Disney’s The Little Mermaid
System: NES
Release Date: July 1991
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Action
We’re going to go under the sea in Disney’s The Little Mermaid! Ariel is busy living happily ever after with Prince Eric, when her aquatic friends interrupt to tell her about some strange happenings. The Evil Witch Ursula is attempting a hostile takeover by casting a spell on the fish of the ocean. Ariel let Eric in on all this and bade him farewell as she transformed back into a mermaid and jumped in the drink to save them. Five levels stand between you and victory, can you save them all?
Ariel swims around the screen and can flick bubbles with her tail. These bubbles encase the enchanted fish, allowing Ariel to pick them up and throw them. Throwing the bubbles into other enemies will knock them off the stage, as well. Sandy areas can be dug with Ariel’s tail whip. This will occasionally net you a special item like a dinglehopper or snarfblatt, both worth points. There are treasure chests that can be found around the levels, but in order to open them, you need to find a shell to throw at them.
If there is an item in the chest, it’s going to be a red or green pearl. The red pearls increase the power of Ariel’s bubbles. The green pearls increase the range. These can be upgraded three times a piece for maximum power. There are only a limited amount of shells and other ways to open chests, so if you waste them, you can be underpowered going into boss battles.
The stages all have a gimmick related to its set piece. There’s a sunken ship, and an iceberg, as well as an underwater volcano, before you get to Ursula’s Castle. The story is relayed to you between stages. Bosses at the end of the stage require you to bubble up little minion fish and then throw them at the boss enemy. This isn’t very difficult to achieve and you should be able to get through this game without using a continue.
Graphics: 3.0
It’s a nice looking game for the NES, but the colors of the walls are less than pleasing.
Sound: 3.0
The music is all bright and cheery and certainly sounds like it’s from Capcom. They just seemed to put more effort into their music.
Gameplay: 2.5
Ariel controls pretty well, but the design is very simple.
Difficulty: 3.5
Levels are very fair, bordering on too easy.
Fun Factor: 2.5
It’s a half hour game, it’s quick and easy, and it plays alright.
Overall Rating: 2.9
Disney’s The Little Mermaid earns a B. This is a solid game from Capcom, who was in the habit of putting out solid games on the NES.