Ariel
The playable mermaid who swims through the stages, attacks with bubbles, and rescues her father.
Documented for this version
D-pad | Move Ariel in four directions |
|---|---|
A | Swim upward |
B | Fire a bubble |
Start | Pause the game |
How it plays
Ariel is viewed from the side as she swims through underwater stages. The objective is to reach the end of each area, defeat its boss, and ultimately confront Ursula.
The D-pad controls movement, while Ariel's bubble attack deals with enemies and can help clear a route. Treasure and power-ups improve her capabilities, allowing later stages to become more manageable. The game follows a linear sequence of levels with boss encounters rather than offering a map or alternate campaign.
Plan your run
Use open space to line up bubble shots instead of attacking enemies at point-blank range.
Search the stages for treasures and power-ups before moving on. Against bosses, watch their attack patterns and prioritize survival over rapid damage.
Meet the cast
The playable mermaid who swims through the stages, attacks with bubbles, and rescues her father.
The sea witch and the game's final adversary.
Before you begin
Keep moving when enemies approach from above or below.
Use bubbles to control narrow passages before swimming through them.
The Little Mermaid is a side-scrolling action platformer developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It adapts Disney's animated film by placing Ariel in a series of underwater stages filled with hostile sea life, hazards, treasures, and bosses. Ariel swims through open water rather than walking across solid ground, giving the game a distinctive movement style. Her main attack traps enemies in bubbles, while collected treasures improve her abilities. The game is short and approachable, and contemporary coverage generally regarded it as a competent, colorful licensed Capcom title rather than a major NES classic.
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