The Little Mermaid (NES) Playthrough
604A playthrough of Capcom's 1991 license-based action game for the NES, Disney's The Little Mermaid.
There are few things in life that are absolute, but there are certain universally accepted truths that shape our outlooks: the sun will rise whether we're here to see it or not. Being poor and hungry sucks. Incompetent people lack the competencies to recognize that they're incompetent. And old-school Capcom games based on Disney-licenses are the bees' knees.
The Little Mermaid doesn’t get quite the same amount of love heaped on it as DuckTales (https://youtu.be/sKyspid6bNE) and Chip 'n Dale (https://youtu.be/k5E_c4hI83k) do, but make no mistake. This is a quality NES game.
The game roughly follows the plot of the movie. Playing as Ariel, your goal is to defeat the fabulous but wicked Ursula (RIP Divine), rescue your fish pals, and marry the hunky Prince Eric.
Since like Lieutenant Dan, Ariel ain't got no legs, The Little Mermaid isn't a run-of-the-mill platformer. A few awkward moments flapping about on a bit of rock aside, this entire venture takes place under the sea.
There are five stages separating Ariel from her fated showdown with the evil sea queen, but thankfully she's no guppy. She can flick her tail at her enemies to enbubble them a la Bubble Bobble (https://youtu.be/VyK_cpp9pT4), and throw them to defeat other enemies. Her bubble attack's range and power can be upgraded by collecting orbs that can usually be found in treasure chests that can be broken open.
The game is pretty straightforward and as easy as you'd expect from an NES Disney game, but the controls are tight, the music is excellent, and the graphics are surprisingly good considering that the NES's palette only had about nine shades of blue to work with. There are tons of secret items to find, and even though you'll probably whip the game in your first or second attempt, it's fun enough to keep you coming back again and again.
But why can't we stab Ursula with the boat like we could Jaws in his game?
I'm not ashamed to admit that as a second-grade boy, I loved it, girl game or not. I mean, the movie was awesome, and the game was a welcome break from the endless parade of deaths that were par for the course with stuff like Ninja Gaiden or Battletoads.
The Little Mermaid was a solid win for anyone who was lucky enough to take a chance on it. It's a polished, well-made game that does its source material justice, and it's a game that I still regularly come back to.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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