For the longest time it was the most I spent on a Super Famicart back when I imported Mickey & Donald: Magical Adventure 3 back in 2013 (though lately I’ve noticed copies on eBay sell for less than $40), that is until I imported Märchen Adventure Cotton 100% (another fun Success-developed/Datam Polystar-published collaboration aside from Keeper, sans ASCII’s involvement this time) this Summer

I like The Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse but what I’ve always taken issue with is the way it ended; I felt personally that it undermined the buildup leading up to it (especially since there’s no hint or foreshadowing to the reveal of what the game actually is). It’s still good charming fun in its own right but I wish the ending was better (that, and I would’ve liked Pete’s Peak and Snowy Valley to not be so short compared to the other stages); though that’s just me.

I caught up with the first two games back in 2012, with The Great Circus Mystery starring Mickey & Minnie being the first game in the trilogy I played. Yeah, it lacks the sense of magic that the first game had, the title is wrong (the circus is only in the first stage, and the “mystery”–not so great, by the way–is revealed after the second stage), it IS essentially The Magical Quest again (albeit grounded to reality with a weaker buildup this time that enables up to two players to play), the soundtrack is inferior (it can’t touch Mari Yamaguchi’s music stylings of its predecessor), and honestly I can sympathize with people who have a problem with the middle chapter (even though I really liked it enough as its own thing). That said, I still find it fun to play, the colors are better-selected and animation real fluid, and I found its payoff to be more satisfying; again, though, that’s just me. To each their own.

Mickey & Donald: Magical Adventure 3 I found to be the best of both worlds. With a buildup equally as good as its payoff, really fun controls and new magical abilities, it was a good return to form to the first entry in terms that the magic was back. =D The soundtrack was delightfully atmospheric, the areas were really fun (like the forest and the underwater segment), the narrative element inbetween stages was welcome and appropriate given it transpires inside a storybook, and it was so good to finally get a chance to play as Donald Duck in a Disney platformer by Capcom. A real shame it never reached Western shores during its heyday. Last year while my SFC collecting was put on hold I imported the Game Boy Advance port, and while I don’t like that the sound quality is tinny and that the screen is cropped, I did actually find it to be a decent port. Gameplay was still good, the polish was still there, and color-wise it’s really faithful to the SFC original (except for the underwater start of the fifth stage: how do they go from elegant turquoise to dark green? That change just boggles my mind; it’s just one moment, though). Great charming fun on the SFC!

I just want to say, keep up the great work! =)