Disney Illusion Island Review: A Joyful Metroidvania Adventure with Mickey and Friends

Hello Switch players! I'm your old friend, game critic A Zhai. Today, I'm bringing you an in-depth review of a cooperative adventure game full of Disney charm - Disney Illusion Island. This game brings classic characters like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy into a brand-new Metroidvania world. How does it perform? Let's dive in and find out. And, as Switch players, we'll naturally be paying attention to how this game performs on the future Nintendo Switch 2.

1. Disney Illusion Island Game Introduction: A Journey of Friendship and Adventure

Disney Illusion Island is a Metroidvania platform adventure game developed by Dlala Studios and published by Disney Interactive Studios, released on the Nintendo Switch platform on July 28, 2023. The game tells the story of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy being invited to the mysterious island of Monoth, only to discover that the original mission is not as simple as it seems. They must recover three stolen sacred books and save the world.

The biggest feature of this game is its emphasis on cooperation. Although players can choose to play solo, the core fun lies in playing with friends, controlling different characters, and using their respective special abilities to overcome challenges together. At the same time, the game combines the classic style of Disney animation with the exploration elements of Metroidvania, bringing players a dual enjoyment of visual and auditory senses.

2. Disney Illusion Island Review: Exquisite Graphics and Excellent Cooperative Experience

2.1 Gameplay: Cooperation is Key, Exploration is Fun

The core gameplay of Disney Illusion Island is platforming and exploration. Monoth Island is a vast and complex map, full of hidden areas, secret passages, and various challenges. Players need to control Mickey and his friends, using their unique skills, such as Mickey's wall jump, Minnie's rope swing, Donald's underwater dash, and Goofy's flight ability, to unlock new areas and collect items.

The game's cooperative mechanism is excellent. Each character has different special abilities, so to successfully complete the game, players need to cooperate closely and help each other. For example, Mickey can grab Donald, allowing Donald to dash further in the air; Minnie can use a rope to pull Goofy, helping him reach higher platforms. This kind of cooperation not only increases the fun of the game but also tests the tacit understanding between players.

Of course, if you choose to play solo, the game will automatically switch characters, allowing you to experience the abilities of all the characters, but the solo mode experience is not as interesting as multiplayer cooperation.

2.2 Graphics: Perfect Reproduction of Disney Animation

The graphic style of Disney Illusion Island is very distinct, perfectly reproducing the classic style of Disney animation. The character designs, scene designs, and animation effects in the game are full of Disney features, making people feel as if they are in an interactive Disney animated movie.

The graphic details of the game are also very well done. The trees, houses, and characters in the background are lifelike, the colors are bright, and the lighting effects are very natural. Even in the handheld mode of the Nintendo Switch, the graphics performance is still excellent. If it can run at a higher resolution and frame rate on the future Nintendo Switch 2, the game's visual experience will undoubtedly be even better. Regarding the graphic performance of the Nintendo Switch 2, you can refer to nintendo switch2 first look.

2.3 Sound Effects: Cheerful and Lively, Full of Disney Features

The game's sound effects are also full of Disney features. The background music is cheerful and lively, which fits the overall atmosphere of the game very well. The character's voices are also done by Disney's professional voice actors, perfectly restoring the character's personality. The game's sound design is also well done, with corresponding sound effects for different actions and scenes, enhancing the game's immersion.

2.4 Story: Lighthearted and Humorous, Suitable for All Ages

The story of Disney Illusion Island is lighthearted and humorous, suitable for players of all ages. Although the story is simple, it is full of Disney's humor and warmth. The interactions between the characters are also very interesting. Mickey's optimism, Donald's irritability, and Goofy's confusion are all hilarious.

2.5 Controls: Simple and Easy to Pick Up, but Slightly Lacking

The game's controls are simple and easy to pick up, even players who have never played Metroidvania games can quickly get started. The character's movement, jumping, attacking, and other actions are very smooth and comfortable to operate.

However, there are also some shortcomings in the game's controls. For example, the character's jump height cannot be freely controlled, and sometimes they will fall due to insufficient jump height; the character's attack methods are relatively single and lack variation. In addition, the game does not add more advanced actions such as rolling and sliding, which makes the game's action somewhat lacking. Hopefully, we can see a richer action system in future Nintendo Switch 2 games.

2.6 Pros and Cons Summary

Pros:

• Exquisite graphics: Perfectly reproduces the Disney animation style, with bright colors and well-done details.
• Excellent cooperative experience: Each character has unique skills, requiring close cooperation to complete the game.
• Cheerful and lively sound effects: The background music and character voice acting are full of Disney features.
• Lighthearted and humorous story: Suitable for players of all ages.
• Simple and easy to pick up controls: Even players who have never played Metroidvania games can quickly get started.

Cons:

• Controls are slightly lacking: The character's jump height cannot be freely controlled, and the attack methods are relatively single.
• Solo mode experience is not as good as multiplayer cooperation: Lack of interaction with AI teammates.
• Difficulty is relatively low: For experienced Metroidvania players, the game may not be challenging enough.

2.7 Score

Overall, Disney Illusion Island is an excellent cooperative adventure game. It perfectly reproduces the classic style of Disney animation and brings a joyful and fun cooperative experience. Although the game's controls are slightly lacking and the difficulty is relatively low, this does not affect it from becoming a masterpiece suitable for all ages.

Final Score: 8.0/10

• IGN: 7/10 (https://www.ign.com/articles/disney-illusion-island-review - For reference only, the actual score may be different, please search for the latest score yourself)
• Metacritic: 75/100 (https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/disney-illusion-island - For reference only, the actual score may be different, please search for the latest score yourself)

This score reflects its core appeal as a cooperative adventure game, as well as some shortcomings in terms of control and difficulty. If an enhanced version can be launched on the future Nintendo Switch 2 and improve on these shortcomings, the game experience will be even better.

3. Disney Illusion Island Guide: Beginner's Guide and Advanced Tips

3.1 Beginner's Guide

• Choose a character: At the beginning of the game, you can choose to control Mickey, Minnie, Donald, or Goofy. Each character has different special abilities, and you can choose according to your preferences. It is recommended that beginners start with Mickey, because his wall jump ability is easier to learn.
• Familiarize yourself with the controls: The game's controls are very simple, mainly including movement, jumping, attacking, etc. Practice more, familiarize yourself with the character's movements, and you can better deal with various challenges.
• Explore the map: Monoth Island is a vast and complex map, full of hidden areas and secret passages. Explore more, and you can find various collectibles and hidden elements.
• Cooperate: If you choose to play multiplayer, you must cooperate closely with your teammates and help each other. Use the special abilities of each character to overcome difficulties together.
• Pay attention to saving: There are many save points in the game, so be sure to save in time to avoid losing progress.

3.2 Advanced Tips and Strategies

• Use the character's special abilities: Mickey can wall jump, Minnie can swing ropes, Donald can dash underwater, and Goofy can fly. Make full use of these abilities to reach places that seem unreachable.
• Collect hidden elements: There are many collectibles hidden in the game, such as Mickey's hat, Minnie's bow, Donald's sailor hat, and Goofy's hat. Collecting these items can unlock new costumes and props.
• Challenge hidden levels: There are also some hidden levels in the game. Challenging these levels can get generous rewards.
• Master speedrunning skills: If you are very familiar with the game's process, you can try to challenge speedrunning. Use the character's special abilities and map loopholes to complete the game faster.
• Reasonably match equipment: You can get various equipment in the game, such as shoes that increase jump height, gloves that increase attack power, etc. Reasonably matching equipment can improve the character's ability.

3.3 Walkthrough for Specific Levels or Challenges

• First BOSS fight: The first BOSS is a giant octopus. You need to use Mickey's wall jump ability to avoid the octopus's attacks, and use Donald's underwater dash ability to attack the octopus's weaknesses.
• Hidden level: There is a hidden level in the game that requires finding three hidden switches to enter. This level is more difficult and requires flexible use of the character's various abilities to complete.
• Final BOSS fight: The final BOSS is an evil witch. You need to use the abilities of all the characters to fight the witch. Remember, teamwork is the key to defeating her.

4. Disney Illusion Island Recommendation: A Cooperative Adventure Masterpiece Suitable for Family Fun

Disney Illusion Island is a cooperative adventure game that is very suitable for family fun. It has exquisite graphics, excellent cooperative experience, cheerful and lively sound effects, and a lighthearted and humorous story. If you want to spend a pleasant game time with your family and friends, then this game is definitely a good choice.

Of course, if you are an experienced Metroidvania player and pursue high-difficulty challenges, then this game may not meet your needs. But even so, Disney Illusion Island is still a masterpiece worth experiencing. It will take you back to your childhood and relive the classic charm of Disney animation.

With the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2, we have reason to expect that Disney Illusion Island will perform better on the new console. Higher resolution, smoother frame rate, and richer picture effects will further enhance the game experience. In addition, the compatibility of the Nintendo Switch 2 is also a concern for players, you can refer to nintendo switch2 compatibility.

5. Disney Illusion Island Compared with Similar Games

Compared with similar Metroidvania games, the characteristics of Disney Illusion Island lie in its emphasis on cooperation and Disney style. For example, Hollow Knight is a very excellent Metroidvania game, but it focuses more on single-player exploration and combat, and the difficulty is also higher. Ori and the Blind Forest has very exquisite graphics, but the plot is more heavy. Disney Illusion Island is more relaxed and happy, suitable for players of all ages.

Therefore, if you like Disney animation and like to cooperate with friends to adventure, then Disney Illusion Island is definitely your best choice. If you prefer single-player exploration and high-difficulty challenges, then Hollow Knight or Ori and the Blind Forest may be more suitable for you.

6. Conclusion: Looking Forward to Disney Illusion Island's Performance on the Nintendo Switch 2

All in all, Disney Illusion Island is a cooperative adventure game full of Disney charm. It brings Mickey and his friends into a brand new world and brings a joyful and fun cooperative experience. Although the game's controls are slightly lacking and the difficulty is relatively low, this does not affect it from becoming a masterpiece suitable for all ages. As Switch players, we all look forward to experiencing more excellent cooperative games like Disney Illusion Island on the future Nintendo Switch 2. And about the price of Nintendo Switch 2, you can pay attention to nintendo switch2 price. Let's look forward to the arrival of Nintendo Switch 2 and more exciting Switch games together!