History VideoGame / TheLionKing

* NeverSayDie: Notably averted in the SNES port, a rare occurrence for the company; A brief cutscene has Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons) ordering Simba's death: "Kill him."

* BreatherLevel: The game alternates between easier and harder levels.

** Of the main cast, Nala is no where to be found in the game. Oddly her and Simba's romantic song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" is still used in the end credits.

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[NintendoHard Horribly,]] ''[[GuideDangit horribly]]'' subverted by the second level, "Can't Wait To Be King". Figuring out just which way the pink monkeys have to be facing in order to get flung into the right direction is an exercise in patience. Also, (while technically not a monkey) the gorilla boss in "Hakuna Matata" is abusively difficult. And then there are those stone-throwing monkeys in the level ''Simba' s Destiny''...

* MagicalMysteryDoors: "Simba's Return."

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: "The Stampede."

** While there are hyena mooks as enemies in the game, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed do not actually show up - even in the level with a hyena boss. Banzai only gets his "If you ever come back we'll kill ya" line in a cutscene.

* LethalLavaLand: Level 8, "Be Prepared". Especially {{egregious}} as the level [[AdaptationExpansion is not based on any scene in the movie.]] Yes, there is lava during the song of the same name in the film, but Simba doesn't appear in it, and it happens much earlier. Doesn't change the fact that it is a tough stage. Apparently they developed the game prior to the release of the movie, and based it on storyboards. There was allegedly supposed to be a scene where Simba dodges geysers as he passes through the elephant graveyard, but they [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kILeyo1iv0A cut it]].

The game appeared on a variety of platforms, including both the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis and the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem; unlike with ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', the two rival 16-bit consoles got what was essentially the same game, and telling which version was better [[http://www.retro-sanctuary.com/Comparisons-The-Lion-King.html could be]] [[http://www.animationsource.org/lion_king/en/articles/The_lion_king_Official_Game_1994/81739.html a very close call]]. Other versions tended to leave stages out.

* DummiedOut: The monkeys in "Simba's Destiny" originally threw feces, but after Disney execs objected, their ammo was changed to rocks.

A PlatformGame based on Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''Disney/TheLionKing'', developed by Creator/WestwoodStudios and released by Virgin Interactive in 1994. The game has ten levels loosely following the plot (and the soundtrack) of the movie, the first six with Simba as a cub and the other four with the adult Simba.

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[NintendoHard Horribly,]] ''[[GuideDangit horribly]]'' subverted by the second level, "Can't Wait To Be King". Figuring out just which way the pink monkeys have to be facing in order to get flung into the right direction is an exercise in patience. Also, (while technically not a monkey) the gorilla boss in "Hakuna Matata" is abusively difficult.

* KillerGorilla: The boss in the "Hakuna Matata" level. Subverted in that he's not actively attacking Simba, only throwing coconuts at him, because apparently he wants to be left alone. It doesn't stop him from being [[NintendoHard the toughest boss in the game]].

* KillerGorilla: Subverted in that he's not actively attacking Simba, only throwing coconuts at him, because apparently he wants to be left alone. It doesn't stop him from being [[NintendoHard the toughest boss in the game]].

* AnimalStampede: "The Stampede", in which Simba has to dodge the buffalos and the rocks on the floor.

* AbsenteeActor: Of the main cast, Nala is no where to be found in the game. Oddly her and Simba's romantic song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" is still used in the end credits.
** Also, even though Timon and Pumbaa appear, Zazu doesn't show up at all.

* CopyProtection: The DOS port will ask for a random word on a random page of the manual each time it's run.

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[NintendoHard Horribly,]] ''[[GuideDangit horribly]]'' subverted by the second level, "Can't Wait To Be King". Figuring out just which way the pink monkeys have to be facing in order to get flung into the right direction is an exercise in patience.
** Also, the gorilla boss in "Hakuna Matata" is abusively difficult.

* IndyEscape: There are several instances where you have to escape a RollingBoulder.
** And they can be oh so frustrating if you haven't mastered roll by then.

* LethalLavaLand: Level 8, "Be Prepared". Especially {{egregious}} as the level [[AdaptationExpansion is not based on any scene in the movie.]] Yes, there is lava during the song of the same name in the film, but Simba doesn't appear in it, and it happens much earlier. Doesn't change the fact that it is a tough stage.
** Apparently they developed the game prior to the release of the movie, and based it on storyboards. There was allegedly supposed to be a scene where Simba dodges geysers as he passes through the elephant graveyard, but they cut it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kILeyo1iv0A]].

* MoodWhiplash: Mirroring the film, going from the Somber "Simba's Exile" stage to the lush bright jungle and music of "Hakuna Matata".
** Or the bonus levels between the Adult!Simba levels.
* NintendoHard: Infamously so, to the point where the creators of the game were delighted when two people in the audience had actually beaten the second level. [[http://np.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/2bef9h/walked_in_to_a_gaming_pawn_shop_last_night_walked/cj4ysdi Years later, one of the developers apologized on reddit.]]
** On the bright side, pressing B+A+R+R+Y and 'Start' on the SNES controller (or Right+A+A+B and 'Start' on the Genesis controller) opens up a hidden menu that allows to toggle invulnerability on (as well as selecting the level).

* ShoutOut: The gorilla boss at the end of the "Hakuna Matata" level, climbing higher and higher while throwing coconuts Simba has to dodge, might be a ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' homage.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kILeyo1iv0A A developer also said]] it was based on storyboarded character that was cut from the movie.

* BottomlessPits

* LavaSurfing: Done in one level by Simba on a stalactite.
* LedgeBats: These appear in the [[LethalLavaLand lava level]]: at one point you have to ride a river of lava on a floating rock. A very small rock. Any wrong move, and you fall in the lava. As you float further across the river, several bats awaken and try to hurt you. Being hurt pushes Simba back by about a meter, which is more than enough to make him fall into the lava.
* LethalLavaLand: Level 8, "Be Prepared". Especially {{egregious}} as the level [[AdaptationExpansion is not based on any scene in the movie.]] Yes, there is lava during the song of the same name in the film, but Simba doesn't appear in it, and it happens much earlier.

** Apparently they developed the game prior to the release of the movie, and based it on storyboards. There was allegedly supposed to be a scene where Simba dodges geysers as he passes through the elephant graveyard, but they cut it.

** A developer also said it was based on storyboarded character that was cut from the movie.

The game appeared on a variety of platforms, including both the SegaGenesis and the SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem; unlike with ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', the two rival 16-bit consoles got what was essentially the same game, and telling which version was better [[http://www.retro-sanctuary.com/Comparisons-The-Lion-King.html could be]] [[http://www.animationsource.org/lion_king/en/articles/The_lion_king_Official_Game_1994/81739.html a very close call]]. Other versions tended to leave stages out.

A PlatformGame based on {{Disney}}'s ''Disney/TheLionKing'', developed by Creator/WestwoodStudios and released by Virgin Interactive in 1994. The game has ten levels loosely following the plot (and the soundtrack) of the movie, the first six with Simba as a cub and the other four with the adult Simba.

* MoodWhiplash: Going from the Somber "Simba's Exile" stage to the lush bright jungle and music of "Hakuna Matata".

* DummiedOut: The monkeys in "Simba's Return" originally threw feces, but after Disney execs objected, their ammo was changed to rocks.

* DummiedOut: Originally the monkeys in the final level threw feces, but after Disney execs objected, their ammo was changed to rocks.

* DummiedOut: Originally the monkeys in the final level threw feces, but after Disney execs objected to their ammo was changed to rocks.