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The Little Mermaid (or Little Mermaid: Ningyo Hime in Japanese) is a video game released for Nintendo Entertainment System in July 1991 and Game Boy in February 1993 published by Capcom based on the 1989 film of the same name.
Plot[]
The plot remains the same as the film.
Gameplay[]
Players take control of the character Ariel. The player presses the Shoot button to shoot bubbles at enemies. Some enemies can be trapped (Example: Octopi are only vulnerable with a Level 2 upgrade) while some cannot be trapped at all (Example: Enemies such as Sea Urchins and Flounders (not the character from the film) cannot be trapped at all). Ariel will need at least three bubble upgrades and three distance upgrades to beat tougher enemies by finding Pearls on chests by throwing a Barrel, Rock, or Conch Shell. Trapped enemies won't work on chests. Ariel has three lives, so she must be careful. If Ariel dies, she will lose all of her Bubble and Distance upgrades.
Levels[]
- The Sea of Coral is the first level Ariel will take place. Ariel starts with a small Bubble Upgrade and a small Distance Upgrade. The first enemy commonly appearing in this game is a Guppy. A Guppy is the weakest enemy in the entire game. Some enemies are annoying, such as Octopi who throw ink and Tuna who chase Ariel. This level has more tougher enemies such as Starfish which cannot be stunned and Blennies, which follow Ariel in groups. Ariel fights Glut the Shark at the end. This level is based on the Great Barrier Reef.
- The Sunken Ship is the second level Ariel will take place. This time, some fish are dressed as ghosts. This level introduces some new enemies such as Crabs which can only be trapped when they are walking and not crouching and Sea Urchins which cannot be trapped at all and can only be defeated by Conch Shells, Rocks, and Barrels. Ariel then fights Flotsam and Jetsam at the end. This level is based on Davy Jones' Locker or the Black Sea.
- The Sea of Ice is the third level Ariel will take place. This level is one of the hardest levels in the entire game, because the level has mostly ice. However, there are some treasure chests that are empty and will not give Ariel any upgrades, and this is the first level to feature empty chests. Guppies are now frozen in ice when Ariel meets these enemies called Iced Guppies. This level also has two new enemies: Seahorse and Archerfish. Ariel then fights a Walrus at the end. This level is based on the Arctic Ocean.
- The Undersea Volcano is the fourth level Ariel will take place. This level is harder than the Sea of Ice, because there are lots of Volcanoes in the entire level. There are three new enemies: one is a Shrimp who swims close and closer to Ariel, two is a Flounder who comes from the sand and it cannot be stunned with bubble, and third is a Hermit Crab which acts like a normal Crab, but cannot be trapped with bubbles, because they wear their helmets and must have their shells removed first. Ariel then fights the Alpha Seahorse at the end. This level is based on Hawaii.
- Ursula's Castle is the fifth level Ariel will take place. This level is very extremely harder than the Undersea Volcano, because this level is like a Labyrinth. There are three enemies: Groupers are the most common enemies in the game summoning Blennies and they take more than one hit; there are two: one is a male Grouper sleeping on the ground and one is a female Grouper who moves across the screen; another one is an Eel which cannot be defeated at all. Ariel fights Ursula at the end. This level is based on Atlantis.
- The Final Battle is the final level will take place. Ariel must defeat Ursula by throwing objects at her head. This level is much harder, because Ariel needs at least a Level 3 Upgrade for both, Distance and Bubble. This level is based on the Baltic Sea.
Items[]
- 1-Ups:
These items give Ariel an extra life. One way to get a 1-up is to find a doll based on Ariel. Another way to get a 1-up is to score 20,000 points (and every multiple of it). They appear in every level, except for Sea of Coral and Sea of Ice.
- Barrels:
These items can only be moved by throwing a bubble. They destroy enemies and open chests.
- Bubbles:
After Ariel traps an enemy, she must pick the bubble. It can kill other enemies, but it cannot open chests. They can only be moved after Ariel powers up her bubbles.
- Bubble Upgrades:
These items will upgrade Ariel's bubble power.
- Conch Shell:
These items are used to kill enemies and unlock chests.
- Distance Upgrades:
These items are used to upgrade Ariel's bubble distance.
- Hearts:
These items are for Ariel's life meter. If Ariel loses all of her hearts, she will die. There are two hearts: big and small. Small Hearts restore one heart to the life meter and Large Hearts restore two hearts.
- Rocks:
These items act like barrels, but they cannot roll. Like the Barrel, they can only be moved after Ariel powers up her bubbles.
- Tobacco Pipes:
These items are worth 500 points and are found in chests.
- Tridents:
These items are worth 800 points and are found in chests.
Enemies[]
Introduced in the Sea of Coral[]
- Guppy:
Guppies are common enemies Ariel faces in the game. They are the weakest enemies in the entire game.
- Tuna:
Ariel will first meet a Tuna before she goes up. They are aggressive than the Guppy. They follow Ariel across the screen
- Octopus:
This Octopus is tougher than a Guppy. They are considered to be tough, because they throw ink. They take a Level 2 Bubble Upgrade to trap them.
- Spawner:
Spawners cannot be defeated nor can they hurt Ariel. They will release Blennies.
- Blenny:
Like the Guppy, Blennies are aggressive. They follow Ariel in groups.
- Starfish:
Starfish are blasted from bottomless pits. They cannot be stunned with bubbles. They fall down after one shot.
Introduced in the Sunken Ship[]
- Ghost Guppy:
Ghost Guppies aren't that tough. If you throw a bubble, it s a normal Guppy.
- Crab:
Crabs cannot be trapped in bubbles when they crouch low. Crabs can only be trapped when they are sidestepping.
- Sea Urchin:
Sea Urchins cannot be trapped at all. The only way to defeat them is to use a Conch Shell, Barrel, or Rock.
Introduced in the Sea of Ice[]
- Frozen Guppy:
Frozen Guppies lay in a platform and turn into a real Guppy. It takes one hit.
- Seahorse:
A Seahorse is more aggressive than a Guppy. It takes one bubble to trap.
- Archerfish:
The two Archerfish are guarding the chests. If Ariel is behind one in a platform, it will shoot water. There are only in the open water.
Introduced in the Undersea Volcano[]
- Volcano:
Volcanoes are common enemies in the game. They shoot fireballs.
- Flounder:
Flounders come out from sand. They cannot be stunned and can only be defeated with a tossed object.
- Shrimp:
Shrimp are more aggressive than the Seahorse. They home into Ariel.
- Hermit Crab:
Like the regular Crab, Hermit Crabs cannot be trapped, because they have shells to protect them. The only way to remove its shell is to throw any Conch Shell or bubble.
Introduced in Ursula's Castle[]
- Grouper:
These fish are big and take more than one hit. There are two types. One is a Purple Grouper who stays on the ground, releasing Blennies. Another is a Pink Grouper who swims on the screen, releasing Blennies.
- Eel:
When Ariel is entering Ursula's boss room, four Eels will welcome Ariel and they are undefeatable.
Bosses[]
- Glut:
A cranky great white shark. He is one of Ursula's henchmen. Glut is the first boss in the game. He starts summoning Guppies and after that, he charges to go offscreen. Ariel must throw four bubbles at him to win.
- Flotsam and Jetsam:
A pair of green moray eels. Flotsam and Jetsam will send Crabs to attack Ariel. Ariel must bubble a Crab when it's not crouching. During the battle, Ariel cannot predict whether which Eel will come out of a hole. After a few seconds, Flotsam or Jetsam will come out and swim offscreen, but will appear in another hole. Ariel must throw three bubbles at each Eel to win.
- Cranky Walrus:
A big walrus. He is the guardian of the Sea of Ice. The Walrus will push Frozen Guppies and Conch Shells. Ariel cannot push the Guppies close to the Walrus. The Walrus will appear in both locations, so Ariel cannot predict whether the Walrus will come. Ariel must push four Conch Shells at him to win.
- Alpha Seahorse:
A blue seahorse. He guards Ursula's lair. The Captain will shoot two projectiles, a Guppy and a Sea Urchin. The Captain can only be damaged when his sword isn't forward in the Game Boy version. Ariel must bubble the Guppies and throw five at them to defeat the Captain, but she cannot bubble the Sea Urchins.
- Ursula:
An evil seawitch. She tries to take over Atlantica. She throws bubbles at Ariel to transform into all sorts of enemies such as Guppies, Seahorses, Sea Urchins, and Starfish. The Guppies and Seahorses can be trapped while the Sea Urchins and Starfish cannot. Ariel must throw six bubbles at her face to defeat her.
- Giant Ursula:
Ursula isn't dead yet after Ariel defeated her. Ariel needs at least three Bubble Upgrades to win. She summons Guppies to attack Ariel. After a few seconds, her trident will flash, sending wind. This means the Seaweeds are lying down, so Ariel must be careful when the wind is pushing her left or right. Ariel must throw seven bubbles at her face.
Development[]
Reception[]
The game got mixed reviews upon release.
External links[]
- The Little Mermaid at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The Little Mermaid at The Disney Wiki, the Fandom wiki on Disney.
- The Little Mermaid at GameFAQs
- The Little Mermaid at MobyGames