Disney's Animated Storybook: 101 Dalmatians

Disney's Animated Storybook: 101 Dalmatians

CD cover art
Developer(s) Media Station
Publisher(s) Disney Interactive
Series Disney's Animated Storybook
Platform(s) Computer
Release date(s) March 18, 1997
Genre(s) Point-and-click adventure, interactive storybook
Mode(s) Single-player

Disney's Animated Storybook: 101 Dalmatians is the sixth entry in the Disney's Animated Storybook point-and-click adventure interactive storybook PC game series, based on theatrical and home video releases. This game was based on the Disney franchise of One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which began with the 1961 film of the same name. Like that movie, the plot of the game sees villain and fashionista Cruella de Vil steal a series of dalmatian puppies from married couple Roger and Anita and their pets Pongo and Perdita, who then attempt to rescue them back. The game was developed by Media Station and published by Disney Interactive. It was released on March 18, 1997.[1] The game is the only Animated Storybook title based on a Walt Disney Animation Studios film that was made before the Disney Renaissance (ignoring the two Winnie the Pooh-based titles).

History

Conception

The vision of Marc Teren, VP of entertainment for Disney Interactive, was to create games with a "true and fair representation of the original property",[2] and aim to capitalise as "ancillary products to successful theatrical and home video releases".[3] To achieve this, Teren helped ensure the games were animated by Disney animators.[2] From December 1994 to February 1995, the company had hired 50 new employees.[4] Children's Business suggests the series came into fruition because in the contemporary entertainment market, it was "customary now for entertainment companies to release CD-ROMs to support a film or TV show".[5]

Development

Disney and Media Station collaborated to create more than 12,000 frames of digital animation for each game, as well as 300 music and vocal clips. Digital music and sound effects were composed, orchestrated, arranged, edited, mixed and synchronized at Media Station.[6] The games had hundreds of clickable hotspots that produced animated gags, as well as many mind-challenging interactive games.[7] The voice cast sometimes consisted of actors from the films reprising their roles;[8] meanwhile, at other times voice soundalikes were used.[9]

Gameplay

The game is within the adventure gaming genre and as such use a point-and-click interface. There are a series of icons that the mouse turns into when it runs over hotspots, depending on how one can interact with them. This can include interactions like a minigame, song or animation. The method of going from page to page is creative and unique to the storybook; in Disney's Animated Storybook: 101 Dalmatians there are a series of inked feet leading to the exit (a reference to when the dogs roll in soot to evade Cruella De Vil).[10]

The game's plot and animation is similar to that of the 1961 film, albeit somewhat abridged for the limited medium. Roger's occupation changed from songwriter to video game designer. To appeal to 1990s kids, some technology of the original film's time were updated and new technology were added, including computers, video game consoles (supporting Roger's occupation change), larger screen television sets, and passcode-enabled security gates. The story is narrated in-game by Pongo, Perdy, and their pup Lucky. The game also features a soundtrack of sing-along songs, which includes five new songs and a new recording of the original film's famous song "Cruella De Vil".

Critical reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame[10]
Sun-Sentinel[11]

A review in The Austin Chronicle said of Disney's Animated Storybook: Disney's 101 Dalmatians, "The dogs are adorable and Cruella is deliciously wicked. The style elements, too, are vividly woven in". Ot praised the inclusion of brain-stimulating puzzles, and a theasaurus feature for "highlighted words in the narration". It adds "the true genius of a disk like this is that Mom or Dad won't mind serving as a booster seat for son or daughter at the family computer hutch".[12] When comparing the Hunchback and Dalmatians Storybooks (which were released around the same time in 1997), Sun-Sentinel said their experts "preferred [the] Dalmatians [storybook]", giving it a rating of 3 stars.[11] AllGame gave 101 Dalmatians a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5.[10] Computer Shopper favourably compared the game to Little Ark Interactive's Story of Creation.[13] Chicago Sun-Times thought it was a "perfect digital playmate".[14] The Washington Post said the illustrations are "nothing short of excellent",[15] and deemed it "a cut above" the standard for educational video games.[16]

References

  1. ↑ Disney, Walt (2000). "Disney's Animated Storybook : 101 Dalmatians: A Story Waiting for You to Make It Happen". ISBN 9781573500692.
  2. 1 2 Nielsen Business Media, Inc (1995-02-18). "Billboard": 69.
  3. ↑ "Disney jumps into interactive software: McBeth to lead new unit with ambitious CD-ROM, game plans. (Steve McBeth, president of Disney Interactive) (Telemedia Week: The Interactive World of Video, Voice and Data)". 1994-12-12.
  4. ↑ "MOVIE STUDIOS FOCUS ON BUILDING INTERACTIVE DIVISIONS". 1995-02-13.
  5. ↑ "E3 preview: state of the edutainment market. (educational entertainment)". 1997-06-01.
  6. ↑ "Media Station develops "Disney's Animated Storybook: The Lion King" for Disney Interactive. – Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  7. ↑ Media, Working Mother (July–August 1996). "Working Mother".
  8. ↑ "CD-ROM ROLES PULL STARS INTO CYBERSPACE. – Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  9. ↑ Bob Strauss (1996-05-17). "Disney's Animated Storybook: Toy Story Review". EW.com. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  10. 1 2 3 Game, All (2010-10-03). "Disney's 101 Dalmatians Animated StoryBook [Jewel Case] – Overview". allgame. Archived from the original on 2010-02-05. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  11. 1 2 "Disney's Animated Storybook: – Sun Sentinel". Articles.sun-sentinel.com. 1997-05-18. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  12. ↑ "Scanlines: Disney's Animated Storybook: Disney's 101 Dalmatians – Screens". The Austin Chronicle. 1997-05-30. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  13. ↑ "Story of Creation. (Little Ark Interactive) (Software Review)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)". 1997-05-01.
  14. ↑ "Disney's dalmatians hit computer screen". 1996-12-20.
  15. ↑ "Advice Etc.;roming the Galaxy". 1996-12-16.
  16. ↑ "Briefing #58: Software for Kids". 1997-10-26.
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