Pap the Disney Gamer's Highlights Pap's Favorite Things Week: Marvel Super Heroes (Arcade)

Developed by: Capcom

System: Arcade, PlayStation, Xbox 360 (Digital Download), PlayStation 3 (Digital Download)

There is nothing better than having a whole week dedicated to your favorite things, so I was more than excited to talk about my own favorite things. But then I came onto a peculiar problem: I had talked about most of my favorite Disney games! Heck, my favorite Disney game series is the Kingdom Hearts series, and I love it so much I spent a whole year talking about it in its 10^th anniversary! So what else could I talk about? Luckily, I realized that Disney is now more than just Disney, it also has the Muppet family, the Star Wars legacy and, of course, the Marvel universe. So today, I will think outside the box and focus on one of my favorite games under one of those labels, and that is Marvel Super Heroes!

You might recall that last year, we did a whole week dedicated to super heroes, all in honor of the release of Marvel's The Avengers in theater, a massive event in its own right. In my Gamer Tuesday article, I talked about some of the best Marvel and Disney super hero games. I had featured Marvel Super Heroes as part of that lineup of awesome games, but I had always wanted to talk in detail about it. Released in 1995, just as the fighting game genre was at its peak, Marvel Super Heroes would be the second Marvel themed arcade fighter developed by Capcom, one of the pioneers in fighting game history.

In Marvel Super Heroes, you play as one of 11 Marvel heroes and villains as they take on a story loosely based on the Infinity Gauntlet comic book storyline, with Thanos as its main antagonist. Their main goal is to take control of the Infinity Gems for either their noble or evil purposes. The Infinity Gems take a main role in the gameplay scheme. Marvel Super Heroes takes the high speed, 2D fighting game system made famous by Capcom's own Street Fighter series and adds the ability to use these gems in different ways. These gems can alter the player's health during battle, help them gain additional power and defense, and even alter time to their benefit.

Besides that, it still plays like a classic arcade fighter, complete with the bright, colorful graphics and cheesy one liners Capcom was known for at the time, all done with a great Marvel flare. The question now is: why do I love it so much? It is true that Capcom would then go on to create bigger, better, crazier Marvel-themed fighting games, and in comparison, the game is very simple. One reason (out of the many) why I love it so much is because it perfectly encapsulates a great era in arcade gaming: the 90s. Everything about the game screams the 90s in a loving way: the design and sound effects the game were heavily inspired by Marvel's 90s Fox cartoons such as Spider-Man and the X-Men. They even got some of the voice actors from those series to voice the characters in the game! So playing this game makes me feel like I am playing the cartoon series.

Another reason I love Marvel Super Heroes so much is that it introduced me to so many Marvel characters I never knew before. I had known Spider-Man through his 90s TV show, The Incredible Hulk through the classic live action series, and Wolverine through his cartoon, but this is where I was introduced to Iron Man, a character that would become one of my favorites thanks to Robert Downey Jr's amazing interpretation through the Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Captain America, Dr. Doom (foe of the Fantastic Four), Blackheart (Ghost Rider's nemesis) and many others. It was an introduction to a cast of characters that would play a major role in my appreciation of sci-fi stories and comic books.

I already mentioned how classic the gameplay is, and that is also another reason why I love this game so much. I love fighting games. As aggressive as they may seem (and even bloody in some game series), they always take me back to my childhood, when my friends and I would have sleepovers at my house and play Street Fighter II on my Super NES till the very early hours of the morning. Marvel Super Heroes plays exactly like that, save for the usage of the Infinity Gems. It is, however, aided by the technical prowess of the arcade systems of the era. Capcom had experimented with arcade hardware, and made the game play faster, creating exciting fighting matches for everyone to enjoy.

But the absolute main reason why I love Marvel Super Heroes so much is because it takes me back to a much simpler time in my teenage years. I was introduced to this game in the summer of 1998. After many personal turmoils, my family decided to take a vacation to a tropical resort outside of town. Not only did we get some awesome news there, we had the time of our lives. The resort also had this really awesome arcade that was a mix of classics and new releases, and one of those games was Marvel vs. Capcom. I remember I used to spend the rest of the evenings at the arcade, either watching others play Marvel vs. Capcom, or taking a turn myself pummeling Captain America with Blackheart. To this day, I can close my eyes, and hear the sounds of Iron Man shouting “PROTON CANON!” bouncing off the walls of that small, but so much fun, arcade. That may sound dramatic, but it is true.

The best thing of all, though, is that the game is no longer a great memory of my past! Due to the recent rise of popularity in fighting games, as well as the digital game distribution model allowing game companies to distribute classic games at little to no cost, Capcom has re-released Marvel Super Heroes as part of a downloadable game package called Marvel vs. Capcom Origins, a package that also includes the first Marvel vs. Capcom game. In addition to the classic games being redone in high definition, it also include online mutliplayer for online matches! So now, my favorite game isn't just a memory from my past: it can also be a great memory for players in the present. If you love fighting games and Marvel, you should download this game if you have an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. You won't regret it!

Pap the Disney Gamer's Highlights: Beauty and the Beast: A Board Game Adventure

Developed by: Left Field

System: Game Boy Color

Do you remember the days when every popular movie, TV show, or franchise would seemingly get its own board game spin-off? Nothing measured the popularity of a franchise more than a board game adaptation. OK, maybe not, but still, companies looking to cash in on the popularity of a franchise could easily take a well proven board game concept, attach a franchise to it, and they would have a brand new game to sell to people.

That's why we have so many versions of the game Clue, Monopoly, Life, and countless others. The reason why I bring this up is because today's game takes us back to those days, the days where seeing your favorite board game populated by your favorite characters meant nothing but the best (most of the time): Disney's Beauty and the Beast: A Board Game Adventure.

Fans of Gamer Tuesday should recognize the name of this title: it was featured on my list of top five weirdest Disney games. At first, I thought it truly was weird trying to turn such a romantic story into a digital board game. However, like I stated at the beginning of this article, this is a cool reminder of how board games would often be creative with its various licenses. So if you were to see it as the digital version of a board game that may or may not have existed, it provides a laugh or two. How does it play, though?

Like any good board game, the title features several themed boards that revolve around the story of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. The Provincial Village serves as the starting point for our game. But we don't start with the village singing about the oddness that is Belle. Right away, we are taken to the scene where Gaston discovers that the Beast exists, and sets out to kill him with a mob of 50 French men. This is the beginning of the story mode, where the goal is to get to the Beast before Gaston does.

As with any board game, you first must roll the dice in order to determine how many spaces you traverse through in the game. Each space that you land on features a different mini-game based on the story of the film. For example, one mini game has the Beast dodging the attacks from the wolves, while in another game, you help Papa Maurice build his wood cutting invention. Depending on your performance on these mini games, you will either get additional spaces, or spaces subtracted from your total.

You can probably see that this game is very basic in its execution. The inspiration clearly came from Nintendo's own Mario Party series, but this version lacks the depth, the strategy and, worst of all, the fun that made that series one of the most popular multiplayer efforts in the Nintendo canon. The game was critically panned by game reviewers for its poor control scheme and shallow execution of concepts.

One thing that people did praise, though, was the visuals. This being a Game Boy Color game, this meant that the title would use its technical capabilities to the fullest. At the very least, Beauty and the Beast: A Board Game Adventure was just as pretty as the film that inspired it. The music also did a pretty good job of portraying the tale as old as time on a tiny handheld.

However, visuals and music a game do not make, and unfortunately, Beauty and the Beast: A Board Game Adventure is far from one of the best out there. It still remains as a curiosity from the early days of handheld gaming, as well as a cool reminder of the board games we used to see at the toy store. But a game needs more than that to captivate audiences. The TV commercial, though, was fun...

Pap the Disney Gamer's Highlights: The Lucky Dime Caper

Developed by: Sega

System: Sega Master System, Game Gear

Of the Fab Five, Donald Duck has always been my favorite. He is easily the most flawed character in the entire bunch (not counting Goofy's own clumsiness), yet retains that likability that makes a lot of Disney fans love him to pieces. That's why he has been featured in just as many games as the main mouse himself. Today's article is a throwback to a classic game of the 8-bit era: The Lucky Dime Caper: Starring Donald Duck, released in 1991 for the Sega Master System and Game Gear.

The Lucky Dime Caper plays like many classic platformers of the era: players take control of Donald Duck as he traverses through various game worlds in search of his nephews, Huey, Louie and Dewey. What makes this game stand out is that the game takes place within the DuckTales/Carl Barks comics world!

That means that there will be appearances by Scrooge McDuck and Magica DeSpell as the game's lead villainess! In fact, the reason the game is titled Lucky Dime Caper is because it is also about the dime that lead Scrooge to becoming the billionaire he is now. Magica has stolen it, as well as kidnapping Donald's nephews, forcing him to go on a rescue mission around the world.

Like stated already, gameplay is very much like a 2D, side-scrolling platformer of the era. Donald can jump on enemies to defeat them as well as use his hammer. At the end of each level is a boss fight. Defeat them, and you have won the level! It's very classic, the kind that we used to spend hours playing as kids. Those expecting more out of the game, Quackshot for the Sega Genesis serves a more robust gameplay experience.

But the real winner here is the game's audio and visual presentation. The Sega Master System was touted as being an 8-bit system that was twice as powerful as the then dominant Nintendo Entertainment System. The extra boost in power allows the game to have a vividly colored design that captures the whimsical nature of a Disney cartoon. The music is also very bouncy, and the sound effects appropriately cartoony.

Finally, there is the matter of the Game Gear version of the title. The Sega Game Gear was released to rival Nintendo's own Game Boy handheld, a system that, while technically inferior to the Game Gear, still saw great popularity. The Game Gear, however, was capable of replicating the Master System's 8-bit titles, and Lucky Dime Caper was no different. There were very little differences between the two versions, save for some different scenes here and there.

There is very little else to say about Lucky Dime Caper. It is a fun game that takes us back to Duckburg, it is another fine game Donald Duck appears in, and its technical prowess makes for a package that more than respects the Disney name, as well as the Carl Barks comics legacy.

Pap the Disney Gamer's Highlights: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse: The HD Remake

Developed by: Sega

Systems: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

As I stated in my write up of Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life, 2013 is looking to be one of the busiest years in Disney gaming yet. It seems that every few weeks one Disney game is announced that gets people excited at the possibilities, and this is without taking into consideration that the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has yet to start! Not only do we have Disney Infinity headlining the original Disney games, we have DuckTales Remastered representing the classic games of yesteryear brought back in a modern way. Recently, yet another game has been announced, this time along the lines of DuckTales Remastered: a classic game remade for a new generation. This game happens to be none other than Sega's Castle of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse.

Last year, I wrote about the classic Sega Genesis game, and mentioned how it is seen as not just one of the best games on the system, but also one of the best Mickey Mouse games ever made. In actuality the game is a standard 2D platformer, but one done with a lot of care and detail in its design. It felt like a magical Disney game, one that seemed ripped right out of a Disney animated classic. Such is the legacy of this game and several follow up games were made, and was the starting point for last year's Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion for the 3DS, continuing the story where it left off.

In the last few games, a teaser trailer was leaked that only hinted as the possibility of the remake existing, but didn't flat out say what it was. You can watch it here:

The black and white aesthetic along with the creepy noises and ambiance made it clear that it would be a very magical but still foreboding title, all without indicating that it would be a Mickey Mouse game. The main reason gamers figured out it was a Disney game was because the toy soldiers and the villain looked like they were ripped right out of the game. A few days later, the game was fully confirmed, this time featuring a color trailer with Mickey Mouse appearing at the start:

Very little is known about the game at the moment, except that it will be an HD 3D remake handled by Sega's Australia studio, that will retain the same elements that made the first game a classic, and that it will be released this summer as a downloadable title for the major systems. "If you have played the original game, you will also see that we have kept intact many of the major iconic elements of the game that helped define this groundbreaking game at the time of its original release," Sega senior digital brand manager Mai Kawaguchi said when the game was finally confirmed.

Much like DuckTales Remastered, it does open up a lot of questions, like will these two games be the first of many classic Disney games re-released as downloadable titles, reboots and remakes? There are many games that have been hailed as some of the best ever made, and what was once considered old is new again in many a gaming circle. Many young Disney games grew up without experiencing these games firsthand, and introducing them for the first time not only keeps the legacy of the originals alive, it may inspire other companies to invest on brand new Disney games.

Stay tuned as more news about Castle of Illusion is unveiled.

Pap the Disney Gamer's Highlights Alex's Favorite Things Week: Where's My Water??

Developed by: Creature Feep

System: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8, Blackberry

Author�s Note: What started out as an April's Fools joke about being Canadian lead to a week about all things Canadian, and then that evolved into the celebration of the Days of the Week article writers, especially their favorite Disney things. To inaugurate this new week, we will be taking a look at Hidden Mickey Mondays writer Alexandra McVetty's favorite Disney things! Join us as we take a look at one of her favorite Disney games: Where's My Water? Enjoy!

In the last few years, mobile gaming has seen a great growth. With mobile devices and tablets evolving greatly from the very early days of cell phone gaming, games are no longer simple affairs. They are capable of hosting large games with complex yet accessible gameplay, bright graphics, and, the best thing for many, available at the palm of your hands at any time. Such is the success of mobile gaming that the gaming industry has pondered if they pose a threat to dedicated handheld gaming. Disney, a multimedia company on top of things, has decided to contribute to the gaming movement and release many games on mobile systems. Perhaps their biggest success yet is Where's My Water?

Like any classic game, the concept behind Where's My Water? is a very simple one, but one that takes a lot of time to master, especially in its harder levels. An alligator named Swampy wants nothing but to take a shower after a dirty day at the sewers. But a bully alligator named Cranky has stopped the water flow that allows Swampy to stay clean! The main objective of the game is to create a path that leads directly to Swampy's shower. As the game progresses, more obstacles and perils threaten to keep Swampy a dirty, smelly gator, requiring the best skills a player can muster, all in the name of a good shower.

Where's My Water?? is a game that extensively uses the touch screen capabilities many mobile devices have. Using the touch screen, players create a path for the water to flow through by touching the screen and clearing a path. Sometimes, the water must go through a specific pipe in other to make it swampy safe and sound. And as already stated, there will be many obstacles that prevent the free flow of the water. This is where players must become creative as these obstacles often trick them into leading the water into a dead end, or at worse, losing a lot of it. Where's My Water?? is like a classic game in that it introduces a simple concept during its early stages, but quickly evolves into a challenge as more layers are introduced to it.

The original release of Where's My Water?? came with four different chapters, each containing 20 different levels. Each chapter told a different part of Swampy and Cranky's story. These where named �Meet Swampy,� �Troubled Water,� �Under Pressure,� and �Sink and Swim.� One of the best advantages of mobile gaming (and modern gaming in general) is that more chapters can be added, expanding the game beyond its original presence. Each new chapter introduced new ideas never before seen in the original game, some even came for free that were ad-supported! In total, there are easily over 300 levels available just for Where's My Water??, an impressive number for those that are really into the game.

Where's My Water? has seen incredible success since its 2011 release. Gaming websites have called it one of the best mobile device games yet, and an impressive example of a physics puzzle game done right for the devices. The game even dethroned the very popular Angry Birds on the iTunes App store upon its release! Due to this success, Disney has been supporting the game greatly, releasing everything from exclusive Disney store merchandise...

To releasing animated shorts called Swampy's Underground Adventures featuring the characters!

There were even rumors that Disney would begin meet and greets with Swampy and friends over at the water parks at the Walt Disney World Resort! Such is the popularity this game gained in the last couple of years, and for good reason: the game combines Disney's mindset of creating enchanting characters with solid stories behind them with the easily accessible gameplay design, making it desirable in today's pick up and go gaming.

Where's My Water? can be obtained through the device's app store, such as iTunes. Additional levels can be obtained at various prices.

Pap the Disney Gamer's Highlights: Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life Preview

2013 is looking to be one of the best years in Disney gaming yet. Titles like Disney Infinity and DuckTales Remastered look to keep a lot of Disney gamers occupied for the rest of the year. There is another highly promising game cooking up over in Japan that should also be worthy of our attention if it reaches American shores: Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life for the Nintendo 3DS.

Developed by Namco Bandai, the same company behind the smash hit Pac-Man, Tekken and the Naruto video games, My Happy Life can be best described as Nintendo's Animal Crossing series crossed over to the Disney universe. In Nintendo's series, the focus was to just live life to the best of your abilities, making friendships with colorful animal characters, decorating your house, fishing and adventuring. My Happy Life sets out to do similar things, but with the wonderful Disney characters we have grown to know and love.

In fact, this is the game's main draw: as the players take control of their Mii characters, they will be able to befriend over 80 Disney characters and visit their worlds. You can even take pictures with them, much like at the theme parks! Confirmed characters so far include Alice and friends from Alice in Wonderland, Mickey, Minnie, Winnie the Pooh and friends, Aladdin, Cinderella and many more. In these worlds, you will be able to partake in various activities, such as attending Rabbit's garden, fishing with Donald Duck, and even battling baddies in a magical cave!

Also like in Animal Crossing, players will also be able to buy clothes and accessories to customize their in-game Mii characters at Daisy's boutique. Players can dress up as Stitch, Alice, Pooh, and tons of other characters. In addition players can buy furniture for their homes. Lastly, one of the other appeals of the game is that players can take care of a restaurant where they can delight other players as well as other Disney characters.

Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life is set to be released in Japan on July 11, both as a digital download and retail copy. The release will also include a special edition 3DS with a Disney decal on top of it. The question now is: will this make it to North America? The high appeal of the Disney brand indicates yes, but the simple and laid back concept may concern publishers in North America. But if Kingdom Hearts has taught us anything, it is that even the weirdest Disney concepts can see great life. If My Happy Life is released, it will join the likes of Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion and Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance as amazing Disney titles for the 3DS. Stay tuned here on Gamer Tuesday for more news on this very impressive game!

For now, you can watch the Japanese overview trailer here:

April 2, 2013

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