Conference koolit::disney

    At the Seattle Nintendo Power Festival, in the "Power Walk," I tried a
    new game (not yet available) called "Adventure in the Magic Kingdom."

    This game is based on Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney
    World.  In addition to seeing many of the park landmarks (e.g., the
    Mark Twain), you can actually "ride" some attractions.  I remember
    five: Space Mountain, Autopia, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of
    the Carribean, and the Haunted Mansion.  Each attraction is a test of
    skill.  I didn't make it through any, but Mickey was always there to
    encourage me to try again.

    The object of the game was to unlock Snow White's castle so that the
    parade could proceed.  You have to round up all six keys.  Part of this
    involved talking to park employees and answering Disney trivia
    questions.

    For any Disneyphiles who have a NES, this game will be a must. 
    Availability is listed as "soon."

    [Also posted in MOMAX1::NINTENDO.]

    I may have to buy a Nintendo just to play this one.

    Of course a real Disneyphile would know there is no such place in any
    of the theme parks called Snow White's Castle.

    Damn, someone beat me to the punch.  I had an idea for a board game
    dealing with the entire Florida property but is not along happy lines. 
    I got into one of my moods after Disney once again rejected me and I
    wanted major vengence when these ideas crept into my head.
    
    The plot line was something like this:  A socialist terrorist
    organization has planted a small thermonuclear device somewhere on
    property with information beaten out of a retired castmember.  The
    castmember is able to escape and before dying, manages to get a rather
    cryptic message off to Michael Eisner warning the Disney organization
    of the impending disaster.  Disney being a company that really is only
    concerned about profits keeps the threat information from the public
    and keeps the property open while hiring outside agencies to scour the
    area to find the bomb with the clues left by the loyal to the end
    custodial host. 
    
    Your mission is to use the clues and other information available from
    castmembers and guests to find the bomb, disarm it and save the
    last bastion of capitalist partiotism from being blown sky high and
    still keep the public in the dark about the situation.  Your reward: 1
    Million dollars (under the table or course) and life time admission to
    any of the gated attractions with free parking behind Main Street USA.
    But, if you find the bomb and disarm it and the public fins out, you
    loose the tickets and parking...ouch!
    
    I thought it might be a rather interesting game, what do you think?

    My nephew (age 7) has an idea for a Disney video game, and he's figured
    a lot of things out about what he'd like it to be.  I suggested that we
    write down his ideas and send them to Disney.  Anyone know who we'd
    send the ideas to?  It's really a clever idea, and I'd love to help him
    write to someone.  If no one has any thoughts on this, I'll probably
    just write a letter to Michael Eisner and see if someone in his office
    responds.
    
    
    Susan

    From the 1986 Walt Disney World company telephone book, they have
    Eisner listed as:
    
    Michael Eisner 
    The Walt Disney Company
    500 S. Beuna Vista Street
    Burbank, California 91521
    
    Specific for the Florida property is:
    
    Sun Bank Building
    Suite 505
    Lake Beuna Vista, Florida 32830

    
    
       ADVENTURES IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM IS OUT AND ON THE MARKET!!!!!!
    
    
       My kids rented it from a video/Nintendo renter here in Maryland.  I
    have not seen it anywhere else (honestly, I've hardly looked). If the
    renter has it you can probably buy a copy somewwhere.  It was an
    interestindo nuts.  The attractions that you ride are 
    
               1)Pirates of the Carribean
               2)the Haunted Mansion
               3)Big Thunder Mountain
               4)Autopia
               5)Space Mountain
    
    I don't know about this game.  It curtly informed me I was not Mickey's
    friend (as I was sitting there listening to Disney music, wearing my
    Mouse suspenders, and Mouse socks). I guess I'll have to turn in my
    mouse ears because I didn't know Donald's middle name ;-}
    
    Otherwise is was lots of fun,  Enjoy!
    

    I bought this game about a week ago.  It's a lot fun.  It's like
    pretending you're in Disneyland (MK) for a brief time.

    Yes, the cast members in this game say things which their real
    counterparts would never get away with!  "You're not Mickey's
    friend?"  That hurts!

    I haven't made it through any of the attractions yet.  They are
    quite difficult, but not impossible.  My 8-year-old son made it
    through Thunder Mt. Railroad.  [That's fitting since, when he was
    6, he actually talked my wife and I (world's biggest chicken) into
    riding Thunder Mt.  He screamed with laughter.  I just screamed.
    Since then I've acutally gone on Matterhorn and Space Mt., but not
    Splash Mt. yet.]

    The music is cute, although I don't recognize it.  The graphics
    aren't bad.  The feel of the attractions is faithful to the spirit
    of the parks, if not to all the details.

    I don't know if this is the greatest video game on the market.  As
    a Disney nut, though, I had to have it!

    Could someone who has this game mail me the company that is making
    it?  I want to contact them about Computer Game versions, if there
    in the works (or if they need anyone to put them in the works...).
    
    Thanks,
    George
    

From: scottsc@microsoft.UUCP (Scott SCHULTZ)
Subject: NES: Review - Adventures in the Magic Kingdom
Summary: It isn't just for kids
Date: 21 Aug 90 00:36:53 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
 
 
A couple of weeks ago my local store picked up several new games, including
Rescue Rangers and AITMK. Rescue Rangers has been out continuously since
then, so I picked up Adventures... because I thought it would entertain
my five-year-old. 
 
I was very pleasantly suprised. _Adventures In The Magic Kingdom_ (AITMK
from now on) not only kept my son busy, it also entertained three adults
for most of the day. You don't have to be a Disneyphile like me to enjoy
it either, though that helps a lot.
 
 
The game actually consists of six mini-games. The premise is that Mickey
and friends want to start the parade, but Goofy accidently locked the gate
key in the Enchanted Castle and then misplaced the six silver keys that 
are neccesary to open the castle. You become a kid wandering through 
Disneyland trying to locate the sixe silver keys that will open the castle.
 
The game takes place in a map of Disneyland that is reasonably accurate,
given the scale. It even includes a lot of extraneous stuff that gives you
the feel that you are really in Disneyland and not just in Disneyland shaped
playfield. If you know the park well then it is fun to spend a couple of 
minutes identifying all of the various locations that are present.
 
One of the interesting features of the game is how the bonuses work. Each
attraction that you enter contains stars that you can pick up. By picking
up enough stars you can call up a menu that will allow you to buy four
different bonuses: extra hearts, freeze opponents, invincibility, and
extra life. This comes in very useful at times and it also gives the player
some opportunity for using strategy in planning his bonuses instead of just
collecting them wherever the programmer decided to drop them.
 
The mini-games consist of five Disneyland attractions and a Disney trivia
contest. Each of these are described below:
 
The Haunted Mansion:	The player has a candle with a limited number of
shots. The shots can be used to knock down the ghosts. The object is to 
go all the way through the Hanted Mansion starting in the graveyard outside.
Along the way you'll meet various ghosts from the attractions and have to
negotiate your way through areas of floating chairs and such. You can collect
stars and candles to increase your ammunition. I haven't yet managed to
finish this, getting halfway through the fourth scene. This is a 
run/jump/shoot game.
 
Pirates of the Caribbean: In this one, you travel through several scenes of 
the Pirates attraction. You job is to rescue six villagers from the
pirates and light a signal fire to let Mickey know that they have been
rescued. You do not start with any weapons, though you can pick up a candle
along the way and use it just like in The Haunted Mansion. I never got far
enough to find the candle, though I did get through three different scenes
from Pirates of the Caribbean. You can pick up stars and somewhere is the
candle you need to fight the pirates in the last scene and light the fire.
This is a run/dodge/collect/shoot(?) game.
 
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: In this game, you are driving the Big Thunder
Mountain Mine Train. Your job is to drive the train down the mountain through
intersections, past falling rocks and closing gates to one of four terminals
at the bottom of the mountain. Mickey tells you which one when you start.
Obstacles include the closing gates, rocks on the tracks, and dead-ends as
well as the falling rocks. The only controls you have are left-right and 
brake to slow the train. This is an especially useful game to master because
each star you pick up is actually worth five stars. I mastered this one
pretty quickly. This is a maze/dodge game.
 
Tomorrowland Autopia: Panhandle Pete has stolen one of the keys. The only
way to get it is to win a car race in the Autopia. This is a pretty good
game that plays like a cross between Spy-Hunter and Jumpbug. The differences
are that there are no weapons and you jump by driving up a jump ramp instead
of pressing a button. This one is pretty fun, though I mastered it after
losing enough times to learn the layout of the track. The instructions claim
that the stars in the Autopia are also supposed to be worth five each but
the game only gave one star for each one we collected in the Autopia. 
This one is a driving/jumping game.
 
Space Mountain: In this game you are the pilot of a Space Mountain rocket
and Mickey is the navigator. Your job is to fly from Star A to Star F 
following Mickey's directions and avoiding meteors and enemy craft. When
an arrow lights up on the display, you press the corresponding arrow on the
joypad to steer the ship in that direction. When either a meteor or enemy
ship appears then you blast it with the A or B button depending upon which 
it is. This game is difficult because it is easy to get jumpy and press the
wrong buttons. A steering/shooting/reaction game.
 
Trivia:	This doesn't involve any attractions. What happens is that you meet
a person in the park who has a clue as to where one of the keys is at. The
person always asks you a Disney trivia question which you must answer 
correctly in order to prove that you are a friend of Mickey's and get the
directions to the next clue. After ten questions or so, you find the key.
Amusing and reasonably difficult even if you are up on your Disney trivia.
 
We didn't manage to finish it yet, so I can't say how the ending is. However,
the game was quite fun for the whole family. I'd give it 8.5+ on a scale of
10. This may end up being one of the few games that we actually purchase 
since it is appropriate for the whole family.

"Mickey Mania" spreading through video game industry;
    video game publications already proclaiming title Christmas hit 


  SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 19, 1994--Arriving at retail
on Oct. 24 -- "Mickey Monday" -- is the much-anticipated interactive video
game "Mickey Mania:  The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse."
  Created by Sony Imagesoft and Disney Software, "Mickey Mania" is a
fast-paced, action-packed video game based on the classic animated
adventures of Mickey Mouse.  Targeted at the prime video gamer -- aged 10
to 17 -- "Mickey Mania" invites players to take part in what many would
consider a non-traditional Mickey video game adventure.
  In the game, Mickey travels through six of his most cherished animated
shorts; however, the passage certainly isn't easy.  In this game, Mickey
must dodge axes, chainsaws, skeletons, weasels, ghosts and boiling water,
plus his arch enemy Pete, in his quest to finish the game.
  "We developed this game from the onset knowing that in order to reach
core gamers, male teenagers, we had to make the game challenging," said
Rich Robinson, executive producer, Sony Imagesoft.
  "Disney Software mirrored our belief that `Mickey Mania' had to be, first
and foremost, a compelling, action-packed game.  Parents may enjoy the
history of Mickey's film career, but the game play goes beyond nostalgia. 
`Mickey Mania' contains powerful action."
  "By combining Disney's engaging storytelling and animation artistry with
Sony Imagesoft's technical and game design expertise, `Mickey Mania'
offers players an incredible game experience," said Steve McBeth,
executive vice president, Disney Consumer Products. "`Mickey Mania' has
created a breakthrough level of game play excitement that players of all
ages are going to love."
  The retrospective of Mickey's life begins with "Steamboat Willie" and
continues through four other animated Mickey titles, culminating in "The
Prince and the Pauper."  Each of the animated shorts was chosen as
representative of a major event in Mickey's career -- his first
appearance, the first time Mickey was colorized, Mickey's first speaking
role, etc.
  The six animated shorts featured in "Mickey Mania" include "Steamboat
Willie" (1928); "The Mad Doctor" (1933); "Moose Hunters" (1937); "Lonesome
Ghosts" (1937); "Mickey and the Beanstalk" (1947); and "The Prince and the
Pauper" (1990).
  Disney animators were used for the first time to produce thousands of
frames of stunning animation produced exclusively for a video game based
on a non-theatrical Disney feature.  In addition, "Mickey Mania"
incorporates computer-rendered 3-D graphics and features artwork drawn in
the style of the famous Mickey Mouse animated shorts around which the game
is based.
  "Children of all ages will appreciate `Mickey Mania' for its great
graphics and innovative, compelling game play," said Robinson. "We are
very proud that `Mickey Mania' is truly one game that delivers
entertainment for all members of the family."
  The game features three distinct game play engines, including a
side-scrolling engine, a cylindrical rotating engine and an innovative
"coming-at-you," 3-D engine.  Background graphics range from breathtaking
watercolor to minimalist black and white, capturing the look and feel of
the original animated shorts. Progressive levels introduce more advanced
puzzles and more intricate game play.
  Disney Software is an operating unit of Disney Consumer Products, the
merchandising and specialty retail group of the Walt Disney Co. Formed in
1988, Disney Software is a developer, publisher and licensor of
interactive entertainment software.
  Sony Imagesoft, a division of Sony Electronic Publishing Co., creates,
produces, distributes and markets interactive video game and
computer-based multimedia software for the international business,
entertainment and educational markets.  With headquarters in Santa Monica,
the company has operations throughout the United States.
  Sony Electronic Publishing, together with Sony Pictures Entertainment and
Sony Music Entertainment, is a subsidiary of Sony Software Corp., a
subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

    Virgin Interactive Entertainment and Disney Software Team Up to Bring
      The Walt Disney Classic `The Lion King' to Sega Genesis and SNES
      
    LOS ANGELES, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Lion King" video game, based on
    The Walt Disney Pictures' blockbuster animated film "The Lion King,"
    leaps onto retail shelves November 9.  A co-venture between Virgin
    Interactive Entertainment and Disney Software, "The Lion King" springs
    into action on Sega Genesis and SNES to coincide with the theatrical 
    re-release of the film.  Virgin Interactive Entertainment is shipping over
    one million copies of the game.
      "The Lion King" video game takes place on the African savanna, where
    Simba the lion cub outgrows his carefree, royal lifestyle and accepts
    the responsibility, danger and challenge of reclaiming his rightful place
    in the "Circle of Life."
      "The Lion King" video game packs 24 megabytes of fast action, music
    and stunning animation divided into a two-part adventure.  The first
    encompasses the life of Simba the cub; the second is about an older,
    more powerful Simba the lion prince on his way back to reclaim the Pride
    Lands.
     The player gains power, wisdom and new abilities at each of the 10
    levels.  Ultimately, each game level is a training ground for Simba's
    final confrontation with his evil Uncle Scar.  Additionally, the game
    contains bug-eating bonus levels with Pumba and Timon.
      A team of 15 Disney animators created 2,100 new cels of animation for
    the game, enlivening Simba's adventures as he runs, jumps, roars, rolls,
    swipes and flips his opponents.  To complement the stunning animation,
    all of the film's music, including both the score by Hans Zimmer and the
    five original songs by Elton John and Academy Award- winning lyricist Tim
    Rice have been adapted for the game to capture the moods and emotions of the
    story.  The precisely curved shapes of surfaces, the depth of the visual
    imagery and the distinct changes in scene and mood with each level of
    play also distinguish "The Lion King" game. "The incredible power of `The
    Lion King' film allowed Virgin to focus on advancing the state-of-the-art 
    in game play, enabling both Virgin and Disney to continue their lead
    in the video game market," said Tom Allen, chief operating officer of 
    Virgin  Interactive Entertainment.
      "The game creates such a realistic and engaging environment that players
     really feel they become Simba, heir to the Pride Lands," said Patrick
    Gillmore, producer for "The Lion King" game at Disney.  "A whole new
    style of game play has taken shape with `The Lion King.'"
      Disney Software is an operating unit of Disney Consumer Products, the
    merchandising and specialty retail group of The Walt Disney Co. Formed
    in 1988, Disney Software is a developer, publisher and licensor of
    interactive entertainment software.
      Virgin Interactive Entertainment, based in Irvine, Calif., is a worldwide
    publisher and developer of interactive entertainment. Publishers of the
    award-winning CD-ROM title "The 7th Guest" and the upcoming Demolition
    Man release for The 3DO Entertainment System, Virgin Interactive
    Entertainment is an operating unit of Spelling Entertainment.
      Trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the properties of their
    respective companies.