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Computer Times
Editors' Choice Game Disney Universe Review by Angie Kibiloski
Disney Universe (Retail $29.99 for PC) is a super fun scrolling action adventure from Disney Interactive Studios. Dress up you eager little avatar as one of your favorite Disney characters as you explore new worlds, puzzle your way past obstacles, and battle all sorts of enemies. There are 45 different character costumes to unlock and wear, and 6 unique worlds to visit, all inspired by Disney movies. Mix and match costumes and worlds as you unlock them all for some crazy pairings. Invite up to 4 friends to join in the adventure as well for even more action packed excitement with the multi-player function. You’ll have so much fun jumping into the shoes, hats, and fur of all of the famous Disney characters.
Before setting foot in a new game world, you’ll get to choose which character costume to wear. Among these are such iconic characters as Cheshire Cat, Iago, Mickey Mouse, and Pumbaa. Each costume comes with a unique weapon that can be upgraded as you explore the levels, so game play will be slightly different depending on which costume you choose to don. In addition to costume upgrades, there are other power ups to be collected throughout the levels, many with very humorous results. Each power up is a surprise, so I won’t spoil the enjoyment of you discovering them for yourself. Every level will present you with a different challenge, making every new environment exciting and fresh. You will be asked to navigate obstacles, solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and perform a variety of other tasks that will test your ingenuity. If you can’t figure out what to do next, roam around and be on the look out for helpful on-screen prompts and arrows, that will hint at what sort of action to take. Some actions, like destroying barrels and killing baddies, will earn you Mickey shaped gold coins, health hearts, and other goodies. You can use the coins to unlock new worlds.
The avatars are adorable little childlike creatures, brightly colored and cheerful. They gladly dress up in all the cool character suits to go off adventuring. The 6 movie worlds, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Alice in Wonderland, and Lion King, are detailed and beautiful, and full of themed stuff to look at and interact with. The enemies, all matched to the world they inhabit, are cute as well. Even though battle is part of this game, the fighting is kind to all ages, with no blood or real violence. The battles are borderline funny, and when an enemy is defeated, he turns into coins and disappears, nothing gruesome or disturbing for young players. In between levels, you’ll get to watch animated scenes, featuring the charmingly bumbling bad guys trying to commit mayhem related to the level you are about to play. If you happen to be defeated in a fight, no worries, you’ll just respawn a little ways away from the enemies and rejoin the battle. You can view how many times you’ve needed to respawn, how much gold you’ve collected, how many enemies you’ve defeated, and other statistics in the Player area of the main menu screen. In the Viewer area you can view all of the enemies you’ve fought so far, see some concept art for the game, and listen to music from the worlds you’ve unlocked.
I knew Disney Universe was sure to be a crowd pleaser, if only because Disney Interactive Studios has always put out fantastic products. Having played the game, I can safely say that my confidence was well placed. Cute characters, visually pleasing environments, challenging activities, and that unmistakable Disney flare, all make this game an award winner. With so many characters to play as, you can replay each level over and over, providing potentially endless hours of enjoyment. Admit it, you’ve always wanted to dress up as Scar, or Smee, or Alice, and jump into the various worlds Disney has created. Now you can have that chance, in the form of funny little playable creatures. Let your imagination run wild and explore the world of Disney like never before. With versions out for PC/MAC, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii, this title could be the perfect gift for any gamer on your list this holiday season. *An important note for Windows Vista users: if you encounter an error message telling you that your Parental Controls will not allow you to run this game, and you aren’t actually running any Parental Controls, don’t worry, there is an easy fix to this lovely Vista quirk. Find the Disney Universe application file in Windows Explorer, right click on the file and open the Properties menu. Under the Compatibility tab, check the box to run this program under the compatibility mode for Windows XP. Now you can avoid the Vista weirdness and run the game with no trouble. PC System Requirements:
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