Mickey Mouse, created by the late great Walt Disney, has been one of the biggest pop culture icons and the face of Disney since 1928. Amongst the various media he has appeared in, he also has a long history in video games, including some big hitters such as Castle of Illusion, Mickey Mania, Disney Infinity and Kingdom Hearts. In 2010, Epic Mickey, published by Disney Interactive Studios, and developed by Junction Point Studios, was released exclusively for Nintendo Wii, receiving mixed reviews with critics praising its charm, art design and nostalgia, but being criticised for clunky controls and camera issues.

Now, in 2024, the Wii exclusive gets a fresh coat of paint in Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, published by THQ Nordic and developed by Purple Lamp, now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4|5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

A curious Mickey Mouse enters Yen Sid’s workshop discovering a model of a world resembling Disneyland that Yen Sid created for the forgotten, made with the Magic Paintbrush. After Yen Sid leaves, Mickey takes a closer look at the model and starts playing with the brush, but accidentally creates a monster made of paint and thinner. Mickey panics and tries to erase it, but spills more paint and thinner on the model.

The monster survives Mickey’s attempt to destroy it and enters the model through a portal. Yen Sid arrives too late and deems the world he created a Wasteland. Later, the monster enters Mickey’s home, abducts him and brings him to the Wasteland. Mickey wakes up to find himself trapped in a lab in Dark Beauty Castle by the Mad Doctor, but with the help of Gus, he manages to free himself, fighting off the monster and a malfunctioning mechanical arm with the Magic Paintbrush. After escaping the lab, Mickey, with Gus’ guidance, must make his way through the Wasteland, meeting various forgotten Disney characters and finding his way home.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is more than just a graphics update to the 2010 original. The control scheme has been completely overhauled, doing away with the motion controls of Wii Remotes and Nunchucks, and made to work for a more traditional controller, making it relevant across all consoles.

Instead of waving the Wii Remote to attack, players now just press a single button. The update has also fixed the camera issues that plagued the Wii game, and although it’s not perfect, as is the case with most 3D platform games, being able to use the right stick to control the camera and aim the Magic Paintbrush is refreshing and far better than it was.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed also adds the ability to ground pound, creating some space when up against multiple enemies, and a dash button to help dodge, aiding in getting out of sticky situations. Overall, while Nintendo was ambitious with the innovative Wii controls, the new control scheme in Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is incredibly responsive and feels like what the original should’ve been.

As good as the updates are, it still has some issues that plagued the original game. Objectives can occasionally be unclear on what players need to do, and boss battles, while much better with the new control scheme, can also leave players not knowing how to take them down. Thankfully, these are only minor inconveniences and don’t ruin the overall experience.

On top of the modernised controls, the game utilises Unreal Engine for a full graphics overhaul. Everything from the opening cutscene, the gameplay, loading screens, style, and presentation has received a makeover, all looking better than ever.

Animations are smoother while still maintaining that classic Mickey Mouse feel. There’s the occasional frame drop here and there, especially when a lot is happening on screen at once, but it’s nowhere near as bad as the Wii version, barely dampening the experience at all.

Mickey Mouse media is best known for being bright, cheerful, and colourful, but Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed has a slightly darker tone. It’s still kid-friendly for the most part, but Mickey has to step out of his comfort zone and traverse through dark and gloomy worlds. Mickey’s design in this game is based on the original black and white appearance from his official debut in the 1928 short film, Steamboat Willie, but in full colour. Many of the classic short films from his early years are featured as their own stages in a 2D side-scrolling platforming format, adding an extra touch of nostalgia.

The game has a unique style and presentation, possibly taking some inspiration from Tim Burton to create that darker but still cartoonish look. The environments in the Wasteland are old, decaying and falling apart, and Mickey must use the Magic Paintbrush to bring some colour back into the world. This also plays into the puzzle-solving side of the game, as well as a means to take on enemies and bosses.

In Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, the environments have all received a major upgrade, so not only do they look better, but they have also been completely redecorated, so fans of the original game will have fun exploring the new but familiar sights. Adding to the style and presentation is the soundtrack, featuring some spooky tunes that perfectly fit the creepy environments, and classic piano music plays during the black and white 2D stages.

As Mickey makes his way through the Wasteland, he’ll meet various long-forgotten and neglected Disney characters, with the main one being Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who debuted a full year before Mickey. Most people won’t know who he is, as the rights to the character were owned by Universal Studios until Disney was finally able to gain them in 2006.

Other than a brief appearance in a Woody Woodpecker game that was only released in Brazil in 1995, Oswald’s official first appearance in a game was indeed 2010’s Epic Mickey, and it marked the first time he and Mickey have ever been featured together. It’s great to see the character who could have been the face of Disney get some modern representation, and hopefully, this won’t be the last we see of him. Perhaps we may even see him in Kingdom Hearts IV after he missed out on the previous game.

Tons of collectibles can be found throughout the game and viewed in the Museum. They include the game’s cutscenes, concept art and different outfits for Mickey to wear, with three already unlocked for those who pre-ordered the game. All the collectibles truly feel like having some pieces of Disney memorabilia at home.

The original release of Disney Epic Mickey on the Nintendo Wii had so much potential, but it was severely held back by the limitations of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed fixes all those issues and is exactly what that original game should’ve been. It remains to be seen if Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two and Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion will also get the Rebrushed treatment, but until then, the future of the dark and gloomy Epic Mickey is looking brighter than ever. With over 12 hours of playtime and a fresh coat of paint, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is an absolute must-play for fans of the legendary face of Disney.

Written by: Sammy Hanson