In this game, you take Mickey through several levels based on several of his cartoons, such as Steamboat Willie, The Mad Doctor, Moose Hunters, Lonesome Ghosts, Mickey and the Beanstalk (a segment from Fun and Fancy Free) and The Prince and the Pauper (the newest Mickey cartoon at that time). Interestingly, the Sega and Playstation versions (but not the Super Nintendo version, sadly) also include a short bonus level themed around The Band Concert. (Mind you, I've never played the Sega games, only the SNES version.)
The game was a hit, as it should have been. With that, there were plans for a sequel to this game. Unfortunately, the sequel was cancelled in favor of video game versions of Toy Story:
Before the Mickey Mania sequel was cancelled, however, they did manage to make a prototype of it:
As you can see, the level in question is based on Two-Gun Mickey, one of the last black-and-white Mickey cartoons made, even though it's displayed here in color, not unlike The Mad Doctor in the first game.
It makes me wonder: what could this never-made video game provide? The following is a few of my ideas for this game, including some ideas that should have been in the first game.
For the first level of the game, maybe it could be based on the first Mickey cartoon to ever be truly made: Plane Crazy:
Maybe one level could be a plane flight, maybe saving Minnie as the Mickey in this cartoon does reckless flying stunts that has her jettisoned from the plane:
At the same time, you have to dodge obstacles, like cows...
...cars...
...and steeples:
Another level in the game could be based around, in my opinion, one of the best Mickey cartoons ever made, Thru the Mirror (which should have been used in the first game):
The way the top hat springs up and down could make a good launching catapult of sorts. Also, enemies in this level could include those grumpy umbrellas...
...and giant playing cards:
There could also be a boss battle (or at least mid-boss battle) against the King of Hearts:
It all could be like that one level in Epic Mickey (which, in my opinion, is sort of a spiritual successor to Mickey Mania, as both games feature levels based around old Mickey cartoons):
Another level could be based around The Whalers...
Similar to the Moose Hunters level of the first game, you could try to escape from a rampaging whale.
There could also be a level based around another classic, The Brave Little Tailor, where Mickey could have a boss battle against the giant in that cartoon:
Another level is one that really should have been included in the first game: the Sorcerer's Apprentice scene from Fantasia. There was a Sega game based around this movie, but it was not very well done, apparently. This could be like that game, but done right:
It could show mainly the Sorcerer's workshop (from 0:55 to 1:54), where you battle the walking brooms, and the high crags, where you dodge comets (from 9:24 to 9:36). Finally, there would be a section where the room gets flooded and you have to avoid the rising tide. It's like this one level in Epic Mickey:
Finally, the last level of the game could be based on the then-newest Mickey cartoon, Runaway Brain. This could be where the final boss battle in the game takes place, against Julius, the giant Frankenstein-like Pete in this cartoon:
Anyway, those are all my ideas for what might have been with Mickey Mania 2. All told, there would be at least seven levels in this game:
- Plane Crazy
- Two-Gun Mickey
- Thru the Mirror
- The Whalers
- The Brave Little Tailor
- The Sorcerer's Apprentice
- Runaway Brain
Those, as I just said, are all just my ideas for what might have been in this never-made game. A guy can dream, can he not?
