View source for Disney's Pocahontas (video game)

{{short description|1996 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| collapsible = yes
| state = expanded
| italic title = 
| title = Pocahontas
| image = Pocahontas Sega Genesis Cover.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = 
| developer = [[Funcom]] (Genesis)<br>[[Tiertex]] (Game Boy)
| publisher = '''Genesis'''<br>{{vgrelease|NA|[[Disney Interactive Studios|Disney Interactive]]|EU|[[Sega]]}}'''Game Boy'''<br>[[THQ]]
| series = 
| engine = 
| platforms = [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]], [[Game Boy]]
| released = '''Genesis'''<br>{{Video game release|NA|March 1996<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-21 |title=File:EGM US 080.pdf |url=https://segaretro.org/File:EGM_US_080.pdf |access-date=2023-10-21 |website=Sega Retro |language=en}}</ref>|EU|September 1996}}'''Game Boy'''<br>{{Video game release|NA|June 10, 1996|EU|1996}}
| genre = [[Platform game|Platform]]
| modes = Single-player
| director = 
| producer = Gaute Godager (Genesis)<br>Dympna Forkin (Game Boy)
| designer = 
| programmer = Carl-Hendrik Skårstedt (Genesis)<br>Chris Brunning (Game Boy)
| artist = Ole-Petter Rosenlund (Genesis)<br>Kevin Knott (Game Boy)
| writer = 
| composer = Patrick Collins (Genesis)<br>Mark Ortiz and John Prince (Game Boy)
}}
'''''Pocahontas''''' is a1996 [[platform game]] based on the 1995 animated film [[Pocahontas (1995 film)|of the same name]]. The [[Sega Genesis|Genesis / Mega Drive]] version was developed by [[Funcom]] on contract with Disney and was released on January 1, 1996. It was followed by a later version for the [[Game Boy]] developed by [[Tiertex Design Studios]] and released on June 10, 1996, nearly a year after the film's premiere. A [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] version of the game was under development, but was canceled due to development being too far behind to coincide with the Genesis release.<ref>[http://www.snescentral.com/article.php?id=0091 Pocahontas] - SNES Central</ref>

==Gameplay==
In the game, the player plays as [[Pocahontas (character)|Pocahontas]] and Meeko, switching between the two frequently to overcome obstacles, with the help of Flit as an [[Non-Player Character|NPC]]. Along the way, the player gains various new abilities from various animal spirits by helping them. The game follows the plot of the film, but with many variations in situations and events.

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
<!-- Platforms -->
| GB = true
| SMD = true
| na = true
<!-- Aggregators -->
<!-- Reviewers -->
 | Allgame_GB = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="Allgame-GB">{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18492 |title=''Disney's Pocahontas (Game Boy)'' - Review - allgame |author=Scott Alan Marriott |publisher=[[Allgame]] |accessdate=September 23, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115030249/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=18492 |archive-date=November 15, 2014}}</ref>
 | Allgame_SMD = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Allgame-Gen">{{cite web|url=http://allgame.com/game.php?id=1672 |title=''Disney's Pocahontas (Genesis)'' - Review - allgame |author=Brett Alan Weiss |publisher=[[Allgame]] |accessdate=September 23, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205135941/http://allgame.com/game.php?id=1672 |archive-date=February 5, 2010}}</ref>
 | EGM_SMD = 7/10<ref name=EGM80>{{cite magazine|title=Review Crew: Pocahontas |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=80 |publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=March 1996|page=28|issn=1058-918X|url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-080-march-1996/page/n27/mode/2up|author1=Andrew Baran|author2=Mark Lefebvre|author3=Mike Desmond|author4=Sushi-X}}</ref>
}}

Disney's ''Pocahontas'' for the Sega Genesis received a mixed, yet generally favorable, reception upon its release. Critics praised the game’s faithful adaptation of the Disney movie’s visuals, noting the clean, vibrant graphics that effectively captured the look and feel of the animated film. ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' highlighted the game’s use of Disney’s signature cell art style, which was a hallmark of the brand at the time. The game also garnered positive remarks for its incorporation of animal spirits to solve puzzles, a feature that added an engaging, albeit simplistic, layer of strategy. However, criticisms were raised about the game's control mechanics, which some found to be stiff and unresponsive.<ref name=":0"> Andrew Baran; Mark Lefebvre; Mike Desmond; Sushi-X. [https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-080-march-1996/page/n27/mode/1up "Review Crew"]. ''Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 080''. March 1996. p. 28. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref> While ''GamePro'' found the gameplay to be accessible and enjoyable for younger players, it also noted that the game lacked the dynamic energy of other Disney titles like ''Aladdin'', making the experience feel slower and less exciting for more seasoned gamers.<ref name=":1">[https://archive.org/details/GamePro%20Issue%20092%20Volume%2008%20Number%2005%201996-05%20IDG%20Publishing%20US/page/n73/mode/1up "Quick Hits"]. ''GamePro Issue 092 Volume 08 Number 05''. May 1996. p. 72. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2024.</ref>

The challenge level of ''Pocahontas'' was another point of discussion, with some reviewers from ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' pointing out that while the game could be addictive during a first play through, its replay value was limited.<ref name=":0" /> ''GamePro'' similarly categorized the game as appropriate for beginners, citing its easy puzzles and gentle difficulty curve, which might not satisfy players looking for more complex gameplay.<ref name=":1" /> However, the game's combination of environmental exploration, character-switching mechanics, and light puzzle-solving was generally appreciated, offering a moderately engaging experience. Overall, while ''Pocahontas'' might not have achieved the same iconic status as other Disney video game adaptations, its blend of strategy, visuals, and storytelling made it a solid title for younger audiences and Disney fans, even if it lacked the broader appeal and polish of other contemporary action games.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{moby game|id=/disneys-pocahontas|name=''Disney's Pocahontas''}}

{{Pocahontas}}

[[Category:1996 video games]]
[[Category:Black Pearl Software games]]
[[Category:Cancelled Super Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Disney Interactive Studios games]]
[[Category:Disney video games]]
[[Category:Funcom games]]
[[Category:Game Boy games]]
[[Category:Pocahontas (franchise)]]
[[Category:Sega Genesis games]]
[[Category:Sega video games]]
[[Category:Side-scrolling platformers]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:THQ games]]
[[Category:Tiertex Design Studios games]]
[[Category:Video games about birds]]
[[Category:Video games about raccoons]]
[[Category:Video games based on animated films]]
[[Category:Video games based on Native American mythology]]
[[Category:Video games based on real people]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Norway]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Video games featuring female protagonists]]
[[Category:Video games featuring Native American protagonists]]
[[Category:Video games set in 17th-century Thirteen Colonies]]
[[Category:Video games set in the 1600s]]
[[Category:Video games set in Virginia]]


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