Welcome to the third episode of 23 Endings: The Early Years, the show where we put old school video games endings in proper context. Today we're going to get to the bottom of a pressing issue: Which Aladdin game had a better ending - Genesis or Super NES? We resolve this 20 year old debate once and for all in this brand new episode of 23 Endings: The Early Years!


You know the story: Boy meets girl, girl falls for boy, girl gets locked up and forced to marry a much older man, and boy has all of his greatest wishes come true when he discovers a magical lamp with a genie inside. This is not only the familiar setup to the 1992 Disney movie, but also the Genesis and Super NES adaptations. You play Aladdin as he races through the kingdom doing everything in his power to save Princess Jasmine from Jafar.

Let's start with the Genesis. We see our titular hero fight it out in Agrabah, search the Sultan's dungeon, escape from the fiery caves and make it back to Jafar's palace. It all ends with an epic fight against a giant fire-breathing snake.

The Super NES version goes through all of the same beats. There's Agrabah, the Sultan's dungeon, and a daring escape from the fiery caves. It also has this fun genie stage and a pyramid level. And of course, it ends with an epic showdown with a giant snake. Here's what happens next.

Say what you want about the gameplay, I think it's safe to say the Super NES version of Aladdin has a better ending. It's longer, has an emotional punch and even uses the Mode 7 effects in a unique way. By comparison, there's very little story in the Genesis game and the cinema only works if you've seen the film. It's one of the few negatives about an otherwise stellar action game.