Game: World Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Sega, Genesis)

Compiler: John Brain

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to John Brain's World Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Genesis) maps.

While Mickey and Donald prepare for a magic act, Donald stumbles and clumsily discovers a strange box.  Thinking it could be useful in their show, Donald steps inside, but disappears, as does Mickey when he investigates.  The two of them are taken to another world within the box, and a shadowy figure tells them they can only escape if they find and defeat him.  '90s licensed character platforming ensues...

John Brain's maps of "World Of Illusion" include the different paths that Mickey and Donald each take.  For some inexplicable reason, they part ways and then reunite in each of the game's five stages.  In the fifth stage, for example, Donald explores an area inspired by the Queen of Hearts' garden from Alice In Wonderland (1951), while Mickey enters a mirror, perhaps inspired by the Mickey Mouse short, "Thru The Mirror" (1936).  There are also areas seen only in a two-player game.  So this whole game, however you play it, is fully mapped for you to enjoy.

With the Walt Disney Company celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, plus Walt Disney World ending its 50th-anniversary celebrations this month, what better time to celebrate the world of Disney games?  The series of "Illusion" games by Sega includes this adventure, originally available on only the Genesis, but now also on the Genesis Mini.

So to recognize the effort put into mapping this Disney classic, John Brain's World Of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck (Genesis) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for March 2023.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

Game: Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Nintendo, Wii)

Compiler: G.E.R.

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to G.E.R.'s Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Wii) maps.

Planet Popstar seems to have its fair share of visitors.  This time, it's Magalor, an alien whose dimension-hopping spaceship has crash-landed.  Kirby offers to help fix Magalor's ship, so along with King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Waddle Dee, they set off to recover all of the parts and energy spheres that are now scattered across the planet.

This adventure takes Kirby and his friends across Popstar and then Halcandra, through seven worlds named with alliterative titles (where the first letters appear to spell out a word).  Besides 38 stages of platforming fun, there are also seven challenges based around specific Copy Abilities, the boss rush area known as "The Arena", and a couple of mini-games.  It definitely follows the classic formula for a Kirby platforming adventure - but that's not a bad thing.  It plays great and looks just as good.

Though for something different, Kirby's Epic Yarn was released a year earlier on the Wii, and G.E.R. has recently mapped all of that, as well.  G.E.R. has actually mapped numerous Kirby games, and we appreciate that this love for the series brings us so many beautiful and colourful Kirby game maps, including these ones!

So to recognize the effort put into mapping a gorgeous Kirby adventure worth revisiting, G.E.R.'s Kirby's Return To Dream Land (Wii) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for February 2023.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!

Game: Willow (Capcom, NES)

Compiler: KingKuros

For this month's "Maps Of The Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to KingKuros's Willow (NES) maps.

Queen Bavmorda of Nockmaar is an evil sorceress who intends to rule the world.  Though she wields powerful magic and commands a vast army, a prophecy predicts her downfall.  One of those who could bring an end to her reign is Willow Ufgood, a farmer of the tribe of Nelwyns.  So Willow leaves his family and friends - but meets new companions like the Daikini warrior, Madmartigan, and the tiny Brownies, Franjean and Rool - as he ventures off on this perilous journey to save the world from Bavmorda's tyranny.

Unlike the film that this game is loosely based on, Willow's companions show up only briefly.  Willow usually travels alone in this adventure in the vein of The Legend Of Zelda.  In this vast world - with many similar-looking areas - he could certainly use the help of someone like KingKuros, who has mapped out the world in its entirety.  From the village of Nelwyn to Tir Asleen and Nockmaar Castle and, yes, even the many vast caves in between, Willow might just succeed, or at least not get lost.

So to recognize the effort put into mapping this classic fantasy world, KingKuros's Willow (NES) maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps Of The Month for January 2023.
 

Discuss the Maps Of The Month here!