Usually around a blog that is sunshine and optimism, “dark” characters probably would have a bit of trouble being written in. After all, antiheroes and darkness seem at odds with someone like me who is dead set on writing about nothing but flowers and bunnies, right?
Well, the exception to the rule is when dark characterization finds a home in what you normally would consider light-hearted and innocent – a goal that the developers behind the Disney game reboot Epic Mickey plan to achieve.
For those living under a video game rock lately, Epic Mickey is a “return to the roots” for the titular character in a story that exudes a seriousness and dark flavor to the Disney world not seen since its early days. Game Informer has a really neato webpage covering the title, though the November issue has tons of detail within that you should definitely check out. In summary, Junction Point and Warren Spector plan to put Mickey back into the skin of the character created for him back before he got big, a mischevious, sometimes-not-so-sweet troublemaker whose inadvertent tampering causes a world of hurt. Combine that with some adversaries with a chip on their shoulder for Mickey’s success and you have an interesting recipe for an old favorite.
While this being a Wii-exclusive might seem to some to be a not ideal prospect I can say that the platform does lend itself to the actions that Mickey will be taking as he travels through a world very much an evil mirror of his own. Mickey’s main weaponry will consist of a paintbrush which he will use to erase, color, and create things to proceed. For the Wii, this is a good thing, because the marriage of a tradtionally innocent character with darker, more serious overtones may go a ways towards reminding players that a “waggle” console can house deeper gameplay and story.
But console wars aside, this is a great thing for the Mickey Mouse character. Not only will we see him in a role that is not one that he is used to, but we’ll also be treated to a story that we haven’t really seen since Kingdom Hearts showed up. This time, however, Mickey doesn’t need a crossover – he can stand on his own, and he plans on doing it in some cases by any means necessary. I can’t really hide a bit of curiosity and excitement, and look forward to what Epic Mickey will bring to the gaming world.