Jurassic Park

"Who Says Games Based On Movies Suck?"

****Spoilers****

In the World of Video Games, there is one thing that most Gamers know: Games based on movies suck. About 90% of the time this is true. Total Recall for the NES & CliffHanger for the Genesis come to mind when thinking of Games that were based on movies that were horrible.

It's extremely rare that a Game based on a movie is good, but this game, based on the very same movie of the very same name, is one of those rare exceptions.

As many of you know, Jurassic Park was possibly the most successful movie ever. Based on the best-selling Novel, it grossed in an incredible $913 Million at the Box Office (much higher than it's budget, which I think was about $60 Million), and it definitely deserved all that money, because it's a movie that's too good to describe. The story was above-average and original, the music brilliant, the acting very good, but what made it so great were the Dinosaurs! Without a doubt they are the coolest Dinosaurs ever , other Dinosaurs don't even come close. Not only did they look cool, they also looked incredibly real! One could only hope that when Dinosaurs did exist, they looked just like they did in the movie; I know I do! The special effects for the movie were also excellent and still hold up today, the Action sequences are extremely exciting and well-done, and it's arguably Steven Spielberg's best film to date IMO! And of course it had sequels, two of them, none nearly as awesome as the first.

Like any big-budget special effects movie, Jurassic Park had enough merchandise sales to sink a Ship; Toys, Books, Clothing, and of course, Video Games! I haven't played many Games based on Jurassic Park, but from what I have played so far, this is by far the best. It's lightyears better than the mediocre JP game for the NES, and it remains one of the best Video Games based on a movie.

The story is similar to the movie, but with some new twists. You can play as two characters: Alan Grant, the infamous Paleontologist from the film, and the vicious VelociRaptor, quite possibly the deadliest Dinosaur ever; The only Dinosaur that comes close to matching the VelociRaptor is the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.

As Alan Grant, your on the Island where Jurassic Park is. Jurassic Park is a Theme Park on the Island Isla Nublar (which I think is fictional), and it's unlike any other Theme Park; it has Dinosaurs, and all of them are real. How can Animals that have been extinct for millions of years exist again? Cloning of course! Using the blood from prehistoric Mosquitoes that were imprisoned in amber, Scientists extracted the blood (which contained a lot of Dinosaur DNA), and used it to clone the Dinosaurs! Before opening this Theme Park, which is sure to be a hit, you've been asked to be a tester for it. Your interested in seeing how Dinosaurs were like when they existed and want to do research on them. But you get a bit more than you bargained for! A huge Hurricane rips through the Island (as were told in the Instruction Booklet and the back of the Game box), which causes all of the Power to go out, and this frees the Dinosaurs! Your Tour Car stopped at the worst place possible at a time like this: a Paddock containing a Tyrannosaurus Rex! This T-Rex is really hungry, and he tries to eat you! He literally turns the Tour Car into Scrap Metal, but luckily you have survived. You awake in a Jungle, and have to make it out of the Island, dodging Dinosaurs in Jungles, Power Stations, Volcanoes, and Rivers, and kicking their butts with all sorts of Weaponry, such as Tranquilizer Guns, Concussion Grenades, Stun Guns, and Rocket Launchers. Will you make it out of Jurassic Park alive, along with all the other Tourists?

As the VelociRaptor, during the Hurricane, the Power to your Compound has gone out, which frees you. You are a very deadly Dinosaur! You can jump high enough to reach a Cliff, you can attack and kill Humans and other Dinosaurs like a Cat fighting with a Mouse, and your Claw on your middle toe can really do some damage! Plus, your intelligent, good at Hunting and stalking Enemies, and are very feared! The only other Dinosaur that can surpass you is the T-Rex. You want to make it off the Island and go to the Mainland (which I believe is a City somewhere in the United States), but other Dinosaurs as well as Park Guards armed with Stun Guns and Rocket Launchers want you... dead!

Two playable Game modes with two very good storylines. They follow the movie's closely and throw in some good twists, which (surprisingly) work and fit in well.

Alan Grant's Game is by far the best. He has seven cool levels, has a neat Arsenal of Weapons, and can really kick Dinosaur butt! I give his Game a 9/10.

The VelociRaptor's Game is good, but not as good as Grant's; he only has five levels, and (despite being a very deadly and lethal Carnivore), can easily be killed by Guards, and can fall into Chasms and Pits very quickly. Still, the VelociRaptor's Game is fun, even if it's not as good as Grant's. I give his Game an 8/10.

The graphics in this Game are really well-done, considering it's on the Genesis; the level designs are superb, the Jungle looks like a huge and treacherous Jungle, the Pump Station looks like an abandoned Sewer System that looks like it's Haunted, the Canyon looks like a Rocky Mountain, and the other levels are terrific as well. The final stage in the Visitor's Center looks a lot like it did in the movie, right down to the two huge Skeletons of the T-Rex and Brachiosaurus, and the large Banner marked ''When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth''.

Character designs and animations are nothing short of cool; many of the Dinosaurs look exactly like they did in the film (especially the Brachiosaurus!). The VelociRaptors look almost like they did in the film (I say almost because for some odd reason, their Claw isn't visible unless their Attacking), the Dilophosaurs are very detailed right down to their multi-colored Frills around their necks, the the T-Rex resembles his movie counterpart (well almost, his Skin is a brownish color and not dark green like in the movie).

Grant's clothes look exactly like they did in the movie (his blue denim shirt and beige khaki jeans, his white Fedora hat, and I think he has his red bandanna around his neck). He doesn't have any facial detail, but he looks fantastic nonetheless. The Park Guards look good, with their Orange JP Hard Hats and Weapons, and they come in different Varieties too (some wear green uniforms, others gray, black, and so on). Like Grant, they lack facial detail, but other than that, they are very good and well-done.

Animations are smooth, from Grant and the Park Guards firing their Weapons (the Stun Gun emits a huge Electrical Stream, The Rocket Launcher (of course) launches Rockets that explode on impact and create a large blast radius, and the Grenade effects are superb, whether they be spreading knock-out Gas, exploding, or causing a blinding flash), to the Actions of the Dinosaurs (the Dilophosaurus' Frill coming out of his neck and spitting Venom, the VelociRaptor jumping and Attacking someone/something with his Claw, and the T-Rex braking through a huge Wall and roaring), and other miscellaneous animations (the Water Stream splashing down the Rivers, the Electrical Energy surging from torn Wires, and a Pool of Molten Lava).

Cinemas aren't plentiful in this Game, but when they are seen, they are GREAT!!! The Game's introduction is one of the coolest (and scariest) of any Game, the opening of Alan Grant's Game is guaranteed to freak you out greatly, and the endings for both Alan & the VelociRaptor are very cool. The opening Cinema for the VelociRaptor is cool, too.

The Game also has an excellent Atmosphere that really makes you feel as if your in it's levels. The Graphics further support this Atmosphere, and both mix perfectly and flawlessly.

The sound effects and music are above-average; the explosions of the Rocket Launchers and Explosive Grenades sound like explosions, the Electrical Stream of the Stun Gun sounds Electrical, the Boat's Engine riding the Rapid Rivers sounds like a Motor Engine, and the Dinosaurs sound fantastic, even if some of their sounds may not exactly be like the movie's.

The music isn't bad; the Jungle has this Tropical-sounding music that gives a sense of impending Doom, the Pump Station has Grim music, and the music of the Visitor's Center sounds very Doom-impending, Adventurous and suspenseful, all at once. The music that plays when you die sounds very Grim and dark is really creepy. The Game has other good sound effects and music and they all fit in fine with the Game, even if it doesn't quite match the music in the movie and the movie's incredible sound effects.

The Controls are good and you learn them very quickly; making Grant jump and fire a Weapon, making the VelociRaptor pounce and slash, and having Grant grab onto Poles and Wires, Controls are simple and easy.

The Game's challenge factor is a mixed bag; some levels are really easy, others are really hard; the River level is sure to be a challenge the first time you play the Game, as is the Pump Station (especially with the VelociRaptor!), and the two final Enemies in the Game are unlike any other Enemy you've ever faced...

Some of the Enemies aren't as tough as you'd think; the T-Rex can instantly kill you, but a Concussion Grenade, Explosive Grenade, or Rocket will briefly knock him out and give you enough time to escape from him, it only takes one red-banded Tranquilizer to take a VelociRaptor down (or just nail him with Rockets or Explosive Grenades, they work better), and the Compies can easily be avoided and taken care of.

Of course, when given the chance the Enemies can be tough; Pteradons can knock you off anything, Dilophosaurs can counter you with their Venomous Spitting, and the Park Guards are a VelociRaptor's worst Nightmare: Rocket Launchers, Stun Guns, and Grenades, oh my!

The Game's challenge is somewhat mediocre, but the first time you play it, it'll probably be a little difficult, but you'll definitely know what to do the second time around.

Gameplay is excellent and very fun, and the tight controls make it even better; blasting Dinosaurs, Attacking people, swinging on Vines, running from VelociRaptors, guiding a Boat down Raging Rivers, and armed with a Stun Gun and Rocket Launcher. Sounds like fun, don't it? It is, and the Game is much more fun than you think and what I have stated.

In terms of being true to the movie, it succeeds, but not completely; levels are different and a lot of the levels aren't similar to the movies (does anyone remember seeing a Volcano and Pump Station, as well as a Mountain with nasty Rivers? I don't), and it would've been very cool to relive some of the movie's moments in the Game (the Gallimimus Stampede would've been awesome!). Still, it's true to the movie is some parts, and fans won't be disappointed.

Jurassic Park isn't perfect though; some improvements that could've been made are a larger variety of Dinosaurs, like the Stegosaurus and Gallimimus, levels true to the movie, and characters from the movie, like Ellie Sattler, Ian Malcolm, Tim Murphy & Lex Murphy, and Robert Muldoon.

The Weapons Variety could've also been improved; I love the Rocket Launcher and Stun Gun (the Stun Gun is my favorite Weapon in the Game), but I'd like to use some other Weapons, like the SPAS-12 Semi-Automatic Shotgun used by Robert Muldoon in the film, and a Machine Gun, and some other additions, like a Flamethrower, would've been cool.

Jurassic Park isn't a very flawed Game, it's flaws can be overlooked and it's good points are very strong; Great graphics, moody Atmosphere, plenty of suspense, good sound effects and music, and very fun and addictive Gameplay. Don't mistake Jurassic Park for another bad Game based on a movie, this is a rare exception and this Game is a true underrated Gem!

If you come across this Game, buy it! The Genesis may not be the greatest Game System ever, but this Game is definitely a classic!

9/10. If only more movie-based Video Games could be like this!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/01, Updated 08/28/01