During the doldrums of winter, there is nothing better than taking a vacation to a warmer place. While I don’t have the luxury of traveling during the winter, Summer beckons along with a yet to be fully planned trip to a Disney resort. In the meantime Disney fans/geeks like me have to find ways to keep the magic alive. Of course I will always recommend some quality Disney gaming.
A simple puzzle title, Where’s My Mickey tasks players with helping Mickey Mouse make lemonade. The visual style and design of Mickey come from the recent Mickey Mouse shorts aired on the Disney Channel. Finishing puzzles are rewarded with funny animations of Mickey making lemonade. This is a great game for casual play and for kids. It is played with a portrait view, making it perfect for playing on a smartphone.
A port of the remake of a classic Sega title of the same name, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is a 2.5D platformer, mostly side-scrolling gameplay but with 3D graphics. If there is one flaw with this game, it is its lack of controller support. For a game that was originally on consoles and PC, I find it odd that there is no support.
Originating from Japan Tsum Tsums are little plush Disney characters, that are stacked and matched with each other.The more you chain together the higher the score. The game is free-to-play, but it will take time to unlock the numerous characters, loong enough that I almost considered spending real money on the game, however I didn’t because I am not a fan of micro-transactions, though that is its own editorial, I don’t want to spoil the Disney magic. I reviewed this a while back in August if you are on the fence about giving it a try.
Honorable Mentions:
Star Wars Commander: I reviewed this a few months ago, not the best Star Wars Android game, especially now that Knights of the Old Republic is available, but its still worth a look if you want some casual Star Wars gaming in your life.
Club Penguin: Young gamers may want to play the MMO Club Penguin, not only is it extremely cute, but it also features parties themed around different Disney properties, including Star Wars, Marvel, and even The Muppets. I waxed nostalgic about this game a while back.
And While We Are On the Subject of Disney:
As much as I love playing games, there are plenty of other ways to experience Disney goodness on your Android device. Here are two apps you might find useful:
Take Disney movies everywhere, along with bonus features! Those digital copies that come with Disney movies are finally useful to Android users, as it has been integrated with Google Play.
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World Resort? Be sure to install this app, its an interactive guide to the parks and entire resort. Between booking a trip, buying tickets, or making dining reservations this app is very helpful.
While there is no way to replace a trip to a Disney park, or simulate warm weather, hopefully some of these apps will help you endure the arctic tundra many areas of the United States have become.
