Disney's Aladdin

"A whole new world? Not really..."

I'm not really a big fan of old games converted to new formats but Aladdin is one of those timeless classics that probably deserve it. Even when it came out way back 1993 it was ported to almost every format known to man and was a resounding success on each one of them. The humble Gameboy got its own version in 1994 but even with Supergameboy support it wasn't much of a looker. Now six years down the line Aladdin is back to show newer gamers how it's done.
Just to make it clear this game is based on the Virgin version not the Capcom one. After the success of the Disney movie two separate games came out with different play styles but the Virgin one was the clear winner (IMHO). Following the plot of the movie closely you play as the Agrabah street thief Aladdin as he gets caught up in the evil Vizier Jaffars mad schemes for power. Filled with magic carpets, genies and a princess this is classic Disney material and the game is as polished as you'd expect.

With more colors at its disposal the Gameboy Color version actually does a good job of imitating the 16-bit classic but still has a few limitations. Due to the smaller screen the detailed graphics can a bit hard on the eyes at times. While most levels made the transition the one inside the lamp had to go for obvious reasons. Trust me you didn't want to navigate that nightmare of platforms on a small screen. Some of the other levels also felt a bit simplified and a few things were toned down here or there. The animation is still pretty good and that trademark Disney quality is definitely present. You'll have to navigate the Agrabah market, desert, cave of wonders and Jaffar's palace to complete the game and even take to the air on a magic carpet at one point. The carpet level is definitely a bit slower than what I remember though. There were a few spots were the game seemed a bit sluggish and the detailed sprites can flicker a bit in places but nothing really fatal. The cut-scenes fleshing out the story and slot machine like sub-game is back at the end of each level.

Obviously the soundtrack isn't going to be one of the games highlights but I have to admit that they manage to squeeze some half decent tunes out of the Gameboy. At least the music resembles that of the original. If there were any sound effects though I'm afraid I don't remember them. Since the Gameboy Color only has two buttons to work with you now switch between your sword and throwing apples with the select button. Aladdin is still capable of a wide range of moves but the controls didn't really feel as responsive as I used to remember. The collision detection also seemed a bit spotty at times but again I could just be imagining things.

The game felt a lot easier than the original as well and the inclusion of passwords further shortens its lifespan. It could just be that I played the other versions so much that I'm now a master at the game but I found very little tricky spots in the game anymore. Another reason why this game is more suited to newcomers than veteran gamers.

If you've played any of the previous incarnations of this game there isn't really much of a reason to do so again. Instead Aladdin is aimed at newer players who missed out on it the first time round. It's a polished and entertaining little title but time and technology has moved on and there are now lots of other great platform games to compete against. It's by no means a bad game but unless you've never played it before I'd recommend you look elsewhere for your platform thrills.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/22/06