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This article is about the NES game. For the Genesis/Game Gear game, see Ariel the Little Mermaid.
1991 video game
1991 video game
The Little Mermaid is a licensed action game released in 1991 by Capcom for the NES and Game Boy based on the 1989 Disney film of the same name. It follows the plot of the original film with Ariel as the playable character. She swims through various underwater levels, battling enemies and collecting power-ups. It has an average rating of 4.78 out of 5 based on 23 user ratings.
Gameplay
The game begins underwater, where Ariel can shoot bubbles to trap her foes and throw them. She can also dig through sand to find treasure and pick up sea shells to break open treasure chests. Treasure chests contain power-ups to increase her bubbles' power and range. Ariel can collect icons scattered throughout the levels to restore health, gain extra lives, or increase the range/power of her bubbles. There are six stages that Ariel must traverse to find Ursula. The stages are The Coral Sea, Sunken Ship, Sea of Ice, Undersea Volcano, and finally two battles at Ursula's Castle.
NES and Game Boy differences
When a stage begins, Ariel descends from the top of the screen to the recommended starting point in the NES version, but just starts out in the recommended position in the Game Boy version. The featured SFX are different in both versions. The start of the stage's BGM can be heard only once in the NES version; although the whole BGM can be repeated in the Game Boy version. The stage backgrounds were more restricted in the Game Boy version than in the NES version. When the player loses a heart, the heart turns into a heart frame in the NES version, but disappears in the Game Boy version. The key scales of the Boss BGM are different in both versions. The BGM speed in the NES version is much faster than in the Game Boy version.
Reception
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2023)
The game sold 500,000 copies by December 1991. It was a major hit among female audiences, who accounted for the vast majority of the game's player base.
Langberg, Mike (13 May 1995). "Game makers target women". Northwest Florida Daily News. p. 30. Retrieved 5 April 2022 – via NewspaperArchive. Capcom USA Inc. in Sunnyvale, Calif., had a big hit in 1990 and 1991 with a video-game version of "The Little Mermaid," played almost exclusively by girls.
