Timon and Pumbaa's Virtual Safari

Last updated

Timon and Pumbaa's Virtual Safari is a series of interactive virtual games that were included as bonus-features within several of Disney's The Lion King -related DVD releases throughout the 2000's. The series of games centers on Timon and Pumbaa going on a variety of safari adventures. The Virtual Safari games are a cross between the Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones-related Disney theme park rides along with Kilimanjaro Safaris . [1] Players press the left or right arrow buttons on their DVD player's remote at decision making points to decide which way the vehicle travels. [1]

Contents

Overview

Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Disney Feature Animation, and DisneyToon Studios produced four Virtual Safari games, including:

Production

This series marked the first time that Buena Vista Home Entertainment collaborated with Disney Feature Animation and DisneyToon Studios to create a game of this type. [1] Andy Siditsky, Disney's Senior VP of Worldwide DVD production and Creative Services, explained that he wanted set a higher benchmark with what could be done within a DVD set top experience: "We started thinking about various theme park rides land Timon and Pumbaa were our natural hosts. That led to different ways of doing it and different pieces and wondering where would you go?" [1]

Siditsky brainstormed ideas with a small team including re-recording mixer Terry Porter, discussing different types of tours. They worked closely with the Feature Animation team to develop the animation and assets for the game. [1] As part of the research, the team traveled to Walt Disney World, hung around The Jungle Cruise and read some of scripts of the rides, using them as a guide. [1] There was some trepidation over whether the team could successfully complete the project as it had never been done before. [1] Describing it as an "experiment", Siditsky noted that it opened up the door to create virtual safari type of experiences down the line. [1] Part of the challenge was in making it an engaging theme park ride while being relevant to The Lion King franchise and including some adult humour. [1] An additional challenge was in making the animation quality up to the level of the film, considering time and budget constraints. [1] Around 20% of The Lion King was repurposed for Virtual Safari. [1] The first Virtual Safari game was released on The Lion King special edition after six months of work, which combined traditional and CG elements. [1]

I spent a number of hours at John Ross shop at Gork Enterprises and it was a very collaborative process. We supplied them with digital images that were projection mapped onto billboards. They put together the CG elements and digital artwork and built the environments. I helped them match the look of the film, such as when repurposed monkeys jump up and down on the bow of the jungle cruiser.

— Dave Bossert [5] , producer/artistic coordinator on Virtual Safari, who served as an FX animator on The Lion King back in 95

Ernie Sabella reprised the voice of Pumbaa and Kevin Schon voiced Timon in both 1.0 and 2.0. [1] Nathan Lane returned to voice Timon for the 1.5 installment. [1]

Critical reception

The Digital Bits felt the game would be appealing to young children, but noted that as someone who buys DVD out of a love of film, "interactive games don't particularly do anything for me". [6] Sound and Vision felt it was one of the few aspects of the DVD specifically aimed at children. [7] DVDCC said it was "Worth checking out". [8] When speaking about how a featurette about the lost attraction The Little Mermaid Under the Sea Adventure was to be featured on The Little Mermaid 2-Disc DVD, DLP Today commented "they’ve taken the “Virtual Safari” idea from The Lion King’s DVDs and transferred the concept to a real Disney theme park attraction". [9]

DVD Mag said they "didn't expect a lot from Virtual Safari 1.5 but had it offered a very fun experience." [10] IGN felt it was "definitely not as traumatic as the original virtual safari on The Lion King". [11] MousePlanet noted there is "plenty of humor and adventure mixed in" to Virtual Safari 2.0. [12] AnimatedViews felt the game was impressing but lacked replay value due to not having much gameplay. [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Lion King</i> 1994 American animated musical drama film

The Lion King is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it is inspired by William Shakespeare's Hamlet with elements from the Biblical stories of Joseph and Moses and Disney's 1942 film Bambi. The film was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff and produced by Don Hahn, from a screenplay written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Rowan Atkinson and Robert Guillaume. Its original songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with a score by Hans Zimmer.

<i>The Lion King II: Simbas Pride</i> 1998 American animated musical romantic comedy-drama film

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is a 1998 American animated direct-to-video musical romantic drama film. It is the sequel to Disney's 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King, with its plot influenced by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and the second installment in The Lion King trilogy. According to director Darrell Rooney, the final draft gradually became a variation of Romeo and Juliet.

<i>Timon & Pumbaa</i> (TV series) 1995 American animated television series by Disney

The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, often simply referred to as Timon & Pumbaa, is an American animated buddy comedy television series created by Walt Disney Television Animation. Based on Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King, it centers on Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog, as they live their problem-free philosophy "Hakuna Matata". Unlike other The Lion King media, the tone of the series is more slapstick comedy-oriented.

<i>The Lion King 1½</i> 2004 animated Disney film

The Lion King 1½ is a 2004 American animated direct-to-video musical comedy film produced by the Australian branch of Disneytoon Studios and released direct to video on February 10, 2004. The third and final installment released in the original Lion King trilogy, it is based on The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa and serves as an origin story for the meerkat/warthog duo Timon and Pumbaa while the film is also set within the events of The Lion King. A majority of the original voice cast from the first film returns to reprise their roles, including Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as the voices of Timon and Pumbaa, respectively. The plot of the movie seems to be inspired by Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, a tragicomedy that tells the story of Hamlet from the point of view of 2 minor characters.

<i>Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable</i> Film formerly shown at Epcot

Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable was a 70 mm documentary, shown in the Harvest Theater in The Land pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida. It opened on January 21, 1995, replacing Symbiosis. The main narrator of the story was Simba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simba</span> Main character of The Lion King

Simba is a fictional character and the protagonist of Disney's The Lion King franchise. Introduced in the 1994 film The Lion King, Walt Disney Animation's 32nd animated feature, the character subsequently appears in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) and The Lion King 1½ (2004) as well as the 2019 remake of the original film. Simba was created by screenwriters Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton. While Mark Henn served as Simba's supervising animator as a cub, Ruben A. Aquino animated the character as he appears as an adult.

<i>The Lion King</i> (musical) Musical

The Lion King is a stage musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, with additional music and lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. It is based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' film of the same name. Directed by Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.

Nala (<i>The Lion King</i>) Fictional character from The Lion King franchise

Nala is a fictional character in Disney's The Lion King film franchise. Introduced in the animated film The Lion King (1994), Nala subsequently appears as a less prominent character in the film's sequels The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) and The Lion King 1½ (2004), and serves as a recurring character in The Lion Guard (2015–2019). In the original film, the adult Nala is voiced by American actress Moira Kelly. Young Nala's speaking voice is provided by actress Niketa Calame, while singers Laura Williams and Sally Dworsky provide the singing voices of young and adult Nala respectively. Nala is introduced as the daughter of an unnamed lion and Sarafina, the best friend of Simba, and ultimately becomes his wife as well as the daughter-in-law of Mufasa and Sarabi and the niece-in-law of Scar by the end of The Lion King. Nala becomes Simba’s wife as well as his Queen. Nala is also Kopa, Kiara and Kion’s mother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timon and Pumbaa</span> Fictional meerkat and warthog duo from Disneys The Lion King franchise

Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced in Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King and its franchise. Timon was played through his many appearances by Nathan Lane, Max Casella, Kevin Schon, Quinton Flynn, Bruce Lanoil in the Wild About Safety shorts and Kingdom Hearts II, while Pumbaa is voiced by Ernie Sabella, and was portrayed by Tom Alan Robbins in the original cast of the Broadway musical. In the CGI remake, the characters are portrayed by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, respectively. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella first came to audition for the roles of the hyenas, but when the producers saw how well they worked together, they decided to cast them as Timon and Pumbaa.

There have been seven theme park live adaptations of The Lion King at Disney parks since the animated film The Lion King was released by Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1994. These have included a parade, two theater-in-the-round shows, and four stage shows.

"I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is a song written by Elton John (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics) for the Disney animated feature film The Lion King (1994). The song is performed by American actor and singer Jason Weaver as the singing voice of young Simba, with English actor Rowan Atkinson and American actress Laura Williams providing supporting vocals in their roles as Zazu and the singing voice of young Nala, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hakuna Matata (song)</span> 1995 song from The Lion King film

"Hakuna Matata" is a song from Disney's 32nd animated feature The Lion King. The music was written by Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. The song is based on Timon and Pumbaa's catchphrase in the movie, Hakuna matata, a Swahili phrase meaning "No worry(s)". It is characterized by its simple 4/4 time, upbeat message and catchy lyrics.

The Lion King is a Disney media franchise comprising a film series and additional media. The success of the original 1994 American animated feature, The Lion King, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, led to a direct-to-video sequel and midquel, a 2019 film remake, a television film sequel, two spin-off television series, three educational shorts, several video games, merchandise, and the third-longest-running musical in Broadway history, which garnered six Tony Awards including Best Musical. The franchise, led by the musical's box office at $8.1 billion, is the highest-grossing entertainment property. The franchise as a whole has EGOT-ed, meaning it has won the four biggest awards of American show business.

Scar (<i>The Lion King</i>) Major antagonist from The Lion King

Scar is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Disney's The Lion King franchise. He was created by screenwriters Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton, and animated by Andreas Deja. Scar is introduced in the first film as the ruthless, power-hungry younger brother of Mufasa, ruler of the Pride Lands. Originally first-in-line to Mufasa's throne until he is suddenly replaced by Mufasa's son Simba, Scar decides to lead an army of hyenas in his plot to take the throne by killing Mufasa and exiling Simba, ultimately blaming his brother's death on his nephew.

Creative Capers Entertainment is an American animation studio founded by Terry and Sue Shakespeare with David Molina in 1989. Based in Altadena, California. It specializes in flash and hand-drawn animation in various feature films, television series, commercials, CD-ROMs and video games.

<i>Wild About Safety</i> Educational series

Disney's Wild About Safety is an educational series that features short films that were produced by Disney Educational Productions, Duck Studios, and Underwriters' Laboratories. The series is directed and produced by Dave Bossert, and written by Douglas Segal. The music is composed by Mark Watters, and the video was edited by Melissa Time using Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro.

<i>The Lion Guard</i> 2016 TV series

The Lion Guard is an American animated television series developed by Ford Riley and based on Disney's 1994 film The Lion King. The series was first broadcast with a television film titled The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar on Disney Channel on November 22, 2015, and began airing as a TV series on January 15, 2016, on Disney Junior. It is the second television series to be based on The Lion King, the first being Timon & Pumbaa (1995–1999). The Lion Guard is a sequel and spin-off to The Lion King, and takes place during the time-gap within the 1998 film The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, with the third and final season taking place in parallel with the film's second act, followed by the final two episodes of the series serving as an epilogue to the film.

<i>The Lion King</i> (2019 film) 2019 film directed by Jon Favreau

The Lion King is a 2019 American musical drama film directed and produced by Jon Favreau, written by Jeff Nathanson, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Fairview Entertainment. It is a photorealistic computer-animated remake of Disney's traditionally animated 1994 film of the same name. The film stars the voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Florence Kasumba, Eric André, Keegan-Michael Key, JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, as well as James Earl Jones reprising his role from the original film. The plot follows Simba, a young lion who must embrace his role as the rightful king of his homeland following the murder of his father, Mufasa, at the hands of his uncle, Scar.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Disney's Virtual Safari Puts Timon and Pumbaa in Driver's Seat". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  2. 1 2 Chitwood, Scott (2003-10-06). "The Lion King (Special Edition)". ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  3. ↑ "The Lion King 1 1/2 DVD Review". dvdizzy.com. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  4. ↑ "The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride – Special Edition DVD Review". dvdizzy.com. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  5. ↑ "Disney's Virtual Safari Puts Timon and Pumbaa in Driver's Seat".
  6. ↑ "DVD Review - The Lion King: Special Edition - Platinum Edition". www.thedigitalbits.com. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  7. ↑ "The Lion King:Disney Special Platinum Edition". Sound & Vision. 2003-10-20. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  8. ↑ "The DVD Cyber Center: Lion King: Special Platinum Edition DVD REVIEW". www.dvdcc.com. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  9. ↑ "The long-lost Undersea Adventure". DLP Today. 2006-10-18. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  10. ↑ "The Lion King 1 1/2 (2004)". www.dvdmg.com. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  11. ↑ The Lion King 1 1/2 - IGN , retrieved 2019-09-01
  12. ↑ "Lion King 2: Simba's Pride". www.mouseplanet.com. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  13. ↑ "Lion King II: Simba's Pride – Special Edition – Animated Views" . Retrieved 2019-09-01.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.