Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Applicable Games

Epic Mickey 2:The Power of Two
Developer	Junction Point Studios
Publisher	Disney Interactive Studios Spike Chunsoft (Japan)
Distributor	Buena Vista
Designer	Warren Spector
Composer	James Dooley Mike Himelstein
Engine	Gamebryo
Platform	Wii, Wii U, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Playstation Vita, PS Now (streaming), Xbox One/Series X/Series S (backwards compatibility), PC
Genre	Platformer, Action-Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Release Date	Original Release: NA: November 18, 2012 AU: November 22, 2012 EU: November 23, 2012 Wii U: EU: November 30, 2012 AU: December 13, 2012 PlayStation Vita: NA: June 18, 2013 (PSN) EU: June 19, 2013 (Retail) AU: June 19, 2013 (Retail) PC: EU: October 2013 (Retail) WW: October 6, 2014 (Steam) PS Now (PS3 version): WW: June 7, 2017 Xbox One Backwards Compatibility: WW: August 3, 2017

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Epic Mickey: The Power of 2 in Europe) is the sequel to the game Epic Mickey.

The game introduces co-op, with Mickey and Oswald both being playable. Unlike the first, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two features full voice-acting in addition to original songs written by Jim Dooley and Mark Himilstein.

The game was officially announced for a Fall 2012 release window on December 29, 2011 before being confirmed for release on November 18, 2012 in North America. It was available at launch for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Wii U and was later ported to the PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows. The game was added to PS Now and Xbox backwards compatibility in 2017.

Production

Survey Leak

During an online marketing survey, two questions were asked that leaked the development of Epic Mickey 2. The following question was asked in regards to product packaging:

"Now we would like to show you a few more packages for the Disney Epic Mickey 2 video game. Please indicate which package design makes you most interested in purchasing Disney Epic Mickey 2."

Shortly after asking this question, another question asked participants which title they preferred from the following list:

• Epic Mickey 2: Return of the Mad Doctor
• Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
• Epic Mickey 2: Mystery on Mean Street
• Epic Mickey 2

"Secret Project"

At the end of the March 2012 issue of Nintendo Power Magazine, it was stated that the next issue would feature a look at "a top-secret title that promises to make your head spin" (Referring to Oswald's "Helicopter Ears"). It was eventually revealed that Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two indeed was the "Secret" Project.

Confirmation

On March 21, 2012, the game and its official title was confirmed by Warren Spector and acclaimed IGN game unit. It was then confirmed that several characters such as Ortensia, Gremlin Gus, the Mad Doctor, Pete and Yen Sid would also reappear.

It was revealed during an interview, that not only was there to be new locations in the game (Warren Spector specifically brought up Frontierland) but old locations would return, but have been altered by earthquakes and other disasters.

• The camera issues were addressed during the interview, and apparently there have been over a thousand specific changes to the camera.

• It was also confirmed by Spector that the characters would have full-voice acting in this game as opposed to the first game where they only made noises and grunts. In addition, the game would also apparently be a musical.

• Songs and music would change based on whether gamers prompt Mickey to be well-mannered or mischievous. Oswald is "armed with a remote control that has the power to command electricity" and is either controlled by another player or running as an NPC.

Plot

Ortensia And Gus using a Device to reach out to Mickey.

Mickey Wakes up after hearing a strange noise coming from his TV

The game is set sometime after the original Epic Mickey. The Mad Doctor, whom Mickey defeated in the first game, mysteriously returns to Wasteland, despite having been supposedly blown up in the first game. He claims to have realized the error of his ways and offers to work with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and the other residents of Wasteland to repair the damage recently caused by earthquakes in order to make amends. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, Oswald agrees. However, not long after accepting the Mad Doctor's help, the Wasteland begins to suffer even more damage than before. Becoming suspicious that the Mad Doctor is not keeping his part of the bargain, Gremlin Gus, Oswald's friend and adviser, and Ortensia, Oswald's spouse, decide to contact Mickey Mouse, who saved the Wasteland in the first game, to ask for his help. With Gus's help, Mickey returns to Wasteland after climbing through the television screen to retrieve the magical paint-and-thinner-spraying paintbrush from Yen Sid's workshop after having it confiscated at the end of the first Epic Mickey. Mickey is now tasked with assisting in uncovering the truth behind the Mad Doctor's supposed reformation, teaming up with Oswald along the way.

The final outcomes of the game depend on the player's choices, similar to Epic Mickey.

Gameplay

In Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, Mickey wields his Paintbrush from the first game, allowing him to use paint and thinner. Oswald is armed with his Remote control that has the power to command electricity. Oswald can also use of his ears as a helicopter to float and remove his arm to use it as a boomerang to get items or hit things. There are also some abilities involving both Mickey and Oswald: they can revive each other (Mickey paints Oswald and Oswald shocks Mickey's paintbrush to paint him) and combine Mickey's paint or thinner with Oswald's electric beam to create a force field to can be launched as an attack (serves mostly for Beetleworx). The game also includes several songs that one would normally hear in a musical.

Mickey painting Spatters as he did in the original Epic Mickey.

Oswald is controlled by either another player or by the game AI. During the game, Mickey and Oswald can find and win costumes that change their abilities, in addition to purchasing them at the Hat Shop in Mean Street. Mickey can also look for signs with a picture of a camera, walk on them, and go into photo mode where he can take photos of his adventure in Wasteland to collect Hidden Mickeys. Inkwells are also introduced, turning either Mickey or Oswald invisible or invincible after being stepped in.

Release

The game was originally announced for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. Later on, the Wii U version was announced through the game's official Facebook page. The four original versions were released November 18th, 2012 in North America and September 26, 2012 in Europe.

It was later ported to the PS Vita with touch screen capabilities and Wi-Fi co-op. Over 10 months later the game was also released in Japan, though was only available for the Wii. It was published by Spike Chunsoft.

The PC version was cancelled in most countries, however, the English release was later leaked on the internet. Even later than that, the PC version was officially released onto Steam alongside some other Disney game PC ports in October 2014. The Steam PC version was reported to be a smooth port of the game (quite contrary to ports like the Wii U version) running at a steady 30 fps even on minimal hardware. It provides audio, subtitles, and interface options for 5 different languages (English, German, Italian, Spanish, and French). Like many console ports and games on Steam, this version is also compatible with Xbox 360 controllers and PC gamepads and supports wide screen natively. However, co-op play was removed for unknown reasons.

The game has been made playable on various modern consoles thanks to backwards compatibility and game streaming. On August 3, 2017, Epic Mickey 2 was added to the Xbox One's library of playable Xbox 360 games, by extension also making it playable on the Xbox Series X and S. The PS3 version of the game was added to the PS Now streaming service on June 7, 2017, making it playable on the PS4 and PS5.

Reception

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two received generally mixed reviews, with most complaints being the game not fixing issues that were present in the original, as well as issues with Oswald’s AI. Many reviewers also commented that the game had a lot of potential which it failed to live up to. The Wii U port was often criticized for its stuttering framerate. IGN, giving the game 6/10 stars, also criticized the port for not making much use of the Wii U gamepad's features. Some reviewers as well as fans also criticized Oswald's transition to hero, believing him to be a more interesting character with his jealous streak. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritics gave the Wii version 67.60% and 64/100, the Xbox 360 version 60.80% and 59/100 the PlayStation 3 version 57.83% and 59/100, the Wii U version 55.42% and 57/100, and the PlayStation Vita version 51.50% and 57/100.

The PlayStation Vita version was criticized particularly harshly for being released 7 months later (even though it was a port of the original) yet somehow being considered worse than the original. IGN described the new controls as a 'hit-and-miss affair'.

Sales

By the end of 2012, Epic Mickey 2 had sold 529,000 units in the United States, a significantly lower figure than its predecessor, which had sold at least 1.3 million units by the end of 2010. In an interview following the game's release, Warren Spector stated that he was 'in doubt' about the future of the series. Despite heavy advertising and due to gameplay criticism, the game only sold close to half of the copies the original did, making it a commercial failure (its sales were scoped at around 2 million), despite being available on multiple platforms. Following these financial losses, Disney made an official statement on January 29, 2013 that Junction Point Studios was to be closed in order to direct resources to other projects.

Soundtrack

The game's soundtrack was released on 13th November 2013. The track list is as follows:

1. Yen Sid's Lab
2. Help Me, Help You - Sung by The Mad Doctor
3. Mean Street
4. Building a Building
5. Floats
6. Meet Daisy
7. Disney Gulch
8. Music Land
9. I'm Falling Apart - Sung by The Mad Doctor
10. Skeleton Dance
11. Blot Dragon
12. Prescott and The Pumps
13. Floatyard
14. Intro to Blot Alley
15. The Mad Doctor Isn't Mad - Sung by the Mad Doctor and Oswald
16. Dioramas
17. Prescott's Machine
18. Fall of Prescott - Sung by The Mad Doctor, Gremlin Prescott, Big Bad Pete, and Daisy
19. Ventureland Combat
20. Autopia Exploration
21. The Mad Doctor's Plan - Sung by The Mad Doctor
22. The Mad Doctor's Attic
23. That's What Heroes Do - The Mad Doctor, Oswald, and Mickey
24. A Hero's Second Chance - Cole Plante (Bonus Track)

Trivia

• Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two was released in North America both on Mickey Mouse's birthday and on the release date of the Nintendo Wii U.
• Many of the Gremlins and NPCs in the game are no longer named individually, but instead named after their color of clothing (ie. Green Gremlin, Blue Gremlin, etc.) or species. Most of the NPCs in the game with names are ones that had their names carried over from the first game.
• Much of the game's content is suspected to have been scrapped due to time constraints likely placed by the publisher. Warren Spector stated that, if he had more time on the game, he would have added "a bunch more songs and a much more interactive audio approach [he] had in the original design document."
• Older game covers reveal that Epic Mickey 2 was originally rated E10+, but was changed to E. The exact reason for this change is unknown. ^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two Gallery -
A collection of images relating to Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Scrapped Content

Epic Mickey 2 Scrapped Content -
Content removed from Epic Mickey 2.

Videos

Epic Mickey 2 Video Gallery -
Videos related to Epic Mickey 2.

External links

• Disney sketches sequel to 'Epic Mickey' video game
• Epic Mickey Sequel To Address The “Mistakes” Of The First
• Official Epic Mickey website
• Japanese Epic Mickey 2 website
• Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two on Disney Wiki