As we reported last month, Disney released a brand new video game, Kinect Disneyland Adventures for the Xbox 360, on November 15th. The game is essentially a virtual Disneyland with interactive meet-and-greet characters (including all three Brers) and “mini-games” for each main attraction in the park (including Splash Mountain). Details were initially scarce, but now that the game has been out for a few weeks, we’ve got YouTube clips of the experience! Without further ado…
Part 1: The Briar Patch. The adventure begins with Brer Rabbit (voiced by the talented Jess Harnell) leading the player through a briar patch, collecting coins in the process. Meanwhile, a new instrumental rendition of “How Do You Do?” is playing in the background. Once the player has reached the end of the Briar Patch, they arrive at Brer Fox’s house. Brer Rabbit advises the player to hop into a nearby log floating in the river, while he delivers a “present” to Brer Fox and Brer Bear (a beehive full of angry bees).
Part 2: The Log Flume. Brer Rabbit hops in with the player, and off they go on their adventure, leaving a fuming Brer Fox and Brer Bear at the dock. This portion of the game has the player steering the log and trying to avoid obstacles while collecting coins. Meanwhile, Brer Fox and Brer Bear are scheming to get back at Brer Rabbit and hurling objects at them along the river bank. An instrumental rendition of “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” plays in the background.
Part 3: The Barrel Run. Brer Rabbit and the player find themselves hurtling downwards into a water-filled cavern. They take some nearby floating barrels and continue on, dodging more obstacles including falling stalactites and swooping vultures, and of course collecting coins. In this segment, an instrumental version of “Everybody Has A Laughing Place” is playing.
Note: The YouTube clips shown above do not depict the full gameplay; namely, we don’t see what leads up to the waterfall, and we don’t see the game’s conclusion. You know one thing’s for certain though: Brer Rabbit triumphs! (Sorry, Brer Fox. Better luck next time.)
Meet and Greet Characters: Brer Fox, Brer Bear, and Brer Rabbit are also found outside Splash Mountain, in Critter Country. The following video clip shows the locations of Brer Bear and Brer Fox, and the entrance to Splash Mountain. Brer Rabbit is apparently an unlockable meet-and-greet character, requiring the player to first help Brer Fox lure him out of hiding.
So, there you have it! This is the Brers’ single biggest animated appearance since their cameos on the House of Mouse (2001-2003), and their first ever computer animated appearance. I was very pleasantly surprised to see them so prominently featured in the game, and I applaud Disney for not trying to further bury this maligned movie. Thanks to Nicholas Fleming for the news report!