We already got a lot of games under the Disney license, especially in the 90's. The following titles are just the tip of the iceberg.
Games based on movies
Games based on movies nowadays are not as common as more than 20 years ago. Due to the fact that in the past almost all the cinema productions released had to have their counterpart in the form of a video game, they were often of dubious quality and had one goal: to get money from people. One of the exceptions to this rule was games based on Disney movies. Both of the titles described in this text are an example of how to approach the creation of this type of production, which was even an added value to the films themselves. Fortunately, today we are not flooded with such a huge wave of weak licensed games that do not represent anything.
A pearl from the time of the first Playstation
Disney’s Hercules was one of those games that made a big impression on me during the first Playstation. The plot of the game coincides with the one known from the animation, where our hero has to prove his worth to the gods. The graphics looked almost alive from an animated film. You had the feeling that you were dealing with a really living world, especially when climbing levels in a city where its inhabitants were walking. We watched the demigod from the side for most of the game, but there were levels where the camera landed behind his back. Hercules ran alone, and the player’s task was to avoid threats. In this two-dimensional platformer, which seemed to be mainly for the youngest, the hero had a surprising number of skills. Hercules attacked with his fists, waved his sword, used a chin blow, whose strength grew with holding the button for a long time, he was also able to vibrate the ground with a jump. In addition, he could use special abilities, such as fireballs and electrocuting enemies.
The fights with the enemies were not the easiest ones. Each of them had their own set of skills and did not die after one blow, so you had to find a way to deal with it. As we traversed the levels, we could also move up and down between individual plans. The adventures of Hercules, like other older games from the Disney universe, such as Aladdin and the Lion King , instilled in me a love for platformers. Later, Crash Bandicoot and Rachet & Clank made a bigger impression , but traveling through ancient Greece with Hercules will always be fond memories. This title turns 22 this year, and yet it has matured quite well.
Previously unknown to me
W Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow I had the opportunity to play recently and didn’t realize it existed before. Once again we are dealing with an old school platformer. In the game, originally released in 1995, we play the role of Donald Duck assuming the identity of Maui Mallard’s duckling detective. He is summoned to a tropical island in order to recover a stolen statue. During the adventure, we collect coins that count towards our final score and worms that are ammunition for the hero’s gun. Insects come in five different varieties and their skills can be combined with each other. Soon, the drake finds mysterious coins with the yin and yang symbol that allow him to transform into the eponymous Cold Shadow, the ninja master. We have a stick at our disposal to help not only fight, but also explore the levels. In this form, we can also move at a faster pace. We switch between characters at any time, provided that we have the aforementioned special coins. It adds a lot of variety to the game. In the visual setting you can see a great attention to detail. The only complaint I would make of this production is the slightly frustrating controls on the keyboard, but the overall quality of the gameplay makes up for it.
Summary
Disney’s Hercules and Maui Mallard in Cold Shadow are just some of the old school platformers from the Disney stable. Even though they were not a revolution for the genre, they are still incredibly playable and charming. The first made me feel like a child again, and the second gave me the opportunity to discover something that I had not dealt with before. Fans of the genre who have yet to experience this work should definitely catch up on it. It would be a shame if such elaborate and still very playable titles were forgotten.
You can buy the game at GOG.com
