So here's the situation: work has got you stressed beyond belief, the kids have got you strung out, and the thing that would heal all wounds would be that delicious trip to Disneyworld that you're so very ready for. Only thing is, your vacation's not for another 3 months. What do you do?? Well I have the answer......you blow the dust off your old Nintendo and buy Adventures in the Magic Kingdom.

Ok, I lied. This really isn't the answer, because although it has the Disney name, this game is far, so very very far, from being like the real thing. But in the meantime, it'll take your mind off work and keep the kids happy. That's really what you need, right? The fact that it's based around Disneyworld's Magic Kingdom and only cost you about five bucks off ebay instead of the hundreds of dollars for a trip is just a plus! Thing is, I'm sure a lot of you out there have never heard of the game. It's been lost into the oblivion of the 8 bit past. Allow me to explain the gist of the game for those of you who don't remember it. Playing as a young boy inexplicably dressed like a cowboy, you have to return the six keys of the Magic Kingdom to Mickey so he can open Cinderella's castle. To do this, you must beat 5 boards, each being a ride in the Disneyworld park. The sixth key comes from answering trivia questions asked by various parentless children scattered throughout the park.

You begin your quest at the front gate of the park, where you then make your way down Main Street USA and on into the adventurous Magic Kingdom. What happens next is your decision. Just like the true map of the park, you can take a left to visit either Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion, go up and left to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or take a right to head over to Tomorrowland and try your hand at steering a spaceship on Space Mountain or driving a racecar at Autopia. The possibilities are endless! You don't even need a ticket! And you have three lives! (The Magic Kingdom really is magical). Let's head first to the Pirates....

In this level you must save six hostages (all women of course) from the reckless pirates. Your adventure includes sailing a boat through dangerous waters, crawling on pirate-infested rooftops, and avoiding fireball-throwing skeletons. This board, like the Haunted Mansion, is a typical side-scrolling game that no one can do like the ol' NES. Don't forget, that pirate you just killed will come back if you scroll too far right and then come back left.

On to the Haunted Mansion. This side scroller involves throwing candles at ghosts to kill them (I guess? Aren't they already dead?) which is easy enough, but the hard part comes in managing to stay on the floating chairs as they move around the room. Fall off and you're as dead as the 999 ghouls in the place. Not a bad job on the resemblance of the ride with this level. They even included some playful mirrors, ballroom-dancing specters, and also the famous singing busts.

In Big Thunder Mountain, you control a runaway train and attempt to keep it safe from the falling boulders and dead ends. There are four different routes and the goal is pass the pigs and the old minecars to end up at gate #4. A cute level, and Goofy even speaks to you with a twang when you beat it. Giddyup, pardner. On to Autopia.

Autopia was never one of my favorite rides at WDW. I always saw it as a ride that you'd see at a Six Flags. Where was the creativity? And I feel the same way about this level in the game. Simply put, it's just a car game. Dodge the orange cones.....watch out for other cars.... .there are a few semi-exciting jumps over water, but all in all this board bored me to tears. I have more excitement driving my Cadillac through heavy Boston traffic.

Space Mountain isn't much better and in no way expresses the heart-pumping thrill of the ride. As you stare out the cockpit of your spaceship, Mickey tells you which way to go to reach Planet F. There is a control panel at the bottom of the screen that flashes different button pushing orders. Up. Down. Left. Right. Press A to shoot meteors and B to shoot ships. At least the chocolate chip cookie meteors in the actual attraction gave the illusion of reality. The best you get in this game is a Windows 95 screensaver that you can pretend to maneuver. You get the picture. Snore.

All in all, Adventures in the Magic Kingdom is a decent, but easy game, obviously for the younger crowd and the avid Disney fan. The gameplay is well crafted and the fact that so many different kinds of games are combined into one makes it a good one to play (even though it takes a whopping 30 minutes or so to beat the entire game). My one true complaint is that knowing all the rides in the actual Magic Kingdom left me wanting more. Of course, I could always head over to Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom to get more theme park gaming fun. Actually, after looking back on Adventures in the Magic Kingdom, it seems like this game may have served as a blueprint for the VMK. The game play is very similar, the difference now is slightly better graphics and online gameplay an community. But, I'd rather wait for a fully rendered 3-D version of a Disney park. Similar to what you find at great sites like "Virtual Toad" or "Atommobiles". That's the closest you can get to visiting a Disney park without leaving the comfort of your living room. Well here's to hoping! And until you get that vacation, it's time to practice your gaming skills!

Allison Craig is an animator and freelance illustrator in Boston, MA. You can find more about her at www.allisoncraig.com

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