Retro Lion King and Aladdin Games Are Remastered for Modern Machines

By: Max Cannon

You may be familiar with the Disney classics, The Lion King and Aladdin, especially considering the modern remakes of both movies that have come out this year. However, you may be less familiar with the games that released alongside the original movies back in the 90s. These classics are adored by older gamers who now won't need to break out an ancient machine to relive these challenging games.

Classic games of classic cartoons on modern consoles.

Classic Cartoons and Their Retro Games

Both The Lion King and Aladdin were released on multiple machines with different versions made for those separate consoles. Since this was the 90s these games were played on the Sega Genesis (or Sega Master System depending on where you lived in the world,) Game Boy, Super Game Boy, and Super Nintendo. These versions of each game have a few different specifics between them. While the Game Boy and Super Game Boy versions are cool, the other games will probably entice players a bit more. The Lion King will give you an option between the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo version, which are nearly identical in gameplay with a few differences in art. Many older gamers who played this back in the day will be quick to recall how infuriatingly hard this game can be, specifically the infamous "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" level.

Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King Announcement Trailer

Aladdin, on the other hand, is a bit of a dark spot in this collection. While you have the option between both Game Boy games and the Sega style of Aladdin, the beloved Super Nintendo version is absent. Unlike The Lion King, these aren't some small tweaks between Sega and Nintendo's Aladdin games. While there's a lot to love about the Genesis game, many vastly prefer Capcom's Aladdin for the SNES. It's a glaring omission and definitely takes some of the joy out of this collection. Disney and Capcom's 90s team-up was legendary and actually resulted in a similar collection of re-releases titled The Disney Afternoon Collection, which we'd reviewed upon release. Hopefully, these companies can figure something out and we'll actually get a chance to see the best version of Aladdin on our current generation hardware.

The original box art for the Sega Genesis originals.

Modernizing The 90s

This isn't a simple re-release of these games and there are some updates to keep current players happier. First off, the game is running in a 1080p resolution to keep things looking nice and crisp. But don't worry if you love the vintage appearance, there are some nice looking filters to keep the game as close to its original aesthetic as possible. There are also a few tweaks to keep players from hurling a controller due to the absurd difficulty left behind in the 90s. You have the option to rewind and undo your mistakes or activate "Watch Mode" in which the game will play for you and get you past a perilous part until you take back control. Bundle this with some cool bonus features like previously unreleased levels and the package seems pretty enticing, especially if you have the recent movies still kicking around your brain.

Keep an eye open when the game releases on October 29th!

If you're looking forward to picking up Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King you won't have to wait too long. The package is releasing on October 29^th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC for $29.99.

Share Your Thoughts!

Are you going to grab these games for yourself? Have you played the originals or is this the first you've heard of these classics? Share your thoughts below and leave a comment!