The Lion King

The Lion King is the video game adaptation of the Disney movie with the same title. It was developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment in 1994. It was released for multiple platforms including the Amiga and DOS.

You play through the plot of the movie as Simba from cub to king. Just like in the movie, Simba starts out as a cub, the son of the King Mufasa. Simba’s uncle Scar is jealous of his brother ascending instead of him, so he plots to usurp his brother’s kingdom. Scar winds up killing Mufasa (I still cry every time I watch the movie) and casts little Simba out from his home. Little Simba needs to grow up fast and become stronger to one day come back and retake his rightful throne and marry his cousin (yes, Nala is his cousin). Simba starts out able to jump and roar, but as he grows he learns more skills and combat moves. Simba can collect bugs that do everything from heal him to give him permanent power-ups. Be careful, not all bugs offer positive effects. You can also participate in bonus levels playing as Timon and Pumba to gain extra lives. The game isn’t all platforming as there are some puzzle solving elements as well.

The game features graphics drawn by Disney animators themselves and songs adapted from the actual movie soundtrack. This game is truly a classic challenge and requires a good amount of skill. Though many critics complained about the difficulty, the game sold 1.27 million copies and that was just in the United States. It also won multiple awards such as Best Genesis Game, Best Genesis Action Game, and Best Dexterity Game. If you want to relive some childhood magic and think your skills are up to the challenge, give it a whirl.