In 2019, the Disney Classic Games Collection was released featuring the classic Disney game adaptations of Aladdin and The Lion King. While it was a good collection, it was not complete as it was missing one version of Aladdin and more. Now a new version of the game has been released as a standalone physical game and as add-on content to the previous release bringing the missing version of Aladdin and the Jungle Book games, but how do they play?
This new review will only be covering the new additions to the collection. Those who wish to see the review of the base collection can find it here. And with that, let us take a look at what has been added in this.
The new additions to the collection include an enhanced museum mode and far more behind-the-scenes bonus content. This new bonus content is very interesting to see but many will likely just glance at it and move on. The excellent music player is expanded and will be great for listening, but what is the main draw here are the new games.
The Jungle Book games are brand new to this collection but do not get overly excited for them. Both the SNES and Genesis/Mega Drive have serious issues that hold them back from being good games in terms of design, controls, and layout. Without the benefit of nostalgia behind them, the flaws in the games are far more apparent now to players who have never tried these games before for instance.
The SNES version feels far too slippery and hard to control, with gameplay that is extremely unpolished. Mowgli moves from point A to point B far too quickly and often falls right into enemies or other obstacles. Attacking enemies doesn’t work exactly right, and the frustration is high enough that many will just give up and move on.
The Mega Drive version is better but that is a relative term here. The controls are indeed better than the SNES version but that is small comfort for everything else wrong. Attacking enemies doesn’t feel right here either and the layout of the levels works against the player each time.
The handheld version of The Jungle Book plays like a weird hybrid of both versions, but far slower. It is actually a bit easier to get the hang of, but at the same time, it is even more awkward to control. It is good for a quick play once or twice but that is about it, though the additional hud the game has is a nice touch.
Virgin Games clearly tried to put in some good work with the Jungle Book as the presentation is nice, although slower-paced on SNES, and the music is decent. It is just that the gameplay itself is a letdown and that is the most important part of the game. This is one section of the collection best left ignored.
But if it seems that the new content in the collection is all bad, do not worry as there is a bright spot, and that is Capcom’s Aladdin for the SNES. While the Mega Drive game by Virgin gets all the love, this version deserves much more praise than it gets. Aladdin feels like a real acrobat here like in the movie and the controls feel just right, and using a sheet for a paraglider at the touch of a button manages to give the game that precise feeling that
Capcom’s Aladdin has excellent music and while Virgin’s game may have had actual Disney animators work on it, the SNES version is no slouch in that department. Aladdin uses apples as throwing ammunition solely here rather than using a sword, and yet it feels truer to the movie while being more of a traditional platformer. Aladdin moves smoothly here, almost like a fast-paced version of the original Prince of Persia games, with the result being a fast-paced and well-thought-out platformer that stands with the best of Capcom’s Disney outings.
The music in this version is better than the Mega Drive version, and the Capcom polish that the company put into all of its Disney games shines brightly here. Playing the two back-to-back, it is clear that Capcom’s version stands above Virgin’s in a big way. There is far more variety to the gameplay and while it is short, it is a fun game that stands out as a must-play.
It is often that Capcom’s version of Aladdin was a failure in comparison to the Virgin Games version but that is not true. It was the top-selling Capcom game for the SNES outside of the Street Fighter ports and that is saying something, considering how much Capcom brought to the SNES. Perhaps the reason for this belief was because of how the Virgin Games version was the third best-selling game on the Mega Drive, but that is not a fair comparison, to be honest.
So, is the upgrade worth getting? Oh, very much so, if just for Capcom’s Aladdin. It is a must-play title for sure and is among Capcom’s best. Play it yourself and you will see why it is so amazing.
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
Also Available On Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC, PS4 and PS5.
Disclaimer: This writer was sent a review copy of the collection.