I Revisited One Of My Favourite Childhood Video games 30 Years Later, And It Nearly Broke Me

Rising up, I wasn’t the most important fan of Disney. I had a small number of three or 4 of the films (on then-cutting-edge VHS tapes) that I watched rather a lot, however these had been the one ones I used to be actually uncovered to.

The difficulty was, certainly one of them was The Lion King, which then made me assume that taking part in the Sega Genesis model of The Lion King can be a good suggestion. Enjoyable, even.

Trying again at this 1994 launch, which additionally hit the SNES and different programs in numerous types, it’s largely remembered just for the extreme problem. Not solely can it kick you within the tooth as laborious as an enraged Pumbaa (that’s Mister Pig to you), it appears to please to find each attainable alternative to take action.

There have been plenty of influential Sega Genesis video games, however for me, this one was what licensed video games had been all about. Inventive takes on the supply materials, with clever sufficient design to face with out counting on the identify. There was actually some devious design all through this one.

Curiously, I don’t bear in mind the sport being that troublesome once I initially performed. I struggled in locations and misplaced numerous lives, positive, however I’ve reminiscences of flipping Scar off the highest of Satisfaction Rock to his doom on a number of events. I didn’t have the abilities to pay the payments, as a result of I had no such grownup duties to fret about on the time, however I actually had the abilities to energy by this sport in a single session (this was an period earlier than such luxuries as saving your progress).

Returning to it in 2025, with a number of a long time of gaming expertise beneath my belt, I didn’t anticipate to have any points in any respect. I do know what I’m letting myself in for, I foolishly thought. And that, pals, is how my hubris set me up for an embarrassing humbling.

The sport begins innocently sufficient, with a moderately commonplace platforming stage that duties Simba with venturing by a grassy stretch of the Pridelands. The hardest foes listed here are the hyenas on the finish of the extent, who could be dispatched by a swift soar or two on their heads on the proper second.

I’ve beforehand explored the extreme problem of the sport and 90s cult traditional Battletoads, and with The Lion King, every part began going distinctly pear-shaped for me from I Simply Can’t Wait To Be King onwards.

I completely couldn’t work out the best monkeys to roar at or the order through which to take action, so I floundered round on this stage for an embarrassing period of time till I came across the best option to do it (and had memorized the sequence that allowed me to dodge all of the obstacles whereas using on the hen’s again).

My reward for doing so was, all too quickly, progressing to the stampede stage, which supplied extra unforgiving obstacle-dodging.

The Hardest Ultimate Boss, For All The Improper Causes

As grownup Simba for the sport’s later ranges, there have been Indiana Jones-esque rolling boulders to keep away from (which might ship you straight again to a checkpoint on the slightest contact, naturally), platforming challenges with drips of lava falling in at simply the best second to clip you, and a devious puzzle involving a sequence of caves that noticed me going round in circles for longer than I care to confess.

Lastly, I arrived on the climactic showdown towards dastardly uncle Scar himself. This stage, actually, was the defining second of the entire expertise.

Leaping from perilous cliff edge to perilous cliff edge, you battle Scar a number of instances over, as he retreats additional on every time. Lastly, there’s nowhere else for him to run, and I simply wanted to complete him off.

I knew what to do, the place to do it from, and which transfer to make use of. A sure sequence of inputs causes grownup Simba to throw a foe over his shoulder, however I merely couldn’t get that transfer to activate.

Ultimately, Scar all however stops preventing again fully, merely panting in entrance of you. That is the not-so-subtle cue to do precisely as above. I fumbled to finish the maneuver, and within the time it took, Scar had tiredly shuffled again somewhat, so he stopped simply earlier than the sting after lastly being thrown.

I repositioned once more, and the identical occurred. I repeated this course of about 4 or 5 instances earlier than, in the end, Scar was propelled off of Satisfaction Rock. With a triumphant – if questionably tinny in a 1994 Sega Genesis form of manner – roar from Simba, the credit started to roll ultimately.

Actually, it didn’t matter that my foe had all however given up and resigned himself to his destiny about twenty minutes in the past. Hilariously inept or not, a victory is a victory.

Now, previous to this, I hadn’t performed the sport for a minimum of 20 years. I’ve by no means had a remotely simple time with it, however I actually don’t bear in mind fighting it as a lot as I simply did in 2025.

I’m positive, although, that attempting to ascend that waterfall by leaping from tiny log to tiny log (as they quickly transfer down the waterfall) is simply as nightmarish as ever.

When all’s mentioned and performed, although, I don’t assume I’ve fought this difficult to finish a sport in fairly some time, and that’s fairly one thing for a 31-year-old title. Kudos to the builders: This one nonetheless makes you’re employed for it. It may not be one of many Genesis’s greatest video games, nevertheless it positive sticks within the thoughts, a beloved problem.