Rollin' in the Dip - Thoughts on "Epic Mickey"

Note: click all Flickr-hosted illustrations for the big/legible versions.

A few years ago, the Disney fandom was blown away by some really strange concept art that appeared online with very little explanation and looked like this. Some people freaked. Some people loved it.

And a very small, very specific portion of the fandom, myself included, completely lost their sh*t especially after more plot details surfaced. The game, which we now knew to be titled "Epic Mickey", involved Mickey Mouse being trapped in a weird, twisted version of Disneyland populated entirely with forgotten and lost Disney characters.



(Well, not in this sense, but that would have been amazing.)

Furthermore, Mickey would take on different characteristics depending on how the player approached different parts of the game. And Mickey would be able to manipulate the very game environment with pencils, erasers, ink, paint, thinner, brushes and so on. Hate dealing with enemies? Erase them! Or melt the floor out from under them! Or paint a big box around them, trapping them!

Now, as the game made it's way to the market, some... compromises were made. The game's overseer, Warren Spector, later explained that he learned where Disney draws the line by initially going way the heck over it. Focus groups (if we could ever point the finger at any one entity, then focus groups are essentially the one reason why we can't have nice things) were not one bit happy with the weirder initial aspects of the game, leading to whole swathes of ideas being scrapped.

So "Epic Mickey" in it's current form is... not what I was initially led to expect. Now, it is a pretty good game, but there were times when it almost stopped being fun and became more of a chore. You know what, let's start the review proper with all the things I disliked in "Epic Mickey". First off, this (go here for big):



Let me level with you. I am terrible, terrible I tell you, at both targeting and platforming in video games. "Epic Mickey" has quite a few enemies that require rather accurate aiming to dispatch; the fact that the Wiimote isn't always intuitive doesn't help here. And there is a lot of jumping from platform to platform over roaming monsters, bottomless pits, and rivers of what is essentially The Dip in all but name. And so help me, if the title of this post didn't alert you, there are so many levels where the floor is Dip as far as the eye can see.

So many...

So Goddamn many...

And I wouldn't even complain about this much -- if it weren't for the real Big Bad in the game...



(Thun-dun dun-dun thun-dun dun-dun, thun-dun dun-dun thun-dun dun-dun)

MICKEY: "There's paint thinner / all over the floor.
Rea-CHIN into the distance / to the other shore.

Tiny platforms for me to jump across.
I CA-nnot see them though / I'm at a total loss.

One slip in / and I will meet my end.
Too BAD the camera is, like, just nobody's friend.

There's paint thinner / all over the floor.
Rea-CHIN into the distance / to the other shore.

"This crazy camera I can't see 'round the bend!
Just one missed jump 'round here an' I will meet my end!
This Goddamn camera it makes me motion sick!
Whoever programmed it is just a total --"

CHORUS: "Mickey's gone 'round the bend!
Will the madness ever end?
It only takes a little slip
to go rollin' in the Dip!

"Mickey is gettin' sick!
The camera is such a dick!
It's like a bad acid trip!
Rollin' in the Dip!"

MICKEY: "There's a gear puzzle that I must resolve. (Wo-O-oah!)
Must thin them crystal clear so they do not revolve. (WO-o-ah!)

Turn my body / into paint black and white
If I screw up / and don't solve this puzzle right.

I will slowly / dissolve in that goo.
Killin' me horribly just like that Squeaky Shoe."

(Repeat CHORUS and ad lib to end.)



Honest and no kidding, whoever programmed the virtual camera in this game needs to just sit in the corner and think about what they have done.

If the camera in "Kingdom Hearts" was annoying at times, here it almost feels like the camera is actively working against you. It changes angles randomly as you're making a string of difficult jumps (ie, Mickey had to move forward a second ago, suddenly he has to move to the right). It gets right in Mickey's face during battles with roaming monsters (good God, the confrontation with the giant blobby brute in the castle's tapestry room!) And while you do have some minimal control over it, that ability craps out at the most inopportune times (usually when you are anywhere near anything that can be affected by Mickey's paintbrush). The camera is the real villain of "Epic Mickey". Try to argue it.

And as far as the Gear Puzzles... They kind of reminded me of the three elemental monkeys in "Pokemon: Black and White". Whoever came up with the idea must have REALLY loved it, so they just keep showing up everywhere and getting in the way. Only difference is the monkeys were pushovers and the gears ended up killing my Mickey over and over.

It's worth noting that I am an obsessive-compulsive Save-er.
Normal Person: "Neat, I beat the lead boss! Save!"
Me: "I just read a new line of dialogue from that NPC - SAVE!!!"
"Epic Mickey" has a rather infamous "autosave" option. As in, you cannot control where the game saves and there's a very real chance that the only time the game does save isn't until after you've beaten a level. The idea was to force the player into not backtracking once she had crossed some turning point or other. The reality is oh, so much fun... (I'm just glad I finished this game prior to Season Premier, er, season so the TV wasn't compromised by not-videogame-understanding-people.)



So with all that said, there is an awful lot to love in "Epic Mickey". Let's go on to the good.

The paintbrush gimmick is clever as hell and results in some genuinely cool moments. There's something inherently satisfying about filling the local Goomba equivalent's maw with paint, converting him to Team Mickey, and watching him run off to headbutt his former fellows while you go do something that's actually important. I love how the rescued Gremlins often help you in return during difficult boss fights. And speaking of the Gremlins, I love, love, love how "Epic Mickey" showcases characters Disney barely acknowledges.



(OK, not all of them, but still.)

Honestly, since I am a total geek for Weird Disney Things and I own a Wii, it sometimes felt like the game was made just for me. There are tons of obscure Disney references packed in every level (many are listed here) and each new level is preceded by a mini-level based directly on a classic cartoon and not necessarily one most people would be able to name off the top of their head. People, there is a mini-level based on "Plutopia" for goodness sake!

And as with the original "Kingdom Hearts", the story of the game is downright heartfelt and moving. I hope that ultimately this prompts many, many unexpected "starring roles" for Mickey and friends outside of the game world.

Plus there's something deeply cathartic about a game that lets you trash the dolls from "It's A Small World" for prizes.

THE FINAL SEASON OF "LOST" STARTS TOMORROW!!!!!!

I am a teeny weeny bit excited about this.

Now I know that a few readers probably don't care, so I won't let my fandom overtake this Art Blog (me talking about art I have made will resume Wednesday. Therizinosaurs will be involved.) I definitely can promise you that I am not and never will become one of these fans.

----
Sketch of the Day! Here are some classy monsters.

Another Crazy Theory, This Time Involving His Dark Materials and "Lost".

Originally posted in LaGremlin Land on 11/16/06. Note that this does not take the "Lost" episodes since that date into account. It also does not acknowledge the "Golden Compass" film. (But then again, who does?)

In Which A Fan of Both Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy and Damon Lindelof/Carlton Cuse/J.J. Abrams' "Lost" Sets out to Prove That the Two Series are Basically The Same Thing

"This is a kid's book series? I can't imagine what kind of pale, boring, morose kids must dig this." - Devin Faraci of CHUD.com

Well, gee, ME for one. >:(
Also, if -for all it's sex and violence- the His Dark Materials series is a kid's book, then so is every other book where the protagonists *start out as* children. So I guess you can go read Lolita, kiddies. What an idjit. (I'm sorry, I read that article shortly before I wanted to post this feature and I just had to rant.)
Anyway, thanks to the title, there's not much left to explain here, I hope. Needless to say, this contains SPOILERS GALORE for both His Dark Materials and "Lost". Both series are wonderful and if you have not watched/read either of them, do so now. Then come back and read this.
As far as I know I'm the only one out there who sees these connections, which is weird cause I know that there are crazy "Lost" fans who want to sniff out every single possible cross-reference ever. I came up with a lot of these after rereading His Dark Materials (I started as soon as it was clear that the film adaptation was out of development limbo; I anticipate it with dread but that's irrelevant for now), and I finished the trilogy on a Wednesday. "Lost" night. And so, my fellow experimental theologians, similarities between His Dark Materials and "Lost":

Well, first, let's get the obvious stuff out of the way:
His Dark Materials: Polar Bears?
Lost: Polar Bears.

His Dark Materials: Science and faith?
Lost: Science and faith.

His Dark Materials: Brings together a disparate group of characters who find themselves in a strange conflict involving forces way beyond human understanding?
Lost: Brings together a disparate group of characters who find themselves in a strange conflict involving forces way beyond human understanding. We think.

Now, here's where things get interesting:
His Dark Materials: The main antagonists in the first book are the "Gobblers". They are a mysterious group of high-ranking people with shady intentions. The Gobblers are, by all evidence, in allegiance with a larger and far shadier organization. We do not learn much about them in the early chapters -- but we do know that they are obsessed with children…
Lost: The main antagonists in the second season are the "Others". They are a mysterious group of islanders with shady intentions. The Others are, by strong implication, in allegiance with a larger, far shadier organization. We don't know much about them by the end of Season Two -- but we do know that they are obsessed with children…

His Dark Materials: Very near the beginning of the first book, it is revealed that the Gobblers have kidnapped countless children. Lyra, the heroine of the trilogy, is stunned to learn that this includes her best friend, Roger.
Lost: By the end of the first season and the beginning of the second, it is revealed that the Others have kidnapped Rousseau's daughter Alex, Claire (who was pregnant with Aaron at the time), the children from the tail end, and Michael's son Walt.

His Dark Materials: The Gobblers operate from a remote location (near the Arctic Circle) which nonetheless has state-of-the-art facilities.
Lost: The Others operate from a remote location (Craphole Island) which nonetheless has state-of-the-art facilities.

His Dark Materials: Here's the kicker. When she meets one of the kidnapped children who has managed to escape, and when she is captured by the Gobblers shortly thereafter, Lyra learns firsthand the horrifying truth of what the Gobblers are up to. Basically, the Gobblers make the children take tests before performing bizarre and cruel experiments on them. It's implied that the point of some of these experiments is to harness a potential power that the children have…
Lost: Here's the kicker. When Michael sets out to rescue Walt, and is captured by the Others, he *sort of* learns firsthand what they're up to when he is allowed to talk with Walt. Walt is able to tell his father that the Others make him "take tests" before Ms. Clue tells him to shut up.
Furthermore, in the episode "Maternity Leave", it's very clear that the Others are performing some kind of bizarre experiments on Aaron before he is even born. A popular theory, backed up by some of the questions that Ms. Clue asks of Michael, has it that the Others are looking for the potential powers that "special" children have…

It really is the same story!
His Dark Materials: At one point, some of the characters must travel through a place that is very like Purgatory.
Lost: A commonly held, though long-dismissed, theory has it that Craphole Island is Purgatory.

His Dark Materials: A certain World in the Multiverse is inhabited by beings called Phantoms. Phantoms are very interested in adults' souls -- by all evidence they eat adult souls.
Lost: Craphole Island is home to a "monster" that looks like a great, dark phantom. "Smoky" seems to be very interested in the contents of peoples' heads -- as evidenced by it’s encounters with Mr. Eko and B'enry, it can basically "read" your soul.

His Dark Materials: In an incredibly sad scene, Lyra encounters Tony, a lost boy who she first takes to be a ghost.
Lost: In an incredibly creepy scene, Shannon sees the lost Walt as a sort of ghost.

His Dark Materials: Creepy Guy In A Boat - "HE (Pantalaimon) can't come."
Lost: Creepy Guy In A Boat - "We're gonna hafta take the boy (Walt)."

His Dark Materials: Climaxes with an epic, apocalyptic battle involving about a zillion characters which sets about several major shakeups in the foundations of the Multiverse.
Lost: Err, well, we still don't know what really happened during the season finale...

Related Links and Sources:
The Wikipedia entries for "Lost", and His Dark Materials are as good enough places as any to start.
"Lost" Fansites: The "Lost" Encyclopedia, Television Without Pity
His Dark Materials Fansites: HisDarkMaterials.org, The Bridge to the Stars
And more recently, This Article that popped up on the Entertainment Weekly website a little while ago and covers several of the more recent seasons. And which also recommends His Dark Materials to "Lost" followers. (As well as the "Matrix" trilogy, which I have just watched again recently and which plays quite differently in a "Lost" world. And I might talk much more about all this later... when I have something much better than a laptop keyboard to tpewith -- err, type with.)

Comic-Con International!

*sigh* Such are the perils of shuffling your scheduled posts around. I originally had this as a footnote to the next post, which was originally going to go up on Wednesday but got pushed back to Friday thanks to the "Let's Recast 'Futurama' For No Good Gorram Reason" debacle. Blame FOX. For everything.

Um, I mean, San Diego Comic-Con is this weekend! Woo-Hoo!

As you may have noticed, I usually focus on announcing conventions that take place in the upper-right-hand corner of the country (it's so that I don't have the "Ha ha, you can't go" song in my head), but this one's too important not to get a mention. I am unable to attend, due to being in the exact opposite end of the U.S. right now. But for those of you who can go, have fun, get your butt in the seat for the Disney Animation Panel tomorrow at 12:30 (Miyazaki!!!!!), and good luck dodging the Twilight fangirls.

Speaking of: Dear mainstream media. Girls enjoy attending comic book conventions. I know that, for whatever reason, this is very hard for your tiny minds to understand. But girl geeks who don't give a fetid pair of dingo kidneys about glittery vampires exist. And we are legion.

As far as the girls attending comic-con this year who do care about glittery vampires, a FARK commenter with the excellent screen-name Brigid Fitch said it so I don't have to:

"...The problem isn't women attending the con -- it's gaggles of non-fans swarming all over a con, sucking all the fun from the room. We'll never escape the Asperger's candidates & hygienically challenged portion of our ranks, but if you're stuck next to one, you can at least find common ground and have a reasonable conversation with them (if by "reasonable" you mean discussing the finer points of violating the Prime Directive, of course).
"But the Twilight fans aren't like that. They're interlopers. We couldn't care less about sparkly vampires and they haven't a clue what to expect at a ComicCon! They're there to swoon over Robert Pattinson, and have no idea who Ray Bradbury is, let alone why someone would give their right arm to be at his discussion panel.
"...It's like a school trip to a Yankees game: The girls know NOTHING of baseball, ask a lot of inane questions, and are only there because they think Jeter is hot. And whenever he's on the field, they squeal in that ear-piercing way that only 15-year-olds know how to. How patient would you be?"

Happy Towel Day!

As you're reading this, I am having an excellent excuse to carry my towel around, which I will explain later. It's also why there won't be any other updates this week.

In the meantime, enjoy this fun essay about Tex Avery. And for those wondering what the true meaning of Towel Day is: Ye Olde Wikipedia.

My Little Pwny Part Deux: I Caught 'Em All :p

Part Une. (I failed French. Long, traumatic story.)

So when I last discussed my quest for a complete set of So-Soft Pegasus My Little Ponies (this is the cue for our male readers to turn back), I had succeeded in collecting seven of the ten. Here's number eight, Heart Throb, chilling by the sink after her arrival and subsequent bath.
Toys have a tendancy to arrive from Ebay in varying states of cleanliness, so it's nice to make yourself a kit. I usually just have to use antibacterial soap, shampoo, and conditioner for Ponies. Occasionally, a Pony will have some grime on her that is much more tenaceous, and that's where the toothbrush and whitening toothpaste are used for, if you were wondering what they were doing up there.

Weeks later and with embarrassing pride, I got to take this photo (click for huge). In a matter of weeks I had finished my collection. And now I'm selling stuff to make room for them.
Let us pause and remember those who are currently going insane trying to get a complete collection of Twinkle-Eyed Unicorns...

I am near the beginning of "Pokemon Platinum". Because I am a dweeb.

Let me show you my team for the first boss battle in the game (Roark's Rock Gym). Click for big:

I've since swapped in some different creatures and I'm currently exploiting that poor chick with the Pink Nightmare to level grind in Eternia ("Where's He-Man? LOL!") Forest. I'll draw the new team once my Magikarp reaches Level 20 and ceases to fail at life.

This is old, and it took about five minutes to draw, but it's cute:

You know, I'm tempted to redraw this in spite of it's popularity.

Or because of it. It's not good when one of the most popular items in my online portfolio is also one of the sloppiest. Carson's expression was an epic win in the line art in the third panel but with the marker it just looks like a big blur.

I'd keep the original up, of course. I'm just wondering how people would react.

On a completely unrelated note, I laughed way too hard at this.

Next week: A big damn three-part review of Dougal Dixon's The New Dinosaurs! You know, like I promised way, way back in January.