Have you ever daydreamed about living in Disneyland? (Of course you have!) Thanks to the new Nintendo 3DS game Disney Magical World, you can almost make that dream come true.
In the game, you join your friends Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and more in Castleton, a city populated with more things to do than you can shake a magic wand at. With quests, clothing and furniture crafting, a café to run, collections, fishing, and more, Disney Magical World is an unending, immersive, and magical 3DS game that fans of Disney (kid or grownup) won’t be able to put down.
An open city to explore, fruit to pick, stores to shop at, visits from real life friends with StreetPass, and adorable citizens, it’s easy to draw a comparison to the Animal Crossing franchise. Disney Magical World shares some of the same happy-go-lucky vibe, but feels even more easygoing without crotchety villagers who make snarky comments if you don’t play after a while. Even running the café, for example, which could have been designed to make players feel rushed to meet customer demands, doesn’t have any negatives. If you run out of food, you simply get a cheer for a job well done, and you can make more whenever you feel like it.
Materials for crafting clothes, furniture, café decorations, food, and wands can be collected in quests which take players to other magical worlds. Disney fans will be delighted to explore the worlds of Cinderella, Winnie the Pooh, Aladdin, and Alice in Wonderland to earn stickers (the level system) and crafting materials.
Unfortunately for my preschool-age daughter, the game requires a lot of reading, with very few voiceovers to help her on her way. But we can happily play together, and I play the role of narrator for her Disney Magical World adventures.
My one complaint is the repetitive music, a necessary evil in this type of game, I suppose. After spending just a few minutes in Castleton I had to turn the sound off. My daughter loves it, however, so to each their own.
Disney Magical World includes over 60 classic Disney characters, an incredible amount of customization, and even themed decorations and recipes based on holidays and seasons. The 3DS game is almost a no-brainer for Disney fans.
Disney Magical World is available on the Nintendo 3DS on April 11, 2014, and retails for $29.99.
GeekMom received a promotional copy for review purposes.
