At 16, I was an avid artist, filling my sketchbooks with anime portraits. While my drawings never reached the professional heights of Akira Toriyama or Naoto Ohshima, they provided a much-needed outlet for my adolescent stress. Painting, however, was a different story. I was afraid of making a mess, except during art class. Then, along came Disney’s *Epic Mickey* – a game that allowed me to paint the world freely.
Released in 2010 exclusively for the Wii, *Epic Mickey* was a bold experiment in motion-controlled gameplay. As a fan of *Kingdom Hearts*, I was drawn to the game’s artistic elements, feeling like I was wielding two paintbrushes with the Wii remote and Nunchuck. The concept of repainting the environment and erasing enemies with Thinner was revolutionary for a Disney game.
Now, almost 14 years later, *Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed* arrives on multiple platforms, bringing back those cherished memories. Firing it up on my Steam Deck was like reliving my 16-year-old self’s excitement. This remaster, crafted by THQ Nordic and Purple Lamp Studios, delivers a fresh coat of paint to an already beloved game.
While the core gameplay remains the same, *Rebrushed* boasts numerous changes, both subtle and significant. The most striking difference lies in the visuals. The original game’s bright lighting and unrefined textures have been replaced with finely detailed graphics and a dimmer ambiance, perfectly capturing the dark atmosphere of Wasteland and the game’s overall tone. The opening cutscene, illuminated by candle lamps, beautifully showcases this visual upgrade.
Gameplay-wise, the remaster allows for a greater sense of agency, offering players more options to create their own paths through the projector levels, explore new areas, uncover hidden secrets, and collect unique items. Even the control scheme has been refined. The crosshair for Paint and Thinner remains centered on the screen, eliminating the erratic movement of the Wii version. Painting and using Thinner now simply require pressing the right and left triggers, respectively, eliminating the need for D-pad button mapping. The guardians can be summoned with a single button press, eliminating the need for shaking the controllers.
*Rebrushed* also introduces a welcome addition: the ability for Mickey to run. Holding down the left analog stick allows him to sprint, while pressing the B button triggers a dash, offering much-needed escapes from Splatters and other Blotling foes.
The game’s visual enhancements extend beyond the environments. Mickey’s health gauge has been upgraded, transitioning from a sketchbook doodle to a 3D representation. The hearts, once little white ones inside a pink Mickey symbol, are now simply regular pink hearts. Even the guardian gauge has received an update, clearly differentiating between Paint and Thinner guardians with their respective meters moving in opposite directions. These subtle changes add to the game’s overall charm.
Furthermore, *Rebrushed* features a host of small but meaningful improvements. The loading/save symbol is no longer the Mickey ears dripping with paint, replaced with a classic Mickey Mouse symbol surrounded by paint and thinner. The loading screens showcase the game’s concept art in a more visually appealing way, replacing the postcard presentation with black paint dripping on either side of the artwork. Subtitles now appear for Yen Sid’s narration, offering improved accessibility for those who might struggle with understanding dialogue.
It would have been easy to simply slap a new coat of paint on the original game and release it for a quick profit. However, *Rebrushed* feels anything but rushed. The numerous subtle changes and enhancements demonstrate Disney’s commitment to providing a high-quality remaster that honors the original while offering a modern gaming experience. The return of Warren Spector as creative director further elevates the remaster, showcasing a level of dedication that’s rarely seen in remakes.
*Epic Mickey: Rebrushed* reminds me of *Spyro Reignited Trilogy*, where every character and asset was given a complete overhaul. While the visual improvements in *Rebrushed* may not be as dramatic due to the game’s younger age, they are still significant. The game’s multi-platform release ensures that anyone who missed out on the Wii version can now enjoy Mickey’s artistic adventure on their preferred platform. For those who experienced the original, *Rebrushed* offers a familiar yet rejuvenated journey, like viewing a Monet painting with fresh eyes. It’s a testament to the power of nostalgia, enhanced by modern technology, and a reminder that sometimes, a fresh coat of paint can breathe new life into an old classic.
