Shinji Mikami admits GENESIS VERSION OF ‘ALADDIN’ is tots superior

Thing I did not know: The Shinji Mikami was behind the SNES version of Aladdin. Thing I did know: The SNES version was blah central, while the Genesis version was not fucking optional. Apparently even Mikami knows this.

In the ongoing debate over which 16-bit video game based on Disney’s animated movie Aladdin is the superior version, Capcom’s Super NES version or Sega and Virgin Games’ Genesis version, veteran game developer Shinji Mikami has weighed in.

Mikami, who served as a designer on the platformer while at Capcom, said he has a preference for the Sega Genesis version — the one he didn’t work on.

“If I didn’t actually make [the SNES game], I would probably buy the Genesis one,” Mikami told Polygon in an interview. “Animation-wise, I think the Genesis version’s better. The Genesis version had a sword, actually. I wanted to have a sword.”

Mikami also docks the Capcom-published version for another reason: the lack of The Genie on the Super Famicom version’s box art. The Genie appears in the North American-published version of the SNES game’s box art, but the Japanese release featured only Aladdin, Abu and the Magic Carpet on its cover.

“Originally, the front of the Super Famicom package had a genie on it,” Mikami said. “Disney said no to that, so we had to move the genie to the back of the package in a smaller size. But the Sega version, they had the genie on the front.”

The decision to downplay the presence of The Genie on the Super Famicom box may have had something to do with voice actor Robin Williams’ dispute with Disney at the time. After the film’s release, the actor publicly bristled after Disney used his character’s likeness in promotional materials.

[Polygon]

I say goddamn – I need to replay this game. And Lion King.