Way back in the days of the Super Nintendo I owned this game called The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse. In that game, Pluto has been kidnapped by Mickey’s nemesis Pete. On his journey to rescue Pluto, Mickey gains powers through special costumes (magician, firefighter, and mountain climber) that help him complete his quest. A sequel to the game was released in time, and it features Minnie Mouse as well as co-op gameplay and new costumes. I rented it once out of curiosity, but didn’t find it to be quite as enjoyable as the original.

Apparently Capcom crafted a third game in this series, but it never saw a release in North America, that is until now. After re-releasing the first two games in the series on the GBA in the Disney’s Magical Quest series, they’ve gotten around to translating and releasing the third. This time around, Donald’s nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie have been kidnapped by Pete, so he and Mickey set out to save them.

The game is a pretty standard platformer for the most part. Mickey and Donald control the same, the only difference between them being what they look like while wearing the various costumes. Without a costume, they’re able to jump on foes to stun them, and they can then pick the enemies up and spin them into other enemies. The costumes grant special powers. The knight outfit allows for a basic attack that can fire off in any direction. The lumberjack costume lets the heroes climb trees and spin enemies without stunning them first. The magician’s garb shoots out a magic attack that transforms things. It makes most enemies easier to kill and also effects the environment. For example, it can turn a spiky plant into a flower that can be stood upon.

Unfortunately, the costumes aren’t that fun, as opposed to those found in the first Magical Quest game. The tree climbing abilities are slow and only make the game more boring. The knight costume is useful, but it makes the game too easy by removing the stun-and-spin mechanic the gameplay is based upon. The magician’s outfit is the only really interesting one in the game; it opens up the gameplay a little bit by making you think about what it can do to various objects and enemies.

While the costumes aren’t the best, the real problem with this game is its level design. There are seven areas to the game, each split into two levels and containing two boss fights. The levels are incredibly short and, for the most part, incredibly easy. The boss fights offer some challenge but are hampered by the way the game handles death. After losing a life, Mickey drops right back in with his next, which means that if you have enough lives, there’s no reason to even try and stay alive during the boss fights. An easier strategy is to just pound the boss until you die, and then repeat with your next life.

It’s easy to see why this game never made it over to the states in the first place. It’s nowhere near as much fun as the previous games in the series, and it's hampered by bad level design and boring gameplay. Fans of the original looking to finally play this long-lost title would be better off going back to the first game and re-playing it, or snagging the GBA port. The same goes for anybody looking to play a good platforming game.