Keep track of all of Joystiq's Wii U launch coverage on our Wii U hub page! When an earthquake rattles the denizens of Wasteland, a melancholic dumping ground for Disney creations long forgotten, the Mad Doctor emerges with evil mustache intact - but a nicer public act. He's changed his tune, he says and sings, convincing all within earshot that he's due for a second chance. And never mind that he just burst forth from the earth on a gigantic robot, just as the town broke in half. That's no cause for suspicion, surely.

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is something of a second chance for Junction Point's series, at least to my mind. The first game was tinged with a strange sadness as it caught up with characters discarded by their creators, though what empathy there was came in cutscenes more often than play. Mechanically, Mickey Mouse's house wasn't in order.

The sequel promises an improved camera, more elaborate choices, a musical flair, a playable partnership with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and the same exquisite appreciation and restoration of Disney's dusty history. Sadly, these claims of a better game are about as believable as the Mad Doctor's sudden turnaround, and Epic Mickey 2 slides into mediocrity after just a few steps.