All Time Top 5 Disney Video Games

Disney has been releasing incredible video games on coin-operated, handheld, PC and console devices since the 1980s. A lot of the titles followed Mickey’s earlier adventures, but the brand soon expanded their stories to include other favorite characters.

They released a myriad of other video games with the likes of Goofy, Donald Duck and the rest of the gang, along with then-newcomers like Simba from The Lion King.

Eventually, Disney started pushing boundaries, releasing titles with not-yet-met characters like Kingdom Hearts’ Sora. They even released titles with all our best characters in the form of Disney Infinity.

To date, Disney has produced more than 100 titles, including some of the best video games ever. They’ve served up hour upon hour of entertainment and just a little frustration when you can’t hack the next level of your best game!

Most importantly, Disney makes us feel magically welcome with every game they produce. That’s why I’ve decided it’s time to take a look at the top 5 games they’ve produced so far.

DuckTales

Who doesn’t like DuckTales, right? Well, okay, it’s kind of a love-frustration thing with Uncle Scrooge, but most people love DuckTales nonetheless. Who couldn’t back a family of cute ducks hunting treasures and going on adventures? As great as the cartoon is, I have to say that the real contribution to this world is really the NES game of the same title.

I think what makes the DuckTales game so cool is that it’s one of the few NES titles from Disney that doesn’t feel like it’s cribbing something else. There’s 2D side-scrollers, sure, but the game quickly establishes a few mechanics, like the awesome weaponized cane bounces, that other games would probably want to pinch.

The real trump card, though, has got to be the game’s soundtrack. I’d dare to say it’s one of the best of the NES days, complete with my ranking amongst the best video game songs ever. I mean, really, tell me you’re not singing “DuckTales, -woo-oo-“ right now!

Disneyland Adventures

This Xbox 360 Kinect game gave us the opportunity to step right into the magic of Disneyland. It was highly interactive, allowing you to explore shops, play games while on rides, and even get autographs from your favorites like you were really at a Disney theme park.

There was so much to explore and loads to do. The details, as we expect from Disney, were just amazing. In fact, stick it in for the kids this weekend, if you’ve got it, and I’ll bet that by next Thanksgiving you’ll have booked a real trip to Disneyland.

Lion King

You remember Sega Genesis, right? The 1990’s were such a cool time for games made off the back of Disney blockbusters, and The Lion King, made especially for Sega Genesis, was no exception.

Created by Virginia Interactive, the game sported a killer soundtrack (a-whim-a-way, a-whim-a-way!) and was rather challenging to boot.

The game was really well based on the movie, letting you play as the loveable Simba right from baby cub to adult King of the jungle. Whether you were scrambling to get out of the way of a stampede of wildebeests or on a mountain fighting Scar or even just hanging out with Pumbaa and Timon, it all felt so right.

There were even some cool bonus levels where you could actually be Pumbaa and Timon.

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Aladdin

Disney released two Aladdin games to bring a whole new world, shining, shimmering, splendid! They were pretty much sister titles, but I’d say the Sega Genesis version was superior.

On the whole, the gameplay was just so much better. The graphics felt so similar to the actual movie, not to mention the slick animations, soundtrack, and highly immersive gameplay that really did capture the Disney magic of it all.

I’m going to dare to say that it’s pretty hard to find another Disney video game that just did it all so very well.

Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mania was released in 1994, but it wasn’t just another titled pushed out by Disney. The game managed, successfully, to be a standalone title and a celebration of the most-loved mouse in the world who, at that time, had already been around for 65 years.

The story was etched around some of Mickey’s most well-known movies and cartoon shorts and was really an excuse for both new and old audiences alike to fling Mickey across his steamboat, fight off spooks, and ascend a certain famous beanstalk, to name a few.

This is one addictive video game from Disney. It’s not that challenging, but it’s fun and highly sentimental for Mickey fans.

Did your favorite Disney video game make the cut? Or will you be scrambling to find the above titles for your kids this Christmas?

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