• Tag Archives Disney
  • Disney’s Hercules (PlayStation)

    Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly – Issue Number 98 – September 1997

    From the ad:

    “Zeus has answered your prayers. And now, it’s time to take your place among the gods in this hot new PlayStation game console adventure. Explore three worlds of 3-D game play right out of Disney’s Hercules movie – with the original character voices, sound effects and music. Mangle monsters like Hydra and the Cylcops. Terminate the Titans. Save Thebes from a hostile takover. Hey, this game can make you immortal!”

    Hercules was published by Virgin Games in 1997 and is based on the Disney animated movie of the same name. This is sort of a hybrid 2D/3D platform game. Whereas the 16-bit generation included endless side-scrolling platform adventure games, 32-bit systems were transitioning to 3D. Games like Tomb Raider and Super Mario 64 popularized this genre but personally, I never really made the transition. Hercules fits in sort of a middle ground but for the most part feels more like a traditional 2-D side-scroller.

    If you like 2D and/or 3D adventure games and are a Disney fan, this game isn’t bad. While movie licenses often make terrible games, it isn’t always the case and Disney really did an above average job most of the time. While not the masterpiece that games like Aladdin and Lion King were on 16-bit consoles, it is still reasonably solid.

    Hercules does a good job of capturing the look and feel of the movie. Environments are colorful and varied (and of course match the movie), the animation is smooth, and the voice clips are even from the original cast. While the controls are nothing special, the mechanics are straightforward and there isn’t much that should frustrate the average player in that regard. The soundtrack also includes music from the film and this is another thing that Disney has typically always done a good job with. This game is no exception.

    While the game overall is pretty good, it isn’t perfect and I would say it was made with the younger player in mind. This makes sense of course being a Disney game based on a Disney movie. The game is very short so experienced players will likely be able to complete it in a matter of hours. Even though the game is pretty good, I don’t think there is a lot of replayability here. Also, while the controls might be easy and straightforward, this is a double-edged sword. There is nothing here to frustrate you but there is also a lot of repetition when it comes to combat.

    This game isn’t really my cup of tea but it isn’t a bad game. If you like Hercules, usually like Disney games, or just like this style of game in general, then you should definitely give it a try. In addition to being released on the PlayStation, it was also released on the PC. I was a little surprised to see that this game was available on gog.com. Often, licensed games don’t see these kinds of re-releases. While being more of a retrogamer I would probably prefer the original PlayStation version, but at only $5.99 it’s hard not to recommend this as a cheap and easy way to play the game.

    Screen shots above are from the PlayStation version of the game. The ad (top and bottom) is from the September 1997 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly.


  • Disney MGM: Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show (2006-05-27)

    The stunt show at Disney MGM (now Hollywood Studios) in Orlando, Florida.

    This show was designed to show what it was like to film movie scene involving stunts, in this case featuring cars, motorcycles and physical stunts as well. The show opened for the first time on May 5th, 2006 so it was only a couple of weeks old when this was recorded. When the stunt arena was built, it cut the Studio Backlot Tour (which has since been replaced as well) nearly in half. The stunt show ran until 2016 when it was replaced to make room for Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land.

    If this sounds a bit familiar it’s because I made a similar post a couple of weeks ago. The difference being that this video was recorded a week later.

    Watch on Daily Motion.
    Watch on Odysee.

    If you would like to give Odysee a try, use my invite link to earn some bonus LBC for both of us.


  • Disney MGM Studios – A Journey Into The Movies (2005-04-23)

    “A Journey Into The Movies” or “The Great Movie Ride” was the centerpiece of Disney/MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios), one of the Disney parks in Orlando, Florida. It opened on May 1st 1989 which was opening day of the park. It closed on August 13, 2017 and it was apparently the last original attraction. It has since been replaced by Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

    This video was recorded during the ride on April 23rd, 2005.

    View on Daily Motion.
    View on Odysee.

    If you want to give Odysee a try, use my invite link to earn some bonus LBC for both of us.