History VideoGame / TheLionKing

On October 29, 2019, Nighthawk Interactive and Creator/DigitalEclipse re-released the SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy versions of the game alongside ''VideoGame/{{Aladdin|VirginGames}}'' (the Genesis, Game Boy, and Super Game Boy versions) as part of an HD compilation called ''Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and the Lion King'' for UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows (via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}), UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. Notably, this was released the same year as two widely successful [[Film/DisneyLiveActionRemakes live-action remakes]] of [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2019 both]] [[Film/Aladdin2019 films]]. Later, on September 23rd, 2021, Nighthawk Interactive announced that they would be releasing another compilation called ''Disney Classic Games Collection'', which includes all the aforementioned games, as well as ''VideoGame/{{Aladdin|Capcom}}'' (the SNES Version), and both the SNES and Sega Genesis versions of the ''VideoGame/TheJungleBook'' video game. This compilation is set for a Fall 2021 release on the [=PS4=], Xbox One, and Switch.

On October 29, 2019, Nighthawk Interactive and Creator/DigitalEclipse re-released the SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy versions of the game alongside ''VideoGame/{{Aladdin|VirginGames}}'' (the Genesis, Game Boy, and Super Game Boy versions) as part of an HD compilation called ''Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and the Lion King'' for UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows (via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}), UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. Notably, this was released the same year as two widely successful [[Film/DisneyLiveActionRemakes live-action remakes]] of [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2019 both]] [[Film/Aladdin2019 films]].

* ZergRush: Once Simba grows up, hyenas stop being much of a threat when fought singularly. They make up for it by attacking you in numbers, especially in "Simba's Return."

* DummiedOut:
** The monkeys in "Simba's Destiny" originally [[DungFu threw feces]], but after Disney execs objected, their ammo was changed to rocks.
** [[AllThereInTheManual The manual mentions]] two additional PoisonMushroom bugs that were intended to appear in the game alongside the existing Bombardier beetles and Black Widow spiders: flies which empty your roar meter, and dragonflies which deal a medium amount of damage. Subverted, in that they ''do'' appear, but only in the bonus levels, where collecting them merely ends the bonus round. They never appear during actual gameplay as Simba.

** 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. [[note]]Averted in the DOS and Amiga version which used "Circle of Life" from the main menu instead.[[/note]]

** 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. [[note]]Averted in the DOS version which used "Circle of Life" from the main menu instead.[[/note]]

** While there are generic hyena mooks as enemies in the game, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed do not actually show up. Banzai only gets his "If you ever come back, we'll kill ya" line in a cutscene.
* AcrophobicBird: Zigzagged with the vultures in "Elephant Graveyard", which come in two variations: those that only walk back and forth on the ground, never taking flight, and those that do fly.

* 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.

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

* 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).

[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_lion_king_coverart.png]] 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.

* OneHitKill: Colliding with an obstacle during the [[MinecartMadness ostrich riding]] section of "Can't Wait to Be King", touching the geysers in the Elephant Graveyard, or getting caught by a boulder during one of the game's many IndyChase segments will drop Simba in a single blow. On the flip side, Adult Simba's flip attack serves as this for his enemies, which otherwise take several hits to finish off.

** The Adult Simba levels count to a lesser extent, as the combat mechanics change from mere [[GoombaStomp pouncing]] to actual combat with his claws. The pounce still works, it just deals damage over time rather than outright killing the enemy like young Simba's pounce does.

** The Adult Simba levels count to a lesser extent, as the combat mechanics change from mere GoombaStomps to

** [AllThereInTheManual The manual mentions]] two additional PoisonMushroom bugs that were intended to appear in the game alongside the existing Bombardier beetles and Black Widow spiders: flies which empty your roar meter, and dragonflies which deal a medium amount of damage. Subverted, in that they ''do'' appear, but only in the bonus levels, where collecting them merely ends the bonus round. They never appear during actual gameplay as Simba.

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

* TheSpiny: Porcupines cannot be jumped over unless Young Simba rolls on them or roars at them.

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: "The Stampede" is not the traditional platformer, but a race that requires avoiding wildebeests and uneven terrain.

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. Interestingly enough, this game received a [[NoExportForYou PAL-exclusive]] port for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem of all platforms in 1995, with this port being the final game officially licensed and released for the system.

On October 29, 2019, Nighthawk Interactive and Creator/DigitalEclipse be re-released the SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy versions of the game alongside ''VideoGame/{{Aladdin|VirginGames}}'' (the Genesis, Game Boy, and Super Game Boy versions) as part of an HD compilation called ''Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and the Lion King'' for UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows (via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}), UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. Notably, this was released the same year as two widely successful [[Film/DisneyLiveActionRemakes live-action remakes]] of [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2019 both]] [[Film/Aladdin2019 films]].

In August 2019, it was announced that Nighthawk Interactive and Digital Eclipse would be re-releasing the SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy versions of the game alongside ''[[VideoGame/AladdinVirginGames Aladdin]]'' (the Genesis, Game Boy, and Super Game Boy versions) as part of an HD compilation called ''Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King'', to be released in autumn 2019 for UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows (via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}), UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. Notably, this announcement comes just a few months after the widely successful 2019 remakes of [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2019 both]] [[Film/Aladdin2019 films]].

* AmbiguousSpecies: The enemy cats in the level Simba's Destiny. They are based on the cheetah from the beginning of the film, and the manual refers to them as cheetahs, but they are in a jungle instead of the savanna, are not shown to be particularly fast, and due to the color palette of the level are pale to the point of resembling snow leopards. This causes many players to be confused as to whether these enemies are cheetahs or not.

* AmbiguousSpecies: The enemy cats in the level Simba's Destiny. They are based on the cheetah from the beginning of the film, but they are in a jungle instead of the savanna, are not shown to be particularly fast, and due to the color palette of the level are pale to the point of resembling snow leopards. This causes many players to be confused as to whether these enemies are cheetahs or not.

* MisplacedWildlife: Why are there a bunch of cheetahs in the jungle? (They look like leopards, but the manual refers to them as cheetahs, and if you look closely, you'll notice the sprite is based off the cheetah that appears in the opening sequence of the film.)

** 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.

* AIRoulette: The hyenas in the Master System and Game Gear versions of the game, as well as prototypes of the 16-bit versions. This makes them much harder to kill, since their random behavior can cause them not to become vulnerable for long periods of time.

* AmbiguousSpecies: The enemy cats in the adult Simba level. They look like they may be cheetahs because of their slim build and solid spots (as opposed to a leopard's rosettes) but they are in a jungle instead of the savanna, and they are not shown to be particularly fast, so it's possible they are meant to be leopards and the solid spots are just a stylization. Hard call.

* InstantlyDefeatheredBird: The vultures from ''Elephant Graveyard'' are rendered completely bald when Simba Goomba stomps them.

* LethalLavaLand: Level 8, "Be Prepared". Especially JustForFun/{{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]].
* LuckBasedMission: In the DOS version, the fountain of acid that Simba needs to escape (by climbing), seems to be bugged. It either starts rising or not. When it does rise, [[FakeDifficulty it is too fast to escape even by frantically mashing the jump button.]]

* 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."

* CheatCode: There is a code that lets you ''play the entire game upside down.'' No, [[https://youtu.be/H2QXuxCE7Rk really. Explained around 14:40]]

* TacticalSuicideBoss: A way to defeat the gorilla of "Hakuna Matata" is to deflect his coconuts at him by rolling and then jumping over him.

** 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.

* GoombaStomp: How young Simba defeats his enemies.

* MagicalMysteryDoors: "Simba's Return".

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

* RingOutBoss: Scar.

* TheSpiny: Porcupines.

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: "The Stampede".