Aladdin (SNES)

Pub & Dev: Capcom | November 1993 | 10 MEGS
Pub & Dev: Capcom | November 1993 | 10 MEGS

Last week my girlfriend and I caught the live movie adaptation of Aladdin in theaters. We enjoyed it, although both of us prefer the animated film. Seeing Aladdin on the big screen instantly brought to mind the time when Capcom, over 25 years ago, released Aladdin on the Super Nintendo. “Oh no, not another licensed video game!” Some might think from the outset. And really, history would have your back as many licensed games were seemingly more miss than hit more than a quarter of a century ago. Thankfully, Capcom incubated Aladdin with nearly as much maternal care as Disney bestowed upon their animated film. That means top notch animation, plenty of humor to keep things lighthearted and entertaining, and backed it all up with an incredibly authentic Middle Eastern atmosphere. Thus, what you have here is a strong example of the platforming genre based off 1992’s most successful film.

Will Smith as the Genie... it worked!
Will Smith as the Genie… it worked!

NEVER HAD A FRIEND LIKE ME

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Aladdin roared into theaters the day before Thanksgiving ’92 (November 25, 1992 for those keeping score at home) and grossed over 500 million worldwide! It was met with undying fanfare. The song “A Whole New World” won an Oscar at the 1993 Academy Awards. The end credits boast a whopping 513 people! It was the first Disney film to show a belly button. Aladdin was based, believe it or not, on a cross between Michael J. Fox and Tom Cruise. Also, did you know that Aladdin once killed 40 thieves? [That was Ali Baba, you fool -Ed.]

[Hmmm, those facts sound oddly familiar... -Ed.]
[Hmmm, those facts sound oddly familiar… -Ed.]
Hey now, I *like* that song
Hey now, I *like* that song

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Aladdin was such a smash hit that he had his own animated series as part of the classic Disney Afternoon lineup back during the early mid ’90s. I was a pretty big fan of the TV series. If you don’t remember the Disney Afternoon, it was essentially the cartoon version of TGIF. The Disney Afternoon aired Mondays through Fridays from 3 to 5 PM. Perfect for veggin’ out right after school for a couple blissful hours. Oh they don’t make them like how they used to, that’s fer damn sure! Needless to say, Capcom had a lot to live up to when they set their sights on adapting Aladdin to the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. But if anyone could pull it off back in those days, it was the Big C.

Racist? Never...
Racist? Never…

THE ADVENTURES OF ABU

Abu is wonderfully represented here
Abu is wonderfully represented here

THE STORY GOES…

Follows the movie to a tee
Follows the movie to a tee
Creepy looking hands!
Creepy looking hands!
It's the Cave of Wonders!
It’s the Cave of Wonders!
One whose worth lies deep within ... THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH!
One whose worth lies deep within
… THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH!
... this diamond in the rough...
… this diamond in the rough…

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Not all movie games suck ;)
Not all movie games suck ;)

THE BASICS

Aladdin has got the moves
Aladdin has got the moves

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THE MARKETPLACE

The game begins In the dusty streets of Agrabah
The game begins in the dusty streets of Agrabah
Fun bouncing on the guy's head
Fun bouncing on the guy’s head
Where you at, Shaggy?
Where you at, Shaggy?

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Sprinting across the tops — high above the heads of enemies — looks great, but Aladdin’s movement has a certain herky jerkiness. It’s not a big issue but it does take a second to adjust to.

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Aimed properly, you can bounce off a bad guy’s head and in one seamless motion stick the landing on a nearby platform. Pretty satisfying it is.

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Press down to fall on the villain’s head and vanquish him. There is a sort of Prince of Persia feel to this game.

Snakes be damned!
Snakes be damned!

More fun than a barrel  [snip -Ed.]
And these fools, too
[I always knew the monkey was smarter -Ed.]
[I always knew the monkey was smarter -Ed.]
[Truly, the brains of the operation -Ed.]
[Truly, the brains of the operation -Ed.]

You best better
You best better
Animations are amazing
Animations are amazing
Apparently not
Apparently not
I love how they mock you
I love how they mock you :P
He's pissed off now!
He’s pissed off now!
When all else fails, feign defeat
When all else fails, feign defeat
That would be a long fall down
That would be a long fall down…
Never skip arm day
Why you never skip arm day
Gotta love the little bugger
Gotta love the little bugger
A satisfying means of dispatching the opposition
A satisfying means of dispatching the opposition
Meet the first boss of the game
Meet the first boss of the game
Apples don't hurt him, not even down there
Apples don’t hurt him, not even down there
When did Abu become so cynical? :P
When did Abu become so cynical? :P
Whoa that escalated quickly
Whoa that escalated quickly
Sorry old pal
Sorry about that, old pal

[You and me both, Abu. You and me both -Ed.]
[You and me both, Abu. You and me both -Ed.]
[Us too! -Super Play staff]
[Us too! -Super Play staff]

But peace doesn't last long
Of course, peace is short lived…

THE CAVE OF WONDERS

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I rather like this stage quite a bit. Use your athletic acrobatics to maneuver your way across spiky pits and such. Good stuff.

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Use apples to send pesky bats away. And what the hell is a delectable piece of meat such as that doing out in the wide open? It’ll spoil! Guess you better gobble it up then before it does!

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Leaping off enemies and platforms doesn’t always go as you intend it to. Thankfully, it’s mostly a case of something you did that went awry, as opposed to flat out poor controls.

I swear Abu, this had better be good...
I swear Abu, this had better be good…
Of course Abu would
Of course Abu would
But I swear, if this hits the fan...
Man, if this hits the fan…
Moral: Never trust a monkey, ever
Moral: Never trust a monkey, ever
That sounds about right
That sounds about right
Feet fail me not!
Feet fail me not!

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If you manage to survive this, you’ll run into a rather magical friend.

Abu's expression says it all
Abu’s expression says it all
Obviously not
Obviously not
Yo Carpet, it's like that huh
Yo Carpet, it’s like that huh

Carpet, in theory, could whisk you to safety, but where’s the fun in that? Nope, you must brave through this auto scrolling stage on your own.

Damn you, Carpet!
Damn you, Carpet!
Don't hang on too long or else
Don’t hang on too long or else
Pull it to rise the barrier
Pull the rope to raise the barrier
Whew, just missed!
Whew, just missed!
Yeah, sure, whatever ya say...
Yeah, sure, whatever ya say…
O_O
o_O
Good shit from Capcom
That’s me at 5 stealing my mom’s cookies from the jar
DON'T TOUCH THAT, ABU!
DON’T TOUCH THAT, ABU!
Carpet tries its damndest
Carpet tries its damnedest
That can't be good
That can’t be good
ALVIN!!! ABU!!!
ALVIN!!! ABU!!!
Whew, too close for comfort
Whew, too close for comfort
Yet another force scrolling stage
Yet another auto scrolling stage
Word!
Word!
Should have worn sandals
Should have worn sandals
The biggest pull up of your life
The biggest pull up of your life
ANOTHER auto scroller
ANOTHER auto scrolling stage
But at least Carpet's with you
But at least Carpet’s with you this time!

After a couple head scratching stages where you’re forced to travel over murky waters and skin scorching lava without the aid of Magic Carpet, it finally decides to lend a hand, er, corner? Hey, better late than never!

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Arguably the game’s most adrenaline-fueled level, nothing quickens the pulse quite like riding on Magic Carpet with your girl while doing your best to evade the sizzling molten lava that’s right on your tail!

INSIDE THE GENIE’S LAMP

"Little ol' me?" Yes, little ol' you!
“Little ol’ me?”  Yes, little ol’ you!

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Genie’s stage takes you to a cloud-filled universe that’s well out of this world. How befitting of a genie! You suddenly find yourself doing pull ups on cloudy wisps in a strange land that’s NOT AT ALL egotistical…

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In classic Capcom fashion, landing on those Genie platforms will make the Big G frown for as long as you’re on it. Otherwise, the blue bastard’s full of cheesy grins.

I've never had a friend like you...
Patience and precision is key here
Things get more and more bizarre
Things get more and more bizarre
Man, I sure as hell ain't never had a friend like you
Man, I sure as hell ain’t never had a friend like you
Use his makeshift parachute to glide to safety
Use his makeshift parachute to glide to safety

THE PYRAMID

I like how they disintegrate when you jump on them
I like how they disintegrate when you jump on them
The shifting sands makes it difficult to navigate safely
The shifting sand makes it difficult to navigate safely
Er, yeeeeah. You're on your own on this one, Al...
Err, yeeeeah. You’re on your own on this one, Al…

BONUS LEVEL: MAGIC CARPET RIDE

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For my money, this is by far and away the greatest moment in the entire game. The sights and sounds — perfection personified. Based on the classic scene from the movie, it even replicates the “A Whole New World” song! Sans lyrics of course, but it’s a near perfect rendition otherwise. The whole damn thing is almost enough to make even the most hardened warrior feel all warm and tingly inside. Don’t take my word for it, watch it and listen to it here!

A WHOLE NEW WORLD! [Don't you dare... -Ed.]
A WHOLE NEW WORLD!  [Don’t you dare… -Ed.]

JAFAR’S PALACE

Saving the best for last, eh?
Saving the best for last, eh?
Wouldn't be Aladdin without a street rat reference
Wouldn’t be Aladdin without a street rat reference
Repeat this pattern for good health and prosperity
Repeat this pattern for good health and prosperity
Uh oh, Jafar is pissed now...
Uh oh, Jafar is pissed now…
HOLY MOLY!
HOLY MOLY!!

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Use the parachute or else you'll get singed!
Use the parachute or else you’ll get fried
Shout out to those who get this reference!
Shout out to those who get this reference!
Early-mid '90s was such a great time for games
Early-mid ’90s was such a great time to be a gamer :)
It's got a simple pattern. Do yer thang, Big Al!
It’s got a simple pattern. Do yer thang, Big Al!
YEAH, TELL 'IM, AL!
YEAH YOU TELL ‘IM, AL!
*collective gasp*
*collective gasp*
Man fuck this shit :P
Man fuck this shit :P
Who're you... SHREDDER?!
Who’re you… SHREDDER?!
R.I.P. James Avery AKA Uncle Phil, voice of Shredder
One of my favorite lines of all time
Is it? Find out for yourself...
Is it? Find out for yourself…

GENIE!

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On the whole, Aladdin is a pretty easy game. It’s got a few tough spots, but with a password system in place and plenty of extra lives to be had, it’s something that the average gamer should be able to polish off without too much hardship.

AladdinGO

Capcom’s classic continue screens, er, continue with Aladdin. Pull the yes one and Genie will flash you a satisfied grin.

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But yank on the no one and watch the poor sap sulk and frown.

Not as crazy as the one in Final Fight though :P
Not as crazy as the one in Final Fight though :P

GENNY!

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For ages now, even to this day more than 25 years later, there has been a debate amongst gamers on which version is superior: the Genesis or Super Nintendo rendition of Aladdin. Both games are significantly different from one another, as Capcom developed the SNES one while Virgin Interactive did the Genesis one. The Genesis version emphasizes more action than platforming. Both games were highly praised in their own right, but consensus seems to favor the Genesis game slightly. Regardless of which version you think is better, you can’t go wrong with either one.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

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Aladdin was well received by the critics. EGM gave it scores of 9, 8, 8 and 8. EGM’s sister publication, Super NES Buyer’s Guide, scored it 89, 86 and 85%. GameFan gave it ratings of 90, 90, 89 and 87%. Super Play rated it 81%. Most agreed on it being a fun and colorful platforming game by the ever trustworthy Capcom, who infused Aladdin with an admirable amount of care and respect to the source material. It’s not the most outstanding example of the genre on the SNES, but it’s certainly one of the better ones in the catalog.

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CLOSING THOUGHTS

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Aladdin is a quality platformer, but its two biggest flaws are that it’s too short and it teeters a bit too much on the easy side. Similar to Skyblazer, the levels are over right as I’m ready to sink my teeth into ‘em. The lack of enemies, not to mention the lack of enemy diversity, was also something of a disappointment. You can easily finish this game before you finish watching the animated movie! However, with a busy schedule that may include juggling relationships, kids and work, those two “flaws” aren’t the biggest indictments in the gaming world. I suppose that’s one way to look at it.

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The graphics are splendid; they’re filled to the brim with detail, colors and parallax scrolling that seems to stretch on forever. The sound is pretty good, especially the renditions of the movie’s various themes. The SNES version of A Whole New World is my personal favorite and hits me in the feels every single time I hear its lovely jingle. Gameplay consists of your classic basics, sprinkled with a little Prince of Persia feel to it, complete with hanging from ledges with your pinkie fingers.

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The control is generally solid but I do have a few gripes. Whenever you press left or right Aladdin will take a step (or two) in that direction. On small platforms this could cause him to slip every now and then, so be thankful for that hanging-on-the-ledge-with-your-pinkie business! Some handspring bounces off obstacles and enemies are also a bit tough to implement properly, particularly when it comes to needing several bounces in succession. Thankfully, such parts are few and far between. Mostly you’re just bouncing off one enemy or object at a time so it doesn’t adversely impact gameplay as much as one might fear. The control is definitely far from perfect but nothing you won’t quickly adjust to and manage. Those few niggles, however, are worth noting.

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All in all, Aladdin is a fine platformer that deserves a spot in any SNES library. It does its source material a great deal of respect and is plain fun to play. It won’t last you long, or challenge you terribly much, but depending on one’s schedule and tolerance level, those things may be blessings or curses. Capcom could almost do no wrong back in the early-mid ’90s, and Aladdin is another solid example of such. Definitely and easily one of the better license games from the vaunted 16-bit era!

Graphics: 9
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 8
Longevity: 5.5

AwardsOverall: 8.0
Silver Award

 

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