It's not an illusion, the 8-bit game is the better one.
Similar to Quackshot or DuckTales 2 this is one of those MV-lite games with a hub map where you gain tools and abilities to progress and explore further into previous levels to upgrade your char. This is a nice showcase title along with games like Aladdin as the visuals are near early 16-bit quality, and for whatever reason Sega put more effort into the mechanics of these 8-bit Mickey games than they did the 16-bit ones, making them more stimulating experiences overall. Controls are great (very similar to Castle), level design is pretty inventive with some decent puzzles here and there and it's quite varied too. I just wish it was a level or two longer and had a hard mode as well as a save feature.