Disney Music Parade: Encore – Everything We Know

Disney, Pixar, and rhythm game fans were disappointed when the original Disney Music Parade game was discontinued in 2023. It was fun and popular, albeit it was only available in Japan. However, the developers promised to revamp and relaunch the game, setting November 21, 2024, as the exact date the game’s new version would be released.

True to their word, Imagineer recently announced Disney Music Parade: Encore at the Japanese Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase event held on August 27, 2024. It looks and sounds fun, and the developers shared enough information about its features. Here is a comprehensive preview of everything we know about Disney Music Parade: Encore.

What is Disney Music Parade: Encore?

Disney Music Parade: Encore is a rhythm-action game featuring songs and scenes from various Disney and Pixar films. Notably, it is a new and revamped version of Disney Music Parade, which launched in 2021 and was discontinued two years later in 2023.

The new game was first announced during the original game’s discontinuation. It was then officially announced at the Japanese Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase event. It will be available in Japan and across Asia and will support multiple languages to serve a wider audience.

Story

Disney Music Parade: Encore doesn’t have much of a background story, and it doesn’t need one. The gist is that you are a holographic train leading a musical parade through a virtual world featuring a beautiful background themed after some of the best Disney and Pixar films. Your objective is to however move and tap or shake to the music’s rhythm based on the game’s fun and versatile gameplay design.

Gameplay

Notably, Imagineer hasn’t shared much information about Disney Music Parade: Encore’s finer gameplay mechanics, only focusing on its main features. However, the general presumption is that its gameplay will mostly mirror the original game’s gameplay, in addition to the new Shake feature.

Playing the game involves tapping, holding, or swiping on the screen in tune with the music’s rhythm. Players time when to tap or swipe by monitoring dots lining the tracks, which represent the songs’ various notes. The dots come in varying colors, determining whether to tap, hold, or swipe and how many fingers to use. Depending on the note, you may however need to tap or swipe using one or two fingers.

Precision and timing are crucial when playing. However, mastering the gameplay is understandably hand. As such, the game introduces a new Shake mode that enables kids and new players to shake their devices instead of tapping or swiping. Similar to swiping or tapping, you must shake the device a certain number of times or in a certain pattern depending on the music’s notes.

The game features 60 songs from various Pixar and Disney movies, including Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, Frozen, and Cinderella. Some of the most notable songs in the game include “Under the Sea” and “A Whole New World.” Notably, the songs unlock as you progress through the game, hence you must play well to keep the music going.

Disney Music Parade: Encore will also have two exciting features called Memory Collection and Ride Collection. Ride Collection lets you use collected coins to obtain Music Rides featuring famous Disney and Pixar characters depicted in dazzling presentations. The Memory Collection feature goes a step further and uses collected light notes to unlock “Memory Crystals” featuring famous scenes from various Disney films.

The game features a local co-op mode that supports up to four players, enabling you to play with family and friends. Moreover, the game is family-friendly and ideal for players of all ages, ranging from kids to adults. It is also worth noting that you can choose your preferred difficulty level before playing. Playing with others is especially handy when you need to tap or swipe using two fingers.

Besides beautiful songs and scenes, players will also enjoy beautiful visuals thanks to the game’s sharp graphics. Notably, the holographic trains look fantastic, and the many Disney stars decorating the background are easy to spot and look beautiful. Additionally, the gameplay mechanics are smooth and enjoyable, albeit they may be difficult to master at first.

You earn points for playing well and unlock new features and abilities that make the game even more exciting. However, you lose energy from the life bar for making mistakes.

Development

Disney Music Parade: Encore is currently under development by Imagineer. Interestingly, the original game, Disney Music Parade, was developed and published by Taito Corporation.

Notably, the new game retains most of the original game’s features and introduces a few new ones. For example, it shifts from Android and iOS devices to Nintendo Switch. Additionally, it features a Shake mode to make it easier for kids and novice players. It also supports multiple languages besides Japanese, including English and Chinese. Moreover, while the original game was only available in Japan, the new game will be available across Asia.

Disney Music Parade: Encore-Trailer

The official trailer for Disney Music Parade: Encore was released during the game’s official announcement. It starts by showcasing the various Disney and Pixar films covered in the game. You can see characters from popular films such as Alladin, Frozen, Cinderella, and dozens of others. It then showcases scenes of the gameplay, showing the holographic train moving through a beautiful world decorated with pictures of Disney stars. Interestingly, while the narrator in the background speaks in Japanese, you can clearly understand how the game works from the scenes.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Disney Music Parade: Encore will officially launch on November 21, 2024, just as the original game’s developers promised. Notably, the game will first launch exclusively in Japan before launching in Asia later during the Winter. Fortunately, the Asian version will support various languages besides Japanese, including English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. The game will be available only on Nintendo Switch, retaining its mobile design but also switching from Android and iOS.

So, what’s your take on our preview of Disney Music Parade: Encore? Let us know on our socials here or in the comments below.