Why was Epic Mickey such a failure?

TTKB

TTKB

New Member
Original Poster
For anyone who hasn't seen gameplay or the artwork for it, here's the opening 40 minutes: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuVpmHe4vIPZcGp_b9uhHNq9ZbD7TJ_wW

But even when the game was first announced, it was being hyped up all the way until release, and then it sort of... just disappeared. I think there were some mediocre reviews for it (I try to stay away from game reviews in general so I can make my own impressions of the game), but is it really a bad game?

Now to be fair, I'm only a couple of hours in, but just the beauty of the art and the overall atmosphere of the game seems amazing. I know a big complaint was the camera, but it seems bad camera controls is a problem that plagues a lot of 3D platformers. Games like Kingdom Hearts, Jak and Daxter, even critically acclaimed Mario games had wonky camera problems that could screw you at a moment's notice...

I guess it had to have a nice following to justify a sequel, but even then that game turned out to get low sales as well and Junction Point closed as a result. What's the deal? Should I continue playing?
 
stevehousse

stevehousse

Well-Known Member
The reason it was a failure is because of the game system. Too complicated and didn't always work as it needed to excute properly.

The story is great and I think if they had done this game more in the style of a Mario or Crash Bandicoot it would have been way more popular...
 
TTKB

TTKB

New Member
Original Poster
I haven't gotten too far into the game yet to have that much of a problem in battles. The worst moment I've had so far is trying to fight anything on an incline. I don't know whether to chalk that up to the game or how bad Wii shooting mechanics have always been for me. I'm guessing everyone has had that problem though, from what you're saying?
 
awoogala

awoogala

Well-Known Member
The main issue from the gamer son's perspective, was there weren't enough "save" spots.. in other words, most games, you fall/die, it starts you back up a few steps back. This one went back so far, it was infuriating to him. At some points, you'd spend 20 minutes getting to the top of something, and be put back so far it just didn't seem worth it to do it all over again.
 
N

NintendoDS

Member
I finished the game and have the sequel (but haven't opened it yet). I liked the game overall but 2 things that I didn't like was that once you finished the game, you couldn't go back to complete anything you missed and after you finished a level and I felt like there was too much running around from level to level to complete tasks where you talked to someone and had to get an item in another level so you had to go through the projector screen, play through that small level, go to the main level find the person to get the item and go all the way back to where you started.
 
AndyS2992

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
Poor camera, poor gameplay, quite difficult for target demographic, was smeared by bad reviews despite the hype which left people disappointed as they expected better and this dissuaded other people to buy it.

I own all three, I think it's alright, overhyped though.
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
Andys2992 said:
The first one was a success in sales, the second and 3DS one didn't sell hardly any at all which is why Disney shut down Junction Point studios.
Click to expand...

...which is a pity, because I've heard the second game fixed most of the problems with the first.
I didn't pick it up because I got burned the first time. I imagine a lot of people thought the same way.
 
stevehousse

stevehousse

Well-Known Member
Bairstow said:
...which is a pity, because I've heard the second game fixed most of the problems with the first.
I didn't pick it up because I got burned the first time. I imagine a lot of people thought the same way.
Click to expand...
The second game has a great story, but the actual controls were frustrating, didn't work half the time, and to much having to go back and Forth between worlds...it was confusing to play, especially when the controls were messed up.
 
IndianaJones

IndianaJones

Well-Known Member
Loved the first game a ton. Camera was shotty at times but it never took me out of the game. The ending to me was spectacular.

The second one didn't grab me emotionally like the first one. I just didn't care like I did with part one.

Just my 2 cents
 
brb1006

brb1006

Well-Known Member
stevehousse said:
The reason it was a failure is because of the game system. Too complicated and didn't always work as it needed to excute properly.

The story is great and I think if they had done this game more in the style of a Mario or Crash Bandicoot it would have been way more popular...
Click to expand...
That and I felt the sequel was a bit to short and there weren't that much forgotten characters besides The Three Little Pigs. I wish they gotten others such as Clarice or Clara Cluck in the mix.
 
PineapplePrincess

PineapplePrincess

Well-Known Member
I'm not into video games at all, but DH got it for me for Christmas the year it came out. I didn't get very far and I realized that every time I played, I got a headache. Too stressful for me!
 
brb1006

brb1006

Well-Known Member
Concept art for the never made "Epic Donald" game has just been up on Ebay.
http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/epic-donald-sequel-to-epic-mickey-series.62755/
s-l1600.jpg
 
Rich T

Rich T

Well-Known Member
Epic Mickey's actual gameplay never lived up to its wonderful story and setting. Detail-wise, it was a Disney fan's dream come true, but 90% of the gameplay involved using your amazing "paint and thinner" abilities to....fix machinery. Over and over again. All in a game that felt not-quite-finished, as though it needed a few more months in the oven. Fantastic final boss sequence, though. Also loved the battle against the evil version of the Small World Clock early in the game.
 
WDW Zandt

WDW Zandt

Member
I have to agree with the sentiments here about the small world clock. The theme park references in the game were really cool. I only ever played the first game but I remember working at the Lego store in downtown disney when we were temporarily located in a tent. walking to work I'd pass the other disney stores and they'd have rows and rows of epic icky wii games. I can't remember ever seeing anything of the second one when it was released, certainly not the way the first one was handled. I don't think the aspect of making it musical helped, considering the music part of kingdom Hearts 2 drove people crazy.
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
WDW Zandt said:
I have to agree with the sentiments here about the small world clock. The theme park references in the game were really cool. I only ever played the first game but I remember working at the Lego store in downtown disney when we were temporarily located in a tent. walking to work I'd pass the other disney stores and they'd have rows and rows of epic icky wii games. I can't remember ever seeing anything of the second one when it was released, certainly not the way the first one was handled. I don't think the aspect of making it musical helped, considering the music part of kingdom Hearts 2 drove people crazy.
Click to expand...

The musical section of Kingdom Hearts 2 was the least of its problems.
Not safe for work. Or kids.
 

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