When you think of Disney classics, you do so by recalling all those games that companies like SEGA or Virgin released in the 1990s, but there were other studies, like Capcom (in response to the Aladdin of Mega Drive, for example) or the missing Westwood Studios, creator of the video game The Lion King 1994. Yes, the same study that developed Command & Conquer in 1995.
Coinciding with the premiere of the animated film, we were before The official video game of Disney’s The Lion King, which was a more than attractive claim, not only for the quality of the feature film, but for that disney golden age with platforms in the nineties. Today it’s time to remember it and see how it has aged.
Hakuna matata …
The “getting old” thing had a special meaning in this game of The Lion King, since, as in the movie, we witness Simba’s evolution from an endearing “kitten” to a fierce lion. But it is that even Simba himself could improve his abilities by means of colored insects
Specifically, he could increase his life bar and also his roar bar, the latter technique indispensable for certain situations in the early stages of his childhood stage, such as turning hedgehogs upside down or switch sides to the monkeys in the insufferable second phase
One of its peculiarities, especially at that time, is that its development was almost on a par with the film, both products being released in 1994. That is why the video game recreates in its own way several of the most iconic moments of the adventure, being quite faithful to the feature film in the design of scenes and movements of its characters, especially Simba.
Visually it was a delight, with a not inconsiderable variety of environments, despite inevitably sharing the African region. In addition, each phase offered a different challenge, like those wild jumps with the rhinos and monkeys, or speed up the jump on some ledges … calculating to the millimeter.
The Lion King, another Disney classic from the 90s
Despite the affection that we may have for him (one of my cats is called Simba, how could it be otherwise) or the impact that the video game had at the time, being a product more than worthy to be based on a movie, it It is true that it was not so round in all its sections, drawing attention to those inaccuracies in control or collision detection
In the first case, we had countless unsuccessful jumps when we saw how Simba was not able to hold on to a bone suspended in the air, or not jump right when he stepped on the edge of a cliff while running; while for the second, we had many fortuitous blows after hitting the enemy first with a jump, especially in the confrontations against the hyenas, an unbearable situation if there were two or more …
They were aspects that in the end were in the background thanks to the appeal of the video game of one of the great movies of 1994, in part also to see how Simba changed in the second section of the game, as an adult and with the ability to claw or grab his opponent, as at the end of the film. And in between, with Timon and Pumbaa with two nice mini-games where you had to eat as many insects as possible in a short time.
Another striking note put it the stage of the stampede, with Simba running towards the camera, as did Mickey Mouse himself in Mickey’s Wild Adventure (Mickey Mania on 16-bit consoles), where he was escaping from a raging elk. In the case of Simba, apart from avoiding the wildebeest, you had to anticipate the rocks that suddenly appeared in the foreground, something very striking for the time.
Has it stood the test of time well?
Yes, except for control. It is the only aspect truly attributable to this great production by Virgin Interactive Entertainment and Westwood Studios. And the best of all is that this video game of The Lion King came back to life not long ago thanks to the colorful lot Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King.
The Lion King
| Platforms | SNES (analyzed version), Mega Drive, Amiga 500, MS-DOS, Game Gear, Master System, Game Boy … up to the lot with Aladdin on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and Steam |
|---|---|
| Multiplayer | No |
| Developer | Westwood Studios |
| Company | Virgin |
| Launching | 1994 |
| Price | 24,95 dollars (with Aladdin) |
The best
- Relive the 1994 movie in video game
- The difference between young and adult Simba
- See also Timon and Pumbaa
Worst
- Grip control makes water
- The collision system is not good either
- The monkey phase
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