Disney Classic Games Collection

Digital Eclipse and publisher Nighthawk Interactive did a fantastic job with bringing three Disney 16-bit classics back to the current generation of gaming and offered up additional content to justify the reasonable price tag. One can only hope that they can get ahold of more Disney-owned gaming content *cough cough* LUCASARTS *ahem* and bring it back to life. Until such a time, they did a heckuva job with the Disney Classic Games Collection. While not perfect, it’s still a worthwhile trip down memory lane.

The Disney Classic Games Collection brings some true classics back into the spotlight with useful new features and excellent bonus content. This is the best way to play these nostalgic titles, and while some have aged better than others, I’m glad to be able to play them again.

Disney Classic Games is a brilliant re-release of Aladdin, The Jungle Book, and The Lion King and the best way to experience these games. It is a very impressive package that not only bundles these classic titles and goes beyond that.

If you're seeking something classic or want to travel back in time to a simpler area of gaming, then this collection is for you. While I had great fun revisiting these and even finishing them as I could never complete Lion King or Jungle Book in the day, the tweaks definitely allowed for this. However I have been spoiled for gaming since then and the gameplay does become repetitive but still a fun experience that is like the virtual coffee book of gaming.

Aladdin holds up as a great platformer of the era, but Jungle Book simply does not. All of the museum extras are incredible, but might not be as worthwhile unless you're interested in the history and legacy of these games. Combine this DLC with the original content and it's an excellent historical collection that paints a cel-animated picture of a specific era of Disney video games during a time when adaptations of animated movies were much bigger events.

If you own the original, it's well worth the $9.99 update with DLC. At the same time, those on the fence waiting (hoping) for SNES Aladdin, it's finally here to offer the best of both 16-bit worlds. The Jungle Book (Genesis version) is icing on the cakes. Disney Classic Games Collection: Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Jungle Book is an easy recommendation for 16-bit fans.

The Disney Classic Games Collection is very thorough and fantastic. If you have any nostalgic love for these games, then this collection is the best way to play them, and if you’re a younger gamer, who is at all curious as to why some of us adults have a special place in our hearts for 90s 2D platformers, then this collection would be an excellent place to find out. Hopefully this release leads to future Disney Collections. My fingers are crossed for a Mickey Mouse bundle featuring the Magical Quest trilogy, Mickey Mania, the Castle and World of Illusion games, and the Japanese-only Mickey no Tokyo Disneyland Daibōken game. A kid can dream, right?