Disney is home to so many beloved franchises, many of which have been adapted into video game form. Two that are particularly well remembered are Aladdin for the Genesis/Mega Drive and The Lion King. Now Digital Eclipse has brought these games to modern platforms and with a lot of bonuses and some interesting tweaks. But do the games hold up well? Or has nostalgia blinded many?
Both console versions of the Lion King are here, as are the handheld versions of the game. Before I go any further, I must say that every comment made over the years about this game’s difficulty is completely true. You will die over and over again here, so get used to that. That being said, this release brings with it a rewind feature that you can use to undo your mistakes. You will still die constantly, but at least you can make it a bit further. Lion King is a great looking game and the sound is perfectly replicated here. This was an early release for Westwood Studios back in the day, and while flawed, definitely has some charm. I wanted to like this more, as it is mostly well designed, with Simba controlling well, and the visuals being gorgeous. Its the difficulty though, that brings this down. The handheld versions are a nice addition to the package, but to be honest, I didn’t really enjoy them that much.
Aladdin is the real star of the collection here, as the Genesis/Mega Drive version is legendary. I am one of the few who prefers the SNES version by Capcom, but that doesn’t mean I cannot acknowledge this as a good game. It has good controls, the swordplay is neat and the music is mostly well done. I say mostly because some of the music is placed in strange spots ( Prince Ali playing early on for instance). Aladdin has multiple versions included here, including the handheld versions and three versions of the Genesis/Mega Drive game.
Among the included is the playable demo that was first shown off as a preview, where some things are different, some animation is not fully complete and some visuals are not fully colored in. It is a really cool additions and I have been interested in this ever since I first saw it shown off an a youtube channel years ago ( I cannot remember which one, but Gamesack also covered it recently here). Obviously the original release is also here for those who want to experience the classic again or for the first time, and with the rewind feature, any mistakes can be corrected quickly. Its all here, and its still magnificent.
What should immediately draw your attention though, is the final cut version of the game. This is a new take on Aladdin made after consulting the devs of the original Genesis/Mega Drive release and it is amazing to see. If you have played Aladdin multiple times before, this is something new for you. This version has new content, such as new and expanded areas, new animations ( sword fighting is done a bit different) and some boss patterns are different. The game is balanced a bit differently and playing this feels like a true reworking of the game. It alone is worth the price of re entry.
Also included in this release is a museum mode, which gives a large look at the game’s development. Concept art, rough designs and more are here and it is a treasure trove for any Disney fan, let alone fan of the games. There are making of videos, soundtracks and more for each game, Aladdin is once more the star here, with more bonus content than Lion King, but both have a lot to show.
Overall, this is a great collection. My only real complaints are the insane difficulty of Lion King and the fact that the SNES version of Aladdin is not included. Who knows, mayhap Capcom will do another Disney collection of their own down the line sometime. Otherwise, this is a must have collection and I urge fans to check this out.
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
Images taken from Nintendo.com
Disclaimer: This writer was sent a review copy of the collection.