Aladdin

In 1992, Disney’s new blockbuster Aladdin made its debut in cinemas all over the world. One year later, Virgin Games brought it to Sega’s flagship console and managed to recreate much of the film’s success in video game form.

The thief of Agrabah

In the game, you play as Aladdin, a young thief living in the kingdom of Agrabah. During one of his trips through the market, he happens to meet Princess Jasmine, but just when things seem to be taking an unexpected turn, he is captured by the guards.

Back at the palace, the young princess tries to convince the Vizier Jafar to release Aladdin, but he tells her that the boy has already been executed. In reality, Aladdin is still alive, locked away in the palace dungeons, because Jafar already has a plan in mind. The boy is believed to be the legendary “diamond in the rough”, the only one capable of entering the Cave of Wonders without being trapped inside.

Disguised as a beggar, Jafar approaches Aladdin and offers him freedom in exchange for his help in retrieving the lamp. And so begins the adventure of our hero, accompanied by his inseparable monkey Abu, through escapes, magic, genies and a love story with the princess, all the way to the final confrontation with Jafar. The game follows the story of the film quite faithfully, beginning right in the market of Agrabah.

Is this the cartoon?

Visually, the game makes an excellent impression. Aladdin is very faithful to the character from the film and is animated superbly. The same can be said for the enemies encountered throughout the adventure. The backgrounds are exceptionally well made, and with only the Mega Drive’s 64 on-screen colours, Virgin’s team managed to recreate much of the film’s colourful atmosphere.

The music is also beautiful. Even from the options menu, it is hard not to be drawn in by the main theme from the original soundtrack. The sound effects are good too, with a few slightly rough voice samples in pure Mega Drive style. Overall, however, the work done here is remarkable: the game manages to preserve the same feeling one gets from watching the animated film.

Jump here, jump there…

Character control is quite precise, although at times Aladdin’s jumps can feel slightly awkward. This also happens in other Virgin platformers and, unfortunately, it can occasionally cost you a life. Once you understand how to avoid that problem, however, the game becomes much easier to handle.

The Mega Drive’s three-button controller is used very well: one button is used to jump, one to throw the apples collected during the adventure, and the last one to use Aladdin’s sword. There is a good variety of enemies, each with its own weakness. During the game, you will also come across improvised stalls where extra lives can be bought in exchange for the gems collected along the way.

There are also bonus levels where you control Abu, as well as a kind of wheel of fortune where you can win lives, gems and apples. In short, the gameplay side of the game is also handled with great care.

A success waiting to happen

Without a doubt, Aladdin is one of the best platformers on Mega Drive — and not only on Mega Drive. Its atmosphere, technical quality and highly enjoyable gameplay make it a true milestone in Sega’s 16-bit library. And considering the competition on the console — Sonic, anyone? — that is no small achievement.