intuitive or natural, and it’s both easier and quicker to simply use the dual control stick setup. It’s a real shame, too. While I appreciate no console offers a bespoke pointer control system, which the Wii did via its sensor bar, the Switch does a pretty good job of replicating that through the Joy-Cons gyro-sensors. The Switch version of Super Mario Galaxy is a great example of the console replicating that pointer system through Joy-Con. It’s a shame that the control system wasn’t carried over from the original title.
Epic, in every other sense
It really is, because the rest of the experience is such a joy. With it being a ground-up remake every asset in the game has been remade completely. Mickey bounds and leaps through each environment with a bounce in his step. Every detail is so crisp and clean. You can feel the effort Purple Lamp put into re-creating this world with each action. The game’s soundtrack was always gorgeous, and Rebrushed hasn’t lost that. I can feel myself getting sucked in, in a way I’d hoped to feel when I first started the original title. And that, for me, is a major positive.
The PS5 version was always going to run better than the Switch’s. The gulf in power between the two consoles in large to say the very least. But I was very impressed at just how well the Switch handled itself. One or two frame rate issues coming out of cut scenes were quickly resolved, and everything seemed to run very smoothly. Another testament to the job that Purple Lamp has done to ensure they’ve crafted a really well-made product.
Pretty good?
My experience with the two versions has left me feeling a little conflicted. On the one hand, what Purple Lamp has achieved is commendable, and I’m genuinely excited to see how the rest of the game is when it releases later this month. That said, I’m getting lovely “Christmas game” feelings from it, which may affect when I decide to delve in. On the other hand, I can’t help but feel disappointed at the whole motion control thing. I appreciate it’s a minor issue in the long term. But, given how central to the original experience that pointer was, I can’t shake that the best version of Epic Mickey Rebrushed simply hasn’t been made. And that’s a shame. Because this is a series with heaps of potential that deserves the best chance to succeed.
Consider me cautiously optimistic, I guess.
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