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As time passed and gaming technology improved, Disney continued to innovate where it could, using its large library of characters in dozens of games. By the 1990s, the company had hit its stride, releasing some of its best games as platformers on home video consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and others. Disney also released plenty of content on home computer systems, including the Commodore 64, DOS, and Amiga. Some of Disney’s best games from the 1990s were based on its Disney Afternoon cartoons, and they remain highly playable to this day.
Disney’s ’90s Games Were Excellent
Depending on where you lived, Disney kicked off its stellar library of ’90s platformers with DuckTales. It was released in October 1989 in the States and in 1990 elsewhere, so we’re calling it a ‘90s game since it was most often played in that decade. DuckTales is a platformer that lets players take control of Scrooge McDuck as he moves about the world in search of five treasures. While it was initially released on the NES, DuckTales made its way to the Game Boy in 1990, where it continued to sell well and remains one of the handheld console’s best platformers.
The next big game to come out of the House of Mouse in the 1990s was Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, released exclusively for the Sega Genesis. It was eventually ported to the Sega Master System and Game Gear as 8-bit versions, but the 16-bit OG is infinitely better. The game was another hit for Disney, earning high praise from consumers and critics who appreciated its graphics, playability, sound, dynamic gameplay, and more. This game helped solidify Disney’s dominance of 16-bit systems, but it was hardly the last hit of the decade.
