Images: Mickey Mouse, behaving badly

With Disney's Epic Mickey, famous game designer Warren Spector will get a chance to show the world the darker side of Mickey Mouse, one that has all been lost in recent years. In the game, Mickey and a series of forgotten Disney cartoon characters inhabit a world created by the sorcerer Yen Sid. The game, which is expected to be released by Disney Interactive Studios in fall 2010 will be exclusively for the Wii, and will task players with navigating Mickey and his friends through this mystical universe as they try to escape the wrath of Oswald, Disney's oldest cartoon character, who has become bitter after watching Mickey attain his incredible success.

In Disney's Epic Mickey, Spector and his Junction Point studio team--which Disney bought in 2007--will have the chance to re-imagine Mickey Mouse in a new, 3D style. They will also get a chance to showcase some of Mickey's mischievous side, something that has been lost in recent years as Disney has portrayed Mickey as more of a happy-go-lucky and uncontroversial icon.

The logo for Disney's Epic Mickey.

A visualization of an animatronic Donald Duck from early graphics for the 2010 game, Disney's Epic Mickey.

A visualization of the mad doctor from Disney's Epic Mickey. As part of the art process for the game, Spector and his team used a rotoscoping technique that molded original 2D Mickey Mouse cartoons with modern art.

An artist's sketch of the mad doctor in Disney's Epic Mickey.

One of the main story lines in Disney's Epic Mickey is that Walt Disney's earliest cartoon star, Oswald, becomes bitter as he watches Mickey Mouse become a world-famous star.

A screen shot from Disney's Epic Mickey.

Mickey Mouse must take on a bitter Oswald, Disney's earliest cartoon star, in Disney's Epic Mickey.

Throughout Mickey Mouse's long history, he had mostly been portrayed in 2D. In Disney's Epic Mickey, the iconic mouse will be seen in full 3D.

Warren Spector, of Deus Ex fame, is the lead designer on Disney's Epic Mickey. Disney bought his Junction Point start-up as part of the deal to make the game.