And that's the thing, everything looks great about the game but the gameplay, which looks...well...Decent I guess. The presentation, Worlds, characters and music all seem top notch, but to say this has a chance against something like SMG2 from a gameplay and level design persepective....There's no way in hell. And I was watching a boss battle against captain hook, and the gameplay just seemed a tad sloppy and didn't flow well, especially when Mickey got hit where he'd fly back with this weird ho-hum animation.

I dont know, It's seems like everything is top notch aside from the actual platforming. Aside from the IR Controlled paint brush mechanic I don't see anything great or special here regarding the gameplay. It's as if the game is glazed with awesome worlds, characters, music, nostalgia and so on, but deep beneath it all lies a ordinary unspecial platformer...hehe. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I hope I'm wrong, because I'm looking forward to it.

@ballkirby1 A lot of the people who have "recieved" this game and posted footage online probably haven't gotten very far. A lot of it's probably tutorial-ish and this seems like a game that's just going to get better and better the further you get into it, IMO.

Yup that's pretty much what I've noticed, too. I think there are going to be a lot of distrustful reviews for this game, because people love Mickey and Warren Spector, but maybe I'm speaking too soon. I'm just very concerned about the final product. I feel like Spector may be pulling a High Voltage Software in his interviews by promising all these great things the game is going to do, but aren't fulfilled in the actual game. I'm mean really, that Spector guy sure seems full of himself for making this game.

I've seen a lot of footage from the game and imo, it looks excellent. All of the platforming, especially the 2D levels, look awesome. I have liked the 3D footage though, including the Captain Hook fight that was mentioned. That said, do I think the game will change platforming forever? No. I think its going to be a really fun platformer, but the story, paint/thinner, music, characters, etc are going to be MUCH more important than the platforming elements. I'm sure the platforming is going to be fun, but the real meat & potatoes of the game, from everything that I've seen & heard, is in the story, characters, and the choices you make (with paint & thinner). I think Spector has been pretty honest from the start that the game is much more about paint/thinner and this unique world that you're put in, than it is about the platforming. Sure they is going to be plenty of platforming, but the FOCUS on the game is going to be everything else. So, no, I don't expect that we are going to get a Super Mario Galaxy level platforming experiance. I'm not saying its going to be terrible platforming, because I do expect it'll be FUN, but I do think the platforming will not be the best element of the game.

I think people should go into the game thinking about it not as a 3D platforming game, but more like a Action-RPG. Or An Adventure game, like Zelda. I think Epic Mickey is trying for more of a Zelda experiance than a Mario experiance. Sure there are lots of Mario elements there, but there's the Zelda-ish fighting, collecting items, and actual story, which is closer to a Zelda type thing than a Mario thing.

I'd expect that the reviews will be around 8 for a lot of reviewers. Epic Mickey will NOT get a 9 from most of the reviewers. Maybe I'm justing being optimistic about the 8 even. I think reviewers will be nitpicky. Maybe they'll have comments like you guys have. But I don't think that reviewers are going to give the game a pass because its Warren Spector and Mickey. I actually think that it'll be distrustful in the other direction. There will be people expecting it to be Super Mario Galaxy Great or Donkey Kong Country Returns Great and it probably won't be. I'm not saying it won't be good. I think its going to be a VERY good game (and I think Disney & Mickey fans will love the game the most). I think I'm going to like it a lot. But I don't expect it to be a game thats reviewed like DKCR or Mario Galaxy. I think we'll see some reviewers that give it a really low score. And I don't think we'll be able to trust those scores (well, I hope not).

Now, I could be wrong about how reviewers will react. Man, I'd love to be wrong. Maybe reviewers will come out and give the game a 9 and say all the elements are great. It would be very cool if the game got an excellent review like Mario Galaxy or DKCR. That said, I know reviewers like Ign and especially Gamspot are VERY harsh. They might like it in the previews, but if it sucks to them, they'll tell us. Ditto if they love it.

Basically, we just have to play the game for ourselves and make up our own minds. Maybe some of will think its a great game even if some reviewers don't (and vise versa).

DF2506 pretty much echoes my thoughts. The platforming will NOT be Mario-esque, but will still be very good. All the other aspects of the game are what is going to make up for the fact that the platforming won't be Galaxy-esque (but still very fun).

DF2506 Ya I see what you're saying.
The Wii Pointer Paint and thinner controls do look really fun, and in a way this definitly kind of feels like a successor to Mickey Mouse's Castle of Illusion for the Genesis. Which is why I've always been somewhat excited for this game in the first place.
Anyways, I predict an 8 or an 9 from NL.

I completely agree with everything you said. In the end, it's the story and characters that's going to define this game, not the platforming. The side-scrolling cartoon levels are a good example. Mickey progresses through them like Mario would, but really those levels are all about the cartoon they represent. If they were just ordinary side-scrolling levels, they would be just that, ordinary. The cartoon defines the experience, not the platforming. I'll be thinking about the cartoon I'm running and jumping through and not how Mickey's moving. If there was any gameplay that would shape this game, it would be the paint and thinner mechanic and the "playstyle matters" idea.

Spector has said that his favorite video game ever is A Link to the Past, so it comes as no surprise that there's plenty of Zelda elements in the game. I'm expecting this game to not be as great as Mario or Zelda as far as gameplay, but I think it'll still be a wonderful game. If you don't make all the comparisons, Epic Mickey looks like a lot better. As a Disney fan, I won't be thinking of how similar it is to Mario, but I'll be thinking about all the familar Disney worlds and characters, and makes it a very fun experience for a fan. That's the reason why I'm so excited for this game. All the nostalgic throwbacks will make Epic Mickey a blast for Disney fans.

Im not a Disney fan, a Mario fan or a Zelda fan. But I agree with some of the things DF2506 said. The game do implement nice 2d and 3d platforming, but the game is not a platformer, its a adventure game.

Im not exited about Mickey Mouse or any Disney characters, im exited about the paint and tinner mechanics and about the choices you can make in the game. There will be different endings, so I will probably try to beat the game 2 or more times.

But the game remember me Super Mario Sunshine, a 3d platforming game but with also adventure, I also can compair the paint and tinner, with the water, and how you change thing. So yeah, I am exited for these game more than for any other one.

Zelda, Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Galaxy aren't my kinda game. With that said, I just don't like the looks of the gameplay. I was expecting a unique game with an interesting story, but the story doesn't sound like it'll appeal to me, and the gameplay, while it is unique, almost comes off as...gimmicky, I guess. It just feels like they coud've gone further. I'll still hold out for a review, but in the mean time, it's going off of my wishlist until I find a reason to put it back on.

People who have played it have described the gameplay as Banjo Kazooie mized with Mario Sunshine with a few Zelda style adventure elements thrown in. Which sounds great to me.

Thats sound awesome, specially because Banjo Kazzoi and Super Mario Sunshine are truly great game, Zelda too

Super pumped for this! I preordered it a couple weeks ago and I've been re-watching all the classic Mickey cartoons to hype myself up even more. I'm not expecting it to be as good as Galaxy 2 or Epic Yarn or DK but if they really nail what they're going for, it actually could be.

OK, this will have spoilers if anyone hasn't played this game yet. So, does this game get any better? I wanted it because I love Disney and I thought the nostalgia of it would be awesome, and the whole "playstyle matters" thing sounded cool. I'm not very far in yet (I just found Oswald and am going to Tomorrow City), but so far the game is just pretty dull and neither of those two things are impressive. The playstyle doesn't seem to matter. I thinned out all of OsTown trying to find the third phone box and nobody cared, and then it was all back to normal anyways when I left and came back. And so far there isn't much as far as classic Disney stuff. The 2D transition sections are pretty simple and boring, and those are what I was most looking forward to. I don't care about what most people have been complaining about (camera, etc.) but the game just isn't that fun so far. Does the game, and these 2 aspects specifically, get better? I ask because I have so many other games I still need to get to (Xenoblade, Last Story, Sticker Star, VLR, Mario U, Arkham City) so I'd rather not waste my time anymore on this game if it is going to stay this boring. Thanks.

There's a ton of Disney cameos, especially on MickeyJunk Mountain. You must've been too bored to notice them. If you're not enjoying the game even as a Disney fan, you might as well move on to something else.

I'm a Disney fan who really enjoys this game and the sequel, but I'm fully aware that it's not everyone's cup of tea, just like with anything in life.

MickeyJunk Mountain was probably the best level in the game.

I never did find a reason to put it back on. Just saying.

Yeah, if Mickeyjunk Mountain is supposed to be the best level, I think I'll be moving on to another game. I don't know, the gameplay just isn't clicking with me. Playing Mario U now. Much more fun. Thanks for the info, everbody.