Disney's Aladdin

"A half-decent disney game? Surely not..."

This was the first game I got with my SNES (or any console come to think of it), and I such I have fond memories of it. I was young at the time, and I really wanted it because all my friends had it. At the time I loved it, and wouldn't say anything against it. But how does it fare today? Quite well surprisingly.

Graphics - 7/10

Not exactly Donkey Kong standard, but then again, it isn't trying to be. Cutesy graphics that fits well with the film tie-in, with a couple of nice effects. Certainly no graphical flaws which could hamper gameplay.

The level blocks have strong graphical themes (Egyptian Tomb etc.) which work very well in creating mood. And let's not forget the monkey! Yup, Aladdins pet chimp follows you round even whilst staring danger in the face (before getting captured in level 5).

Sound - 8/10

Extremely catchy music, even to this day I remember that first level tune *doodle doo doo dee doo da doo doo doo*. The BGM music is meant to be songs from the film, but end up sounding completely different. Still good stuff.

The sound effects are decent too, with no cheesy dialogue to speak of (thank god!). The ''WhChish'' sound of your apple hitting enemy face is as satisfying as any sound is going to get.

Gameplay - 7/10

VERY old skool. A linear scrolling platformer, no fancy tricks, no gold coins to collect, no secret characters. It did introduce the glide feature to a length-starved platforming community though - go Aladdin!

The apple throwing adds a bit of spice to the game, and the bosses are a challenge. Subgames such as the Genie Wheel and the two magic carpet levels are a welcome inclusion.

The difficulty is balanced, and there are no truly frustrating parts (but if you lose your glide rag you are skrewed).

Lifespan 6/10

Seen it once, seen it all. There is nothing in here, except for maybe collecting all the red gems, which makes you want to revisit. But then again, this was the same for most SNES platformers.

The levels are split into 6 blocks. Although you cannot choose individual levels, there is a password option (no cartridge save though). This means you can flick to your preferred level quickly.

There is no hard mode or game-altering mechanism, just two different endings.

TOTAL - 7/10

Whilst nothing spectacular, it is a great distraction and a perfectly harmless platformer with no major flaws.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/24/02, Updated 11/24/02