Poor showing Goofy
Disney games are generally of a pretty high standard, with platformers like Lion King and Aladdin standing out as classics of the genre. Matterhorn Screamer is an earlier game from the studio however which shows that such high standards weren't always the norm and is not worth playing by even the most hardened of Disney fans. This one stars Goofy, one of the company's second string mascots, and sees him attempting to climb to the top of the eponymous mountain. This basically takes the form of a series of single screen platform-style levels, where you have to collect flags while avoiding the various vicious creatures which lurk in the snowy peaks, while jumping from ledges, gondolas and empty bobsleds. The ultimate aim is to reach the top and claim the Mickey flag, but along the way you also have to deal with falling icicles and loose ledges, making for a supposedly exciting journey. However, the reality is very far from the supposedly lofty aims of this game. Even when considered in relation to its target audience and its age, this is a ridiculously poor game. Starting out with the visuals, it's surprising that Disney allowed this one on the market, given that Goofy doesn't really look like himself, while the backdrops and animation are just plain bad. Things don't improve much when you start actually playing the game, as the controls are terrible, being so unresponsive as to make the game almost unplayable. Jumping requires almost pitch perfect positioning and timing and when compared to real platformers like Donkey Kong, this one just doesn't cut the mustard.
