in a variety of video game releases, both directly and indirectly associated with the franchise. The character's first appearance as a video game character was in The Lion King, which was released by Virgin Interactive on November 1, 1994, for the video game platforms Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Game Gear, Nintendo Entertainment System, and PC. The game follows the plot of the original film and features Simba as both a cub and an adult. On December 28, 2000, Activision released The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure for Game Boy Color and PlayStation. The game encompasses 10 levels and incorporates the plot of both The Lion King and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride as "Simba ... matures from a precocious cub to an adult lion." Simba appears in the Square Enix Kingdom Hearts video game franchise as a friend and ally of the series' main character, Sora, appearing as a character to summon in Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts III, and a companion in battle in Kingdom Hearts II. Simba also appears as a playable character in Disney Interactive Studios' Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure, released on September 3, 2003, for Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox, Simba is one of the central characters in Disney Friends, released for Nintendo DS on February 26, 2008, where the player can interact with him. Simba is a playable character to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Live versions of Simba appear in the Lion King musical and in the parades and shows at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Simba was also the main character in "Legend of the Lion King," a former Fantasyland attraction in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, which retold the story of the film using fully articulated puppets. Other Disney attractions that have featured Simba include the Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D show and the Hong Kong Disneyland version of It's a Small World. He appeared as one of the main characters at Epcot's Land Pavilion 12-minute edutainment film Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, until its closure in 2018. He currently appears in animatronic form in Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Reception and legacy Critical response Reception towards Simba has been generally mixed. The Christian Science Monitors David Sterritt hailed Simba as "a superbly realized character," specifically praising the scene