Aladdin – Retro Gamer

This overview initially appeared in Edge difficulty 4, January 1994

After seeing Virgin’s sensible Mega Drive model of Aladdin operating on the Chicago CES final summer time, it’s rumoured that Capcom went again to the drafting board to enhance the animation of their lengthy awaited SNES recreation. However with the completed recreation lastly right here, you’ll be able to’t assist feeling that their efforts might need been higher directed at a number of the recreation’s extra instant flaws. Mainly its lack of ranges. And accordingly, its lack of any actual problem. The sport is manner too brief and horribly straightforward to complete. And it is a nice disgrace when so lots of its different traits, notably the gameplay, shine so brightly.

However, regardless of the problem issue, is the sport as fairly because the Sega model? Does it match as much as the excessive requirements set by Virgin and Disney? Properly, sure, and… kind of. By way of recreation construction, SNES Aladdin is mainly their Mickey’s Magical Quest recreation in a brand new outfit. There are seven ranges, every divided into a number of sub-sections, and there are bosses on the finish of most ranges. Virgin’s recreation noticed match to dispense with such conventions.

However the place Capcom’s Aladdin actually scores is with the gameplay – it’s a bit extra subtle, borrowing loads of its attraction from Prince Of Persia-style play mechanics.

So, there’s a particular Capcom flavour right here, actually. However whereas it performs completely splendidly, it’s additionally missing a lot. And what it lacks is so basic that you just marvel what Capcom are taking part in at. It’s arduous to consider that they might mess up Aladdin after they’ve had so lengthy to work on it.

Mickey’s Magical Quest, one other platformer that lacked content material, fared higher as a result of it had extra selection and element within the particular person ranges. Sadly Aladdin’s ranges are fairly sparse in locations; one total degree is wasted on a flying carpet bonus part. Simply as unhealthy is Aladdin’s soundtrack – a dismal warbling rendition of the movie music, utilizing precisely the identical sounds utilized in each Capcom SNES recreation ever.

In some ways the issue with Aladdin is integral to the licence. It’s a mainstream property so it must be geared to fulfill the informal participant first. And the large disadvantage with that is that it makes the sport manner, manner too straightforward. We completed all seven ranges in only one hour of intense taking part in – that roughly equates to a pound per minute. Enjoyable whereas it lasts, nevertheless it doesn’t final lengthy sufficient.

Edge ranking: Six/10