Aladdin
1993 · Platform · Genesis
Overview
The Genesis version of Aladdin was developed separately from the SNES version and used actual animation cels from the Disney film — the first time a licensed game had used authentic film production assets. The result was animation quality that no other Genesis game approached. Designer Dave Perry created a game that was genuinely reviewed as superior to the SNES alternative.
Deep Dive
The Genesis Aladdin was developed by Virgin Games under Dave Perry using actual animation artwork produced by Disney's animation studio — a licensing arrangement unprecedented in game development. Each character frame was drawn by Disney animators in the same style as the film, giving the game animation that was visually continuous with the movie. The SNES version, developed separately by Capcom, was considered technically inferior despite the SNES's stronger hardware.
Developer Story
Aladdin was developed by Virgin Games in London under Dave Perry, who negotiated access to Disney's animation production assets. The game launched in November 1993 and was commercially successful, becoming one of the best-selling Genesis games of the holiday season.
Did You Know?
- The Genesis Aladdin used actual animation cels drawn by Disney studio animators — the first time a game had licensed authentic animation production assets from a film studio.
- Dave Perry, the game's lead designer, left Virgin Games to found Shiny Entertainment — his next game was Earthworm Jim.
- The SNES version of Aladdin was developed by Capcom and is a completely different game with different levels and gameplay — both versions were released in the same month.
- Disney's agreement to provide animation assets was contingent on the game matching the film's visual quality — the development team was required to submit artwork samples to Disney for approval throughout development.
