15 Years Ago, Disney Tried to Reinvent Their Most Famous Character With a Pretty Epic Game

It’s been 15 years, and I still can’t believe how much I liked Epic Mickey. Beginning life as an idea by the Buena Vista Games creative development team, the title became a passion project of Disney CEO Bob Iger that took years to finally come together. The end result was a game that strove to reimagine Mickey Mouse from the ground up, with a visually exciting and grimy touch that was a surprisingly ideal fit for the character.

After decades of serving as the mascot for the larger Disney company, Epic Mickey was an attempt to bridge the modern interpretation of the character with the scrappier and scruffier version that introduced the concept to audiences all the way back in “Steamboat Willie.” While the game itself was flawed on some design levels, it also boasted terrific art design and effective worldbuilding. 15 years later, it’s worth looking back at Epic Mickey and how its embrace of darker storytelling and Disney’s trademark touch of whimsy helped lay the groundwork for the studio’s modern form.

How Epic Mickey Reinvented The Disney Icon

Released in North America on November 30, 2010, Epic Mickey was an unexpectedly dark take on the classic Disney character that precipitated a modern reinvention of the character. Developed by Junction Point Studios, the game spent 7 years in various forms of development before it was finalized. The true impetus for the game’s development came when the Walt Disney Company gained the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. A precursor to Mickey, co-created by a young Walt Disney, Epic Mickey was a major return for the character, who goes on to play an important role in the game’s narrative. Development began in earnest in 2007, and the game was originally intended for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. However, Epic Mickey was reimagined as a game expressly designed for the Nintendo Wii.

Set within the mystical realm known as the Wasteland, players take on the role of Mickey Mouse. After discovering Yen Sid’s workshop, Mickey accidentally creates a monstrous counterpart known as the Blot that targets and corrupts a land for forgotten characters. Dragged back into the realm years later, Mickey is forced to use a magical paintbrush and paint thinner to try and repair the damage he’s done while combating the Blot. Infused with a slight morality approach that rewards players who pick either a restorative or destructive approach to the setting, players were able to bring their own approach to the gameplay.

Designed as a platformer in the vein of something like Super Mario Sunshine, Epic Mickey‘s storyline was specifically designed to reinvent the titular character. While Mickey had begun as a bit of a scrappy prankster, the character had been increasingly softened over the years into a more kid-friendly mascot for the Disney company. Epic Mickey focused on a Mickey Mouse who was more in line with his original form, with player choices and gameplay influencing whether the character doubled down on that aspect of his legacy or if he found a happy balance between his sweeter form and his snarky side.

While the platforming gameplay and the wonky camera were more of a hindrance to the overall experience, the execution of the game’s storyline and worldbuilding was terrific. Elements of Disney history from across film, television, and theme parks were reimagined in a darker light that didn’t lose any of the natural charm the studio is best known for. The title was an ideal way for players to see classic characters and beloved locales reinvented for a gaming landscape that had never fully adapted them before.

What Disney Learned From Epic Mickey

While Epic Mickey was met with mixed reviews and didn’t necessarily become a blockbuster hit for the studio, the game’s legacy has been surprisingly impactful on Disney. Deliberately designed with a retro aesthetic, Epic Mickey reintroduced characters like Oswald, Horace Horsecollar, and Clarabelle Cow that had been largely out of circulation for years. It also came out not too long before Disney began to more actively reinvent Mickey in a series of stylized shorts that would come to define the character and win awards for over a decade.

The game’s lasting legacy is reflected in the two sequels it received, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two and Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion — as well as the better-received Epic Mickey: Rebrushed remake that was released in 2024. Epic Mickey was a good reminder that Mickey Mouse can be more than just the smiling mascot for the overall corporation. The character has a distinct style and personality, with just as much potential for mischief and comedy as he does for wonder. Epic Mickey‘s darker aesthetic didn’t betray the overall tenor and tone of the studio, something that was also reflected in the studio’s “Revival Era” that saw it fuse the classic princess musicals with harsher themes, as seen in movies like Frozen and Moana.

Epic Mickey was an important crossroads moment for Disney as an overall company and a pretty fun game on its own merits. For all its faults in the gameplay, the actual execution of the worldbuilding is still impressive today, with memorable designs and clever tweaks on the legacy of the studio. Exciting, entertaining, and appropriately epic, Epic Mickey was an unusual but memorable chapter in the studio’s history and a fitting one to give players a chance to explore firsthand.