When gamers hear the name Shinji Mikami, Resident Evil is usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, before Mikami became a pioneer of the survival-horror genre, he made light-hearted Disney games for the SNES. Believe it or not, Mikami helped develop the classic 90s platformer Aladdin as well as the lesser-known action-adventure game Goof Troop, a title that has slipped into obscurity.
Goof Troop is a 1994 top-down co-op adventure game based on the popular television series. Players can take the role of either Goofy or his son Max as they venture out to save their neighbors after a group of bloodthirsty pirates captured them. The father and son must journey through Spoonerville Island and confront the pirate captain before he runs off with their friends.
In the game, players must make their way through five levels fighting grizzly pirates and solving puzzles. The levels are vastly different from one another with each having its own unique style and theme. Goofy and Max voyage through a beach, an underground cavern and even a haunted castle. The changing scenery helps keep things fresh and interesting for players. Goof Troop's level design is also top-notch with different puzzles and obstacles thrown in every now and again to change up the game's pace. The action and puzzle-solving segments are split up similarly to Resident Evil. The game starts with an action section, moves to a puzzle, then goes back to another action section. This cycle continues until you reach the level's final boss.
Goof Troop focuses on co-op gameplay, so players will have to work together in order to progress through the game. Some sections require a player to distract a group of enemies while the other sneaks around them to set up an attack. Max is faster than Goofy, so he will often get pirates to chase him while Goofy takes them out one by one. Players will also have to work together to solve puzzles, which can lead to some pretty enjoyable moments as well. Gamers can beat Goof Troop by themselves, but the game is designed around couch co-op, so gamers will have to play it with a friend to get the full experience.
Although Goof Troop and Resident Evil seem to be polar opposites in terms of style and ton, the two games do share some similarities. Goof Troop has an extremely limited inventory just like Resident Evil. Players can have two items in single-player and only one in co-op mode. Players will often have to leave items behind to pick up more important things like keys and grappling hooks.
Goof Troop's level layout also resembles Resident Evil. Each level is made up of different rooms that players will have to navigate through, so old-school Resident Evil fans will be right at home traversing Goof Troop. There is a good chance that Shinji Mikami took certain elements of Goof Troop and morphed them into a haunting 3D realm for Resident Evil. For example, Goof Troop's haunted castle level feels way too much like the mansion where the original Resident Evil takes place to just be a coincidence. Despite the gameplay being so drastically different, there are some similarities that are too big to ignore.
It's hard to believe that a pioneer of the survival horror genre got him start making fun-loving Disney games like Goof Troop. While it might not be Shinji Mikami's most memorable game, Goof Troop is still a great co-op adventure title perfect for family game night. Resident Evil fans will be pleasantly surprised with it, as it's clear what influence the SNES game had on Mikami. There is even a rumor that Resident Evil was build on Goof Troop's source code. Regardless of whether it's true, Goof Troop is a hidden gem worth checking out for fans of light-hearted old-school adventure games.