Pap the
Disney Gamer's Highlights:
Disney's Aladdin: The Video Game
Developed by: Virgin Interactive
System:
Sega Genesis
'Huh, what's
that? You say there was ANOTHER
Aladdin video game on another
system? Why, you are absolutely
right! I will talk about that
version of Aladdin' sometime in
the near future. Stay tuned!' -
Pap the Disney Gamer, July 5,
2011
Over two years
ago, I made this declaration:
that there was indeed another
Aladdin based video game
released on another system, on
the same year as Capcom's
Aladdin video game. I think it
is time to finally shed some
light on this other fabled
Aladdin game, and see just how
much of an impact it left in the
industry. This is Disney's
Aladdin: The Video Game for the
Sega Genesis.

Released in
1993, nearly a year after the
release of the Disney feature
film, Aladdin: The Video Game is
a sidescrolling 2D platformer
where you play as Aladdin as the
game retells the story of the
film through various levels.
This means that you will be
surviving the streets of Agrabah,
exploring the Cave of Wonders,
meeting the Genie, and finally
doing battle with the notorious
Jafar. This description makes
the game sound like yet another
licensed platformer of the era.
But what makes this game unique
in the grand scheme of things is
its history and the people that
created it.
See, in the 80s
and 90s, Capcom was known for
having the exclusive rights to
Disney based games around the
world. They would develop games
based on Disney's TV shows and
movies that were out at the
time. That's why in some cases
some Disney games would either
never get released or feature
another license, because some
companies had exclusive rights
to Disney games in that era.
Then came Virgin Interactive and
Sega, rival companies of Capcom
and Nintendo, respectively. They
co-developed an Aladdin game
that would rival Capcom's
release of their own Aladdin
game (which
I already covered here on
Gamer Tuesday). In order to make
the game stand out from that
release, Virgin Interactive
would implement new ideas and
features that made their Aladdin
game a memorable one.

The very first
one that gamers took notice of
are the graphics. While 2D
sprites were common at the time,
very few implemented actual hand
drawn animation. The sprites in
Disney's Aladdin were composed
of hand drawn animation (done by
actual Disney animators) that
would be later digitized and
then realized as in-game
sprites. This is a process that
was dubbed the Digicel process,
developed at Virgin Interactive
by David Perry, Andy Astor, Andy
Luckey and Dr. Stephen Clarke-Willson.
This gave the game a very
authentic look that emulated the
stunning animation of the
feature film. Most importantly,
with the Sega Genesis being
somewhat inferior to the Super
Nintendo in the graphics
department, this game proved
that developers could do great
things with the hardware if they
put enough talent and creativity
into it. The process proved to
be so successful that Virgin
Interactive would employ it in
their other Disney games, such
as The Jungle Book, Mickey Mania
and many more.
Next, they made
the game a challenging one. In
comparison to Capcom's Aladdin
game, Sega's Aladdin was a far
more challenging affair. Not
only were the enemies far more
challenging to deal with, the
levels themselves were more
complex in their design. That
meant that there would be more
room for exploration, but there
would also be more dangers lying
ahead. The game was so
challenging that even Aladdin
would be equipped with a sword,
which lies as a stark contract
to the carpet and apples he used
in the Super Nintendo version.

The development
team behind the game has also
become legendary in the video
game industry. The core
development team was composed of
members who would later form
Shiny Entertainment, best known
for creating the Earthworm Jim
game series. Some of these
people include Mike Dietz and
David Perry, game veteran game
designer David Bishop and
animators Andy Luckey and Ian
Freedman. In terms of the music
and sound department, five
original compositions and five
arrangements from the movie were
composed by Donald S. Griffin,
under the request of Tommy
Tallarico, someone that has
gained both fame for his music
and sound design, as well as
infamy for his loud opinions and
stances on several areas of the
industry.

Clearly, the
Sega Genesis version of Aladdin
is a very important game for all
the innovations and the talent
behind. But now the million
dollar question remains: which
version is the better one? My
honest answer? My loyalty lies
with the Super Nintendo version.
Yeah, technically the Sega
Genesis is the better game, but
I think it all depends on what
you want in each game. If you
want a game that is more
accessible to younger players
but still remains loyal to the
film, the Super Nintendo version
is it. If you want more of a
challenge as well as a better
technical presentation, the Sega
Genesis one is best.
The main reason
my stance lies with the Super
Nintendo version is because it
was the version I grew up with.
I think the colors are more
accurate in the Super Nintendo
version as the Genesis version
may have better animation, but
the colors are dark and muted.
In addition, the music, which
has more original songs than the
Genesis version, does sound
better in the Super Nintendo
version because the system had
stronger sound capabilities.
Finally, and this may seem
trivial for some, but the Super
Nintendo version has one level
that makes it special...
A Whole New
World...

The main reason
Aladdin the film ranks so high
my list of favorites is because
it has a wonderfully magical
scene in 'A Whole New World.'
The Super Nintendo version
includes it as a bonus level,
and it always made me happy that
I got to play through it.
But this is just
me. Truth of the matter is that
both games are great, and both
have their strengths and
weaknesses when it comes to
their respective gameplay
design. Both are also treasures
of classic gameplay and some of
the best Disney games ever made.
Whichever game you choose in the
end, you won't be disappointed.