Jurassic Park

Moby ID: 38365
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Description

The SNES game based on the film Jurassic Park is an action title that combines top-down and first-person perspectives.

Playing as Dr. Alan Grant, the player's ultimate goal is to escape the Jurassic Park island. To reach that goal, several other tasks must be completed, including restoring power to the park and destroying a Velociraptor nest.

The large game world is seen from a top-down view and can be freely explored. Some areas are not accessible from the beginning, however. To enter them, keycards must be found or some special goal be completed, like rebooting the computer system and using it to open certain gates. Dr. Grant can defend himself against the many free-roaming dinosaurs with a variety of weapons, including an electroshock gun, a shotgun, rocket launcher, gas grenade launcher and bola gun. All weapons except the electro gun require ammo to work. A radar at the bottom of the screen helps in detecting approaching dinosaurs, but will only work once the park's motion detectors have been activated.

Upon entering one of the park's buildings, the game view switches to a scrolling first person perspective, reminiscent of early first person shooters like Wolfenstein 3D. Just like outside, dinosaurs lurk in the corridors, and the same guns as in the overworld map can be used to destroy them. Many buildings consist of several floors, with elevators connecting them. Some rooms are pitch black and can only be entered when in possession of night vision goggles.

The game supports the SNES mouse for the first-person sections and the computer system interface.

Spellings

  • ジュラシック・パーク - Japanese spelling

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Credits (SNES version)

8 People

Game Concept and Design
Coding
Graphics
Music
Sound FX
Additional Graphics
Additional Code

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 70% (based on 22 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.6 out of 5 (based on 35 ratings with 3 reviews)

Ambitious and Intense

The Good
The game is scary and pulse-pounding and very intense - not unlike the movie. The visuals are sharp and the color palette is diverse thanks to the SNES platform. The music is good but the sound effects make the game shine. The employment of Dolby Stereo was essential; as the dinosaurs move about unseen in the forests around the player, the direction of their noises is related through the speakers. Hearing them move around you is intense.

The top down view, (like "The Legend of Zelda"), works well in making you the player feel like a stranger in a strange land. The first-person-perspective, utilized in indoor environments, establishes an atmosphere of claustrophobia and a sense of dread lurking behind every corner. Both systems work well and compliment the content of the game.

The Bad
No save feature - this kills the game. Everything else was spot on. Why the developers did not install the ability to save your game and why the publisher did not demand it will always be a mystery. "Jurassic Park" for the SNES loses a full point for this huge omission.

The difficulty is a bit on the harder side and the game can be a bit like a labyrinth sometimes as you the player are not always sure what way to go.

The Bottom Line
Most players when asked to remember a "Jurassic Park" videogame will usually describe the Genesis version. And rightly so, the Genesis version was very fun; the visuals were excellent for the time of release, the music wasn't too bad, and the gameplay was intense. It was a shame, though, that so many passed up the SNES version, which was, when looking at the videogame holistically, a much more ambitious and original title.

This game had down right scary and panic-causing moments, which was very uncommon to the prior to the release of the PSX. The game made superb use of Dolby Stereo - hearing what direction the dinosaurs are stalking you from slowly wears down the players nerves. And moments when the T-Rex bursts out of the forests and chases the player is absolutely hair-raising. These moments are from the top-down gameplay mode.

When entering buildings the perspective shifts to first person; turning a corner to find a velociraptor starring at you is creepy. Both types of gameplay are fun and bug free. And when the experience gets to be too much, the player has no choice but to press ahead because there is no save option. The goals for the player to accomplish in the middle of the game are a bit arbitrary, but thoughts other than surviving the game are quickly forgotten.

SNES · by D P (129) · 2006

Very Creepy and lots of Fun!

The Good
I like that you had a specific mission, and it wasn't simply a shoot 'em up. You had to do some tasks to win.
Other than that, I LOVED how it gave me a chill up my spine. This was the first game I had ever experienced that creepy chill!
When you're up close at one of the terminals and you hear a low growl you swear the raptor is right behind you!
Or when you open one of the swinging doors to be met by a snarling spitting monster, and you JUST barely back out of the door! SPOOKY stuff!
It was also fun to have both the FPS and the side scrolling game between buildings. It gave you a nice change of pace! That was creepy too, as the T-Rex could be ANYWHERE!!

The Bad
Not much to dislike. It was what it was at the time, and of course by today's standards of graphics, gameplay, story etc. it pales. But to be fair, for it's time it was great!
It was a bit annoying trying to save your progress, you had to make it to specific areas to save and if you waited too long, you ran the risk of losing all your progress. You should have been able to save anytime.
I think they should have had you go through more buildings. It did seem a tad too short.

The Bottom Line
Oh, by all means. It is a decent game and still packs a punch. You'll get pulled in and be freaked out for sure. Keep an eye looking over your shoulder!!! hehehe A keeper!

SNES · by Oblio (97) · 2006

A good game for the rainy days...

The Good
Jurassic Park is definitely a fun game. The graphics are good and the FPS area is really, really fun. I love blasting away Raptors in 3-D. Basically, you have to run around, killing dinosaurs and completing missions to save the world or something. As you explore more, you are introduced to many different dinosaurs that all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Some are small and wimpy, but some are huge and deadly, like the T-rex. The raptors are pretty killer too. They generally come in a pack. This game requires a lot of skill to complete all of the missions and survive. You get a bunch of continues, but it's still hard. I remember when I first got this game, the X button on my controller broke and I couldn't pick up weapons. So I ran around trying to kill everything with a taser. That's always fun. Anyway, this is a fun game but I wouldn't play it all the time because after long enough, you'll get bored and won't want to play it. It is a great game though and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good game to add to their collection.

The Bad
YOU CAN'T KILL THE STUPID T-REX! I played this game for an impossibly long period of time before I figured that out. That's probably the greatest downfall of the entire game. I wish you could kill that stupid T-rex. Also, I didn't like that the one type of dinosaur, the one that stampeded, doesn't move at all until you shoot it. You'd think it would have to eat or something... Also, I don't like the narrow passages that you know you should be able to go through, but just barely can't fit. I think the game should also have more levels to play in.

The Bottom Line
Jurassic Park for the SNES is a fun game. It's a good game to play for short periods of time, unless you actually want to beat it, because you'll start to get tired of it after a while. It's definitely a great game to play. You'll like this game if you like action games or strategy games. The FPS mode is just an added bonus. There are many weapons to attack with and many dinosaurs to make this a very fun game.

SNES · by Classix (80) · 2006

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Terok Nor.

Additional contributors: monkeyislandgirl.

Game added December 26, 2008. Last modified March 3, 2024.