Nostalgia is a powerful drug, especially a double whammy of childhood movies and games. Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King is exactly as advertised -- the beloved 16-bit platformers bundled together. Only it's more than that; Capcom's Aladdin for SNES aside, this is about as comprehensive a package as you could hope for, with multiple versions of each game, music players, and a ton of behind the scenes goodies to enjoy.

Aladdin receives particularly good treatment. In addition to the original Genesis title, there's the press demo which features in-progress artwork and level design, making for an interesting slice of the title's history. A "Final Cut" version of the full title tweaks the dodgy camera and frustrating difficulty found in the original game, making for a smoother ride through Agrabah.

Meanwhile, The Lion King's SNES and Genesis versions are both playable, which is great, though the only notable difference is the music. Both movie tie-ins are a joy to revisit, though they're of course a bit rough around the edges today. A lot of the tricky platforming and borderline unfair enemy encounters found in these games are mitigated by the ability to save, rewind time, watch a recorded playthrough and jump in at any point, or just activate invincibility. Doing the latter disables trophies, which you won't want to do if you're after an easy platinum. Game Boy adaptations of Aladdin and The Lion King are also in the mix, which nice to have for posterity, but feel extremely crude on a modern TV.

The collection serves as a wonderful dive into a pair of early tie-in successes. If you're a fan of the games, the films, or both, you'll find something to take away here -- it's a fully featured and fascinating trip down memory lane.

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Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King
Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King

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