Disney Illusion Island: Everything We Know

Disney Interactive Studios and its network of followers have been spreading the Mouse's gospel these past few years, most notably in 2022, what with Disney Mirrorverse, Dreamlight Valley, and Disney Speedstorm all spinning webs on both consoles and PC. And if this wasn't enough for the Clubhouse keyholder, then perhaps the upcoming co-op adventure game Disney Illusion Island will keep the Kingdom crew at bay. Either that, or Tron Identity will, anyway.

Whatever the case, if you did happen to stumble upon Dlala Studios joint venture with Disney earlier this year, then you've no doubt already heard your fair share of information on the matter. However, for the sake of filling in the blanks, here's everything you need to know about it before it goes live on July 28, 2023.

What Is Disney Illusion Island?

To put it short, Disney Illusion Island is an upcoming side-scrolling adventure game by Dlala Studios. As a form of love letter to the world of Disney, the platformer will incorporate a beautiful hand-drawn animation style and a classic collection of the Magic Kingdoms most iconic characters. As such, players will be invited to “be a part of an authentic Mickey cartoon”, either alone or with up to three friends in the game's jam-packed co-op mode.

“Experience a brand-new Mickey & Friends adventure with hand-drawn animation, an orchestrated original score and authentic voice talents,” the blurb reads. “Play solo or grab up to three friends to save the island of Monoth in 4-player couch co-op. Team up with friends and utilize unique skills such as Rope Drop, Leap Frog, and a heart gifting hug.”

Monoth? Leap Frog? The gift of a hug? Care to explain in further detail, Disney? No? Well, here's what we've established based on the few snippets Dlala Studios has provided since making the formal announcement last year…

Story

Disney Illusion Island will transport you to the island of Monoth, a world that, due to three magical books being stolen, stands on the verge of everlasting chaos. As Mickey and his band of loyal friends, you will embark on an epic quest to reclaim the ancient Tomes are restore order to Monoth — before it's too late. That's really all there is to it, so expect plenty of platforming and puzzle elements, all encased within a hearty narrative strewn with Disney-themed tropes and lore.

Gameplay

A side-scrolling game at heart, Disney Illusion Island will serve as a “homage” to Castle of Illusion, yet another side-scrolling platformer starring Mickey Mouse. In spite of its blatant similarities, however, Dlala Studios has informed us that the upcoming IP won't have anything to do with the OG title. It'll be a love letter, per se, and one that'll replicate a lot of the platform-puzzle mechanics. So, if you're a fan of retro hand-drawn animations and prancing about from biome to biome, then you're in for a real treat with this one.

“We made this game because we love those games,” CEO and creative director AJ Grand-Scrutton told Game Informer. “It's not technically a sequel to any of those titles, but you can see a lot of that imprint in the game. In multiplayer, players can drop a rope to each other, which was very inspired by those World of Illusion moments when Mickey and Donald work together.”

“I actually had my childhood copy of Castle of Illusion and Quackshot at my desk at work. We're not a mechanical sequel, but this game only exists because those games came before.”

So, if not a sequel, then what? Or a better question would be, what gameplay features will it stack on top of its familiar yet surprisingly homely external layer? Well, here's what Dlala Studios has added:

“Choose your favorite character and unlock special abilities as you perform high-flying platforming feats, solve fun puzzles, and take on epic boss battles,” the description adds. “Run, swim, swing, and jump your way through a beautiful yet mysterious island and discover rich biomes, intriguing characters, and hidden secrets.”

Development

Disney Illusion Island is being headed up by Dlala Studios, a firm best known for the recently revitalized Battletoads remake. Its efforts, now cast upon Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, will see in the arrival of 2023's next big Switch exclusive. And while we can't say for certain whether or not it'll shed its handheld exclusivity in the aftermath of its release, we can say this: both Castle of Illusion and Nintendo fans will have plenty to brag about come July 28th.

Trailer

Yes, there is a trailer of Disney Illusion Island. And not just the one trailer, but several, all of which showcase various gameplay features and the whimsical world of Monoth. But for the sake of keeping things concise, we've attached the initial announcement trailer revealed at last year's Nintendo Direct event above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Disney Illusion Island will be launching exclusively on Nintendo Switch on July 28, 2023. Does this essentially mean both Xbox and PlayStation are out of the question, then? It certainly seems like it. That said, it's not as if the concept of porting a Switch game onto other platforms in beyond the realm of possibility, either. If it does find its way to other consoles, then it'll probably be in 2024 at the earliest. Probably best not to get your hopes up, though.

You'll be able to get your hands on just the one copy of Disney Illusion Island on launch, which will be either the standard physical or digital edition for $39.99. You can add that to your basket here.

If Diala Studios' latest project has piqued your interest, then be sure to follow the developer's social feed for all the latest updates here. We'll let you know if anything changes ahead of its July launch right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Disney Illusion Island when it releases later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.