There are few things in the world of video games as reviled as games based on movies and this rational hatred is not without good reason. There is no shortage of games on any given console where a popular or beloved movie is given the game adaptation equivalent of regurgitated compost presented as a game fit for human enjoyment. This common failure of converting a film to a game that shouldn't be buried in the desert is part of what made 1993's Aladdin so memorable. There are numerous positives about this title, but the most noteworthy is it is a game based on a movie that doesn't cause the player to want to chop off their thumbs. The '90s Nostalgia Gods smile upon us, as this is one of the classic Disney games that is enjoying a PC release.
Virgin Games' Aladdin, not to be confused with the very different Capcom published game with the same name for the SNES, is not simply one of the best games based on a movie, but one of the standout titles from the massive Sega Genesis library. During its initial release there was a lot of attention paid to the animation quality. The graphics were hand drawn and converted into sprites through the use of Digicel technology, which resulted in an unprecedented level of animation quality from a Genesis cart. This is still below the 60 FPS everyone clamors for today, but in 1993 the fluidity of motion was closer to what was seen in the Disney film and not what was the standard for a 16-bit game, even with the limited color palette the developers were restricted to for the Genesis. The 2D sprites traveling across 3D backgrounds added a lifelike quality to the experience.
Similar praise can be given to the soundtrack. Based on the hardware limitations the full movie soundtrack was not able to be included but instead we are treated to what are essentially chiptune muzak versions of the familiar songs that Disney loved sprinkling throughout their movies. The game adaptations of songs like A Whole New World and Arabian are stripped of their vocals but they are instantly recognizable. The high quality of the music was done by utilizing the sample channel for the Genesis. By using actual samples from a high end keyboard which was converted to MIDI for the game, the music, much like the animation, was a benchmark in quality for what the Sega console was capable of even with a few years under its belt.
The game play was not as groundbreaking as the audio and visual technology was but it did not need to be. Aladdin was a fairly traditional action game filled with platforming. It didn't reinvent the wheel, but presented a fun gaming experience based on familiar mechanics. Agrabah is filled with traps and other obstacles Aladdin needs to traverse, along with enemies that need to be dispatched of either through his sword or by throwing an apple at them. There is an autoscrolling level involving a magic carpet ride for good measure, just to add some variety, as well as a couple minigame bonus levels where the player takes control of Aladdin's simian sidekick Abu.
The controls are generally smooth and responsive, the only real issue is with the multiple frames of animation. This does present a great visual quality as far as motion is concerned, but cycling through the motion can lead to some moments of vulnerability. This simply just adds to the challenge. Aladdin is far from being among the most unforgiving titles of its era, but it does offer a decent challenge. During this review process I was reminded that games either used to be more difficult or I used to be better at them.
This is not a high definition remake or an expanded special edition, this is a direct port of the Sega Genesis version, for better or worse. An unaltered port of a twenty plus year old game should keep the nostalgia purists happy, but all tech advances since then are that much more apparent. The animation is still as fluid and impressive as it was during its initial release, but the graphics are much more pixelated than my memory tells me it should be. Perhaps this is because the HD display puts more emphasis on the lower resolution or maybe the nostalgic part of the brain has a texture smoothing function. Most likely it is a combination of the two.
A new feature is Aladdin can now be played with a keyboard. Ctrl uses the sword, alt throws apples, spacebar jumps and the arrow keys control movement. For an old school action platformer, this control scheme feels about as natural as Pamela Anderson's enhancements (Baywatch was popular when this was) so in order to get the most enjoyment out of this title I strongly recommend using an actual gamepad. One gripe about the PC port is while playing through GOG using an Xbox 360 style controller I was unable to get the controller layout to match up exactly with what it said it was in the option menu. B was jump and A was both melee and apple attack. This was still a playable configuration and did not make playing unenjoyable, but a source of minor irritation nonetheless.
Closing Comments:
Aladdin is regarded as one of the most fondly remembered Genesis titles and this is not without good reason. The thing with games that are over twenty years old is they may have been great back in the day but not all of them can stand the test of time. Aladdin is still challenging and enjoyable today. The years have not been kind to the visuals, but the substantial aspects that made this game great are still in place the same can be said of most of us after a couple decades). Those who missed out on this title due to not being born yet may not have the same appreciation as those of us who played it in its heyday, but this is one of those nostalgia titles that reinforces whatever fond memories someone may have for it.