Gamers who grew up in the 90s will remember the Aladdin and The Lion King Disney games that released on the SNES and Sega Genesis. Soon, those folks can feed their nostalgia for the classic titles through some upcoming remasters.
The SNES and Sega Genesis era had quite a few Disney licensed games that players remember fondly. During that time, and for many years after, most licensed games served as nothing more than cheap tie-ins. But in the early to mid-nineties, before it partnered with Square on Kingdom Hearts, Disney stood out as an exception to the rule by licensing some classic platformers.
Two of those, Aladdin and The Lion King, hold a particular fondness for gamers of the time. Both games featured some tight platforming, fun level design, and stories that put players in the films. While these games have Steam versions, they haven't shown up in collections like the Sega Genesis Mini because of licensing, much to the dismay of fans, but that's about to end.
According to an insider at this week's GameStop Con, the remasters will upscale the resolutions of both games to high-definition. They will also feature the original soundtracks and will allow players to choose between the SNES and Genesis versions. Maybe fans can finally put an end to the rivalry and agree once-and-for-all on the superior version. The games will come out in October with pre-orders opening tomorrow at GameStop.
Aladdin came out in 1993 and The Lion King in 1994. Both tied-in with the original releases of their respective Disney films. Players who owned the games as children have a fondness and nostalgia for them that rivals that of the Mario or Sonic games of the time.
Disney hasn't done a remaster like this in a while. The last popular Disney game to get the treatment, Duck Tales, went further than just a remaster. The game got a full remake with updated level layouts, assets, and quality-of-life improvements. Unfortunately, fans can no longer purchase the remade Duck Tales because it has been delisted due to license expiration.
It seems like the onslaught of remasters won't let up any time soon. Publishers have discovered the value in capitalizing on the nostalgia and have continued to announce new versions of classic games. Another licensed franchise, Spongebob Squarepants, has also gotten the remaster treatment. No further details yet on these upcoming Disney remasters but it sounds like fans should expect more information tomorrow.
Aladdin Remastered and The Lion King Remastered will be available in October.