Jurassic Park

"May not be 65 Million years in the making, but can hold its own"

After seeing Jurassic Park in theatres and coming away very impressed I was interested to see if the game adaptations were any good. Several different Jurassic Park (JP) themed games were released on the Super NES, Genesis, and Sega CD. However, it is this version by OCEAN that stands out as the most interesting and unusual of the bunch. No doubt you're familiar with the rule that most movie licensed games generally, well suck. So despite being high on JP fever I figured this game would probably just turn out to be another cheap attempt to cash in on the JP cow. Boy was I wrong.

I was expecting your typical 2D side-scrolling fare, not the case though. The game play is actually quite innovative, combining two very different styles into one interesting little action/adventure/shooter hybrid. While you're outside exploring the park the game play is set in the form of an overhead perspective (ala Legend of Zelda) where you can jump, climb stairs, etc. However, once you enter a building the game switches to a 1st person shooter perspective (Doom, Duke Nukem). Both environments offer their own unique challenges to the gamer.

Game Play
In the game you play as Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil's character) a paleontologist who has found himself trapped on the island of Isla Nublar (Jurassic Park) after the failure of the island's security system has allowed its prehistoric inhabitants to run wild. True to the film, the main objective in JP is to escape the island via a helicopter. To do this however, you're first required to complete a series of objectives ranging from rebooting the island's power to destroying raptor breeding sites. Although you must accomplish all of the pre-assigned tasks, you're given a lot of freedom in what sequence you actually complete them. For example you can and should start collecting raptor eggs and ID cards right from the get go. Most of these objectives come straight out of the movie (ex: turning on the generator, rebooting the computer) while others are absent from the movie but present in the novel (ex: destroying the raptor nests). All in all it's a pretty faithful rendition.

Due to the sharp differences between the overhead and first person perspectives I've decided to evaluate both separately.

Over world
In this mode you'll have to contend with all of JP's many Dinosaurs. Each species presents its own unique set of difficulties to the player. A large portion of the game's challenge is in learning and anticipating the diverse attack methods of the different dinos. Dinosaurs aren't the island's only danger however. You also have to contend with electrified fences and grates, giant dragonflies, thorny vines, falling rocks, and water hazards. Raptors, Dilophosaurs, and Compisygnathus are the most common enemies you'll encounter, whereas Triceratops and T-rex are seldom seen (if you play it smart you can avoid the T-rex altogether). Raptors are your greatest nemesis, ambushing you from trees, attacking in packs, and regenerating at will. To avoid being killed you'll have to defend yourself using an assortment of weapons, which you'll find scattered throughout the park.

You start off armed only with a cattle prod but will quickly pick up much more powerful arms. Although the best weapons are the Rocket Launcher and Bola Snares, a certain degree of strategy is involved in which weapons you take into different situations. For instance, the tranquilizer darts are the only weapon capable of keeping the T-rex at bay, while those same darts are useless for activating far off switches and impractical for targeting the tiny Compisygnathus. Yes JP is far more than just a mindless shooting game, and knowing your weapons is just as important as knowing your enemies.

With all the action and little of the tediousness, the over world exploration aspect is definitely the more enjoyable of the two game modes. Also with a much wider assortment of hazards to deal with, this mode offers much more strategic challenge than the indoor locations.

Indoors
The indoor aspect although ambitious is also the source of most of the game's short comings. The basic layout and wall designs of most buildings are very similar and repetitive. As a result indoor environments are often confusing to navigate. Even after playing through JP countless times I still find myself getting lost in the utility sheds, boat, and especially the darn raptor nest! What really bugs me though is that this problem could have been easily solved if the developers had simply included some sort of room navigation map. That way you could figure out where you were without having to wander around aimlessly looking for the right door. The ID cards, necessary for gaining entry to the many restricted regions of the park are also a pain. I found that remembering which ID card was needed for which restricted door confusing. My advice is to save yourself a lot of needless backtracking and write down where the restricted access doors are as you encounter them.

As you navigate through the buildings you'll have to deal with Dilophosaurs and Raptors lying in wait. Unlike their over world counterparts, Dilophosaurs won't move in doors, they remain stationary and only spit at you if you're within close range. Raptors on the other hand will charge and pounce on you at will, once they've spotted you. What I don't get is, why only these two Dinosaur types? With only the two basic attack patterns to deal with encounters quickly become repetitive and predictable. Most enemies are very easy to pick off and I almost never get killed while indoors.

The game also makes optional use of the much neglected Super NES mouse. The mouse can be used in indoor locations only, as an alternative to the standard controller. While I do prefer it over a regular Super NES controller, I can't really recommend buying one simply for this game.

Graphics
Over world
Given the smaller size of the game sprites, Dinosaurs aren't as detailed as in the indoor environments. Large Dinosaurs such as the T-rex and Triceratops are especially well drawn, whereas smaller ones like the Compys are fairly plain. For the most part the character designs are true to the film's style and animate well. The developers did a good job in capturing the color of the different environments of the park. Jungles are a lush green, deserts a rusty brown/yellow, ocean is deep blue. Lots of eye candy overall.

Indoors
Lots of little details here too. Numerous, signs, chains, chairs, computers, etc can be found throughout JP's buildings. The Visitors Center in particular boasts a diverse array of environments. Raptors and Dilophosaurs look even better when viewed head on. With the raptors in particular the developers did an excellent job of capturing their walking stance (very bird like). On the downside the graphics do suffer quite a bit from pixilation, which is bound to turn off people accustomed to flashier shooters. To be fair, JP is a very early 1st person game so you really can't hold this against the developers. Plus it isn't bad enough to actually hinder game play at all.

Sound
Over world
Rather than adapting the movie's soundtrack the designers took an original approach and composed entirely new music for the game. This is by no means a bad thing though. Each of the island's diverse environments has a different soundtrack and each compliments the intended theme or mood well. The music changes automatically as you move from one area of the park to another. For instance, when you enter a region of dense jungle a slow, steady drum beat plays, a heavily xylophone track in mountainous areas, and when close to the T-rex a quick and suspenseful beat, to name a few. The game has a distinct sound, kind moody and haunting in places. JP's music stands out in my mind from most Super NES titles I've played.

Indoors
Once again the 1st person perspective slightly misses the mark. The soundtrack heard in indoor environments consists of a tense, kind of eerie, rising and falling rhythm. In of itself this isn't a problem, in fact it suits the atmosphere well, never sure what to expect behind the next door. The problem I have is that this is the only soundtrack used at all in these locations (save for the elevators). Having to hear the same music over and over, especially music that is kind of creepy to begin with starts to wear on you after awhile. I often find myself turning the volume off if I'm in one of the buildings for a long time. Something I always found to be kind of funny and ironic though is how light hearted and cheesy the elevator music is compared to the regular indoor theme, weird.

Replay
My biggest gripe with JP is that for a game of its length it lacks a save feature. Not that JP is ridiculously long, but getting through it in one sitting is a very big stretch on ones endurance. Having to start over from the beginning each time you play becomes tedious after awhile. You'll also need to do a lot of backtracking once you gain additional ID cards, batteries, security access, etc. I could overlook most of the graphical and sound flaws but not having battery backup really hurts the experience. If you're someone who becomes easily frustrated JP definitely isn't for you. Think you can handle it? Than be prepared to invest a lot of time and effort.

There isn't much here in the way of replay value. Once you've beaten it you've pretty much seen and done everything JP has to offer. Other than playing chicken against a stampede of Gallimimus, you won't find much to keep you coming back. Plus if you're determined enough to actually beat this sucker odds are you won't want to go through the ordeal again any time soon.

I was pleased with OCEAN's ability to capture the essence of the movie's/novel's story while still managing to give us something fresh and original game play wise. Overall JP is an interesting, if somewhat flawed little gem. It's far from perfect but worth a look if you can find a cheap copy somewhere.

On a final note I liked the “Mr. DNA Trivia Game”. If you stay in one spot for a while on the over world, a screen will pop up and Mr. DNA (the park's lovable plasmic mascot) will quiz you on your dinosaur knowledge and tell you interesting facts. This little tidbit is a cool waste of time if nothing else (I learned Brachiosaurus was 75 ft long).

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/21/02, Updated 01/09/06