Jurassic Park (SNES game)

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Jurassic Park
Image:Jurassic Park (SNES) Coverart.png
Developer(s) Ocean Software
Publisher(s) Ocean Software
Jaleco Entertainment (JPN)
Platform(s) SNES
Release date PAL December 29, 1993 [1]
JPN June 24, 1994 [2]
USA 1994
Genre(s) Action
Mode(s) Single player
Rating(s) n/a
Media Cartridge
First-person shooter view of a velociraptor inside the Visitor Centre.
First-person shooter view of a velociraptor inside the Visitor Centre.
Jurassic Park opening-screen logo with mouse pointer.
Jurassic Park opening-screen logo with mouse pointer.
Alan Grant character is protected from a vicious dilophosaurus by a large containment fence.
Alan Grant character is protected from a vicious dilophosaurus by a large containment fence.

Jurassic Park was a video game for the Super NES/Super Famicom based on the book by Michael Crichton. It was developed by Ocean Software and released in 1993. The game is viewed from a top-down view for most of the game. When the player enters a building, the gameplay perspective shifts to a first-person view.

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[edit] Gameplay

In the game, the player controls Alan Grant, and the objective of the game is to complete certain tasks in order to escape, such as clearing a raptor nest of eggs, and turning the generator on in a utility shed, allowing for opening and closing of gates and the like. Communication ports set up around the island allow characters in the game to communicate advice to the player, though some advice is deliberately malicious. Jurassic Park supports the SNES Mouse when playing first-person sequences or operating computer terminals. The game's soundtrack consists of various music that corresponds to the area the player is currently exploring. The game typically takes 2-3 hours to complete, though some objectives, such as collecting all 18 raptor eggs, can slow down a player's progress. There is no way to save the game, thus, requiring players to play through the entire game in a single sitting.

Other games named Jurassic Park exist on the NES, Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive, Game Gear, DOS, and the Commodore Amiga. No two games feature the same kind of gameplay, though they focus on roughly the same storyline. All versions, excluding those on the Sega Genesis, Game Gear and Sega CD, were developed and published by Ocean Software.

[edit] Development

The game's first person sequences play similarly to those of Wolfenstein 3D, mostly due to the 90-degree limitations on wall angles. The only enemies encountered during these sequences are Velociraptors and Dilophosaurus, who typically walk along a set path and only attack when the player nears, and Dilophosaurs, who stand in place, but spit toxins from afar.

[edit] Reception

Many fans complained that, given the somewhat unforgiving difficulty due to lack of saved games, the ending was disappointing. After battling through hours of game play, requiring the player to trek back and forth across the island and explore interior mazes with an awkward first person interface, all without the opportunity to save, the end consisted of nothing more than a simplistic picture of the island with floating text reading, "Congratulations, you have escaped Jurassic Park".

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