Aladdin (GBC) Review (no fat)

Game Description

Aladdin, the Game Boy Color title, is actually a watered-down version of the Genesis game, which was itself based on the acclaimed Disney movie. Follow Aladdin, the popular hero, as he battles against the lowly thieves and seeks to make their coveted treasure his. Given the extraordinary success obtained by the animated movie, it seemed inevitable video games would eventually come out. This new version is subsequently based on the acclaimed Genesis game that did such a great job of restoring the movie’s atmosphere.

Aladdin Gameplay

Obviously, given the difference in capabilities between the Game Boy Color and the Genesis, this version had to be trimmed down to match the portable’s performance. Aladdin is, nevertheless, a platform title with a lot of obstacles thrown in, which force the hero to constantly showcase his infamous acrobatic skills.

A handful of ingenious parts, such as blinking platforms and a ridiculously high amount of ropes to rely upon, also make these elements noteworthy. The inhabitants themselves should not be overlooked, as they occasionally throw flower pots that will literally crush you to death should you foolishly get struck by them.

The streets of Agrabah are also packed with bad guys, both in the forms of guards and thieves, that constantly make a nuisance of themselves. You’ll need to protect yourself against numerous villains across the nine locales that have been directly lifted from the movie. Aladdin however wields his faithful scimitar with which he can rip through his opponents with impervious precision. Additionally, given the abundance of apples in Agrabah, it’s an easy task for him to simply grab those and throw them at his unsuspecting foes. There’s indeed a lot of action in Aladdin, and you constantly need to be on the lookout for potential threats. Some enemies are sly and will suddenly pop out of nowhere just as you land on a ledge.

The game elements are excellent, but are unfortunately let down by the poor implementation offered in Aladdin. What could thus have been a great game thus becomes merely average due to the constant slowdown. In a game of this ilk that features exhaustive platform parts combined with motivated enemies, slowdowns and lag rapidly become frustrating, as everything you attempt becomes a real chore. The game’s continuous flickering doesn’t help either, and this alone will no doubt prevent many GBC owners from playing Aladdin even beyond the first level…at least those who didn’t pay for the game themselves.

Aladdin…missing Abu

Another gripe with this port is the absence of the bonus game featuring the hilarious Abu. While those who have never played the Genesis game will overlook this, there is no doubt that others, who have enjoyed the original title, will miss the additional mode’s nifty humor. This omission additionally hurts the game’s replay value, as your achievements are now less rewarding.

Thankfully, the inclusion of three difficulty modes, as opposed to the original’s single one, somewhat makes up for this port’s otherwise bitter taste. This is a welcome change from the excruciatingly difficult Genesis Aladdin, and one that should encourage more fans to give the game a try. Moreover, you can now resume your progress by using the passwords offered at the end of each level, which enhances the game’s replayability.

Aladdin Visuals

In addition to the disgusting slowdowns, Aladdin has bland graphics. A lot of details have been lost during the conversion but this has also unfortunately deprived the whole game of its unique atmosphere. The animation is equally poor with badly drawn characters that never look like their real counterpart. The color palette is similarly lacking and fails to give any visual appeal to the game.

Aladdin Sound

Aladdin’s use of the music from the movie is a good idea due to its great quality. However, there are also new tunes that fail to be as fitting, and are generally monotonous. The sound effects range from average to atrocious, but never really make any impact on the game.

Aladdin Overall

In spite of its constant slowdowns and mediocre visuals, Aladdin is a mildly enjoyable game. It has a few good ideas thrown in, but its glaring flaws constitute a serious drawback.

Aladdin Cost

Aladdin currently retails for $5.95US, at the time of this review.