n/a
The Lion King
System(s): Sega Mega Drive , Sega Master System , Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Virgin Interactive , Sega
Developer: Westwood Studios , Disney Software , Krisalis , Syrox
Sound driver: Krisalis sound driver
Peripherals supported: Six Button Control Pad
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Release
Date
RRP
Code
JP
1994-12-09
¥7,8007,800
T-70083
US
1994-11[2]
T-70316
EU
1994
T-70316-50
DE
1994
T-70316-18
ES
1994
T-70316-06
FR
1994
T-70316-09
PT
1994
MD70316
UK
1994-11[1]
£49.9949.99
T-70316-05
IT
1994
T-70316-13
AU
199x
$99.9599.95[3]
FLIO00SMC
AU (Platinum )
199x
FLIO00SMC
KR
199x
GM95006JT
EU
1994
MK-27081-50
DE
1994
MK-27081-18
ES
1994
MK-27081-06
FR
1994
MK-27081-09
PT
1994/1996
5,990$5,990
MS27081
UK
1994
£32.9932.99[4]
MK-27081-05
IT
1994
MK-27081-13
AU
199x
FLIO00SEC
BR
1994
028450
JP
1995-01-13
¥3,8003,800
G-3363
US
1994-11[2]
2549
US (Majesco )
199x
1205
EU
1994
T-70158-50
DE
1994
T-70158-18
ES
1994
T-70158-06
FR
1994
T-70158-09
PT
1994
GGJ2549
UK
1994
T-70158-05
IT
1994
T-70158-13
BR
199x
The Lion King (ライオンキング) is a platform game developed by Westwood Studios , Inc., Virgin Interactive , and Dark Technologies , and published by Virgin Interactive, Walt Disney Computer Software, and Sega for the Sega Mega Drive , Sega Game Gear , Sega Master System , and several other consoles.
It was developed for the Lion King franchise and follows a story and plot similar to the film. Due to this, it was one of the first games that featured a protagonist that gets older during the game's progress. The gameplay also changes from mainly platforming to a more action oriented approach.
Although intended for children, the game was often criticized for its difficulty even with easier settings. Despite the difficulty, it was rated positively by reviewers and gamers alike.
Gameplay
Levels
The Pridelands
Can't Wait to be King/The Mane Event
The second level in The Lion King is one of the hardest the game has to offer, specifically designed to appease management at Disney who wanted a longer game. This call came too late in development for the team to add new levels, so this stage saw its difficulty increase significantly, meaning it would take longer to complete.
The reasoning is thought to be behind Disney's approach to the rental market. Disney had set specific metrics regarding how far an average player should have progressed in a set period of time - if a game was too easy, the user would be less likely to buy the full retail product.
The Elephant Graveyard
The Stampede
The Game Gear and Master System versions present this stage from a side-on perspective.
Simba's Exile
Hakuna Matata
Simba's Destiny
Simba's return to the pridelands was cut from the final draft of the film, however as the game was made in conjunction with the script, these levels was produced before the decision was made. Reportedly Virgin Games had to fight to keep them in the final product, as Disney wanted the game to be as true to the film as possible.
Be Prepared
Simba's Return/Hyena Lairs
(Return to) Pride Rock
The Master System and Game Gear versions scrap most of this stage, only including the end fight with Scar.
Versions
Localised names
Also known as
Language
Localised Name
English Translation
English
The Lion King
The Lion King
Japanese
ライオンキング
Lion King
French
Le Roi Lion
The Lion King
German
Der König der Löwen
The Lion King
Spanish
El Rey León
The Lion King
Italian
Il Re Leone
The Lion King
Production credits
Mega Drive version
Creative Director/Producer: Louis Castle
Programming: Rob Povey, Barry Green
Assistant Programming: Ronald Pieket-Weeserik
Programming Support: Milo X Ballan, David "Hmmmmm" Dettmer
Lead Designer: Seth Mendelsohn
Assistant Designer: Erik Yeo
Background Art: Joseph B Hewitt IV, Kevin Oxland VIE UK, Hans Piwenitzky, Rick Parks
Animation: Cindy Chinn, David Dame, Penina Finger, Elie Arabian, Matt Hansel, Aaron Powell
Animation Clean-Up: Doug Verhaal, Barbarajo Shillings, John Pedraja, Mike Muehlendorf, Ken Seward
Audio Direction: Paul Mudra
Music & Sound: Matt Furniss (Krisalis Software, Ltd. )
Sound Driver: Krisalis Software, Ltd.
Manual Design: Edith Laramore
Quality Assurance Coordination: Glenn Sperry
Quality Assurance: Kenneth Dunne, Michael Lightner, Jesse Clemit, Chris Rubyor, Brad Roberts, Troy Leonard, William Baca, John & Patrick Sweeney
Executive Producer: Brett W Sperry
Vice President Product Development: Christopher D Yates
Special Thanks To: Colin Gordon-VIE UK, Dave Chapman-VIE UK, Felix Kupis, Ted Morris, Lawrence Hiler-Chip Level Designs, David O'Riva-Bitmasters, Donna, Tony, Samantha & James Castle, Linda, Jennifer & Kimberly Green
Senior Producer: Patrick Gilmore
Assistant Producer: Michael Giacchino
Artwork: John Fiorito, Alex Schaeffer, Christina Vann, Ann-Bettina Colace
Additional Art: Katy Adams, Thomas Ang, Tom Breeden, Kurt Dumas, Hugh Jamieson, Roddy Novarro, Rob Titus
Art Support: Arden Ishimaru
Storyboards/Concept Art: Erik Wiese
Additional Music: Jeff Rona-Media Ventures, Inc.
Software Production Admin.: C. Steve Booth
Production Assistant: Joseph Santos
Product Analyst: Eric Ventura, Joseph Reyes, Toby Espiritu, Julius Baldueza, Daryl David
Disney Animation Services
Producer: Paul Curasi
Creative/Technical Consultant: Chuck Williams
Production Coordinator: Cammie Cavallin
Assistant to the Producer: Annette Laguer
Business Manager: Darrell Brown
Production Assistant: Cyndi Sager
Production Designer: Keith Newton
Supervising Animator: Chris Bradley
Animators: Anthony Michaels, Aaron Blaise, Darko cesar, Serguei Koushnerov, Rob Corley, Travis Blaise, Branko Mihanovic, Sasha Dorogov, Elliot Bour, Phil Boyd, Tim Hodge
Assistant Animators: Merritt Andrews, Caroline Clifford, Craig Crasso
Clean-Up Artists: arden Chan, Kevin Proctor, Anthony Stanley
Image Processing Specialist: Pamela Darley
Assistant Editor: Gary Blair
Support Associate Trainee: Brent Tiano
Special Thanks To: Roger Allers, Ruben Aquino, Clare Baren, Jeff Dixon, Don Hahn, Rob Minoff, Ruben Procopio, Bob Stanton
[[[Virgin Interactive|Virgin Interactive Entertainment]]
Vice President: Neil Young
Production Coordinators: Robb Alvey, Jeff Ziel
Assistant Coordinators: David Fries, Jeff Buccellato
Design Support: David Bishop, Chris Baver, Jared Brinkley, Sarah Thompson-VIE UK, Julian Rignal
Q/A Manager: Dave Maxey
Q/A Group Head: Chris McFarland
Lead Analyst: Jon Williams
Analyst: Scott Manning, Chad Soares, Stacey Mendoza, Craig McCoy, Paul Shoener, Chris Rausch
Additional Testing: Paul Villaneuva III, Eric Reid, Josh Kales, Anthony Nicholas, Joshua Madson, Richard Chan, Jay Yi, Mark Holloway, Duane Peralta, Josh Coon, Colin Elliott, Mike Galindo, Candace Galindo
Master System and Game Gear versions
Developed in the UK by: Syrox Developments
Produced and Programmed by: Dominic Wood
Graphic Artists: Mark Knowles, Tony West, Mickey Adams, John Green, Jim Studt, Jason Green, Kevin Watts, Andrew Cambridge, Kevin McMahon
Music and Sound: Krisalis , Matt Furniss
Product Producer: Ian Mathias
Test Manager: Kevin Turner
Testers: Tony Hinds, John Martin, Paul Welton, Simon Humber, Tony Byus, Michael Wenn, Carl Perrin, Alon Malka
Sr. Producer: Patrick Gilmore
Assistant Producer: Michael Giacchino
Producer: Rhonda Van
Assistant Producer: Erik Whaiberg
Product Manager: Chrissie Huneke
Test Lead: Crisi Albertson
Assistant Leads: Kimberly Rogers , Ben Cureton
Testers: Sam Saliba , Rachael Bristol, Jeffery Kessler, Joel Breton , Carey Camacho, Bill Person , Blair Bullock , Gregg Vogt , Todd Morgan , Don Carmichael , Maria Tuzzo , Amine Khoury, Ben Szymkowiak , Randy Kriedt, Kif Davis, Daniel Wong, Bart Larrenaga, Mark Griffin
Magazine articles
Main article: The Lion King/Magazine articles .
Promotional material
Main article: The Lion King/Promotional material .
Merchandise
Physical scans
Mega Drive version
Sega Retro Average
Publication
Score
Source
Beep! MegaDrive (JP)
68
№1995-01, p22[5]
Beep! MegaDrive (readers) (JP)
64
№, p85[6]
CD Consoles (FR)
56
№1, p156-159[7]
Consoles + (FR)
94
№37
Computer & Video Games (UK)
79
№157, p87[8]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)
80
№64, p44[9]
Famitsu (JP)
58
№313, p39
Game Players (US)
94
№0712, p185[10]
GamesMaster (UK)
90
№23, p46[11]
87
№67
Games World: The Magazine (UK)
86
№6, p15
Joypad (FR)
93
№36, p82-85[12]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
87
№26, p58-61[13]
Player One (FR)
95
№47, p94-97[14]
Sega Power (UK)
79
№61, p44-46
Sega Pro (UK)
90
№39, p38/39
Sonic the Comic (UK)
90
№42, p11
VideoGames (US)
70
№71, p97[15]
Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart
Manual
Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart
Manual
Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart
Manual
Mega Drive, AU
Cover
Cart
Manual
Silver Cart variant
Mega Drive, UK
Cover
Mega Drive, FR
Cover
Manual
Mega Drive, DE
Cover
Mega Drive, ES
Cover
Mega Drive, IT
Cover
Mega Drive, KR
Cart
Master System version
Master System, EU
Cover
Cart
Master System, UK
Cover
Master System, FR
Cover
Master System, DE
Cover
Master System, ES
Cover
Master System, IT
Cover
Master System, BR
Cover
Cart
Manual
Master System, AU
Cover
Master System, PT
Cover
Game Gear version
Game Gear, US
Cart
Manual
Game Gear, EU
Cart
Game Gear, JP
Cart
Game Gear, BR
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320x120px Cover
Game Gear, FR
Manual
Game Gear, ES
Cover
Technical information
ROM dump status
System
Hash
Size
Build Date
Source
Comments
✔
CRC32
5696a5bc
MD5
e37bf6813648ec5e8bdbd2f7070010f8
SHA-1
24cbe4e75ec10e8e0ffbdb400cf86ecb072d4da9
3MB
1994-10
Cartridge (US/EU/JP)
?
CRC32
c352c7eb
MD5
e50336c0d146e8a341c7ae198a016527
SHA-1
3a64657e3523a5da1b99db9d89b1a48ed4ccc5ed
512kB
Cartridge (EU)
?
CRC32
0cd9c20b
MD5
b2405427e53fc2e358ea199619154fc9
SHA-1
49f00887a297f70a51711fe18433bc168ec49fc9
512kB
Cartridge (EU)
?
CRC32
c78b8637
MD5
81e5a88e8268a1b5730245a36fac812f
SHA-1
20e01958c3e3de905622c90838cd485a3338d7a4
512kB
Cartridge (JP)
?
CRC32
9808d7b3
MD5
62328f27bcda54d1882a265bf8378688
SHA-1
e21025b2f6d5bbc18107905ad6c0c58d061d9c17
512kB
Cartridge (US)
References
↑ File:SegaMagazine UK 11.pdf, page 74
↑ 2.0 2.1 File:GamePlayers US 0710.pdf, page 12
↑ File:Megazone AU 46.pdf, page 34
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 File:CVG UK 159.pdf, page 90 Cite error: Invalid <ref>
tag; name ":File:CVG UK 159.pdf_p90" defined multiple times with different content
↑ File:BeepMD_JP_1995-01.pdf, page 24
↑ File:SSM_JP_19950901_1995-09.pdf, page 87
↑ File:CDConsoles FR 01.pdf, page 156
↑ 8.0 8.1 File:CVG UK 157.pdf, page 87 Cite error: Invalid <ref>
tag; name ":File:CVG UK 157.pdf_p87" defined multiple times with different content
↑ 9.0 9.1 File:EGM US 064.pdf, page 46 Cite error: Invalid <ref>
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↑ File:GamePlayers US 0712.pdf, page 187
↑ 11.0 11.1 File:GamesMaster UK 023.pdf, page 46 Cite error: Invalid <ref>
tag; name ":File:GamesMaster UK 023.pdf_p46" defined multiple times with different content
↑ 12.0 12.1 File:Joypad FR 036.pdf, page 82 Cite error: Invalid <ref>
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↑ 13.0 13.1 File:MeanMachinesSega26UK.pdf, page 58 Cite error: Invalid <ref>
tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega26UK.pdf_p58" defined multiple times with different content
↑ File:PlayerOne FR 047.pdf, page 90
↑ 15.0 15.1 File:VideoGames US 71.pdf, page 97 Cite error: Invalid <ref>
tag; name ":File:VideoGames US 71.pdf_p97" defined multiple times with different content
↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega , "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 117
↑ Beep! MegaDrive , "January 1995" (JP; 1994-12-08), page 24
↑ CD Consoles , "Novembre 1994" (FR; 1994-xx-xx), page 155
↑ Cool Gamer , "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 117
↑ Computer + Video Giochi , "Gennaio 1995" (IT; 199x-xx-xx), page 98
↑ Digitiser (UK) (1994-11-14 )
↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995) , "November 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 110
↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 , "" (RU; 1999-xx-xx), page 326
↑ Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 2 , "" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 118
↑ Famitsu , "1994-12-16" (JP; 1994-12-02), page 39
↑ Freak , "1/95" (IL; 1995-xx-xx), page 1
↑ Game Players , "Vol. 7 No. 11 November 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 154
↑ Game Players , "Vol. 7 No. 12 December 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 54
↑ GamePro , "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 108
↑ Gamers , "Januar 1995" (DE; 1995-01-08), page 20
↑ GamesMaster (UK) "Series 4, episode 5" (1994-10-18, 24:00) (+6:59)
↑ Games World: The Magazine , "December 1994" (UK; 1994-10-28), page 15
↑ Game Informer , "December 1994" (US; 1994-1x-xx), page 44
↑ Igry Sega Luchshiye iz luchshikh. Vypusk 1 , "" (RU; 2000-12-07), page 110
↑ LeveL , "Leden 1995" (CZ; 1995-01-24), page 41
↑ MAN!AC , "01/95" (DE; 1994-12-07), page 62
↑ Mega Fun , "12/94" (DE; 1994-11-23), page 108
↑ Megazin , "Letnik 2, Številka 16, December 1994" (SI; 1994-xx-xx), page 27
↑ Micro Kid's Multimédia , "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-1x-xx), page 56
↑ Magazina Igrushek , "2/1995" (RU; 1995-xx-xx), page 66
↑ Novaya Real'nost' (RU) "Episode 12" (1995-09-01, ) (+0:00)
↑ Player One , "Novembre 1994" (FR; 1994-1x-xx), page 94
↑ Play Time , "1/95" (DE; 1994-12-07), page 100
↑ Power Up! , "Saturday, November 12, 1994" (UK; 1994-11-12), page 1
↑ Saturn Fan , "1995 March" (JP; 1995-02-08), page 41
↑ Sega Magazin , "Dezember 1994" (DE; 1994-11-17), page 16
↑ Sega Power , "December 1994" (UK; 1994-10-20), page 44
↑ Sega Pro , "December 1994" (UK; 1994-11-03), page 38
↑ Sega Force , "7-8/94" (SE; 1994-10-19), page 24
↑ Sega Mega Drive Review , "1" (RU; 1995-04-03), page 89
↑ Sega Saturn Magazine , "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 87
↑ Sonic the Comic , "January 6th 1995" (UK; 1994-12-24), page 11
↑ Todo Sega , "Noviembre 1994" (ES; 1994-1x-xx), page 42
↑ Tricks 16 bit , "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 105
↑ 55.0 55.1 File:MeanMachinesSega27UK.pdf, page 114 Cite error: Invalid <ref>
tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega27UK.pdf_p114" defined multiple times with different content
↑ Gamers , "Januar 1995" (DE; 1995-01-08), page 23
↑ 57.0 57.1 Player One , "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-1x-xx), page 149
↑ 58.0 58.1 Play Time , "1/95" (DE; 1994-12-07), page 104
↑ Sega Magazine , "January 1995" (UK; 1994-12-15), page 108
↑ Sega Pro , "December 1994" (UK; 1994-11-03), page 73
↑ Todo Sega , "Noviembre 1994" (ES; 1994-1x-xx), page 46
↑ 62.0 62.1 Video Games , "2/95" (DE; 1995-01-18), page 113
↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995) , "April 1995" (US; 1995-0x-xx), page 95
↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly , "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 46
↑ Famitsu , "1995-01-20" (JP; 1995-01-06), page 40
↑ GamePro , "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 250
↑ Gamers , "Januar 1995" (DE; 1995-01-08), page 22
↑ Games World: The Magazine , "December 1994" (UK; 1994-10-28), page 21
↑ Mega Fun , "01/95" (DE; 1994-12-21), page 32
↑ Sega Magazine , "January 1995" (UK; 1994-12-15), page 112
↑ Todo Sega , "Noviembre 1994" (ES; 1994-1x-xx), page 47