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.
