Disney has held the keys to keeping kids engaged since the days of Steamboat Willie. The movies, cartoons, and amusement parks have created a never-ending supply of characters and storylines. One of the most valuable franchises in the Disney stable is the Lion King story. The original movie has spawned Saturday morning cartoons, a Broadway show, a sequel that went straight to video, countless costumes and action figures, and now Disney is going back to the well with a pre-sequel dubbed Lion King 1 and 1/2, following the adventures of Simba’s companions Timon and
Pumba.
Disney elected to create a smart, sharp-looking 2D side-scrolling platform game that maximizes the assets of the GBA platform. The usual elements of jumping, climbing, shooting, and digging are carried out in a logical, approachable manner that is easy to learn. You play in one of three modes, solo, rider, and cooperative, each of which plays slightly differently and offers fresh challenges.
Each character has their unique talents and abilities. Timon, the meerkat, is the better jumper and can climb vines, dig through dirt barriers, etc.
Pumba uses his power belch to stun enemies, his ramming ability to knock out hyenas and break through barriers, and pushes boulders around. A joint talent is the ability of Timon to use
Pumba as a launching pad to leap high into the air to reach particularly juicy bugs to eat.
The game is broken up into five groups of five levels, with 40 bugs on each level to eat. It is not necessary to get every bug to unlock the next level, but you are rewarded for doing so. Every time you complete the level with all bugs eaten, you will unlock a piece of the jigsaw puzzle that represents the bonus level. After finishing the five levels in a group, players are rewarded with a short clip from the new movie.
The teamwork needed to complete the cooperative levels is where the most strategic thinking comes into play. You will alternate with the Select button between controlling Timon or Pumba, depending on what task you must perform and in what order. Often, the most obvious move may turn out to keep you from gathering all of the bugs in order to unlock the bonuses. This adds to the replayability as you go back to a previous level just to find that last bug.
This game is not intended to appeal to the adult gamer but rather, to the kids that swarm the movie theaters. It is easy to play, looks very good, and has a good tie-in with the upcoming movie. As kid-focused GBA games go, this one is a keeper.
Gameplay: 8.8
Side-scrolling platformer game that carries the Lion King franchise into a game that your kids will play for weeks. The different modes you play each level in add variety and spice to your approach to otherwise similar platform levels.
Graphics: 8.9
Graphics are a strong suit of a Disney franchise and LK 1.5 does not disappoint. The character animations are detailed and smooth, with attractive backgrounds that come right out of the movie sets.
Sound: 8.1
If you have ever visited one of the Disney parks, you know how pervasive the musical themes are as you walk from area to area. This game’s music and sound effects are classic Disney, but the game plays just as well with the sound turned off.
Very playable for kids 5-12, which is the target market. The challenge of finding all 40 insects will provide Dad incentive to steal the game for a few turns, but the kids will be the primary consumers of this one.
Concept: 8.5
Movie licenses have been problematic for video game producers in years past. LK 1.5 solves this conundrum by focusing on one specific type of game and doing it very well. This is a straight-forward, well put together kids game on the GBA.
Overall: 8.8
As a parent, I am always on the lookout for good games that kids can play without worrying about the content or violence they will be subjected to. Lion King 1.5 provides weeks of fun without the baggage of other games for kids.
