Have you ever been to Disneyland? Perhaps the world's most popular theme park, it's much more than just a series of rides thrown together at random in a field. Split into a number of heavily themed worlds, which cover everything from princesses and fairies to space and cowboys, each area is often much more than it seems. Full of references to past films, cartoons, characters, and things known as 'Hidden Mickeys', where the iconic rodent's silhouette gets disguised in the scenery, from the obvious, to the obscure, the parks have bred a whole legion of fans who delight in spotting every little reference that's been hidden throughout the lands. Much like the parks themselves, then, it's fitting that the Epic Mickey games also come loaded with stuff for the eagle-eyed to spot.
This time round, the titular mouse and his predecessor, Oswald the lucky rabbit join forces as partners rather than bitter rivals - Mickey armed with his usual paintbrush and paint thinner, and Oswald with his remote control capable of commanding electricity. With two-player co-op, you and a friend can work together to get to the bottom of the mysterious reappearance of the nefarious Mad Doctor, restoring the forgotten world of the Wasteland (where forgotten rides and characters live) to it's former glory with your magical paintbrush (or erasing it to destruction with your thinner, if you're so inclined).
Oswald's remote comes in handy for jump-starting electrical objects.
The first Epic Mickey game was chock full of references and imagery that Disney nerds everywhere would have recognised - whether it was Skull Rock in the background, the It's A Small World clock boss or a retro Mickey game cartridge. Like a runaway mine cart, the references to Disney parks and characters show no signs of stopping, with a new area revealed today, which will be instantly familiar to anyone who's set foot in one of their theme parks.
Fort Wasteland is based on Disneyland's Frontierland district, the rootin' tootin' Stetson-wearing area themed after the American Wild West. With it's sunburnt orange cliffs, gorges and mountains, the area has delighted many generations of visitors since it's conception in 1955 - but with the passage of time, a fair few older rides are but a distant memory, much like the cast of characters the Epic Mickey series attempts to reawaken. Through the (Disney) magic of Epic Mickey 2, you'll be able to take a ride on the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland and visit Fort Wilderness on Tom Sawyer Island all over again - although they'll probably require a lick of paint to bring them back to life.
Along with the announcement of a new world to explore came a short documentary where the developers talk about the music in the game - and given Epic Mickey 2's unique 'musical theatre' vibe, there's plenty to talk about before the game launches across the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii consoles this November:
