Mickey Mouse fans have two new downloads to consider this holiday season. Based on the recent PC/PlayStation/Xbox re-release, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse ($10) is Disney’s completely redrawn version of Sega’s 2-D game released for the Genesis/Mega Drive during its heyday in 1990—a point at which the game was considered to be gorgeous but relatively simplistic. Not only is the game now fully rendered in realtime 3-D graphics, but the gameplay has been substantially overhauled to include simple 3-D movement and action sequences between the mostly side-scrolling 2.5-D sections.
Full voice narration has been added, as have some level themes that go way beyond the Sega original.
That said, the gameplay is still deliberately quite simple—walk, jump on things, and toss objects—with exploration of hidden sections in levels as the major incentive for continuing to play. It’s a very good game for kids, though expensive, and many adults will enjoy it as well.
In addition, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Paint & Play (iPhone $3 / iPad $5) has received a festive holiday update. Kids can help Mickey and Minnie decorate the Clubhouse for the holidays, build snowmen, and make a gingerbread house.
New festive patterns and stickers are also included.
Savage Interactive has released an update to its iPad sketching and painting app Procreate ($6), with the new version adding a full iOS 7 redesign along with 64-bit support for the new iPad models. The new version also adds GPU accelerated filters and adjustments for better performance, along with gallery improvements and support for the latest iPad styluses.
Out in time for the holiday shopping season, the Target app has been updated with a new iOS 7 user interface and shopping list feature that integrates with online store inventory to allow users to see whether their local Target has a particular item in stock along with a map and aisle location to help them find it. As users check off items, they can be automatically given directions to find the next item on their list.
