For as much as I loved the direction the Disney Infinity team went with the Marvel Super Heroes characters and Play Sets, it doesn’t give you that warm and welcoming Disney feel. It’s Marvel Super Heroes; they should feel powerful and action-packed, and they do. With that said, Disney Interactive has released the next wave of characters for Disney Infinity 2.0, playable in the Toy Box — the Disney Originals. This includes Merida, Stitch, Maleficent, Tinker Bell, Aladdin, Donald Duck, Hiro and Baymax.
And they’re the best characters to be released yet.
Before I dive into specifics, all of the Disney Originals figures in general are amazingly crafted. The characters have translated perfectly to the style of Disney Infinity, both in and out of the game, and my kids have had just as much fun playing with the figures as they have playing with the characters in-game. The animations, effects and attacks for each of the characters are also perfect. For as much as my five-year-old loves Marvel — and he does love Marvel, as a close second to his favorite thing, Star Wars — these characters had him more excited than all of the Marvel ones. There’s just something magical about them that makes you feel like a kid again. Or in my son’s case, brings the movies he loves to life. They all come with full, fleshed-out skill tree, complete with special attacks and moves.
So here are my thoughts on each character:
Merida
Out of all of the new Disney Originals characters, we’ve played with Merida the least. The Disney-Pixar princess from Brave comes armed with a bow, sword, and bouncy red hair. With the combination of bow and sword attacks, she feels like the Legolas of Disney Infinity 2.0, and is the first female Disney Infinity character that is fiery and packs a punch.
Stitch
I’m a huge Stitch fan, and my love of Stitch got my kids excited to play as him in the game. Disney Interactive nailed everything about Stitch, from his quick crawl for his dodge ability, to his blasters (which you can upgrade so he holds multiple blasters). And while you can unlock a super jump for the little trouble maker, his wall climbing is a lot of fun. I roleplayed while playing as him and spoke in his voice, and it had my kids in… Stitches.
Maleficent
I can’t stress how amazing all of these figures are, but Maleficent might be the best. It looks like a cartoon version of Angelina Jolie from Maleficent. What stands out about Maleficent are the effects of her attacks — from the green spells she casts to the ravens she can summon.
Tinker Bell
One of two new characters with the ability to fly, Tinker Bell might have the coolest combination of abilities, effects and animations, and she has some sass to her. Her basic ranged attack shoots pixie dust at other players, making them float into the air for a few seconds, and it’s really cool. She can also heal with her Pixie Dust.
Aladdin
Probably the character we’ve played the second-least to Merida, but that’s not Aladdin’s fault. It’s just that all of the other characters are so awesome. Aladdin looks the part of the street rat, and comes equipped with a scimitar. He also has a fun special ability, Curse of the Lamp.
Donald Duck
As much as I loved Scorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey, Donald Duck feels and looks more ‘Disney.’ He’s adorable and full of rage, as he throws pots, fruit and boots. And he’ll smash everything with a mallet with his special, Donald’s Rage. So next up… Goofy? With a Lonesome Ghost Play Set?
Hiro
I honestly believe Big Hero 6 is going to be the next big thing. While I’m a little surprised that it didn’t receive its own Play Set, it probably would have been white noise with all of the other super hero Play Sets they have. That said, Hiro is fantastic, specifically the animation for his microbot attacks. He rivals Maleficent for coolest effects.
Baymax
The star of my household ws Baymax, the lovable robot that packs a punch from Big Hero 6. My son walked around the house holding the figure, saying “Hairy baby.” Marketing, yo. Baymax is full of punches, flying, and can shoot his fist. He gets a shield, health, and when carrying someone, he gives them back health. My son kept saying he wanted to ‘hug’ me, so he’d pick up my character with Baymax, giving me back health. How nice, right? Wrong. He kept throwing me off of the map. How nice.
Toy Box Starter Pack
Seeing as how I just reviewed the figures, I can’t comment extensively on the contents of the Disney Infinity: Toy Box Starter Pack (2.0 Edition). It’s an alternative option to get into Disney Infinity without all of the Marvel Play Set and characters. It gives players the Toy Box 2.0, so they can craft their own world, comes with Stitch and Merida, and two Disney Toy Box games: Stitch’s Tropical Rescue and Brave Forest Siege. I think it’s a great option for those that want to start out with the Disney Originals figures and are mainly interested in the game for the Toy Box replayability.
Reviewed on PS4 with provided review units.
