Well, it’s almost Valentine’s Day, the day of romance and love. When you think about it, some of the most popular video games are based around love; the daring hero having to fight impossible odds to save the one he loves, usually a princess. As a matter of fact, not only is that the plot to many video games, but also Disney movies. So, today, I’m going to talk about a game that is not only a great Princess Rescue, but also a great movie. This is Disney’s Aladdin for the Sega Genesis.
In this game, you play as Aladdin while you jump and run through certain places seen in the movie, which is fun since you’ll remember they required some acrobatics. While you’re having this grand adventure, you’ll have to get rid of enemies either by using your sword or throwing apples at them. However, unlike most sword games I’ve played, sword fighting is a bit more than just swinging it, there’s a sense of timing to it to. For example, when you face off with someone, it’s possible that your two swords hit and none of you get hurt (you’ll hear the distinct sound of swords hitting together when you do). You can also stop other objects that might be thrown at you, such as daggers or apples, with a well-timed swing, so don’t go thinking that your only defense in this game is being the first to h. But I do have to mention that swinging in any other direction then directly in front of you can be a little odd, so make a purpose of learning the swing patterns before you need them. But still, it’s so much fun, that it’ll make you forget that Aladdin never used a sword in the movie.
The plot of this game follows closely to that of the movie. Aladdin is a street rat who has to steal to live and has to constantly escape the sultan’s guards. This causes even more problems when he falls in love with Princess Jasmine, the sultan’s daughter. This gets puts on hold when a beggar asks him to retrieve a lamp from the cave a wonders. But once again, things hit a snag when he gets trapped inside the cave. Things look hopeless for Aladdin, but he’s surprised to find that there is a genie living within the lamp who can make his wishes come true. So, he uses the genie (and a magic rug also found in the cave) to get out and try to win Jasmine’s heart. However the beggar turns out to be the sultan’s Grand Vizier, Jafar, who is actually a self-absorbed sorcerer bent on taking over the city with the power of the lamp that he managed to take from our hero. So, it’s up to Aladdin to stop Jafar, get back the lamp, save the princess and hopefully win her heart.
Now, here’s what I really like about the story in the game: it gives nothing away. Everything I just told you is exactly what’s in the game, but it is significantly less then what’s in the movie. What does Aladdin wish for? How did Jafar get the lamp? How does Aladdin defeat Jafar? None of these are answered in the game and you still have to see the movie to find all these out, which I really appreciate (especially since the ending was fantastic).
The graphics are pretty good, and do justice to Disney Animation, but what I really like in this game are the midi versions of some of the famous songs found in the movie. Being able to play to the music of Prince Ali, Arabian Nights and You’ve Never Had a Friend Like me is just really fun. As a matter of fact, playing to that last one gave me a new appreciation for that song, since its played to a wonderfully fun level that matches the magic of the genie perfectly. Of course, that isn’t the only level where the music is suited perfectly: Prince Ali plays in the first market place level and starts us off right, while Arabian Nights is heard in the dungeon level to match the despair of the moment. And for you fans of A Whole New World, that’s saved for the menu screens. There is also original music in the game, which does the job, but hold no nostalgia to me.
Developers Virgin Interactive (mentioned in Thrill Kill) did more than do justice to the movie with this game. Some games actually got a whole new appreciation for the movie after playing it. Sure you’ll have the occasional person who will want to point out the flaws in relation to the movie, or nit-pick about slight flaws in the game play, but to them I say “STFU!” This game is still fun, and with the exception of a single level, the difficulty flows nicely. And let’s not forget, it recreates one of the most iconic Disney romance stories. I give Disney’s Aladdin for the Sega Genesis 8.5 Levels out of 10.
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