Beauty and the Beast games for the SEGA Genesis.
Megan Fox is extremely hot. Football season starts in two months. Would you care for a nice juicy steak?
Ok, now that I have safely secured your manhood, we can get on with the business at hand.
Whether you can allow yourself to admit it or not, SUNSOFT created two very good, although somewhat simple, games for the SEGA Genesis based on the popular 1991 Disney animated feature Beauty and the Beast. (Megan Fox, stay with me here). Two games were released for the Genesis under the Beauty and the Beast banner. One game, Belle’s Quest, is obviously marketed predominately to young girls. The other, Roar of the Beast, is slightly more ambiguously geared toward the middle ground between boys and girls. I say this because Beauty and the Beast is arguably a film that appeals to girls more so than boys, but the game Roar of the Beast features the Beast as the main character and the game play is more akin to what is found in standard side-scrolling platforming games which suggests that the game is more geared for boys. Gender studies aside, these two games have long been overlooked and perhaps even disregarded due to their subject matter tie-in and perceived niche appeal. In short, boys don’t play games for girls. But they should.
Keeping that in mind, and let us first take a Closer Look at the Belle’s Quest game. This rather charming (yes I said “charming,” remember: football) game is a collection of platforming/exploration levels punctuated by exceptionally well executed mini-games. The premise of the game appropriately follows the film’s female protagonist, Belle, the daughter of a local tinkerer, throughout the events of the film as they happened to her. Thus there is a level where you are bidden to explore the town and fend off the advances of the local braggart warrior, Gaston, while you seek to solve the mystery of the town’s water shortage (which surprise surprise will require you to use your feminine whiles to enlist Gaston’s help). You will also work your way through the tangled forest that leads to the Beast’s enchanted castle. You’ll explore the castle itself in order to uncover the secret of the Beast. Finally, you’ll have to ride your horse Philippe through the treacherous frozen forest in an attempt to save your father.
These four uniquely designed levels feature platforming and exploring elements in a simple, yet engaging way. For instance, in the Beast’s castle you’ll have to explore and find keys, the magic mirror and the master key in order to gain access to the west wing of the castle where the secrets of the Beast are hidden. The level, once solved, is very simple, but it is a lot of fun poking about the nooks and crannies of the castle seeking out the various items and meeting up with the other characters that inhabit the castle. The final level, wherein you ride Philippe, is particularly fun even though it is a standard obstacle course platform level.
In addition to the main levels, Belle’s Quest also features a handful of fun mini-games interspersed between and within the main parts of the game. Sometimes it is sorting books at the bookstore, others it is dodging the wildly playful enchanted utensils in the kitchen. There are even two levels in which you and the Beast dance in the ballroom, a classic scene from the film, and must catch falling petals from the enchanted rose (can you smell that steak on the grill?). All of these levels are optional with regards to progressing the game, but are fun breaks from the main adventure.
All in all, Belle’s Quest is not a terribly huge challenge (although figuring out the enchanted forest is a bugger at first), but it is a lot of fun to play through.
Next, take a look at Roar of the Beast, following the jump!
