Disney Art Academy Review

Disney Art Academy

Release: January 1, 1970
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Disney
Genre: Nintendo 3DS Reviews
PEGI: E
Comments:

 

Comment

The Art Academy franchise has a fairly loyal following, and each new title pulls in an extra audience. Last time around it was Pokemon, and understandably, the game sold a lot better than regular iterations of the Art Academy series. This time, Nintendo is partnering with everyone’s favorite mouse to deliver Disney Art Academy on Nintendo 3DS. Disney Art Academy brings back all the old things from previous entries but adds a Disney touch of magic. While longtime fans of the series might not find anything ground breaking or new in the presentation, having the whole Disney cast to choose from will be welcome for many.

Anything Disney touches – or perhaps in this case, anything that touches Disney – often turns to pure gold. While Disney Art Academy might be lacking some of the major characters from some of the latest Disney and Pixar movies – The Good Dinosaur and Zootopia come to mind – you will still get some of the more ‘recent’ favorites, including everyone’s favorite snow princesses. From Frozen characters to more classic characters, Nintendo and Disney have pulled from some of the greatest movies to date, and connect Disney fans with their favorite movies in a new and interesting way.

The Art Academy games are not hard, but frankly, they really are not that easy either. It depends on what you deem acceptable when you finish creating your own master piece. On average, never expect your creation to resemble the one the game provides as a template – only the most talented (and steady handed individuals – will be able to create something that is as good, and perhaps better, than what Nintendo provides. However, the game is accessible. While it never will replace the feeling of creating real artwork, the ability to create something that you can save within the world of your 3DS unit is really fun, and being able to snap photos of your art and share to social media is great fun in and of itself. Unless you suck, like myself. Than the art is just for your own enjoyment.

The game does not leave you alone to figure things out. A lengthy tutorial – broken into sections on style and practical tips – will help you learn the in and outs of doing art, which includes working with different materials, working with shadows, and many other amateur and professional tips. My wife, who has dabbled in art for many years, was impressed with the level of detail the game actually got into as you progressed through all the tutorials. Be warned, the tutorials hold your hand and walk you through using descriptive video clips and outlining where you need to paint or draw. When you actually are left to do it yourself, expect a learning curve. While I never mastered the concept of creating Art on my 3DS – which I mentioned back in my Pokemon Art Academy Review – I still had lots of fun with what Nintendo and Disney delivered.

There really is not a whole lot to say about Disney Art Academy. All your artwork can be turned into cards or posters which you can share with friends in multiple ways. You can add colorful and eventful backgrounds, or display your work on plain backgrounds. There is lots of customization options for users, and while it all my sound daunting, again a tutorial is provided to walk you through all these steps. If you love Disney – lets face it, who doesn’t – and you love the idea of creating artwork on your 3DS, pick up a copy of Disney Art Academy. If you have event the faintest interest in the first place, you will find a way to fall in love with this art game. It won’t make a famous artist out of a common consumer, but it will make you feel like you have some knowledge of the art.

Disney Art Academy will be available on May 13, 2016 at retail and in the Nintendo eShop on 3DS.

Trailer