Any fans of retro gaming might be in for a treat, as it has been officially announced that both the Aladdin and The Lion Kind 16-bit games will be re-released in Fall of this year for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The new release, titled Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King, will include a whole slew of new features for the games, from music players to asset viewers, as well as multiple different versions of each game and a bunch of interesting graphical options such as upscaling and different screen effects.
Disney's Aladdin 16-Bit
Confirmed Versions:
- Disney's Aladdin - Sega Genesis/MegaDrive Version
- Disney's Aladdin - Gameboy/Super Gameboy Version (8-bit version)
- Disney's Aladdin Final Cut - An updated version of the game, essentially a Day 1 Patch based on source code, and design doc fixing bugs and other issues
- Disney's Aladdin 1993 Trade Show Demo - A version of the game only originally available at tradeshows.
The Lion King 16-Bit
Confirmed Versions:
- The Lion King - Sega Genesis/MegaDrive Version
- The Lion King - Gameboy/Super Gameboy Version (8-bit version)
- The Lion King - Super Nintendo Entertainment System Version
Features and Upgrades
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King brings a bunch of new features to the table to revitalize the retro classics. As well as packing a fair few different versions of each game into a single package it also adds upscaled graphics. Original graphics will also be an option so if you're really only getting the game for the nostalgia then you're in luck on that front. There will also be some filters which can be applied although it's not clear what that will entail at this time, it seems like simulated scanlines are at least going to be featured. The new release will also allow players to customize their controls, comes with a rewind feature to make getting through that one level of The Lion King less impossible and an 'explorable museum' which features development content such as sprites and interviews.
The new package packs some serious wallop and if you're a fan of the games then you'd be a fool not to try and snap them up when they come out. It seems like the goal with this package is to help preserve some of gaming history for future generations, which is something that the developers, Digital Eclipse, seem to be fond of doing. Some of their previous works include Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, the Megaman Legacy Collection, and their most recent work is the SNK 40th Anniversary Collection. They have also kept one of their most interesting features from SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, which allows the player to watch the gameplay itself with the option of jumping in and taking over at any time.
Missing Pieces
There is one pretty conspicuous piece missing from the collection, which is the Super Nintendo version of Aladdin. Unlike The Lion King, the Genesis and Super Nintendo versions of Aladdin are very different games. The Genesis version was made by Virgin Interactive, while the SNES release was actually produced by Capcom, with the legendary Shinji Mikami sitting in the director's chair for it to boot. Many fans of the games consider it to be a classic interpretation of a Disney movie, as well as one of the top platformers on the system, so it's definitely noticeable by its absence. Arguments persist to this day whether the Genesis or SNES version is the better game.
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King will be releasing at some point this Fall on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, and will have both a physical and digital release. You can pre-release it right now over at Best Buy for $29.99.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko8ey8JCpP8
Quick Take
I for one am completely stoked for this but not necessarily for the reasons that you might be thinking. Growing up I never really played The Lion King all that much but I was a huge fan of several other Disney games, including Aladdin on the MegaDrive. Don't get me wrong, this re-release is going straight into my wishlist, but I'm more excited about the potential future of the series. The Disney Classic Games label at the start of that title might mean we get to see more classic retro Disney games getting console re-releases like this. Here's hoping that the best MegaDrive game of all time, Quakshot starring Donald Duck, will be making its way to modern consoles soon.
What do you think about the Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King? Will you be getting a copy when it comes out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
