Fantasia (video game)
A 1991 platform game based on the film Fantasia.
Released in 1991, Fantasia is a platform game for the Genesis. Infogrames developed it, and Sega published it. The game takes loose inspiration from the 1940 animated film of the same name, and its creation was spurred by the 1990 hit Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Infogrames
- Publisher
- Sega
- Designer
- Didier Chanfray
- Jean-Jacques Poncet
- Philippe Agripnidis
- Programmer
- Richard Bottet, Thibault Lepoutre
- Artist
- Didier Chanfray
- Composer
- Frederic Metzen
- Released
- August 1991 (NA)
- 1991 (EU)
- November 22, 1991 (JP)
- Genre
- Platform
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The player controls Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice through side-scrolling levels to collect missing musical notes. The four levels are themed around water, earth, air, and fire, each based on amalgamations of film segments. Enemies are defeated by jumping on them or using magical bubbles as projectiles. Hidden magical notes must be collected in each level to restore the song.
Development
Sega was inspired to create the game by the success of Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and the 50th anniversary of the 1940 film. Development began in January 1990. Sega producer Scott Berfield and Stephan L. Butler monitored Infogrames's development. The six-person team lacked console game experience. Time was tight due to the holiday shopping rush and the mid-year release of Sonic the Hedgehog. Replicating the film's animation and music quality on the 16-bit console was difficult. By May, Sega presented Fantasia at the Consumer Electronics Show and soon at the Tec Toy launch. The game shipped for the holiday season without gameplay tweaks. Sega's head of product development Ken Belthaser noted the publisher needed games in the pipeline, especially big licenses, but regretted the rushed release, calling the game unplayable and saying two extra months could have solved the issues. Roy E. Disney complained, as he had promised his uncle Walt that Fantasia adaptations would not be made; the licensing had been granted in error. Sales were to stop, unsold copies destroyed, and advertisements removed.
Reception
The game was poorly received. MegaTech called it a massive disappointment, poorly designed, bland, and frustrating. Mean Machines said the gameplay was badly flawed with highly annoying features. Mega Plays four reviewers praised graphics and animations but criticized gameplay as choppy, substandard, and awkward. Mega Action gave 80% and praised animation but said difficulty was set far too high. Console XS praised graphics and animation but criticized poor collision detection, frustrating restart points, and repetitive gameplay. Electronic Gaming Monthly praised graphics, animation, and music but criticized controls and gameplay as repetitive, clunky, and unpredictable, noting Fantasia does not measure up to Castle of Illusion. Mega placed the game at #6 in its list of the 10 Worst Mega Drive Games of All Time.
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