Since Disney now owns a vast selection of major pop culture properties, many of which permeate our lives on a near daily basis, it can be easy to forget the characters that make up the heart of Disney. We’re talking Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy — remember those? In recent years, such characters have largely been tied to third party franchises like Kingdom Hearts when it comes to video games.
In Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition, some of the company's most enduring characters take centre stage in a game that feels very much like Disney’s answer to Animal Crossing. Originally released on the 3DS back in 2016, the Switch version of this sequel remains largely the same in terms of content, but the visuals have been given a nice lick of paint; you could say the game has been Enchanted… er, or remastered. Up to you.
At the start, you’re given the opportunity to create your character, with options to either import an existing Mii, or create one from scratch. We weren’t too impressed with the selection of facial or hair options, so we opted to import a Mii character. A word of warning here though: whatever original colours you picked for your Mii likely won’t translate perfectly into the game. This writer’s hair looks considerably more grey than it really is. A bad omen, perhaps.
You’re then launched into what feels like the most lengthy tutorial in existence. For context, the ‘aim’ of the game is to collect stickers by completing tasks in the castle town of Castleton. The first 18 of these are labelled ‘recommended stickers’, and are dished out as you’re introduced to the game’s core concepts and gameplay features. When compared to Animal Crossing, which introduces new ideas over the course of literal days (unless you’re a ruddy cheat), Disney Magical World 2 unleashes nearly everything in one go; for younger players in particular though, it’s a good starting-off point.
Once you’ve completed the recommended sticker list, the game effectively tells you to spend your days in Castleton however you wish. There’s an undeniable feeling of relief at this point, but after such a linear opening segment, it might also feel a tad daunting at first; after all, having being introduced most of the game’s core concepts within the first couple of hours, where on earth are you meant to start?
Thankfully, the game does a good job at curating certain tasks to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. Much like Animal Crossing, the residential area of the game features a notice board that contains vital information like recommended tasks, upcoming events, and more. There’s always something to be getting on with, whether it’s cooking up a storm at the local café, tackling some ghosts in the castle vaults, or collecting crafting materials for new furniture.
The castle vaults provide an interesting change of pace from the rest of the game, requiring you to move through a series of small arenas to fight off waves of ghosts and collect the prize loot. The combat here is pretty basic: you have a magic wand with which to fight off the ghosts and you can either target single enemies by tapping ‘A’, or hold down the button for a more powerful attack that encompasses all enemies within a certain radius. You’ll gain additional wands that boast their own special attacks as you progress through the game’s various worlds, but the combat remains pretty basic throughout and rarely poses much of a challenge.
The castle vaults are just one of the many tasks ahead of you in Disney Magical World 2. After amassing a certain number of stickers, you’ll also gain access to portals that warp you to specific worlds within Disney’s wider universe. The first of these is Lilo and Stitch, but you’ll also meet the characters from Frozen, Snow White, The Little Mermaid, and more. Each world introduces its own little tasks for you to complete, and while most are small variations on the game’s main concepts, they nevertheless add a good bit of variety.
In terms of its remastered visuals, Disney Magical World 2 undoubtedly stands head and shoulders above its 3DS counterpart. Characters look more defined, colours pop, and the game just does a marvellous job of showcasing that distinctive ‘Disney’ feel. Nevertheless, there are aspects that frankly look a bit weird. Seeing your Mii standing next to otherwise well detailed characters is an odd juxtaposition, and we wish the character creation tool was a bit more robust. Additionally, some of the background assets lack detail and you’ll often see 2D sprites for trees and buildings instead of fully 3D objects.
Our last gripe with the game is a bit nit-picky, but worth mentioning regardless. The game places a lot of emphasis on photo opportunities, often prompting you to ‘strike a pose’ or line up with classic characters for the perfect snapshot. This was no doubt a great addition to the original 3DS game, and while there are still lots of opportunities in the Switch version, the requirement to hold ‘L’ down and then press ‘R’ to take a photo is rendered obsolete by the Switch’s built-in capture feature. Why these buttons weren’t altered to provide a different function is beyond us.
Conclusion
Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition is a fine remaster of a 3DS game that many may have missed the first time around. For players both young and old who love the classic Disney characters, spending time in Castleton may well prove a joyous experience. Some aspects — chiefly the poor character creation tool and rather basic combat — could have done with a bit more TLC in this updated version, but if you’re after a decent life simulation game, this is a nice Disney-flavoured addition to an already-thriving genre.
Comments 24
Look its a Disney game, its made to be just Fun, Its not doing anything new, different, its just, Fun.
I respect that, and wile not my cup of tea, it looks like a pretty solid game If you just wanted to relax, or something for the kiddo to play.
(Though the tutorial could hinder the game for some)
I still have the 3DS version so i will wait next year for cheaper price option.
Also, the fact there is a Disney game on Nintendo Switch, i was thinking if Disney want to return to video games.
Ís there vaiana in the Game ?
I remember trying the original on 3DS, something to provide an Animal Crossing type experience, but not quite fitting that niche.
Ultimately, that niche was filled by Stardew Valley a year or so later.
Pleakley up there still rocking the muu-muu. Stay cool, Wendy. I appreciate you.
Awww, the evil mega-Corp that is modern Disney still trying to pretend to be all cute and fluffy.
These are okay to be natively released but Kingdom Hearts had to stay in the clouds? Stupid Disney and Square.
Even if it's a port or remake, the fact that it uses Miis might be enough for me to try it, though maybe not now for that price.
@Anti-Matter Right! In addition to new Disney games, we need the Disney Afternoon Collection on Switch.
So...they REALLY didn't add anything to this port, huh? The game originally turned me off from getting too far just because of the tutorial, which is sad, because I ended up REALLY liking the first game...maybe I'll just finally get around to giving it a real shot on the 3DS instead, as the 3DS IS still my favorite gaming console...
Really? They couldn't be bothered to add new content to justify a new release price?
My favorite part is where you help all the Disney Land employees move to their new jobs at Disney World. My least favorite part is where you have to help the CCP round up all the Uyghurs, and put them in concentration camps. You make a huge amount of money, but it’s assisting an evil totalitarian government perform genocide. Pluses and minuses.
@Mando44646 I get direct Wii U ports. I don't love it, but I understand. The Wii U userbase was so small, that the game will be "new" to the vast majority of Switch owners. But there were like a kajillion 3DS systems sold. You can still buy this title for the the 3DS for under twenty bucks at a used game store. It really needed new content to justify the price.
Played the first game on 3DS. Might give this one a try on Switch.
The fact that they didn't include german voices for the famous characters puts me off. It just feels weird to hear Mickey Mouse speaking english when you're used to the german voice on Disney Channel.
Ever since Miitopia on Switch happened, seeing basic Miis elsewhere are just...why? lol
@Tisteg80 when we first moved switzerland was the reverse for me. but 4 years of hearing mickey speak german its strange now in english lol, Still cant accept peppa pigs speaking german tho thats just wrong
This game will be great for the Omicron lockdown.
The productions values seem good but it really isn't my cup of tea and sounds far from "fun". And I really love ACNH, Tamodachi Life, Miitopia, Wii Sports series (using Miis), the Wii U Mii maker app etc.
Nonetheless I hope purchasers enjoy it. Thanks for the review.
This definitely comes off as a game for little girls, it's all about that Disney princess stuff, they should love it.
I enjoyed the first game a lot back on 3Ds, but I never ended up playing the second game so I’ll definitely try the Switch version. It looks like a nice comfort game to play alongside my more big games.
I really liked the 3DS version and played the heck out of it. Unfortunately, I really don’t feel like doing all of it again and think I’ll just stick to the old 3DS. Shame they didn’t just make a third.
I never played this before but wanted something cute chill and fun to play and now I cant stop. Im having such a good time and have already wasted so many hours. If you want some almost mindless cute fun id highly suggest this for real. Ive got a backlog from hell (Ruined King, SMT5, etc) rn but this is center stage lol.
Was fun on 3DS, and I definitely would have purchased again if there was some new stuff. Hope to see more Disney games on Switch
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