Before we hit Start — this cartridge came from Eurocom’s studio and was published by Virgin Interactive. Eurocom was still a young British developer in 1994. However, they were already gaining a reputation for careful handling of licensed properties. Their games leaned on smooth sprite animation, palettes tuned to match the movie, and levels designed as set pieces rather than generic stages..
I can see that already. The opening screen’s color and the way Mowgli’s sprite moves looks almost like a running sketch from the film. Alright, I’m on controller two — ready to punch in some banana throws.
We should say up front: this is a classic side-scrolling platformer where you control Mowgli, trying to collect crystals so you can find the human village. He runs, jumps, swings on vines and climbs with no fuss. The twist is the crystals and a ticking clock — the compass in the corner points to the nearest crystal, which helps when the screens are dense with foliage.
Level one gives you a soft introduction: a handful of crystals, harmless ground enemies and easy vine swings. The animation sells the jungle atmosphere, but the collision detection on some vines feels a touch forgiving — sometimes you grab and other times you slide past as if the sprite hit an invisible leaf.
That’s part of why we keep the tone balanced. The presentation and soundtrack are strong; the controls are generally responsive. But enemy placement can be oddly punishing — monkeys that hurl coconuts spawn right where you want to land, and the time limits can force a frantic pace. It rewards learning routes more than improvising.
Gameplay highlight: the boomerang and banana weapons. Throwing a banana at a crawling crocodile feels absurdly satisfying when it staggers and you can continue your swing choreography. Also, the compass is a clever touch. Instead of wandering aimlessly, you have a direction to follow. On higher difficulty the game increases the number of crystals per stage, which makes you replay levels with a new kind of precision.
Hot tips — and we mean hot as in straight from the cartridge manual and our own sore thumbs:
- Use the compass. When you get lost in foliage-heavy screens, follow its needle; it will save time and lives.
- Conserve boomerangs for bosses and clustered foes. Bananas are plentiful; boomerangs are your heavy hitters.
- On vine sequences, jump toward the vine earlier than you think you should. The grab window is generous, but the snap-to-move can cost you if you wait too late.
- Time limits can be beaten by learning the sprint paths. If a level feels unfair, play it a few times; memorization reduces frustration significantly.
Memorable moments so far: an early river sequence where the scrolling pace picks up and you leap from log to log while an oversized crocodile snaps from below. The animators put a little wink into the enemy designs — they look menacing, but cartoony enough that the aesthetic never leaves that Disney feel.
Another standout: a mid-game jungle city run where platforms collapse and you race through market stalls. It feels cinematic, like a brief chase set-piece. The palette switches to warmer tones and the enemy set changes to baboons and hyenas; the variation keeps the levels from blending together.
Now, about the final boss — Shere Khan shows up in a dramatic scene that tries to mirror the movie’s tension. He pounces, disappears behind smoke, and reappears with a few scripted leaps. The pattern is clear after a couple of attempts: bait, dodge, strike with your boomerang when he opens up. It is satisfying when it clicks, but it can feel cheap if you encounter a surprise spawn mid-attack. Still, beating the final stretch and seeing the last frames play out gives you that arcade-era grin.
That’s our balanced verdict. The game is visually and aurally charming, with well-crafted set pieces and a real affection for the source material. On the other hand, uneven difficulty spikes, occasional collision oddities, and some repetitiveness in enemy types hold it back from being elite. We would give it a B on our grading scale — a solid pick for anyone wanting a movie-licensed platformer that mostly gets the feel right, but not quite a trophy-level classic.
If you’re playing this in ’94 and you like Disney aesthetics with old-school challenge, this is worth your quarters. If you prefer flawless responsiveness and modern fairness, be prepared for a little trial-and-error. Either way, there are moments — the vine swings at sunset, the crocodile ambush, the final tussle with Shere Khan — that make me want to fire up the CRT and play one more round.
more info and data about Disney’s The Jungle Book provided by mobyGames.com
