The Jungle Book

Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, NES +71993

  1. JP1994
  2. NA1994
  3. EU1993
  4. RU—

The Jungle Book kept its title in every region where it was released, from the 1993 Master System and Game Gear versions to the 1994 Genesis, Super NES, NES and Game Boy ones. The Super NES, Genesis and Game Boy versions were re-released in 2021 in Disney Classic Games Collection: Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Jungle Book.

The Jungle Book is a side-scrolling platformer based on the Disney film, published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment, with Mowgli as the playable character. The Master System and Game Gear versions, developed by Syrox Developments, came out in Europe in December 1993; the Genesis, Super NES, NES and Game Boy versions followed in 1994, and the Super NES version reached Japan in September 1994.

The Genesis version began at Virgin Games in 1993 with David Perry as programmer. Work stalled when Perry and most of the team left to found Shiny Entertainment, and Eurocom finished the game in 1994, keeping most of what had been done. In each level Mowgli has to collect a set number of the 15 gems (8 on easy, 10 on medium, 12 on hard) and then find a particular character, all within a six-minute limit. The music by Mark Miller, Tommy Tallarico and Donald Griffin mixes original tracks with songs from the 1967 film.

In November 2021 the Super NES, Genesis and Game Boy versions were added to Disney Classic Games Collection.1

Names and releases

RegionTitle on the boxPlatformDatePublisherSrc
NA The Jungle Book Game Boy August 1994 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 1
NA The Jungle Book NES August 1994 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 1
NA The Jungle Book SNES August 1994 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 1
NA The Jungle BookWikipedia gives August 1994, TCRF gives 14 July 1994 Genesis 1994 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 2
NA The Jungle Book Game Gear 1994 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 1
EU The Jungle BookDeveloped by Syrox Developments Game Gear December 1993 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 1
EU The Jungle BookDeveloped by Syrox Developments Master System December 1993 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 1
EU The Jungle Book NES Aug 25, 1994 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 1
EU The Jungle Book SNES Aug 26, 1994 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 1
JP —Japanese title not given in the source SNES September 1994 — 1
EU The Jungle BookWikipedia gives 26 August 1994, TCRF gives July 1994 Genesis 1994 Virgin Interactive Entertainment 2
BR The Jungle Book Genesis 1994 Tec Toy 2
WW Disney Classic Games Collection: Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Jungle BookIncludes the SNES, Genesis and Game Boy versions; also on PS4, Xbox One and Windows Switch Nov 23, 2021 — 1

Box art by region

  • The Jungle Book box art, North America release
    NA The Jungle Book
  • The Jungle Book box art, Europe release
    EU The Jungle Book

Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.

Version differences

  • Contentall versions

    The core gameplay is the same in every version, but hardware limits forced level design changes, some of them drastic.1

  • GameplayGenesisSuper NESNES

    GamePro rated the Genesis version above the Super NES and NES ones for its faster, more varied play and brighter graphics.1

  • GameplayNES

    GamePro found the NES version simplified and slower-paced.1

All differences (4)

Reception

Electronic Gaming Monthly's reviewers mostly gave the Genesis and Super NES versions 7 or 8 out of 10, and GamePro found the Super NES version repetitive but praised its lush graphics. GameFan's Megawards named it the best Genesis movie-to-game translation of 1994, Mega ranked it 21st among its Top Mega Drive Games of All Time, and it was the UK's top-selling Master System game in March 1994.1

Sources

  1. 1en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2tcrf.net

Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13

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