The Lion King (computer game)
| The Lion King | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Original title | The Lion King | ||
| Studio | Westwood Studios | ||
| Publisher | Virgin Interactive | ||
| Senior Developer | Louis Castle | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1994 | ||
| platform | Mega Drive , SNES , Amiga , DOS , Windows , Game Gear , Master System , Game Boy , NES | ||
| genre | Jump 'n' run | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| medium | Plug-in module | ||
| Age rating |
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The Lion King is a platforming computer game based on the cartoon of the same name by Disney . It was developed by Westwood Studios and published through Virgin Interactive . It was released in 1994 for Mega Drive and SNES , as well as a port for Amiga , DOS , Windows , Game Gear , Master System , Game Boy and NES .
Gameplay
| Level |
|---|
|
01. - The Pridelands |
The player controls Simba through ten levels, which are narrative based on the plot of the film and also correspond to its optics. The player starts out as a young Simba. In a mixture of jumping passages, small puzzles and skill in evading and fighting opponents, the player has to move his character through the level to the end point. A special feature is the level "The Stampede", which simulates a 3D perspective and in which the player has to prevent Simba from getting under the hooves of a herd of wildebeest during the stampede . One of Simba's special abilities is his roar, with which some opponents can be paralyzed for a short time, but which he can only use to a limited extent. In intermediate fights, individual henchmen of Simba's uncle Scar have to be defeated. In the seventh level of the game, Simba has grown up and has new fighting skills from this point on. In the final battle, he finally has to face his uncle.
Simba has a life bar that reduces when touched by opponents. If it drops to zero, the player loses a life. The life energy, roaring attacks and the number of lives are limited, but can be increased by collecting certain bugs. By collecting some rare beetles, bonus levels can also be accessed with mini-games.
development
As with Aladdin before , Disney actively supported the development of the game. For the adult Simba levels, Westwood was able to use footage that was cut from the final version of the film. At the level The Stampede, Disney had great concerns because of the widely differing gameplay and pushed for the level to be removed. Westwood was able to avert this, however, through a playful demonstration of the level.
The version for Game Gear and Master System was developed by Syrox Developments (later: Climax London). All ten levels have been completely redeveloped. The level of difficulty has been reduced and the collision query has been made more generous. The 3D scene was also omitted and was replaced by a side scroller . The versions for Game Boy and NES come from Dark Technologies, with the level design also adapted. The PC version used the WinG graphic interface .
In 2016, the game was re-released by Disney on the GOG.com download platform together with the film adaptations Aladdin and The Jungle Book, also from Virgin Interactive .
reception
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"[...] a fabulous and challenging jump 'n' run, which unfortunately does not quite come close to its predecessors The 'Jungle Book' and 'Aladdin' in terms of joke."
“In terms of size, you don't necessarily see the 24 MBit of the module, because the ten levels are not particularly extensive. Fortunately, this shortcoming is made up for by the decent level of difficulty, which constantly demands extreme concentration. Virgin has found an exciting mix between pixel-perfect jumps, exact timing and a pinch of brainpower. [...] all in all a varied and captivating module that motivates both phases of life because of Simba's life. "
"Better buy ' Earthworm Jim ' with your money , because it's from David Perry (the man who made 'Cool Spot' and 'Aladdin'), and that's really good!"
According to Louis Castle in 2002, it was the studio's best-selling game to date, with 4.5 million copies. The SNES version of the game sold 1.27 million copies in the US alone, while the PC version sold 200,000 copies.
In 2006, PC World listed the CD-ROM version of the game as # 6 of the 25 worst tech products of all time. The background to this was the use of the WinG graphics interface, which required manual adjustments from the graphics card manufacturers. At the end of 1994, however , the manufacturer Compaq brought a Presario computer onto the market without any corresponding adaptation. The result was regular crashes of the game, which is said to have led to great disappointments for many children, especially at Christmas time, who received the game. The experience of this event was incorporated into the development of the new DirectX graphics interface .
Web links
- The Lion King at MobyGames (English)
- Devs Play S01E01: The Lion King , interview with Louis Castle and game presentation
Individual evidence
- ^ How Westwood Made The Lion King, One Of Gaming's Finest Platformers , Kotaku UK
- ↑ a b c Gamers 1/95
- ↑ a b Video Games 2/95
- ↑ a b Mega Fun 6/95
- ^ A b The 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time . In: PC World . May 26, 2006. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
- ↑ GOG.com: Three Disney 16-bit classics out - Aladdin, The Lion King and The Jungle Book , PC Games Hardware
- ↑ Amiga Joker 2/95
- ↑ a b Gamers 1/95
- ↑ Mega Fun 1/95
- ↑ a b Mega Fun 12/94
- ↑ Mega Fun 1/95
- ↑ PC Joker 1/95
- ↑ PC Player 2/95
- ↑ Total 1/95
- ↑ Video Games 6/95
- ↑ Video Games 1/95
- ↑ a b Video Games 1/95
- ↑ Video Games 2/95
- ^ Pearce, Celia: The Player with Many Faces. Archived from the original on June 27, 2003. In: Game Studies . 2, No. 2, December 2002.
- ↑ US Platinum Videogame Chart . In: The Magic Box . Retrieved August 12, 2005.
- ↑ Selby Bateman: Movers & Shakers . In: Imagine Media (ed.): Next Generation . No. 4, April 1995, p. 27.