Mickey Mouse knows a thing or two about platforming. He once braved the Castle of Illusion, and would go on to have 8-bit and 16-bit platforming adventures in the World, Land, and Legend of Illusion. Now Mickey is returning to his roots and bringing his friends along in Disney Illusion Island from Disney and Dlala Studios, which launched exclusively on Nintendo Switch today. This one features gorgeous cartoon-style artwork and 4-player local co-op.
The game begins with a delightful animated intro that depicts Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, and Goofy being summoned to a mysterious picnic. When they arrive, they learn that the invitation was a ruse; someone needs their help. Three magical books have been stolen from the peaceful Hokuns, so our four Disney heroes agree to retrieve them.
Illusion Island looks a lot like Rayman Legends with its lovely cartoon-style artwork, but it actually plays like a Metroidvania platformer. 1-4 players will move through the vast world, collecting items and avoiding enemies. There's no combat in this one, which makes it very family-friendly but might disappoint veterans of the genre. From time to time, the heroes will gain new powers from an inventor named Mazzy. These new powers, such as a double jump and wall jump, allow Mickey and friends to revisit old areas for items, and to reach new areas as well.
Not only does Illusion Island support drop in, drop out 4-player local co-op, it also has some clever co-op mechanics. First, players can hug each other at the press of a button (both players have to push it). This gives each player an extra unit of health that you can't get when playing solo. There's also a 2-person leapfrog move that allows for extended horizontal jumps. Finally, the main player can actually lower a rope down for other players to climb. That way, a more skilled player can help lesser-skilled players reach tough spots. The co-op thoughtfulness is appreciated!
Disney Illusion Island sells for $39.99 digitally on Switch. The physical version and digital codes are also available for the same price at Amazon. We'll have a full co-op review soon!