T-Rex | RVGFanatic

Jurassic Park 2 (SNES)

***Pub & Dev: Ocean | November 1994 | 16 MEGS***

Jurassic Park fever swept the world back in the summer of 1993. After the smashing blockbuster hit, dinosaurs were back and bigger than ever. Later that November, Ocean released a video game adaptation of Jurassic Park to mostly rave reviews. Exactly one year later, they were at it again with a sequel. But this time, rather than an overhead action game with first person shooter sections, Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues was a more basic and traditional side-scrolling shoot ‘em up. Jurassic Park 2 comes off a bit like a mix between Alien³ and Contra III, proving that going back to the basics can be what’s best for business.

That Barbasol can is in honor of one, Dennis Nedry

REWIND BACK TO JANUARY 25, 2006

I never played Jurassic Park 2 back in the day but I fondly recall the crazy 6-page EGM preview in their December 1994 issue. When I got back into the Super Nintendo nearly 12 years ago (January 17, 2006 to be precise), Jurassic Park 2 was one of the earliest games I picked up. It’s a fond memory for me as it fell on the first day of my final undergrad semester at my old college. It was a Wednesday I can still vividly recall. That semester Wednesday was the best day of the week because I only had one class on Wednesdays (9-10:15 AM). After class that day I had a couple girl friends go buy some books with me at the local campus store. Afterward it was 11:30 and I decided to drive to a nearby Game Crazy to see what SNES goodies they might have that day. Game Crazy was a hub attached to Hollywood Video back when these relics existed. There was a time when Game Crazy was actually pretty damn good. They used to carry a solid variety of top-notch SNES games in excellent condition, but this was before the SNES scene exploded. On this particular afternoon, much to my delight I found The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues and The Lost Vikings. I got The Lost Vikings free as part of Game Crazy’s buy 2 get 1 free deal. Talk about starting off my final undergrad semester with a bang!

I remember asking the cashier that day if he had any Sega Saturn games in storage. I don’t know why but I asked him and boy am I glad I did. He said he received a stash of Saturn games recently but that they had not yet put out on display. He pulled out a thick black binder, unzipped it and revealed a bunch of somewhat scarce Saturn titles in high demand. I ended up buying Shining Wisdom and Iron Storm for $2.99 each while getting Saturn Bomberman for free. Talk about highway robbery! It was one HELL of a deal. I couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear as I drove home.

Hard to believe it's been nearly 12 years — Hard to believe it’s been nearly 12 years

Here’s a shot of the actual Hollywood Video from my childhood town. Man, it brings back so many memories. The mountains in the back. How Target was right across the street and how just to the right of the Target sign stood a classic mom and pop rental shop by the name of Video Mart. One time my mom was shopping at Target while I sat on the little lawn right there by the Target sign, reading Goosebumps book #26, entitled My Hairiest Adventure. Man, for some reason that sticks out in my mind. Good innocent times from a bygone era. It’s really a shame that kids these days only know of Redbox and NetFlix. I like those modern conveniences too, but damn if it’ll ever match the pure joy and wonder of visiting the local rental store on a Saturday afternoon. If you were a kid growing up at any point between the ’80s to mid ’90s, it was a ritual and a way of life. There’s something incredibly sacred about those old video stores and memories that I cherish and hold near and dear to my heart. And always will.

Here’s a shot of that same Hollywood Video that I captured on a cold rainy Monday night in January of 2006. Hollywood was one of my favorite stores to visit as a kid. I wasted hours going up and down the long aisles staring at the back of horror movie VHS boxes and gawking at the latest 16-bit video games. It was a big part of my childhood, and it saddens me that the kids of today will never know what it’s like to roam through a video store on a lazy Saturday afternoon. This particular Hollywood Video location finally died off in 2009. It was one of the last relics remaining from my youth. Thanks for the memories, Hollywood! Farewell dear old friend. Long live 16-bit and horror movie boxes!

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues holds a fairly distinct honor. To the best of my knowledge, it’s the only “movie sequel” game on the SNES that came out before the actual movie sequel itself. The Lost World: Jurassic Park didn’t come out in theaters until May 19, 1997.

THE STORY GOES…

Screw ya, Hammond! You chickenshit :P — Screw ya, Hammond! You little old chickenshit

The manual said "ASSES." Sorry, I'm easily amused... — The manual said ***ASSES***. Sorry, I’m easily amused…

*Dodgson is a key figure in the book more than the film*

Little do the BioSyn soldiers know it's a suicide mission — *Little do the BioSyn soldiers know it’s a suicide mission*

*The soft glow of a full moon pierces the eerie night sky*

"IF IT BLEEDS, WE CAN KILL IT!" — ***“IF IT BLEEDS, WE CAN KILL IT!”***

It's time to kick some dinosaur and BioSyn ass! — It’s time to kick some dinosaur and BioSyn ass!

It’s interesting that the intro focuses purely on the bad guys. That might be a first in SNES history. The best thing about this game is its 2 player co-op mode. Player 2 controls Michael Wolfskin, a character entirely made up for the sake of this game and has no canon to either the film or novel.

Love how the raptor claws at the screen for the II mark — Love how a raptor claws at the screen for the II mark

You can even bring your partner back from the dead

The six weapons are split into two categories: lethal and non-lethal. Lethal guns will kill dinosaurs and humans. But here’s the kicker: there’s a dinosaur counter that keeps track of the dinosaur population inhabiting Isla Nublar. It starts at 100 and drops each time you kill a dinosaur (excluding raptors and the T-Rex). The game ends if the number drops too low. But the number also rises the more you kill them (due to natural reproduction). It is best then to maim dinosaurs with your non-lethal weapons. Note however that non-lethal weapons do zero damage to the humans. The good news? You start off with all six weapons and can switch on a dime. This may sound confusing but it’s pretty natural after playing it for a bit.

NON-LETHAL WEAPONS

LETHAL WEAPONS

THE MISSIONS

I appreciate the ability to pick and choose

Objectives are listed before entering a mission.

Alan Grant is agile and he can shoot diagonally — Alan Grant is quite agile and can shoot diagonally

Cattle prod and rifle have unlimited ammo (999) — Cattle prod and rifle both have unlimited ammo

They ain't your dumb blind raptors from the first game — Not your dumb blind raptors from the first game…

John Hammond I swear... I will WHUP DAT ASS — John Hammond I swear… I will ***WHUP DAT ASS***

You activated the gas... now the clock ticks. Get out fast! — You activated the gas. Now the clock ticks. Get out!

The gas may be the least of your problems... — The gas may be the least of your problems…

Awesome how you can leap from behind ladders and swing around them to latch on safely. It’s always the little details.

Satisfying to pick off these bastards. Doing so will blow their sorry asses SKY HIGH. Boom.

This came out in the early '90s. What a time to be a kid — This came out back in 1991. What a time to be a kid

There was even almost a Toxic Crusaders game on the SNES. But it got canned before it could ever get off the ground. Despite the game looking kind of awful, I was disappointed it was never released. Call it morbid curiosity if nothing else.

They also appeared in Elevator Action Returns... — They also appeared in *Elevator Action Returns*…

Sigh... some people just never learn — Sigh… some people just never learn

Contact with the steam gas results in pain

Best adrenaline rush in gaming BAR none. Sorry — Best adrenaline rush in gaming ***BAR*** none. Sorry

Use your non-lethals and watch out for falling rocks

You're out there somewhere, Mac, thinking of me — You’re out there somewhere, Mac, thinking of me

"HERE WE ARE AGAIN, BRO... JUST YOU AND ME..." — ***“HERE WE ARE AGAIN, BRO… JUST YOU AND ME…”***

"SAME KIND OF MOON, SAME KIND OF JUNGLE..." — **“SAME KIND OF MOON, SAME KIND OF JUNGLE…”**

This is the best looking level of the game

I know that's you, John! Yer going down, HAMMOND! — *“I know that’s you, John! Yer going down, HAMMOND!”*

And hey, the mission is called "Protect the Gallimimus" — And hey, the mission is called *“Protect the Gallimimus”*

Shades of Metal Slug — Shades of *Metal Slug*

At least he didn't bust out the selfie stick — At least he didn’t bust out the selfie stick

[No walk in the Jurassic Park? Sorry -Ed.] — No walk in the *Jurassic Park*? No? I’ll see myself out

Emergency missions are a BITCH.

To make things worse, they're bloody TIMED — To make things worse, they’re bloody ***TIMED***

Front and back attack. I felt that one — Front and back attack. **God damn**

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Where's Rodan when you need him?! — Where’s Rodan when you need him?!

Jurassic Park 2 received a whopping 6-page preview in EGM issue #65 (December 1994). The next month EGM gave it scores of 6, 7, 7 and 8. Super Play rated it 83%. The sequel didn’t get the hype or praise that the first game did, despite it being considerably better than the first one. The first game benefited from being based off the actual movie and naturally had more hype due to its timely release following the summer blockbuster. The fact that Jurassic Park 2 is the only SNES game (to the best of my knowledge) that is a sequel to a film that had yet to exist speaks to the mega brand of Jurassic Park. It makes Jurassic Park 2 a unique footnote in SNES history if nothing else. Speaking of unique, how many SNES games can you name that features a voice-laden intro?

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Guess he didn't see the Raptors Crossing sign — Guess he didn’t see the *Raptors Crossing* sign

Jurassic Park 2 has a little of the intense run ‘n gun action of Contra III but it’s also sprinkled with the exploratory aspects of Alien³. Oh and of course, plenty of dinosaurs. The visuals are quite good. Raptors look a thousand times more realistic and menacing than they did in the first game. Guns fly out of the hands of BioSyn soldiers as you mow them down. Some of the stages have a striking look. Sound and music is both rock solid with lots of nice loud explosions and unsettling dinosaur roars. The game is harder than a two dollar steak, however, and that may turn off some players. Memorization and knowing when to fire which gun is critical to success. Perseverance will lead to a fairly rewarding experience, especially if you can find a buddy to join in. Not too shabby, Ocean. Certainly a marked improvement over their first Jurassic Park outing.

"Um, can this thing please go faster?!" — ***“Um, can this thing please go faster?!”***

However, the game is plagued by a few flaws. Similar to the first game, Jurassic Park 2 doesn’t employ a password system. It makes beating this game in one sitting a very daunting task. It’s a shame Ocean didn’t learn from their previous mistake. Also, the difficulty approaches unfair territory at times; the annoyingly timed emergency missions are a total pain in the ass. But if you’re willing to overlook these flaws then Jurassic Park 2 is a pretty solid two player dinosaur blasting romp. It doesn’t get talked about often and seems to have been largely forgotten. It’s not great, or even good perhaps, but it’s definitely a solid addition to any SNES library that already has everything else.

Graphics: 8
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 7
Longevity: 6

Overall: 7.0

"He'll never see me lying here..." — *“He’ll never see me lying here…”*

Jurassic Park (SNES)

**Pub & Dev: Ocean | November 1993 | 16 MEGS**

Who didn’t love dinosaurs as a kid? Jurassic Park hit theaters in June of 1993 to critical and commercial success. Five short months later, Ocean released a movie video game adaptation on the SNES — although technically, it’s more based off the book than the movie. Jurassic Park is an overhead action adventure with a first person mode. Wait, Zelda meets Wolfenstein meets dinosaurs? It sounds like a wet dream. Dream being the operative word. Unfortunately, Ocean’s effort fell a bit flat. I guess uh, Ocean finds a way to mess it up didn’t they, Malcolm?

WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH

I was obsessed with dinosaurs growing up. In first grade, my class took a field trip to a museum that featured amazing dinosaur animatronics. I got to see my favorite, the T-Rex, in all its glory. It towered over me and I was absolutely terrified. The whole exhibit was breathtaking, recreating the wonder and terrors that roamed the earth more than 65 million years ago. Several years following this unforgettable field trip, Jurassic Park hit movie theaters nationwide in the summer of 1993. But as much as I loved dinosaurs, I somehow missed the theatrical run of Jurassic Park. That definitely ranks up there on my list of “Small Childhood Regrets.” My brother and I didn’t watch a lot of movies in the theater growing up. I guess we were too busy renting and playing the latest video games instead. Our first movie we caught in the theaters? Super Mario Brothers. Oh, lucky us indeed.

Made on a budget of 63 million dollars, it became the highest grossing film of the time, toppling E.T. on its way to a nutty 914 million. The movie was an adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel. The plot is simple: on an island off the coast of Costa Rica, a preserve has been built to host cloned dinosaurs. Jurassic Park was to be the theme park attraction of the ages. But of course, as Ian Malcolm prophetically stated in the film: LIFE FINDS A WAY. And sure enough, life does. And then massive dinosaur shit hits the fan. It was a simple concept that worked on so many levels thanks in no small part to its groundbreaking usage of computer generated images. The CGI was stellar for its time, and even to this day many feel it holds up particularly well. It’s an epic film with many memorable breathtaking scenes. F’rinstance, remember when Dr. Grant and the kids (Lex and Tim) rested on a tall tree limb overlooking an ominous night sky, complete with a Brachiosaurus enjoying a midnight snack? Scenes like this were buried in our minds and hearts even nearly 25 years later!

My favorite scene? The infamous one with the raptors stalking the kids in the kitchen. It’s one of the most (in)tense movie scenes I’ve ever seen. Just the sheer terror of being trapped in a kitchen with two wild ferocious raptors is enough to make my heart skip a couple beats. That moment where the one raptor is shown standing as upright as she can, snorting at the air like some kind of savage war cry, gives me the heebie-jeebies! And perfectly positioned in that same shot was poor little Tim, his face a frozen rictus of horror. The raptors in Jurassic Park were genuinely scary. Even today that scene still freaks the hell out of me. What a movie!

As for the game, it fell under the file of “I wanted to play this 20+ years ago but never did.” Thanks to Jurassic World, which came out in theaters summer of 2015, I decided it was finally time to quell a 20+ year childhood curiosity. I wish I could say the game is even half as awesome as the film, but it was largely a bittersweet experience…

Ocean spent six figures to acquire the licensing rights — Ocean spent *six figures* to acquire the licensing rights

It's compatible with the SNES mouse, oddly enough — It’s compatible with the SNES mouse, oddly enough

DINO ROLL CALL

The Triceratops spent the film sick as hell but it’s perfectly healthy here. It only appears in a few sections, rumbling through the landscape each time it does appear. You can’t kill or sedate it, so get the hell out of its way.

Ah, Velociraptors. Arguably the star of Jurassic Park, raptors hunt in packs and strike with blinding speed. If not dealt with immediately they’ll slash you to pieces in no time flat. I recommend using either the bola or rocket launcher. The shotgun takes 2-3 shots to put them down, which leaves you vulnerable to counterattack. Raptors love to hide in the thick dense trees, revealing themselves only after you’ve crossed over into their territory. They may seem tough at first but they’re really not too bad once you know where the ammo and raptors are situated.

Ever a perennial favorite, the classic T-Rex is terror on two legs personified. Even though he only appears twice in the game and always at the same locations, his presence is still strongly felt. The music changes to this bone-chilling rhythmic jungle beat whenever you’re near a T-Rex zone. You’ll feel a jolt of adrenaline kick in when the king comes barreling out of the left side of your TV screen. Escaping the jaws of death at the very last possible moment is always a major rush!

WEAPONS

KEY TIP 1: The cattle prod is most effective against the little Compys. Remember that…

KEY TIP 2: You can carry two weapons at a time. I highly recommend carrying the rocket launcher and bola

KEY TIP 3: Even when carrying two weapons, you can always press select to switch back to the cattle prod. Don’t forget to do that when running across a group of little angry Compys. Trust me…

MORE TIPS

You'll get eaten alive without a guide... — You’ll get eaten alive without a guide…

Jurassic Park is a non-linear open world action adventure that can be viewed as sort of a sandbox survival horror game. Trust me, it isn’t nearly as awesome as that may sound, but it’s certainly playable. You won’t find set stages or levels here. The game is split into two modes: an overhead mode and a (primitive) first person mode whenever you enter a building. Unfortunately, these scenarios are rather plodding, not to mention clunky and somewhat confusing. In general, the game can be extremely confusing if you go into it blind so I recommend using a guide if you possibly can. To help you out, here’s a general overview.

There's something creepy about these critters — There’s something creepy about these critters

You can get lost without a good memory or a map

Who doesn't remember the dramatic kitchen scene? — Who doesn’t remember the dramatic kitchen scene?

Could have used your help here, Mr. Hammond

Sorry, there are no vehicles here. Backtrack by foot :( — Sorry, there are no vehicles here. Backtrack by foot

Lots of this [Sounds like my marriage -Ed.] — Expect lots of this [Sounds like my marriage -Ed.]

I recommend using a guide. You might go nuts if not — I recommend using a guide. You *might* go nuts if not

Text boxes are too damn big. Speaking of which... — Text boxes are too damn big. Speaking of which…

At least you can get rid of these boxes with L or R

Of course not. You're way too smart for that T-Rex... — Of course not…

Learn from the movie: NEVER listen to Nedry — Learn from the movie: ***NEVER*** listen to Nedry

See? STAND STILL MY ASS. Raptors don't care — See? **STAND STILL MY ASS**. Raptors don’t care

WHAT A DAMN PRICK [I like his sense of humor -Ed.] — **WHAT A DAMN PRICK** *[I like his sense of humor -Ed.]*

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

Jurassic Park was well received by the critics of the time. EGM gave it scores of 6, 7, 8 and 8. GameFan lauded it with ratings of 89, 92, 95 and 95%. Super Play rated it 89% and called it the 84th best SNES game on their Top 100 list (issue #42, April 1996). However, reception among retro gamers is almost nearly the complete opposite. Most seem to find Jurassic Park clunky and not so good. Reasons for this mainly include the cumbersome first person sections as well as the ridiculous amount of backtracking, thanks to all the scattered ID cards required to grant you access. I find critical reception of this game to be quite fascinating; there weren’t too many games that were scored highly back in the day that people now more often than not DO NOT like. (ActRaiser 2 is another example). Jurassic Park also marks the first SNES game in which I completely disagree with the “Big 3.” Usually, I find one of EGM, GameFan or Super Play “gets it right,” so to speak. But in this case, they all endorsed the game by and large, and I gotta say that I disagree.

Of the big 3, this opinion most closely mirrors mine

CLOSING THOUGHTS

What a fantastic film. The game? Yeah, not so much

Jurassic Park is one of the most epic, memorable and badass summer blockbuster hits of all time. The idea of a game that mixes elements from Zelda and Wolfenstein is an enticing combination indeed, especially when you add dinosaurs to that equation. But unfortunately, it’s really not Zelda meets Wolfenstein. What you’re left with then is an uneven experience. The overhead sections are above average while the indoor first person parts are below par. But if you play Jurassic Park using a guide, you just might get a bit of enjoyment out of it. The visuals are decent enough. The sounds and music are well done; raptor roars and the like are convincing and even a bit frightening. The music switches from one zone to the next with each theme suitably befitting to that part of the island. It’s just too bad then that the game as a whole fails to capture the awe, wonder and magic of the blockbuster 1993 film.

Dont be fooled, its not an action-packed game — Don’t be fooled by this, it’s not an action-packed game

Speaking of negatives, Jurassic Park would have hugely benefited from having a save feature. It’s just lengthy enough that finishing it in one sitting isn’t ideal. Not to mention, the insane amount of backtracking and finding ID cards put a real damper on a game lacking a save system (hell, even a password system would have sufficed). Although, this issue is slightly mitigated to a small degree if you play with a guide. And that’s really the only way I recommend playing this game. Sadly, pictures like the one you see above may suggest lots of action but the real game lacks these white-knuckle situations. Dinosaurs are sadly few and far between, and remain stranded to their fixed positions. They don’t chase or stalk you like they did in the movie. They only jump out at you if you happen to pass by and they don’t give chase if you make a run for it. Instead, they just saunter back to their hiding spots like college kids working at the local Halloween haunted house. It takes away considerably from the intensity of the game. Jurassic Park actually isn’t hard — the game provides plenty of ammo for survival. The real challenge comes in the form of endurance. Can you put up with all the slow clunky first person levels, gathering all the ID cards and powering through in one long sitting? If so, you just might enjoy Jurassic Park. But for the rest of us, it ends up being more frustrating than it is fun.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 5
Longevity: 4

Overall: 5.0

... not to endorse this video game — … not to endorse this game. Jurassic Park 2 is better

"Say that one more time; I'll find a way to hurt you" — *“Say that one more time and I’ll find a way to hurt you!”*

Cmon Ian Malcolm. This game isn't THAT terrible... — C’mon, Ian Malcolm. This game isn’t **THAT** terrible…

On a hot lazy summer afternoon back in 2015, I spent 4½ hours beating Jurassic Park in one long sitting. Probably never doing that again! While I did find some odd sense of enjoyment out of it, it really isn’t a “good” game by any stretch of the imagination. But is it playable and enjoyable? It can be BUT I highly recommend using a guide.

But why not just rewatch the film?

Or listen to the main theme?
Instant goosebumps!