Tarzan (1999)

A hand-drawn jungle adventure drives this late-1990s platformer, putting you in control of an orphan raised by gorillas as he grows from an energetic child into the protector of his home. Tarzan (1999) follows the broad arc of Disney’s animated film, but its focus is firmly on fast, obstacle-filled action across dense forests, ruined temples, waterfalls, and treacherous animal habitats. The mood is family-friendly and colorful, though the jungle is rarely safe for long. Clayton’s hunt for gorillas gives the journey a clear villain and steadily raises the stakes toward a dramatic final confrontation.

Most levels revolve around running, jumping, climbing, swinging between vines, and reacting quickly to hazards such as collapsing paths, steep drops, rolling logs, and rushing water. Tarzan uses thrown fruit and agile movement to deal with hostile monkeys, baboons, birds, and human hunters, while some encounters play more like chase scenes than standard combat. The opening stages teach his abilities through his childhood, then gradually demand sharper timing as levels become faster and more dangerous. Three difficulty settings accommodate different skill levels; easier modes provide advice from Turk, making the game more approachable for younger players or anyone unfamiliar with older platformer design.

Its strongest feature is the animated presentation, which works hard to recreate the film’s lush jungle style rather than settling for generic licensed-game scenery. Tree-surfing sequences and vine-swinging sections add welcome speed and variety, even if the controls can feel more rigid than modern platformers. Like many games of its era, it relies on memorizing level layouts and handling occasional trial-and-error hazards, so patience helps on the tougher setting. Fans of Disney’s Aladdin, The Lion King, and other 16-bit-style cinematic platformers should find plenty to like, while newcomers should begin on easy or medium and enjoy it as a compact piece of animated-game nostalgia.