Lately it seems like I’ve been digging into my collection of retro games when it comes to spending a couple of hours off, mostly due to the lack of big Wii U releases at the moment. I’m not too overwhelmed though, as this means I’ve been able to rediscover some really great games, one of the first I got my hands on was Disney’s Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse for the SNES.

When I was younger, I found this game to be one of the best looking and also one of the most fun platformers on console that didn’t actually involve the burly red plumber. Even stranger was the fact that it was a game based on Mickey Mouse, a character you rarely associate with a decent game these days. However, thanks to some great environments and wacky costume changes, Magical Quest delivered a game that felt like a true Disney experience.

The story begins with Mickey playing catch with his good friends Donald and Goofy. Unfortunately, though a missed pitch sends Pluto chasing the ball, he eventually gets away and misses. Concerned for the well-being of his dog, Mickey goes looking for him. It’s simple, it’s not original, but it’s short and it gives some reasons to go on this adventure.

As for the gameplay, this is your typical platform game. You can walk (and run if you’re going downhill), jump, grab, etc. While some may be put off by the slow pace of the game due to the fact that you’ll only be able to walk around, that doesn’t stop it from being a difficult game, making even the Mario and Sonic titles feel like walks in the park. Lives are pretty short and instead of just being hit and game over, you have a number of hearts that decrease each time you get hit. It might seem a bit easy if you can take five hits, but trust me when I say that even five normals just isn’t enough. You’ll discover that you can grab flying tomatoes, traverse giant falling leaves, and more. The game’s settings are vibrant, taking you from bean stalks and forests to icy wonderlands and royal castles. Although the controls are simple, that doesn’t stop there being a significant challenge in each world. Additionally, there are plenty of secret areas to find, each offering rewards that can often help you out, especially later in the game.

So here we have a solid platformer that will push your skills to the limit with tough bosses and levels full of enemies. So what makes it different? What really separates Mickey’s adventure from the others is the ability to change into numerous costumes along the way. With the push of a button, you can become a magician, a fireman, imitate Robin Hood or just play as regular Mickey. The outfits aren’t just for cosmetic purposes, each one brings new abilities to the table that allow for interesting puzzles and obstacles. Wizard Mickey, for example, can breathe underwater, Fireman Mickey moves unbreakable blocks with his hose, and Robin Hood Mickey can use a grappling hook to swing from hanging ledges. These outfits are presented stage by stage so you can familiarize yourself with them and be ready for later levels when things get even tougher. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself picking and choosing from the four outfits, the best one to take on the upcoming obstacles ahead. Also, the puzzles can be performed in multiple ways. For example, if you feel like swinging icicles with your grappling hook, you can do that, but if you’d rather shoot water at it to freeze a small platform on it, then you can do that as well. Sure costumes have been done before in a Mario title, but not like this one with the ability to call them whenever you want. And more, they also look so impressive.

The game is divided into several stages, each of which is displayed on a world map. Each stage is broken up into smaller acts that are themselves quite long, often with a mid-boss and final boss at the end. Each of these is very creative and definitely provides some of the most demanding challenges in adventure. A giant spider, an ugly bird, and a strange-looking worm are just a few of the nasty bosses that await you.

Visually the game looks very good. Mickey animates well as do the enemies. The environments are also very varied and look great, especially the icy level later in the game. The music is also a delight to listen to and complete a game with top notch presentation.

There is the option to experience the main adventure with another person, but this is simply taking turns completing the levels. While it’s fun to compete and see who can be the fastest or get the highest score, the stages can be a bit long, so you’ll have to wait a while before you get your next chance to progress further. Also, the game is quite short, around seven stages in total. Granted, each of these is broken up into smaller acts, but it’s still not the longest game on the SNES. It definitely makes you want to play the game again, though, perhaps on a harder difficulty if you’re up to the challenge.

It just goes to show that if you put a well-known cartoon character in the hands of a great developer like Capcom, the result doesn’t always have to be so bad. Disney’s Magical Quest is a fun-filled adventure, and while it’s fairly short, that hasn’t stopped me from wanting to replay it over and over again for all these years.