Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse

Lore & Background

Castle of Illusion is a side-scrolling platformer in which the player controls Mickey Mouse as he enters the Castle of Illusion to rescue Minnie Mouse from the evil witch Mizrabel, who wants to steal Minnie's youth and beauty. The castle's true owner and king tells Mickey he must find the Seven Gems of the Rainbow to defeat Mizrabel. The gems are kept within various illusion-filled worlds guarded by Mizrabel's henchmen, the Masters of Illusion, and her army of bizarre creatures including enchanted mushrooms, toy soldiers, clowns, spiders, and armored knights. The levels include The Enchanted Forest, Toyland, The Storm, Dessert Factory, The Library, and finally The Castle.

Mickey's main attack is a bounce while jumping, which can defeat enemies or bounce him to higher areas. He can also collect projectiles like apples and marbles to throw. Items earn bonus points, increase health, and grant extra tries. Each level ends with a boss battle against a Master of Illusion, where Mickey earns a gem, except the final two levels which award a gem halfway through. After clearing all five levels and obtaining all gems, the route to the witch's tower opens for a final boss fight against a giant, youthful Mizrabel. An easy mode offers truncated versions of the first three levels with no boss fights. The Master System and Game Gear versions have different game mechanics, enemies, items, levels, and graphics.

Reader's Guide

Castle of Illusion was very well received by critics, especially the original 16-bit version. Mean Machines gave the Sega Genesis version a score of 95%, praising its graphics and playability. Console XS awarded 96% and praised graphics, sound, and dynamic gameplay. Mega Action gave 90%, calling it 'a classic game with a massive playing area.' MegaTech considered it one of the best platform games on the MegaDrive, combining superlative graphics and excellent gameplay. Entertainment Weekly ranked it the #19 greatest game of 1990, noting it was 'perfect for younger players, but challenging enough to satisfy adults.' Mega placed it 21st on its 1990 list of top Mega Drive games. GameSpot in 2010 stated that 'the music, the controls, and Mickey's superb animation all contributed to one of the very best Disney games.' Gamesradar placed it 35th on its 'Best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games of all time' in 2017.

The Master System version also received positive reviews, with Sega Power rating it the best Master System game of all time in 1990. ACE called the Game Gear version 'basically an unadulterated Mario clone—and not a bad one at that,' giving it 8/10. Console XS called it one of the best games on the Master System, praising its animation and sprite definition.

The game was re-released in 1998 in Japan as part of Sega Ages: Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck for the Sega Saturn, which includes both Castle of Illusion and QuackShot. A remake by Sega Studios Australia was released for PlayStation Network, Windows, and Xbox Live Arcade in September 2013, featuring 2.5D gameplay and a reimagined soundtrack by Grant Kirkhope, under supervision of original director Emiko Yamamoto. The game was also included on the Sega Genesis Mini in 2019.

Did You Know?

• The game was included on a cartridge entitled Disney Collection, bundled with QuackShot, in 1996.
• An emulated version of Castle of Illusion was offered as a pre-order bonus for its 2013 remake on PSN, and again for PlayStation Plus subscribers in April 2014.
• A sequel, Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, was released for the Master System and Game Gear in 1992.
• Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, released in November 2012 for Nintendo 3DS, serves as a spiritual successor and features Mizrabel as the main villain.