The Lion King (video game)
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| The Lion King | |
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| Developer(s) | Westwood Studios, Inc., Virgin Interactive, Dark Technologies |
| Publisher(s) | Virgin Interactive, Sega, Walt Disney Computer Software |
| Designer(s) | Seth Mendelsohn |
| Release date(s) | 1994 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: K-A ; ELSPA: 3+ |
| Platform(s) | Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES, NES, Game Boy, PC, Amiga, Game Gear, Sega Master System |
| Media | 8 megabit cartridge, 16 megabit cartridge, Floppy disk, CD-ROM |
| System requirements | Game controller, computer keyboard |
The Lion King is a video game based on Disney's popular animated film. The title was published by Virgin Interactive in 1994, and was released on SNES, NES, Game Boy, PC, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Amiga, Master System and Game Gear. It followed Simba's journey from a young carefree cub to the battle with his uncle Scar as an adult.
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[edit] Gameplay
The game is a side-scrolling platform game, with the controlled character having to leap, climb, run and descend from platform to platform. There is an exception during the level The Stampede, where Simba is running towards the camera dodging wildebeest and leaping over rocks.
In most versions of the game two bars appear on the HUD. To the left is the roar meter, which must be fully charged for Simba's roar to be effective. To the right is the health bar which decreases when Simba is hurt. At the bottom left of the screen is a counter showing how many lives Simba has remaining. Health can be restored by collecting bugs come in a variety of shapes and sizes (but some rare health-damaging bugs also exist).
The player controls Simba (first as a cub, then later as an adult) in the main levels and either Timon or Pumbaa in the bonus levels.
[edit] Cub Simba
Cub Simba can roar (fairly weakly, similar to the roar he uses in the film), jump on enemies and roll. All three are used to combat enemies and have different effects. Rolling can also be used to access hidden areas and dodge attacks.
If cub Simba is left alone for a while then a small white butterfly will fly past, catching Simba's attention. At first he watches it fly by. The second time two butterflies fly by. Simba crouches and then pounces on one of them, before letting it go and then chasing it in a circle.
[edit] Adult Simba
Adult Simba is stronger and can slash and maul instead of defeating his enemies by jumping on them. He also has a more formidable roar, but can no longer roll.
Adult Simba constantly moves while not being controlled, alert to his surroundings.
[edit] Console differences
The sound and graphic quality of the game varied greatly due to the differing capabilities of the consoles.
The Amiga version omitted the Can't Wait to be King level, the bonus levels and some of the cutscenes, presumably to save disk space as the media was presented on floppy disks.[1]
The NES version omitted content even further, with only the cub Simba levels and removing the short Death Tag piece of music that plays when Simba dies. The level music continued on instead.
The Windows 3.1 version relied on the WinG graphics engine, but a series of Compaq Presarios weren't tested with WinG, which the game to crash while loading. This led Microsoft to create the more stable engine DirectX, used to this day[2].
[edit] Graphics and sound
The sprites were done by Disney animators themselves at the Walt Disney Feature Animation, and the music are adaptations of songs and orchestrations in the soundtrack.
[edit] Levels
[edit] The Pride Lands
- Music (Sega Mega Drive): This Land (sample)
:Music (NES): This Land (sample)
Simba ascends rocks and umbrella thorn acacia trees while fighting chameleons, porcupines and bombardier beetles before tumbling down into a grassy area to fight a hyena and finish the level.
[edit] Can't Wait to be King
- Music (Sega Megadrive): Can't Wait to be King! (sample)
A fast paced level with a colourful and stylized design is based on the song I Just Can't Wait to Be King from the film. It has no enemies, and Simba only needs to lead along heads of rhinoceros, giraffes and hippos, be thrown by monkeys and ride ostriches.
This level was omitted from the Amiga version of the game. In the NES game, it's named "The Mane Event".
[edit] The Elephant Graveyard
- Music (Sega Megadrive): Be Prepared (sample)
Inspired by the scene which Simba and Nala vist an elephant graveyard. Simba must swing on bones, bounce on elephant skin and leap on geysers, while avoiding and battling vultures and hyenas. The music is based on "Be Prepared".
[edit] The Stampede
- Music (Sega Megadrive): To Die For (sample)
Based on the stampede scene of the movie, Simba must dodge rapidly approaching wildebeest and avoid crashing into rocks. In the PC, SNES and Mega Drive version, it is played in a pseudo-3D view similar to games such as F-Zero.
[edit] Simba's Exile
- Music (Sega Megadrive): King of Pride Rock (sample)
Simba runs away from the Pride Lands at the insistence of his Uncle Scar. Set in the barren area where Simba runs from the hyenas after the stampede in the film, it features the same enemies of the first lever and various tumbling rocks (including instant kill large boulders).
[edit] Hakuna Matata
- Music (Sega Megadrive): Hakuna Matata (sample)
A slippery, fast-paced level, set in the jungle Timon and Pumbaa live. Simba slides down wet, grassy slopes and ascends logs floating down a waterfall, while battling spiders and frogs. At the end of the level a gorilla throws coconuts at Simba and must be defeated or avoided to finish the level.
[edit] Simba's Destiny
- Music (Sega Megadrive): Under The Stars (sample)
The first level played as adult Simba. Based on the scene Simba follows Rafiki to Mufasa's supposed location, the level features vines, rocks and enemy cheetahs and monkeys.
[edit] Be Prepared
- Music (Sega Megadrive): Continue Long (sample)
A level set in an area of high volcanic activity, based on the scene featuring the song of the same name from the film (being the only level which is not factually or chronologically consistent with the movie, since the Be Prepared scene occurs long before Simba is an adult). Simba has to dodge lava drips and ride floating rocks along rivers of lava, avoiding hyenas, cheetahs and bats.
[edit] Simba's Return
- Music (Sega Megadrive): Hoo Hah Remix (sample)
Simba must defeat the hyenas and pass through a maze of caves before he can reach Pride Rock and confront Scar. This level shows the state of drought that the Pride Lands have descended into during Scar's tyrannical reign.
[edit] Pride Rock
Enemies:
- Scar
- Hyenas
Music (SNES): Return to Pride Rock (sample)
The final level of the game is loosely based on the final scenes of the film, where Simba battles his uncle Scar. Simba must battle with Scar three times as well as ascending Pride Rock, fighting hyenas and avoiding lightning, which sets the ground ablaze.
[edit] Bonus levels
Bonus levels featured Timon and Pumbaa and an opportunity to receive extra lives and continues. The levels were omitted from some versions of the game, such as the Amiga version.
[edit] Bug Hunt
- Music (SNES): Bug Hunt (sample)
Players control Timon as he runs around a level collecting bugs. Collecting a "bad bug" (i.e. a large spider) ends the level.
[edit] Bug Toss
- Music (SNES): Bug Toss (sample)
Timon throws bugs down from above. The player controls Pumbaa and has to catch the bugs before they hit the ground. The game finishes if the player either misses a "good" bug or collects a bad one. Occasionally extra lives and continues are dropped.
[edit] Reception
The Lion King got good reviews, including an 8\10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly, and sold well, including 1.27 million units of the SNES version in the United States[3]. However, it receives criticism from players due to its difficulty[4][5].
[edit] Other Lion King video games
Other two games inspired by The Lion King were released: Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games (1997) by Virgin for SNES and PC, The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure (2000) by Activision for the PlayStation and Game Boy Color. Also, a game inspired by The Lion King 1½ was released in 2003 by THQ for the Game Boy Advance.
[edit] References
- ^ Amiga review on MobyGames
- ^ OZ: The Other Side of the Rainbow
- ^ US Platinum Videogame Chart. The Magic Box. Retrieved on August 13, 2005.
- ^ Sega-16 review (Genesis)
- ^ Video Game Critic review (SNES)
[edit] External links
| The Lion King | |
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| Films | The Lion King | The Lion King II: Simba's Pride | The Lion King 1½ |
| Characters | Ahadi | Kiara | Kopa | Kovu | Ma | Mohatu | Mufasa | Nala | Nuka | Rafiki | Sarabi | Sarafina | Scar | Shenzi, Banzai and Ed | Simba | Timon and Pumbaa | Tojo | Uncle Max | Uru | Vitani | Zazu | Zira |
| Songs | "Circle of Life" | "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" | "Be Prepared" | "Hakuna Matata" | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" |
| Books | The Brightest Star | Friends In Need | Six New Adventures |
| Games | The Lion King | Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games |
| Other media | Original motion picture soundtrack | Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable | Rhythm of the Pride Lands | The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa | Broadway musical | Festival of the Lion King | Festival of the Lion King soundtrack |
| Misc | Kings of the Pride Lands | The Lion King family | In popular culture |
| See also | "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" | Kingdom Hearts II | Kimba the White Lion controversy |
Categories: Wikipedia articles needing style editing | 1994 video games | Amiga games | Disney video games | DOS games | Game Boy games | Game Gear games | Mobile phone games | Nintendo Entertainment System games | Sega Mega Drive games | Sega Master System games | Super NES games | The Lion King | Westwood Studios games
