The Lion King

Developer: Westwood Studios    Publisher Virgin Interactive    Released: 1994    Genre: Platformer

For as much as we praise Capcom and Sega for their handling of the Disney license Virgin deserves to be in the conversation as well. During the 16-bit era they released many an excellent game to accompany each Disney animated classic. The work they did with Aladdin and the Jungle Book paved the way for the Lion King to be one of the biggest titles of 1994. In many ways the Lion King lives up to that moniker but it does have some faults that will turn many away. It is still great in my opinion but beware.

The Lion King follows the plot of the movie, from Simba’s innocent trials as a child to his coming of age journey as an adult. Although it does not have cutscenes most of the iconic scenes from the movie have been recreated as levels. The games does a great job differentiating between young Simba and his adult form and were it better balanced could have been a classic.

As a cub Simba is weak. He can’t attack enemies with his claws but can pounce on their heads. His puny roar can only affect the weakest of enemies for a few seconds. While running you can roll, knocking out weak enemies or flipping them on their back. Because of his limitations little Simba’s levels are focused on platforming. The early levels have an almost playful tone as you hunt for collectibles in the Pridelands and frolic with animals in Roar at Monkeys. It isn’t long before a sinister tone starts to creep in, mirroring the film’s pace. Hyenas prey around the Elephant Graveyard and the game uses the second person view in a harrowing stampede. The game shies away from showing the darker elements of the film but you know what happens. You have one last “happy” journey in Hakuna Matata before Simba is exiled.

When Simba returns as an adult he doesn’t play around. He can swipe anyone dumb enough to cross his path. You can no longer roll but you don’t need it. Instead you can toss enemies over your shoulder, a key move that comes in handy in the end. That pitiful roar now scares the bejesus out of almost everything, leaving them open for attack. The focus shifts as the game becomes more combat heavy. There is less platforming as the stages become larger and maze like. The variety in level design that was prevalent in the first half is gone but I do feel the combat and less sloppy controls make up for it.

I have to question who the Lion King is for. The game is more difficult than expected  for a licensed title or platformer in general. A lot of it comes down to the collision detection, something that was common in Virgin games of that era. The line between parts of the background and platforms you can stand on is not always clear leading to cheap deaths. This is most pronounced as young Simba who is clumsy in his movements. There is little margin for error making certain levels an absolute nightmare. The waterfall section of Hakuma Matata and its gorilla boss made me rage harder than I have in years. The late game maze is confusing and offers little guidance leading to aimless wandering. If younger gamers were their target they were wildly off the mark as the Lion King is still insanely difficult as an adult.

There are some differences gameplay wise between the Sega and Nintendo versions. The Genesis version is generally easier for the most part. The hit detection is more forgiving; it is most forgiving when riding the ostrich in the second level. Some enemies are less aggressive which is a god send early on when Simba is mostly helpless. Once you become an adult it is more or less the same.

With their work on Aladdin with Sega Virgin Interactive created the Digicel process that allowed for some of the smoothest animation of that generation. The Lion King is the culmination of that work and it looks spectacular. Simba has a grace to his movements that can seem exaggerated at times but is still beautiful to watch. Even minor antagonists like the hyenas exhibit a lot of personality in their brief appearances. The animation work is at its peak during the Stampede, which looks ripped straight from the film. Every background is dripping with layers of scrolling and the degree to which the artists have recreated scenes from the movie is incredible.

While they are both similar there are differences in the presentation in the SNES and Genesis versions. The larger color palette of the SNES eliminates the heavy dithering present in the Sega version. Transitions between colors are smooth and the game has a vibrant look. The Genesis game is darker which works really well in the game’s second half. But overall the SNES version is superior. That extends to the music as well. The extra sound channels and clearer voice samples really shine on Super Nintendo. They tried but failed to recreate the movie’s soundtrack in the Genesis version.

In Conclusion

The Lion King stands as one of the better Disney games during the 16-bit age. It had the potential to be the best if not for its off kilter balance.  For the younger set it may be too hard and older gamers will find it frustrating but persevere and you’ll be rewarded with a long and involving quest. It is a little difficult but still excellent regardless..