Approximate Release Date: December 23, 1992
Genre: Action/platformer
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
My memories are correct: The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse is a fantastic game.
I was worried about that. The Magical Quest is one of those Super Nintendo games that I loved as a child but just never came back to later on. Part of that reason might be because it’s kind of weird on a basic level; unlike most platformers, you can’t run. Holding B does nothing. Super Mario Bros. more or less invented the genre and the expectations therein, so deviating from it on a basic level has always been frustrating to me to an extent. It doesn’t feel right and takes time to adjust to.
The Magical Quest tries to make up for it with the costume system. There are a few outfits The Mouse can change into, and each offers different abilities. The costume found in the second level — the perhaps culturally insensitive Magic Turban — lets you shoot magic out of your fingertips and blast enemies away. But Mickey’s non-costume (naked?) ability to be able to grab enemies blocks and turn them into spinning projectiles was what I found myself using most often. But you can swap between every costume you’ve found with the shoulder buttons, so you’re free to experiment.
One thing I didn’t remember is that the game is pretty easy. The Magical Quest is a Disney property, so ostensibly it’s for children, but I remember level 1-2 being especially difficult. That’s the level where you have to keep your balance as you ride giant tomatoes down a path that’s filled with bad guys and spikes. If you can figure out the rhythm to staying on the rolling tomatoes, you’re golden. The Magical Quest‘s challenge comes from putting secret areas off that critical path. If you’re not the type of person to explore and engage with hidden secrets, you’ll breeze through the six stages.
But those stages are packed with Disney charm, bright colors, and a lot of variety. The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse is fun like that.
Tomorrow: I love the title of Bazooka Blitzkrieg. You know exactly what that game is about.
I used to love this game as a kid as well! But I tried playing it just a few weeks ago and got so frustrated about the difficulty I had with the first couple of levels that I just couldn’t play it through. I have no idea how I ended up being so bad at this game.