From the vine-swinging heroics of The Jungle Book to the fierce dojo battles of Street Fighter Alpha, the unexpected adventure of Super Monkey Ball Adventure and the heart-stopping corridors of Prey, July 14 has delivered some truly memorable gaming milestones. Join me as we rewind to those launch days and relive the innovations, the quirks and the core memories that still make these games worth celebrating.
The Jungle Book (MD – 1994)
Oh boy, do I remember The Jungle Book on Mega Drive. Back in ‘94, this Disney delight swung in with all the animated swagger a 16-bit platformer could muster. You played as Mowgli, a wiry little unit with a wicked vine-swing and an even better apple-throwing arm. With toe-tapping tunes straight from the movie and visuals that looked like the telly had come alive, it was a feast for the eyes and ears. Plus, it was one of those rare licensed games that actually didn’t stink worse than King Louie’s armpits.
Gameplay Gist
If you thought this was just another walk-right-and-jump game, think again. The Jungle Book was as slippery and bouncy as a tree frog on a trampoline. You had to swing across vines, cling to ledges, clamber up ruins, and toss fruit at everything from monkeys to massive snakes. And don’t even get me started on the Baloo bonus stage. That bear really knew how to throw down. The whole thing played like a jungle-themed musical platformer, with each level stitched together by rhythm and clever design. One misstep, and you’d be falling into a pit of spikes or a cranky tiger’s mouth.
Connoisseur Cheat Sheet
- Platforming with Rhythm: Unlike most platformers of the time, The Jungle Book choreographed its level design around music and tempo. The background score wasn’t just mood-setting (it actively influenced how enemies moved and how you approached jumps).
- Vertical Exploration: The game wasn’t content with just moving left to right. Many levels invited players to scale upwards or explore down hidden nooks, offering a surprising amount of verticality for a licensed game.
- Animation Quality: Mowgli’s movement was fluid and expressive, with animations that rivalled first-party titles. It gave him a weight and charm that made even basic jumps feel fun.
- Surprisingly Tough: Beneath the cheery exterior was a fairly punishing difficulty curve. This game didn’t pull punches just because it had Disney branding on the box.
- Part of the 16-bit Disney Renaissance: It stood proudly alongside Aladdin and The Lion King, helping to prove that licensed games could be just as polished and beloved as original IPs.
Behind the Scenes Trivia
- – The development team actually played through the Disney film on loop, mapping out each scene as a potential level concept (hence the tiger temple and panther chase sequences).
- – Composer John O’Brien sampled the film’s vocalisations to craft original but familiar melodies, blending authentic Disney tunes with new riffs you won’t hear anywhere else.
- – Early prototype builds included a water stage where Mowgli could swim, but it was scrapped due to technical constraints on the Mega Drive’s sprite scaling.
Kinda Similar
Aladdin (1993), Castle of Illusion (1990), Bug! (1995)
Where To Play It Today
- Get It On eBay: Search “The Jungle Book Sega Mega Drive”
Street Fighter Alpha (Arcade – 1995)
At A Glance
Known as Street Fighter Zero in Japan, this arcade prequel to the Street Fighter II series modernised the franchise in every sense. It introduced cleaner, anime-style visuals, new mechanics like the three-tiered Super Combo system, and fan-favourite characters like Charlie and Rose. For many, it was the first taste of Capcom’s evolving fighting game philosophy.
Gameplay Gist
Street Fighter Alpha brought speed and technical nuance to the franchise, layering new systems on top of the solid foundation of Street Fighter II. Players now had access to Air Blocking, Alpha Counters, and three levels of Super Combos. These mechanics created new mind games and strategies that rewarded timing and precision. It also felt much smoother with animations were more fluid, and character responsiveness was tightened significantly.
Connoisseur Cheat Sheet
- Alpha Gauge System: Players could store up to three bars and choose how to spend them—quick Level 1 Supers or devastating Level 3 finishers.
- Air Blocking: This mechanic allowed defense while airborne, adding a new layer of mind games to jumping attacks.
- Roll Recovery: Some characters could evade incoming pressure with forward or backward rolls, shaking up traditional footsies.
- Guard Break Meter: Blocking wasn’t free forever. Aggressive play could deplete an opponent’s guard meter, leading to a punishable break state.
- Setting the Stage for Alpha 2 & 3: Many of Alpha’s mechanics were carried forward, laying the foundation for one of the most influential fighting sub-series Capcom ever produced.
Behind the Scenes Trivia
- Capcom’s CPS II hardware enabled more colour depth, smoother animations, and better sound compression than previous arcade boards.
- Artist Daigo Ikeno’s redesigns gave the cast a sleeker, more youthful look to match the prequel timeline.
- A hidden playable version of Dan Hibiki, originally a parody character, helped kick off the trend of joke characters in fighting games.
Kinda Similar
Darkstalkers (1994), Fatal Fury Special (1993), Mortal Kombat II (1993)
Where To Play It Today
- Get It On eBay: Search “Street Fighter Alpha Arcade PCB”
Super Monkey Ball Adventure (PS2 – 2006)
At A Glance
Breaking away from its arcade-puzzle roots, Super Monkey Ball Adventure spun the beloved primate franchise in a narrative-heavy direction. Players stepped into the spherical shoes of AiAi and friends, not just to solve mazes but to bring harmony to five monkey kingdoms. It was part platformer, part puzzler, and part light RPG. Just an ambitious detour that split opinion but kept things interesting.
Gameplay Gist
Gone were the bite-sized challenge stages. Instead, players explored open environments with objectives, puzzles, and NPCs. The classic rolling mechanics remained intact (tilting the world rather than the character) but now there was a sense of freedom, with larger spaces and missions to complete. Players could still access traditional stages through challenge modes, but the bulk of the experience leaned into story-driven exploration, conversation trees, and fetch quests.
Connoisseur Cheat Sheet
- Open World Experimentation: Rare for the series, it aimed to blend arcade precision with sandbox exploration.
- Multiple Monkey Powers: New abilities like the Monkey Bounce and Monkey Cannon added gameplay variety, some tied to environmental puzzles.
- Branching Dialogue Trees: The introduction of basic conversation mechanics hinted at RPG-lite ambitions.
- Classic Mode Still Included: Fans of the originals weren’t left out entirely as classic-style levels existed within challenge stages.
- Narrative Focus: Rather than pure time trials, objectives centred on uniting warring monkey factions, with themes of cooperation and empathy.
Behind the Scenes Trivia
- Developed not by Sega’s internal teams but by Traveller’s Tales, known more for LEGO titles than precision-based platforming.
- The game was one of the last to use the RenderWare engine, which was popular in sixth-gen development.
- Mixed reviews often praised the ideas but criticised the execution, especially camera issues and pacing.
Kinda Similar
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (2003), Chibi-Robo! (2005), Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2 (2004)
Where To Play It Today
- Get It On eBay: Search “Super Monkey Ball Adventure PS2”
Prey (PC, X360 – 2006)
At A Glance
Prey was a sci-fi shooter that did not follow the path most travelled. It launched with a bold concept: Native American protagonist Tommy is abducted by aliens, only to discover he’s humanity’s reluctant last hope. Featuring wild level design, gravity-defying sequences, and a spiritual twist rarely explored in FPS games, Prey quickly made a name for itself as a deeply original, genre-blending experience.
Gameplay Gist
At first glance, Prey looked like just another alien-blasting corridor shooter. But within minutes, players were running along walls, walking through mind-bending portals, and having out-of-body experiences. Tommy’s spiritual heritage enabled unique powers, such as spirit-walking to solve puzzles or phase into another realm.
Connoisseur Cheat Sheet
- Portal Precursor: Prey featured seamless portal technology a year before Portal blew minds.
- No Game Over Screen: Death wasn’t the end. Players fought to return, turning failure into a fresh mechanic.
- Gravity’s Not a Constant: Wall-walking, ceiling traversal, and upside-down firefights made level design stand out.
- Spiritual Abilities: Tommy’s powers weren’t just a gimmick/ They directly impacted both combat and puzzle design.
- Narrative with Depth: Unlike most alien shooters, Prey explored themes of identity, heritage, and sacrifice.
Behind the Scenes Trivia
- Originally announced in 1995, the game spent over a decade in development hell.
- 3D Realms passed the baton to Human Head Studios, who revamped the project from scratch in the early 2000s.
- The game ran on a heavily modified id Tech 4 engine that was also used for Doom 3.
- The opening sequence in the bar was entirely playable and memorable, setting the tone for a character-driven experience.
Kinda Similar
Doom 3 (2004), Singularity (2010), The Darkness (2007)
Where To Play It Today
- Get It On eBay: Search “Prey Xbox 360”
