Ah yes, it is, I suppose, a sad, but definite truth... licensed video-games are seldom of particularly high quality. We all know it, us gamers(even those of us who perhaps sometimes deceive ourselves into thinking otherwise, in wanting a game of a recent flick, a comic book, etc., and wanting it to be an accomplishment... yours truly admits openly to being guilty as charged of that). No, rather, they tend to be rushed messes which try(ultimately failing, on account of lacking real substance) to win over the player by throwing a bunch of references to what the original is at them, in uneven amounts and without properly developed material. The Disney games aren't all good, either... the one for The Lion King has levels that make somewhat little sense, just to name one. To name another, the quality of Hercules was, overall, just above average. But this one... this one, is a different matter. This is one of both those types, and it actually works, in both respects, and never really lets you down. The plot follows that of the movie, most of the way, adding some to make up for what had to be taken out(not all of the film could be turned into a game, at least of this type), but it all makes sense. And there aren't really any bad parts to the game. I should perhaps point out that this review could reveal details about the animated musical original that may be best experienced by watching that. The music used consists of so-called midi versions of some of the songs of the feature(usually the song used in the scene, since that does, obviously, make the most sense), including One Jump Ahead, and this works quite well. The sound isn't bad, if perhaps somewhat sparse, but I'm not sure more was really missed. The game is a platform action game, and has you running, jumping, crouching, and occasionally, climbing, around as the title character himself, and for fighting purposes, for dispensing some Middle-Eastern punishment upon the enemies, such as those pesky guards(who do seem to be stationed just about everywhere in the kingdom... or is it sultanate? Whatever)... fear not, for he is brandishing a sword with two possible attacks, one stronger than the other, and, for some reason, apples for throwing(in the movie, Al is considerably less decadent, and does not, in fact, waste food). However, not to spoil it, but the magic carpet will also make appearances, as will Abu. The Genie appears in multiple forms throughout, to aid your quest. One thing that helps are the countless great references to the movie, which with no real exceptions are well-integrated and fit in, taking you into the universe and making it interactive, rather than coming off phony and forced. The levels are all based on material in the film, and in addition to the obvious and more or less direct translations, such as the Agrabah Market and the exhilarating Rug Ride, there are such levels as the Desert(where you must seek out the Golden Scarab), Jafar's Quarters(complete with Iago, who appears what I suppose is an inordinate amount of times) and a level inside of the lamp, the latter full to the very brim of Genie and his magic in various forms, as seen in the feature. Level design is nicely done, for the very most part, with backgrounds and details from the film, mixed in with original material that fits in the universe as presented. There are a few boss enemies here and there, and they're varied in how they attack and how you must defeat them. The graphics are great, the animation being done by actual Disney animators, and looking almost entirely like that of the movie, throughout. The color scheme is marvelous, and the visuals quite good. The action and game-play are really good, with you being able to attack from almost any position or situation(climbing a rope, jumping, ducking, etc.), and the levels being fun to explore and run through. There are secrets enough to keep you coming back to the game, and tons of bonuses and stuff to pick up and find. Granted, the game won't take you but a few hours, but given that there is no saving outside of the levels(there are save-points in most levels), you will have to start the entire game over if you lose one too many times, and if or when that happens, you will be grateful that it's no longer than it is(and right after you've beaten it, your fingers will, as well). It doesn't overstay its welcome, either, and it's great fun while it lasts. I can't help but suggest to anyone wanting to play this to watch or re-watch(it is one that makes for going back to) the film in connection with playing. It helps you see just how many things they managed to put into the game, and how expertly lifted from the feature they were. The difficulty settings ensure that most people can play it, regardless of how skilled a player you are, and that it can still provide a challenge for the veterans. The levels get increasingly more difficult to complete, and you get less help and have a harder time finding the helpful items, and enough of them, the further you get. There is no real AI to speak of, but the enemies and environments do pose genuine threats to the survival of the popular Arabic thief, and the probability of him being successful in saving the Princess, defeating the Grand Vizier Jafar, and thwarting his evil scheme. The adventure is definitely a thrilling, satisfying and entertaining one. The game is perhaps dated now, but it was magnificent when it came out, and it still holds up well, and surpasses ones released later. If you like the feature, Disney, platform games, one, several or all of the aforementioned, you may very well enjoy this fine piece of work. I recommend this to anyone who fits that. 8/10
3 Reviews
Vastly different
Op_Prime2 October 2000
This was the Sega game to Aladdin. The graphics are much better than the other, it is not much of a challenge. There is a code to get pass each level, thus eliminating the challenge. Sorry, I'm not posting it here. It's a fun game and I would recommend it.
Arabian Video Game Adventure
hellraiser725 February 2021
Aladdin is one of my favorite animated movies and to have a video game based on it was a dream come true for me. This is another of my favorite video games of all time and licensed video games along with Disney video games. This game just like the 90's animated film was a phenomenon and to this day is still fondly as it has a rereleased remaster version now out. Though there are two version of this game one for the SNES which is a story for another time, and the Genesis version which were talking about right now.
The graphical presentation in this game is just superb and still looks great today in my book, it really felt like they taken everything from the movie and put it in this video game from the colorful and well detailed backgrounds to the character animation which is completely accurate to the film. But what makes this presentation really stand out is how lively everything is; character expressions in video games aren't anything new but this game I felt did it with perfection from your character to some of the characters you fight. I just thought it was cool because it really enhanced the movie playing experience and makes sense as Disney animation has always been known for beautiful fluid moving animation.
Gameplay is solid plays out like "Earthworm Jim' and any other platform action games at the time. Your controls are basic which is alright by me because that's all you really need in a platform action game. You have jump, sword and can throw apples for long range attacks. I really like how the levels are designed as it's the simple liner point A to B but here they add a bit more as you have to make a lot of turns and go down twisting pathways to get to the end. There are even a few secret passages for collecting extra items just to keep things interesting. I really like how each of the levels are something different like the moving stages where you fly the carpet, I always love as their exciting; there kind of shoot em up stages without the shooting as you have to do a lot of dodging and weaving at the right times to get to the end.
And of course, there is the music in which they have all of the well known tracks from the 90's film but also a few tracks that are different. They're the genesis versions of the tracks but they just sound so good which just shows the universality of the music from the film.
Aladdin just like the film is a video game classic.
Rating: 4 stars
The graphical presentation in this game is just superb and still looks great today in my book, it really felt like they taken everything from the movie and put it in this video game from the colorful and well detailed backgrounds to the character animation which is completely accurate to the film. But what makes this presentation really stand out is how lively everything is; character expressions in video games aren't anything new but this game I felt did it with perfection from your character to some of the characters you fight. I just thought it was cool because it really enhanced the movie playing experience and makes sense as Disney animation has always been known for beautiful fluid moving animation.
Gameplay is solid plays out like "Earthworm Jim' and any other platform action games at the time. Your controls are basic which is alright by me because that's all you really need in a platform action game. You have jump, sword and can throw apples for long range attacks. I really like how the levels are designed as it's the simple liner point A to B but here they add a bit more as you have to make a lot of turns and go down twisting pathways to get to the end. There are even a few secret passages for collecting extra items just to keep things interesting. I really like how each of the levels are something different like the moving stages where you fly the carpet, I always love as their exciting; there kind of shoot em up stages without the shooting as you have to do a lot of dodging and weaving at the right times to get to the end.
And of course, there is the music in which they have all of the well known tracks from the 90's film but also a few tracks that are different. They're the genesis versions of the tracks but they just sound so good which just shows the universality of the music from the film.
Aladdin just like the film is a video game classic.
Rating: 4 stars
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
