Aladdin
Super Nintendo
Nostalgia Factor:
Growing up, I had never played either the Sega Genesis or the Super Nintendo version of Aladdin. That changed about four years ago when I finally was able to play (and review) the game for the Genesis. I liked it, but at the same time I didn’t think it was anything too special. Certainly not deserving of all the hype and praise that’s been heaped upon it over the years.
I’ve always heard that the Super Nintendo version of the game is inferior to the Genesis version. Since I wasn’t too huge of a fan of the Genesis version to begin with, I was in no rush to go out and play the SNES version. Why would I want to play an inferior version of a game I already played and didn’t think was that great?
Well, due to my recently purchased RetroPie, I decided it was finally time to check out the Super Nintendo game. The ability to save the game and stop at any time is a big deal for me, as I don’t have the kind of time needed to devote to playing through an entire game in one sitting anymore. Not since me and my wife had our baby! I hope you read this someday, Channing, and see how you’ve severely cut into my video game playing time. How dare you?!
I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You’re awesome, buddy. Ignore your obnoxious dad.
Where were we? Oh yeah, Aladdin!
Let’s get on to what I liked and didn’t like about the game.
Story:
This game follows the basic plot of the movie Aladdin. I’ve read some criticism online that the game strays too far from the source material, but seeing as how I’ve only seen Aladdin once or twice in my life – I didn’t notice. Nor do I give a shit. I just want to play a good, fun, 2D platforming game.
Gameplay:
Let me start by making one thing clear. As I alluded to before, people have often commented that the Genesis version of Aladdin is better than the Super Nintendo version. I’ve even heard comments saying “it’s almost like they’re completely different games!” Well no shit, Sherlock. They ARE two completely different games. Due to these comments, I always expected that the SNES version was just a crummy, inferior port of the Genesis game. And that couldn’t be more wrong. These games are definitely their own two separate identities.
While some of the backgrounds and character designs look similar to the Genesis version, that’s where the similarities end. The Genesis game seems like it is more geared towards exploration and combat, whereas Aladdin for the SNES focuses more on acrobatics and fun platforming sections.
You don’t have a scimitar in this game. All you’ve got for weapons are some apples and your legs. Your legs? Yeah, your legs. In order to kill enemies in this game you have to jump on them, ala Mario or Sonic games. The apples you throw only stun your enemies for a moment. Want to kill them, you’ve gotta jump on them.
Fortunately, Aladdin makes this very easy for you to do. The controls are fluid and responsive. Aladdin’s movement seemed to come very naturally to me. I found myself leaping, grabbing onto ledges, swinging from ropes, and bouncing off obstacles with the greatest of ease. My only complaint was that some of the longer jumps seem like they would have benefited from the ability to perform running jumps – which oddly you can’t do here. Aladdin just seems to walk around at his own slow leisure. Aside from that, the game controls like a dream.
But is it any fun to play? Well, yes. Yes it is.
The levels are cleverly designed, the acrobatics and jumping segments are fun as hell, and while the game has occasional difficult segments, I never found them to be too challenging or frustrating. Aladdin seems to have found the perfect balance between difficulty level and fun factor. I couldn’t put this game down because I was having such a good time with it. The levels are pretty short, which makes the game move along at a good pace. The bosses are fun. There are hidden red gems located in each level which give the same replay value. Everything flows really well here.
Graphics:
I hate to keep bringing up the Genesis version of Aladdin, but a comparison has to be made. The general consensus has always been that in addition to being the better game, the Genesis version also has the better graphics. I don’t know about that. While the Genesis version may look cleaner and more like the cartoon, I just find something really, really charming about the SNES version of the game. The characters have this pixelated look to them – but that’s not a bad thing. It reminds me of video games made in present times that are attempting to go for a retro feel (Celeste would be an example). It just comes naturally to Aladdin. And it didn’t really hit me until the scene with the magic carpet ride over Agrabah late in the game. It looks SO good. I just remember nodding my head and being like: yeah, this is cool. In addition to the characters, the backgrounds and effects are awesome too. This game has a very atmospheric feel to it, especially in the later stages, that was able to suck me in in a way the Genesis version was not.
Sound:
The game sounds good, sure. All the music you hear is pulled from the movie, but SNES-ified in that old, familiar way. I don’t know. I couldn’t really find myself getting too excited for this game’s musical score. Nothing stands out to me aside from the “Whole New World” moments in this game, which are admittedly pretty cool.
Aside from that, the sound effects are okay. The rest of the game’s music is okay. It does the job, but it could have done it a lot better. I think I may prefer the Genesis version in this category at least.
Overall:
I’m going to offer a perhaps somewhat controversial statement and say that this version of Aladdin is better than the Genesis version. That game seems to be a very basic and by the books platformer, the likes of which you’ve seen dozens and dozens of times for the Sega Genesis and other 16-bit systems. Not saying it is a bad game. It doesn't really do anything wrong and I did like it enough to give it a B- in both my original review and my re-review. But the SNES version is different. It's better than that. There’s just something *magical* about this version of the game that’s hard for me to pinpoint.
Maybe it’s the graphics. Maybe it’s the platforming action. Maybe it’s the boss battles. Whatever it is, I had a really fun time with this game. It feels like a timeless, fluid, classic platformer. When I played the Genesis version, I just felt like I was going through the motions. I could have been playing Cool Spot or something “okay” like that. But this game has its own identity. It has its own charm. I even played through it a second time a few days after I originally completed it. That’s pretty rare for me.
Nobody ever comments on these reviews of mine, but if you’re going to, now would be the time to start! Which version of the game do you like more? Am I crazy for preferring the SNES version? Am I the only one who likes the SNES version? Is my opinion a lot more popular than the major game review outlets would have you believe?
I can’t tell you the answers, but I am going to say that I think this game gets a bad rap. I already had a negative impression of it before I even had the chance to play it, and that’s not fair to this game. It’s a lot of fun. If you can only play one version of Aladdin between now and the day you die, make it the Super Nintendo version. As a diehard Genesis fan, it pains me to say this, but the SNES version of Aladdin is better.
Overall:
B
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