Virgin's Aladdin remains a visual peak on the Mega Drive, with animation worthy of a Disney cartoon. Short, but its smoothness and charm hold up perfectly.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
Aladdin battles Jafar and his henchmen in Disney film-inspired levels in this Sega and Virgin Mega Drive platformer. Published by Sega/Virgin, released in the United States in November 1993. Platformer with Aladdin using his sword and apples, colourful Disney film levels, exceptional visuals.
Aladdin review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Animation drawn by Disney studios: sprites of prodigious fluidity, shimmering colours and teeming Oriental settings compose a playable animated film of rare beauty. The suppleness of the line and the richness of the hues overflow with charm. This art direction, polished and sumptuous, remains a peak of the 16-bit platformer.
Tommy Tallarico transposes the Disney film's themes onto the FM chip with unexpected breadth: oriental brass, souk percussion, flute flights above the rooftops of Agrabah. The arrangements shift mood with each tableau, from the market chase to the cave of wonders. Goldsmith's work on a machine reputed to be dry.
The NTSC edition of Aladdin is the American version of Virgin's game, released in a large print run on Genesis. Its collector value comes from the widely recognized quality of the port and from the fact that the Genesis version preceded all the 16-bit Disney ports, retroactively making the US cartridge a benchmark in the Disney/Virgin sub-series of the era.
Is Aladdin still worth playing in 2026?
A Mega Drive adaptation of the Disney film by Virgin Games with animation supervised by Disney studios, Aladdin offers a 2D platformer of absolutely exceptional animation quality for the era. The sword system differentiates the title from the Super Nintendo version and offers more dynamic handling. The levels faithful to the film, the orchestral soundtrack and the well dosed pacing remain absolutely irresistible. For anyone fond of Disney or polished 16 bit platformers, an absolutely essential recommendation today still here truly indeed.
