Man, The Lion King on SNES is one of those games that looks gorgeous but will absolutely humble you. You start off as young Simba bouncing around the Pride Lands, tossing little meerkats and rolling down hills—feels like a breezy Disney romp at first. Then you hit the second level with those giraffes and realize this game does not mess around.

The animation is ridiculously smooth for a 16-bit game—Simba’s mane flows when he runs, and the stampede scene still gives me anxiety. And yeah, the music slaps. You’ll be humming "I Just Can’t Wait to Be King" while desperately trying to land that one stupid jump in the elephant graveyard for the 20th time. Scar’s hyenas? Annoying as heck. The ostrich ride level? Pure chaos.

It’s tough as nails in spots, but nailing a tricky section feels so good. Just don’t throw your controller when the monkey throws you just short of the vine. Again. This game is a love letter to the movie, warts and all.