If It Ain’t Broke: Don’t Fix It
At first glance, it would probably be safe to assume young kids would only enjoy this Disney game. This is not the case however because Aladdin is a rather solid platformer that everyone can enjoy. Unfortunately, the quest is entirely too short and lacks any type of replay value.
Aladdin is a remake from the SNES title of the same name. Game play is simple as can be but it still manages to retain a nice level of fun. Players will basically run and jump their way through every level, but clever level designs will keep the game play from growing stale.
The game is based closely off the movie. The player takes control of Aladdin and ventures on a rocky adventure consisting of genies, magic carpets, treasure, and evil magicians. Anyone who has seen the movie will know the basic story of the game.
Aladdin is only armed with fruit and acrobatic moves. Each move that Aladdin can perform is very easily executable due to responsive play control. Players will be able to take out enemies by bouncing off their heads or by swinging into them. Apples can be whipped to stun enemies, which makes them easier to jump on. Aladdin can reach new heights by bouncing off poles and by clinging to the sides of platforms.
Hidden within each level are a handful of red gems. Each red gem is tough to get but a bonus will be awarded if you can grab them all. Green gems act like coins did in the original Super Mario Bros. Once 100 have been collected, a new life is awarded. Also, health recovery items and a bonus bug are spread throughout the levels. If one of these fast moving flying insects is snatched, a roulette style mini game will appear once the level is over.
Graphically, the game boasts a visual display that closely resembles the SNES version of the game. However, I did notice a drop in some detail, particularly in the flying carpet levels, due to the restricting limitations of the GBA resolution. However, if you never played the SNES version, you will not notice anything wrong with the graphics. All in all, the sprites are nicely animated for a GBA game. Each motion performed by either Aladdin or enemies are rather fluid and cartoonish which resembles the movie. Since each move is fluid, watching Aladdin bounce off poles and run up hills is a pleasure. Unfortunately, the sound and music just doesn’t stand out from the GBA’s speaker. Using headphones helps, but you are better off listening to a radio or Mp3 player.
Fans of the movie will definitely enjoy this game because it is loosely based on it. The target audience for this game is obviously for a younger crowd but any gamer can enjoy this game. Besides from the lacking music and sound, there is not a speck of replay value. The game is rather short as it can be beaten in a little over an hour. The only reason this game will be remain in your GBA is if you are fully determined to collect every gem in the game. There are no extra levels, no secrets, and no multiplayer and the game losses major points because of this. Even though this game will not remain into your GBA for an extended period of time, the time that is spent with Aladdin will definitely be enjoyable.
