Ariel
The mermaid protagonist controlled by the player. She swims through underwater stages and uses bubbles to defend herself.
How it plays
The game is viewed from a side-scrolling perspective, with Ariel swimming through underwater stages and moving between open areas, narrow passages, and hazards. Her main objectives are to reach the end of each stage, avoid or defeat enemies, and collect useful items along the way.
Progression follows a sequence of levels leading toward a confrontation with Ursula. Ariel attacks with bubbles and uses her swimming movement to approach platforms, evade threats, and explore the environment. The design emphasizes positioning and route-finding more than complex character upgrades or multiple playable modes.
Plan your run
Move carefully through open areas instead of rushing forward. Ariel’s swimming control can make precise positioning difficult, so use open space to line up attacks and avoid contact with enemies.
Explore side paths for collectibles and keep distance from hazards. Against tougher enemies and bosses, prioritize safe movement and repeated bubble attacks rather than trying to pass directly through danger.
Meet the cast
The mermaid protagonist controlled by the player. She swims through underwater stages and uses bubbles to defend herself.
The primary antagonist and the final threat Ariel must overcome.
Ariel’s crab companion, associated with the film’s story and supporting cast.
Ariel’s fish companion from the Disney film.
Before you begin
Use Ariel’s swimming space to approach enemies from a safe angle.
Search less obvious paths for useful collectibles.
Avoid rushing through narrow passages where movement is harder to control.
Ariel the Little Mermaid is a side-scrolling action platformer developed by BlueSky Software and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis in 1992. It adapts Disney’s The Little Mermaid, placing Ariel in an underwater quest against Ursula and her forces. The game combines exploration, enemy avoidance, collectible gathering, and projectile-based combat rather than reproducing the film as a direct scene-by-scene retelling. Ariel’s unusual underwater movement gives the game a distinct feel, with open vertical spaces replacing the strictly horizontal movement of many contemporary platformers. Reception was mixed: critics generally recognized its colorful presentation and accessible premise, while opinions varied on its brief length, simple combat, and sometimes awkward navigation.
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