Summary
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis bringing one of the most interesting Disney games back to the market, and with a lot more platforms than the first go-round, more people might get to play it now than ever. Originally released as a Nintendo Wii exclusive in 2010,Epic Mickeytook Disney’s iconic mascot in a different direction than the typically chipper fare. On a quest through a ruined take on Disney Parks known as the Wasteland, Mickey can attempt to restore his surroundings and help the Wasteland’s inhabitants or take a more destructive path.
Nearly 14 years later,Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis adding a new coat of paint to the experience, remaking the game in seemingly loyal fashion while making a few tweaks. While the original title was developed by Junction Point Studios, a Disney Interactive Studios subsidiaryled byDeus ExCreatorWarren Spector,Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis being handled by Purple Lamp. As a subsidiary of THQ Nordic and Embracer Group, Purple Lamp previously tackled a remake ofSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottomand the original follow-up,SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.
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Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed Release Date & Platforms
Epic Mickey Will Be Widely Available
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis set to release on June 10, 2025, a date that it staked out in June, several months after its reveal in the February 2024 Nintendo Direct. This time, the game isn’t skipping any major platforms,launching on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The PS5 and Switch versions have been confirmed to make use of gyroscope controls, sticking to the paintbrush-pointing promise of the original Wii version.
Digital pre-orders ofEpic Mickey: Rebrushedon most platforms grant 24-hour early access, although PC/Steam is excluded from this perk. Pre-ordering any version of the game comes with a digital costume pack that gives Mickey his iconic Steamboat Willie and Brave Little Tailor looks, along with a football outfit inspired by the 1932 animated shortTouchdown Mickey.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed Price & Editions
The Collector’s Edition Isn’t Cheap
The price tag forthe standard version ofDisney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis $59.99, thankfully dodging the $69.99 maximum that some AAA games have embraced while still feeling a bit overambitious. The originalEpic Mickeyreleased for $49.99, and Purple Lamp’sSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydratedlaunched at only $29.99. $59.99 is arguablya lot to ask for a remake, even with a brand as strong as Disney attached to it.
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For the truly dedicated,the Collector’s Edition ratchets the price up to $199.99. This physical package includes the game along with a Steelbook, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit keychain, 28 cm Mickey Mouse statue, vintage Mickey Mouse tin sign, six Epic Mickey: Rebrushed Postcards, and the same digital costumes that come with pre-orders. The statue will likely be the biggest point of appeal for those willing to splurge, depicting Mickey in the same pose as the box art for both the originalEpic MickeyandRebrushed.
The Collector’s Edition will be available for PS5, Xbox platforms, and Nintendo Switch and is limited to 5,000 copies.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed Gameplay Details
More Than Just 3D Platforming
At its core,the gameplay ofEpic Mickey: Rebrushedfocuses on 3D platforming, taking Mickey through different themed environments structured like the various lands of a theme park. Mickey’s instrument of choice is a paintbrush, which can be equipped with either paint or thinner to determine how he interacts with his surroundings. Paint makes it possible to bring enemies back to their former selves and restore hollowed out aspects of the world like missing platforms, while thinner deletes everything in its path. There’s consequently something of a third-person shooter aspect, but Mickey can also attack with a melee spin move.
Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis doubling down on the platforming possibilities by adding some new skills into the mix. The ability to move more quickly through dashing and sprinting should make it easier to nimbly navigate the world, and a ground pound could make aerial combat possibilities more relevant than before.
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3D platforming isn’t all thatEpic Mickey: Rebrushedhas to offer, however.The game shakes things up with a minor dose of RPG elements, tossing in side missions and a basic morality system to show the impact of the choice between restoring or destroying the Wasteland. Peppered throughout are some 2D platforming segments based on classic Mickey Mouse animated shorts likeSteamboat WillieandLonesome Ghosts.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed Story Details
Mickey Is Joined By His Predecessor
The story ofDisney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedis basically a playground of classic Disney characters and concepts that have been largely forgotten in the modern era. The setup riffs on the Sorcerer’s Apprentice segment ofFantasia, with Mickey’s meddling in the affairs of the sorcerer Yen Sid wreaking havoc on the Wasteland. When he ends up dragged into that world through a magic mirror, Mickey has to deal with the threat of the Blot, a destructive force inspired by the Phantom Blot from the serial stories in Mickey newspaper strips.
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Other Disney characters show up, sometimes in animatronic versions, butthe big secondary star is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. As Disney’s original animated icon before Mickey Mouse, the game marks their first appearance together, with Disney having lost the rights to Oswald for almost 80 years before re-acquiring them to produceEpic Mickey. The dynamic between the two characters is a major part of the narrative, as is Mickey’s choice between taking a mercenary approach to defeating the Blot or embracing a path of restoration.
Although the originalEpic Mickeymet with some criticism about camera controls, bugs, and an arguably shallow approach to choices, it should be easy enough forEpic Mickey: Rebrushedto fix at least the first two complaints. There’s a fascinating and surprisingly ambitious game beneath these complaints, and it’s worth checking out both as a family game and as a legitimately interesting option for adult players. The original game never got quite the flowers it deserved, but even ifDisney Epic Mickey: Rebrushedfollows the same path, there’s a lot to love in the unique experience.
Epic Mickey (2010)
Developed by Warren Spector and the team at Junction Point Studios, Epic Mickey is an action-adventure platformer video game initially released for the Nintendo Wii in 2010. When Yen Sid’s apprentice, Mickey Mouse, discovers a mysterious paintbrush that can create worlds, his mischief accidentally releases an evil entity and ink-like monsters who drag him into their world. Now armed with his master’s paintbrush, Mickey must stop them and return home. A remaster of the game titled Epic Mickey: Rebrushed was announced for release in 2024.
