Nintendo 64

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Don't sweat the little stuff, though. Turok has more firepower, more control over it's environment and more gruesome graphics than other corridor shooters. The rest are Doomed to failure.

This is Acclaim and Iguana's magnum opus. It is a shame that the game has not gotten the amount of attention it deserves because it is a rich, deep game. There could have been a multiplayer mode, but what would the point have been? This does better as a one player shoot-em-up. A masterpiece for the ages.

Even if the first person shooter is becoming an older genre, Turok is a worthy new addition. The graphics are as good as Quake's, even after you run Quake through a 3D accelerator! The wide variety of weapons and enemies keep it interesting and entertaining for hours of end. This is easily the best first person shooter for any non-computer system to date, and it ranks up there with the best that a high-end PC can offer. Looks like the N64 in the Game Revolution offices won't be gathering dust anymore.

After the smoke clears, and the nuclear radiation fades, Turok: The Dinosaur Hunter is one of the finest games in video game history. It combines every element that makes a good game flawlessly, and, unless you are really, really, really, not a first-person shooter fan, Turok will satisfy you. I think all Nintendo 64 owners should at least try this game, and see why the people who own it think some gaming magazines were dead wrong with their reviews. One of the best so far for the Nintendo 64.

Developed by Iguana, Turok is a title that N64 owners will point to in defence of the claim that only Nintendo can write quality games for its console. Here is an independent game that is leaps and bounds ahead of third-party turkeys such as Cruis’n USA.

If you like the feel of first person games (ala DOOM), and you like adventure too (like Tomb Raider), it doesn't get any better than Turok. The smooth controls and fluid all-around head movement make it a real innovation in home video game technology. I wish they would use this game engine and remake some of my other favorite games, like Shadows of the Empire, for instance. Anyway, there's an amazing variety of terrains in eight levels to explore, and a few secret rooms too, so it'll be a long time before you get bored with this one. It's designed for mature audiences, but if you like you can change the blood to green or simply turn it off to soften the carnage.

All in all, this N64 title should be rented before purchase is considered as it may not appeal to everyone. First Person Shooter fans should definiteley pick this up though -- it sets a new standard in its respective genre.

In the end, Turok is a fully envisioned game, a serious contender with the best of the Doom genre on any platform. Turok surprises, challenges and pleases, and is full of deep, long-lasting gameplay. A multiplayer mode would have greatly enhanced the game and sometimes extensive fogging can be annoying, but overall, a terrific first-person shooter.

Turok is more than just another Doom clone. And while Doom 64 and Hexen may provide more action, only Turok delivers a complete package of great graphics, outstanding sound, and a fresh premise. If you are one of the N64 owners who think there is nothing past Mario 64, you haven't played Turok.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, the first FPS for the N64, was a smash when it was released in 1997, and with good reason. Here were big environments that you could run around in like a rabid wolverine. You roam at will, encounter charming locals, and kill them in colorful ways. It was like Dark Mario. Enemies screamed, clutched something relatively near where you shot them, and died in a pool of their own blood. This was heady stuff back in the day. Nowadays the game seems archaically quaint, but give it another try. Turok has a lot of cool stuff in it that todays programmers would be wise to steal. Pardon me - emulate. Classics are called that because of their longevity. If you have sworn off the franchise after the sorry, sorrier and sorriest sequels, go back in time, blow $4.99 at Gamestop, and see what the fuss was all about.

Describing the stages in Turok as mere 'levels' doesn't really do them justice - it took us almost two hours to find everything in the first one alone, and they get bigger! On each stage you have three keys to find, which allow access to later levels. The levels don't need to be opened in order, and you can go between them at will, but you'll need to explore all eight levels to be able to complete the game. Hidden on each level is a piece of the artifact known as the Chronosceptre. Trouble is, each pieces are so well hidden that it'll take hours of head scratching to find 'em.

We were all pummeled by Turok-related hype, so I was a little disappointed when I finally got to play through the game. Sure, it looks fantastic, all lush and pretty and sprawling. But the levels themselves get a little repetitive after a while, just a whole lot of runnin' through the jungle (with a few levels of indoor areas for variety). Worse yet, control takes a while to get used to. Strange as it may sound, the camera buttons control your movement, while the analog stick controls your view for aiming. I wish there was an option to switch to a more conventional control setting. Still, the enemies and animation are superb.

But not all of Turok's graphics are so easy on the eyes. The dark scenery makes it tough to spot narrow crevasses, and when your "spiritual invincibility" kicks in, the psychedelic colors make it impossible to tell what's going on. Turok's audio is high quality. The jungle sounds and bongo drums strike a primeval tone, but they are repetitive. Likewise the roars and screeches that suggest nearby danger are way overdone. It's easy to see why Turok was popular in its time, but FPS games have evolved rapidly, and this one is looking its age.

Now a common pick-up, Turok is worth trying nine years later. If it feels ok to move the lead character around and you can handle some infuriating jumping sections, you'll be engrossed in this bland-looking FPS. It's a game that was created before the system was ready to handle it.