MIXED BAG. PRESENTS
ALADDIN (SNES)!
Developer: CAPCOM
System: Super Nintendo (1993)
Genre: Action, Platformer
I've been on a kick of Capcom Disney games since the summer, playing through Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse, Goof Troop, and finally beating Aladdin a couple of weeks ago. Some fun things to know before we continue:
1. I remember seeing Aladdin in theaters.
2. It was probably my favorite Disney movie as a kid.
3. I still have a toy Aladdin sword.
4. The Aladdin TV Series had good writing and I'd love to see it on Netflix.
5. I beat this with my friend Zach. I fought Jafar and he fought Snake Jafar.
6. We beat the game without running or using the parachute. (Accidental Nuzleaf Challenge)
7. We came up with our own code to remember the password. EX. "Genie Jafar Abu Aladdin" became "Blue Gay Monkey Boy" or James Cameron's Avatar.
Aladdin's animations are a particular wonder, as the game captures his rather gymnastic moves, and as he vaults and leaps he seems to have a weight to his form aided by the game's physiques and the animation of his movement and clothes. This animation carries over onto the enemies that visually telegraph their movement patterns effectively. The effect of the background and foreground moving separate from each other is also a well used tool to give everything an increased sense of depth that also gives the game's platforming a greater sense of momentum. Also, the variety of effects used to give objects and the background texture in the game aid in differentiating the levels.
The best element of this game is the soundtrack; combing elements from Aladdin songs like "One Jump Ahead", "Never Had a Friend Like Me" and "I Can Show You the World" into different levels with those classic Capcom tunes.
The infectious nostalgia of this game has much to owe to its visuals and music.
And yet, physics are useless unless you have the proper level design that's appropriate to the gameplay. The game places platforms just far enough and varies enough to add challenge that, with the run button and the parachute, are never out of reach. Furthermore, the variety of obstacles created by the level design and the variety of the game design keeps things from getting stale.
You'll spend most of the game trying to time your jumps to reach upgrades to your health, continues, lives, jewels, and health and leaping on your enemies or tossing apples (yes apples) to stun or kill your enemies. But that's fine! The game does this amazingly and Aladdin really stands out as a fun to play title with the right level of difficulty (except for the fire level where you ride the flying carpet... that level is pretty frickin' hard).
The bosses are also well-implemented and just make me wish that they made more games like this- a new 2D platformer based on the adventures of Aladdin would be a welcome throwback to this old gamer.
+ Did I mention the music? This game is a nostalgia bomb of goodness.
+ The platforming is supreme with great physics and a variety of leaps, vaults, etc.
+ The level design's variety, visual effects, and scale of difficulty/challenge is pretty much perfect.
+ The game is so fun that it is replayable. Speed runs would be worth it.
P.S. Even though we got stuck on the genie level, because we didn't know about the run button or the parachute, I still had a blast playing this game with my bud and would gladly do it again. I had to sort of badger Zach to play it, since I don't think he has the same sorts of nostalgia that I do, but he certainly felt like beating the game was well worth it.
P.P.S. Also, make sure to check out Game Grumps's playthrough of this SNES classic.
1. I remember seeing Aladdin in theaters.
2. It was probably my favorite Disney movie as a kid.
3. I still have a toy Aladdin sword.
4. The Aladdin TV Series had good writing and I'd love to see it on Netflix.
5. I beat this with my friend Zach. I fought Jafar and he fought Snake Jafar.
6. We beat the game without running or using the parachute. (Accidental Nuzleaf Challenge)
7. We came up with our own code to remember the password. EX. "Genie Jafar Abu Aladdin" became "Blue Gay Monkey Boy" or James Cameron's Avatar.
STORY
Well, the game does sort of abridge the story of the film, but lemme give ya'll a quick synopsis of this SNES classic (so no plot points that aren't in the game). Jafar, Grand Vizier to the Sultan of the fictional land of Agrabah & evil sorcerer, has dreams of acquiring the ultimate curio of power, the Genie's Lamp from the Cave of Wonders. The only problem is that every thief and bandit he sends down into the Cave is quickly devoured and the Cave proclaims a prophetic decree that only a "Diamond in the Rough" can enter the cave.
Meanwhile, a young thief or "street rat", by the name of Aladdin is on the run from the guards in the city of Agrabah. Aladdin is more than he appears when he ceases his shenanigans (which he needs to steal to eat to live) and saves a young lady from being mutilated by a merchant. The two become smitten and then the girl is revealed to be Princess Jasmine when the guards appear to take her back to the palace and throw poor Aladdin in the dungeon.
Aladdin is offered a way out by a strange old man (Jafar in disguise) and makes his way into the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin makes it to the lamp but after Abu, his monkey friend, touches a gemstone, the cave comes down on them. They only manage to escape with the help of the Flying Carpet, a living carpet that can fly. Trapped underground he rubs the lamp to read the writing and releases the all-powerful Genie who grants his new master three wishes.
Aladdin then proceeds on a series of adventures and misadventures to try to win the hand of Princess Jasmine with the help of Abu, the Magic Carpet, and the Genie. His main obstacle is his own naivete and Jafar who seeks to steal the lamp for himself.
The game is, of course, a simplified version of the Disney film but it actually does a good job of replicating the story in a 16-bit form. It achieves this through a mix of presentation, pacing, and gameplay that makes the game an excellent adaptation of its source (even if it takes a couple of detours).
PRESENTATION
Rendered in gorgeous 16-bits, this game has stood the test of time (as many SNES games do) and still looks great today. The short page turning story bits in between levels is done quite well to help give the story some form and the game manages to capture the style of the film quite well. In fact, the colors, shadow, and animation effects are impressive for its time and are quite attractive even today for a 2D game.Aladdin's animations are a particular wonder, as the game captures his rather gymnastic moves, and as he vaults and leaps he seems to have a weight to his form aided by the game's physiques and the animation of his movement and clothes. This animation carries over onto the enemies that visually telegraph their movement patterns effectively. The effect of the background and foreground moving separate from each other is also a well used tool to give everything an increased sense of depth that also gives the game's platforming a greater sense of momentum. Also, the variety of effects used to give objects and the background texture in the game aid in differentiating the levels.
The best element of this game is the soundtrack; combing elements from Aladdin songs like "One Jump Ahead", "Never Had a Friend Like Me" and "I Can Show You the World" into different levels with those classic Capcom tunes.
The infectious nostalgia of this game has much to owe to its visuals and music.
GAMEPLAY
Now, this is what usually spells the downfall for licensed games, but Aladdin does not have that problem; Aladdin is a parkour platformer, much like the original 2-D Prince of Persia, with Aladdin leaping, vaulting, and climbing to reach the end of each level. The physics behind the game give Aladdin an amazing sense of weight and everything has momentum.And yet, physics are useless unless you have the proper level design that's appropriate to the gameplay. The game places platforms just far enough and varies enough to add challenge that, with the run button and the parachute, are never out of reach. Furthermore, the variety of obstacles created by the level design and the variety of the game design keeps things from getting stale.
You'll spend most of the game trying to time your jumps to reach upgrades to your health, continues, lives, jewels, and health and leaping on your enemies or tossing apples (yes apples) to stun or kill your enemies. But that's fine! The game does this amazingly and Aladdin really stands out as a fun to play title with the right level of difficulty (except for the fire level where you ride the flying carpet... that level is pretty frickin' hard).
The bosses are also well-implemented and just make me wish that they made more games like this- a new 2D platformer based on the adventures of Aladdin would be a welcome throwback to this old gamer.
PROS VS. CONS
+ Properly captures the story, characters, visuals, and music of the film.+ Did I mention the music? This game is a nostalgia bomb of goodness.
+ The platforming is supreme with great physics and a variety of leaps, vaults, etc.
+ The level design's variety, visual effects, and scale of difficulty/challenge is pretty much perfect.
+ The game is so fun that it is replayable. Speed runs would be worth it.
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| Zach gives it a thumbs-up! |
CONCLUSION
5/5.
Maybe I'm looking through nostalgia glasses, but looking at Aladdin makes me wonder what other wonderful platforming titles I should try and pick up from the combined teamwork of Disney and Capcom. If I had three wishes related to video games, one of them would probably be that game developers still made excellent 2D titles like Aladdin.P.S. Even though we got stuck on the genie level, because we didn't know about the run button or the parachute, I still had a blast playing this game with my bud and would gladly do it again. I had to sort of badger Zach to play it, since I don't think he has the same sorts of nostalgia that I do, but he certainly felt like beating the game was well worth it.
P.P.S. Also, make sure to check out Game Grumps's playthrough of this SNES classic.
