Believe it or not, some of the best late '80s and early '90s platforming games were based on Disney properties. Games like DuckTales and Aladdin are fondly remembered for their fun-loving stories and stellar-level design. However, many of these games weren't as welcoming as they appeared, challenging even the most skilled of players. While gamers may disagree on which Disney game is the most difficult, The Lion King is often regarded as one of the most punishing.

The Lion King video game might look like the average, run-of-the-mill kid's game on the outside, but it hides something much more sinister underneath its family-friendly cover art. The game was absolutely brutal, burning the dreaded game over screen into many young gamers' minds for years to come. Its cruel level design and steep learning curve have become legendary among avid video game fans.

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The Escalating Difficulty of the Lion King Game

An image of a Lion King level with Simba in mid-air above rocky terrain

The Lion King plays like any other '90s platformer. Players control Simba as he runs, jumps and climbs his way through a series of levels while taking out enemies along the way. Just like in the movie, Simba starts out as a young cub and grows into an adult lion partway through the game.

The first few levels of The Lion King aren't particularly tough, but after a while, the game ramps up its difficulty. Some levels have confusing puzzles, while others are swarming with traps and enemies. It also doesn't help that the hitboxes are so small that Simba will fall through objects if he doesn't land in the right way. This makes grabbing onto ledges and other objects very frustrating. The Sega Genesis version is slightly more forgiving, but the SNES version can be rage-inducing.

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The History and Legacy of Disney's Tough Lion King Platformer

A Monkey Tossing Simba Over The Rhino in the Lion King platformer

Whether they've played it or not, most gamers know that The Lion King is hard, but what most people don't know is that the developers made the game extremely difficult on purpose. Disney actually told the developers to make the game so difficult that people wouldn't be able to beat it during a rental period. The game came out when rental stores were immensely popular, and Disney didn't want people to get more than halfway through the game so that the chances of them buying it would be higher. The developers disagreed with Disney's decision, but went back and tweaked the levels to make things more difficult even though the game targeted a younger audience. A few developers would later apologize to fans for how hard the game is.

Although The Lion King is a tough game, that doesn't mean it's bad. It offers loads of fun and challenge for fans of the platforming genre, especially those looking for something that'll test their skills. The game made a return to consoles in the Disney Classic Games Collection, which also featured The Jungle Book alongside the Genesis and SNES versions of Aladdin (another great Disney platformer). This is a great way to compare them with each other, as well as to relieve this infamous experience. Between its difficulty, recognizability, and the story behind it all, The Lion King for SNES will certainly be remembered as one of the most challenging Disney games of all time.