When you think of Disney classics, you do so by recalling all those games that companies such as SEGA or Virgin launched in the nineties, but there were other studies, such as Capcom (in response to the Aladdin on Mega Drive, for example) or the disappeared Westwood Studios, creator of the 1994 video game The Lion King. Yes, the same studio 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 golden age of Disney with platforms on the ninety. Today we have to remember it and see how it has aged .
Hakuna matata …
“Getting old” had a special meaning in this The Lion King game , 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 through 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 turning monkeys sideways in the insufferable second phase , the most confusing of the whole adventure.
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, such as those uncontrolled jumps with rhinos and monkeys, or rushing 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 the control or in the detection of collisions , for example.
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 just 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 …
These were aspects that in the end were left in the background thanks to the attractiveness of the video game of one of the great movies of 1994 , in part also to see how Simba changed in the second part of the game, already as an adult and with the ability to claw or make grabs to throw the opponent, as at the end of the film. And in between, with Timon and Pumbaa with two nice minigames where you had to eat as many insects as possible in a short time.
Another striking note was put by 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 escaped from a furious moose. 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 the control . It is the only aspect truly attributable to this great production by Virgin Interactive Entertainment and Westwood Studios. And best of all, this The Lion King video game came to life not long ago thanks to the colorful Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King bundle.
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 | Not |
| Developer | Westwood Studios |
| Company | Virgin |
| Launch | 1994 |
| Price | 24.95 euros (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 waters
- The collision system is not good either
- The monkey phase
