Disney's Aladdin

"Fun and fancy free"

I really enjoyed Disney's movie Aladdin, so I was eager to see how the game would fare on the Mega Drive. I wasn't expecting much (you usually don't if it's a movie-to-game affair), but the colourful beauty of Aladdin's world and his carefree, fast-paced exploits at least provide solid ground for a good game developer to build upon. And that's what we've got here. Much like the movie, Aladdin the game is good adventuresome fun without being unique, groundbreaking or particularly memorable.

Street-urchin Aladdin journeys from the rough streets of Agrabah through deserts, caves, frenetic rug rides, the Genie's loopy world, and finally to Jafar's palaces, all to win Princess Jasmine's love (and prevent evil Jafar from getting his hands on the genie's lamp, but that's probably a minor consideration). As Aladdin, you're armed with swords and apples, which can be thrown surprisingly hard. It's the standard jump, slash and throw affair.

But it's done well. Aladdin's body and sword move in perfect time with your pressing the buttons--no annoying delays, no weird timing. As with most platformers, how hard you press the buttons will determine how high or far Aladdin jumps and what kind of sword slash he executes. Since you'll be able to quickly pick up the controller and go, there's almost no learning curve. It's 100% platformer style from the start, and this fast responsive handling will be highlighted later on when the going gets tough and those quick jumps will really come into play.

Enemies range from fat, clumsy swordsmen to knife throwers to nasty fellows who pop out of windows and throw pots at you, and also include bats, snakes, and skeletons. No enemy is particularly dangerous, and Aladdin can take several hits before dying, but the combination of the fast pacing of the game, tough jumps and manoeuvres, and lots of obstacles increases the challenge a bit--though the game remains on the short and easy side.

It's made up for by the sheer fun of the levels. There are lots of objects that can be interacted with – poles and ropes to climb, flying mats to take rides on, trampoline-ish objects to super-jump off, pots to break open for goodies – and each level has its own unique feel. In one level you might be climbing up flagpoles and prancing about on rooftops; in another, frantically dashing out of the Cave of Wonders before it collapses; and in yet another level, you're in the Genie's realm of fantastic, swanky walkways and weird, neon-blue surroundings.

Not only are the levels fun, but they're beautifully drawn. Hot, red deserts, dusty streets, gloomy dungeons and caves, elegant palaces – the vibrancy of Disney's movie comes through, and the game keeps the colour and detail without sacrificing any of the speed or flow of the action. For example, in the rug ride level you're speeding over hot lava, as a fireball gradually builds behind your poor rug, flaming obstacles speeding towards you – and yet the speed never falters or slows from its seizure-inducing rate.

The characters themselves are drawn just as well, matching their movie counterparts. Our Aladdin's animations are jaunty and a bit cocky; furry friend Abu jumps around endearingly in his mini-games where he's dodging pots falling from the sky; and enemies go about their business with the right combination of bluster, incompetence and menace. Special mention goes to Jafar, who looks spellbinding both in his usual form and in his final cobra incarnation.

Adding to the atmosphere are the swordplay -clangs!- and other sound effects: pots breaking, apples landing. It's actually pretty cool to see the sparks of swordplay and the way apples split in half when they encounter swords. And, of course, the music completes the mood. All the classics from the movie--“A Whole New World”, the upbeat, raucous Genie theme, the “One Step Ahead” number in the Agrabah streets--all make themselves welcome.

It's not a gaming landmark, but Aladdin should appeal to all but the most cynical or kiddy-fearing gamers and will give you a week's worth of fun, fancy-free platforming.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/09/01, Updated 08/30/06