As a kid I was fascinated by dinosaurs, memorizing my collection of prehistoric creature cards and mispronouncing every name. The first Jurassic Park (1993) rekindled those childlike feelings of awe and wonder. It may be the most spectacular film of all time, and has held up remarkably well over the years, largely due to its amazing practical effects.

As a fan, I've managed to collect as many Jurassic Park-related video games as I can. They may not all be winners, but each manages to capture certain elements of the films. The new Jurassic World trilogy may be wrapped up but I hear yet another movie is in the works. Sounds like a good time to take a look back.

As always, games are rated relative to other games for the same system. As a new addition, I've added a Rapto-meter (TM) rating system assigning a number of raptor claws based on how faithful each game is to the movies. Take it all with a grain of salt, but enjoy!

I remember when my buddy Eric first brought this game over to my house in 1993 when Jurassic Park mania was still in full swing. Pop in this cartridge and a T-Rex roars "Sega!" over the Sega logo. Hilarious. The game begins with a spectacular cutscene of the T-Rex breaking loose and attacking a jeep on a dark, stormy night.

You can tell the bulk of the development effort was spent on the digitized dinosaurs, which look and sound amazing! You'll face raptors, spitting dilophosaurus, flying pterodactyls, and those annoying tiny green "compys". You can make your life easier by not attacking every dinosaur. For example, if you don't shoot the triceratops he won't charge at you.

You never actually kill any dinosaurs but you can tranquilize them, and it's cool how their chests rise and fall as they slumber, legs sometimes twitching. The T-Rex is never seen full-body but he makes his presence felt by sticking his huge noggin wherever it will fit.

You begin as Dr. Grant forging through a dense jungle to locate the power station. You can shoot, squat, crawl, and climb hand-over-hand along vines. When coming up short for a jump he'll grab the ledge and pull himself up. Grant looks realistic but the animation is choppy and the controls feel stiff. Still, it's great fun to shoot pterodactyls out of the air and lob grenades at raptors.

The design of that opening stage could be better. It's hard to tell where to go at times, especially when constantly sliding down slopes leading to beds of spikes. The erratic frame rate not only degrades the controls, but even the music slows down. Leaps of faith are the order of the day, and dying forces you to restart the whole level. I recommend starting on the easy level, as it provides plenty of ammo and dinosaurs go down with one shot.

The shadowy power station stage does a fine job of recreating the tension and fear of the movie scene. As you avoid electrified wires and duck into vents, raptors are constantly snapped at your heels. There's a pervading sense of suspense knowing that the one you just tranquilized will get back up at any second. The music is kind of freaky too.

The river raft scene (deleted from the film) is the most visually appealing stage. Navigating the waterfalls is tricky, but it's cool how you can exit the raft to explore on land. One could argue that the inclusion of this scene makes this game more faithful to Jurassic Park than the actual movie!

Remaining stages include the pump station, canyon, volcano, and visitor's center. The option to play as the raptor adds novelty value; you can jump a country mile! It's less compelling than playing as Dr. Grant, but it adds replay value. Jurassic Park for the Genesis is sloppy at times, but its rich visuals and realistic dinosaurs capture the spirit of the film better than any other version.

Despite its killer license, this doesn't feel like a Jurassic Park game. Its cartoonish style tends to understate the sense of terror and awe. That pudgy character is supposed to be Dr. Grant? Even the intro voice "Welcome to Jurassic Park" sounds like a disinterested programmer.

You view the "action" from a tilted overhead perspective as you mill around an expansive jungle maze. It would be more fun to explore if you weren't getting snagged on every pixelated edge. Why do there have to be so many of these annoying pint-sized lizards? You can't walk ten feet without tripping over one.

Initially armed with an electricity gun, you'll pick up additional weapons like shotguns, bolas, and rocket launchers. But even when well-armed, targeting raptors and spitters can be frustratingly difficult. You can't shoot them until they leap out of the foliage, and once they're bearing down on it's all over. You'll be continuously knocked backward, lucky just to get off a shot.

Your first mission instructs you to collect raptor eggs, and it took me about a half hour just to obtain the first. When I saw the message "17 more to go", I wept openly. There's no map and it always feels like you're on some wild goose chase.

Upon entering a facility things go from bad to worse. The first-person perspective was popular with PC games of the day, but the SNES wasn't up to the task. The animation is rough, there's no strafe control, and the graphics are pixelated to-the-max. The interiors are surprisingly sparse. When trying to scour the entire facility there's always some room you can't access because you're missing a specific ID card. The most entertaining part is stepping on the elevator and hearing that cheesy music.

What happened to the inspiring Jurassic Park musical theme? This game fails to capture the spirit of the film, and the lack of a password is the final insult. I actually prefer the NES version, which gives you more room to navigate and lacks the clunky 3D stages.

I really should have loved this game, but I couldn't quite sink my razor-sharp talons into Jurassic Park. The game is played from an isometric (tilted overhead) perspective as you guide a pudgy dude around a virtual Jurassic Park crawling with small dinosaurs. You'll escort people to safety, collect dinosaur eggs, shoot attacking carnivores, and operate computer terminals to open gates.

Jurassic Park's graphics are rendered in a cartoonish style, but some of the larger dinosaur bosses (like the T-Rex and Triceratops) look quite imposing. The outdoor environments do a fine job of recreating the high-tech fences and control centers depicted in the film. Take caution when walking near trees or bushes - you never know what's going to pop out (hint: it's a dinosaur!). The indoor areas are less interesting; usually just a maze of generic rooms.

The controls are responsive, but aiming is tricky and your ammo is limited. A catchy musical number complements the crisp graphics. I like the general concept of the game, but it's tainted by a few idiotic design decisions. First of all, many of the "mystery boxes" turn out to be traps that spell instant death, and you'll only know which ones are deadly through trial and error.

There's also too much computer terminal interaction which really slows things down. Finally, the difficulty level is so steep that even surviving the first stage is a major feat. I loved the Jurassic Park movie, but this game is a bit too frustrating for my tastes.

Whoa. Jurassic Park for the Game Gear took me by surprise. This bundle of portable joy is even better than the Genesis Jurassic Park game! The title screen features a digitized roar (not bad!), followed by a sophisticated animated sequence that rivals those of many 16-bit games. You can select the order in which you play the four stages, and that alone dramatically enhances the replay value.

Each stage begins with a shooting sequence where you defend a speeding jeep by aiming crosshairs at attacking pterodactyls and velociraptors. It feels like a fun bonus stage. Next you're thrust into a traditional platform stage that places all sorts of dinosaurs and environmental hazards between you and the exit. The layered scenery is first-rate, and the stages are imaginative in design. For example, in the forest a lightning strike starts a fire which eventually burns an escape path.

Each stage has several distinct areas, delivering an exceptional degree of variety. Even the mineshaft level is engaging despite its maze-like structure. A large dinosaur awaits at the end of each stage, and you'll need to formulate a specific strategy to prevail. The rich control scheme lets your character squat, crawl, hang, and even monkey-walk over low hazards. You're well armed, and can even change weapons via the pause screen!

The game's dramatic musical score is pretty intense as well. Jurassic Park for the Game Gear impressed the hell out of me. With rich gameplay and fantastic production values, this should be a model for all 2D platform titles, portable or otherwise.

Just when I thought I had reviewed every last Jurassic Park console title I discovered this awesome Sega Master System game. It actually bears a striking resemblance to the portable Jurassic Park (Game Gear, 1993), which I gave a rave review. This version of course features far more detailed graphics.

I can't say enough about the colorful, well-animated introduction. It's fun to watch and nicely sets the tone as your helicopter approaches the ominous island and sets down on that landing pad. And it's always a thrill for me to watch that torch-lined Jurassic Park gate slowly open. If only this game had the music of the film.

Upon selecting a stage you'll hear a laughable "roar". Each begins with a driving stage that has you protecting a little jeep bouncing down a dirt road as ptyradacyls swoop down and velopcirapers pounce. You move a reticle around the screen to shoot them, tapping the fire button like mad. Though tiresome after a while, it's basically a bonus stage, since you can't really die.

All four stages pack exciting platform jumping mayhem and dinosaur-shooting fun. Playing as a sharply-rendered Alan Grant, you're placed in a variety of predicaments. One minute you're monkey-climbing over electrified water, and the next you're running across a collapsing cliff. There are some breathtaking scenes including several Brachiosaurus lounging in a nearby lake.

The shooting is fun because your shots expand as they travel through the air, making it easier to hit targets from a distance. Small dinosaurs often peek through the tall grass before making their entrance, but many have the annoying habit of dropping from trees above. Don't allow yourself to overlap with anything or your life will instantly drain. The game saves the larger dinosaurs for boss encounters.

As much as I enjoyed this, part of me prefers the Game Gear version. The characters were pixelated but larger, and its pacing was better. This version forces you to hit the pause button on the console to access weapons and medkits, which is a pain. That said, Jurassic Park for the Sega Master System is still great, providing a completely different experience from the Genesis and SNES editions.

I can only imagine the look of disappointment on the faces of Sega CD fans in 1993. Instead of an action-oriented game, Jurassic Park is more of a point-and-click adventure better suited for a PC with a mouse. As you move between contiguous areas on the island you'll search the landscape for useful items. Your goal is to collect one dinosaur egg of each species.

The game begins with the text "you are heading to Jurassic Park..." Why not show this with some kind of animated scene of a helicopter approaching a lush, tropical island? And what happened to John Williams' award-winning musical score? For a CD game, this oversight is unforgivable.

The premise is that you have escaped a helicopter crash. Did the other people die?? Anyway you explore via a really clunky navigation system. You pan the scenery with a cursor that turns into a magnifying glass when moved over items of interest. It turns into an arrow when there's a path to a new area. You'd be wise to scour the entire scene and leave no pixel unturned.

The graphics employ a hodgepodge of styles. Most of the scenery is illustrated, but the dissolve effect used to transition between screens only serves to emphasize the pixelation. Brief video clips play of you moving "through the brush" between areas. The visitor's center interior is the visual highlight, rendered in CGI with smooth rotating graphics.

The instructions make a big deal of its "Q-Sound" technology which envelops you in the sound of nature. Ironically its "180 degrees of audio" covers everything except what's behind you, and isn't that what you really care about?

Clicking on various signposts provides you with information about the dinosaurs. Animated clips of Dr. Robert T. Baker explain various aspects of their anatomy, intelligence, and feeding behavior. It's interesting.

The puzzles are obtuse. It's bad enough you rarely knew what to do, but certain predicaments require precision timing as well! There's a triceratops scene that's particularly frustrating. You need to beep a car horn three times to get his attention, but if you're timing's a little off, he'll charge you. Game over.

A computer in the visitor's center lets you save your progress as well as speak to your "contact" Emily Shimora. With perseverance (and an FAQ) you can make gradual progress. Just beware that Jurassic Park for the Sega CD is the opposite of a pick-up-and-play romp. It's more like a project you'll need to set aside an entire Sunday afternoon for.

The cheesy T-Rex face on this game's title screen gave me an instant case of deja vu. Have I played this before? Kind of! Apparently the NES version which is essentially the same. Jurassic Park is an overhead adventure where you wander around heavily constrained areas while shooting dinosaurs, collecting items, and unlocking gates.

The first stage feels like a fun treasure hunt as you try to locate all the dinosaur eggs. Armed with a pea shooter you can kill pesky scampering tiny dinosaurs which inexplicably explode and leave ammo behind. Unlike the film the raptors and spitting dinosaurs are easy to elude. Scouring the park for eggs gets a little tedious after a while but the catchy soundtrack keeps you humming along.

You'll also stumble upon weapon, health, and mystery icons. The mystery icons are very cheap because half the time they blow up in your face! There are a lot of computer terminals scattered around the park, but even after you acquire multiple ID cards they tend to say "access denied". Why is this game so confusing? The graphics won't strike fear into your heart, but the bosses feature impressively large dinosaurs.

Having to save the kids calls to mind the most irritating parts of the films. I can't even avoid those stampeding triceratops myself, much less lead a kid between them. I didn't care much for this game on the NES, and I'm not in the mood to cut it much slack on the Game Boy. Late note: I will give Ocean props for putting together a nice illustrated manual with stage descriptions, hints, and fun dinosaur facts.

There's a scene from the Jurassic Park movie where the girl taking the tour of the park finds a small screen in the automated vehicle. "It's an interactive CD-ROM! You just touch the right part of the screen and it talks about whatever you want!" Here she is in the midst of actual live dinosaurs extinct for a million years, and she's more excited about reading about them on a tiny screen? Maybe that was the idea behind Jurassic Park Interactive: the CD-ROM nobody wanted.

The promising video intro incorporates a few scenes from the movie, most notably the memorable clip of the helicopter approaching the lush tropical island. The sweeping orchestrated theme really got me in the mood for adventure, but I was thrown for a loop as the characters were being introduced. Wait a minute; that's not Dr. Grant! That's not Ellie Sadler! These characters look nothing like the real actors! Not even close! You can't just slap some glasses on a fat white guy and call him Nedry!

Your goal is to transport people located around the island to safety via first-person mini-games. One recreates the exciting scene where the jeep is being chased by a marauding T-Rex. This stage makes clever use of the "objects closer than they appear" mirror. The driving controls use the directional pad to accelerate and shoulder buttons to steer. It seems backwards but makes more sense when you realize you're not so much steering as swerving around debris in the road.

Another stage has you zapping Dilophosauruses dashing between trees. You may recall it was these "spitting" dinosaurs that did Nedry in. Then there's the scary raptor stage, which I never made it through. You're stuck in a dark, maze-like power station in search of keys. The heart-pounding action is pretty intense but also disorienting to the point of frustration. Finally, there's a set of cheesy computer-themed games like a Space Invader clone that substitutes aliens with digitized faces, and an Asteroids-style shooter where you blast rotating floppy disks.

I'll give Interactive points for presentation. It does make you feel as if you're in a Jurassic Park environment. There are some nice digitized graphics and things can get intense at times. But the hodge-podge game design doesn't really work. Even if you enjoy one or two of these mini-games, you have to play them over and over again, and they get old in a hurry.

After Sunsoft botched the original Jurassic Park (Sunsoft, 1993) beyond recognition, Jurassic Park Part 2: The Chaos Continues takes an entirely new approach. "This is a side-scroller. I know this!" It's interesting to note that this game is not related to the second film, despite having a few similar elements. The cartoonish animated intro tells of a diabolical dictator who sends his army to take over the island.

I was thinking this couldn't possibly be any worse than the original, but now I'm not so sure! Assuming the role of a soldier, this run-and-gun shooter tries to be Contra (NES, 1988) with dinosaurs. You select from a half-dozen missions which involve forging through jungles, jumping over electric wires, climbing hand-over-hand, and mowing down dinosaurs.

The graphics and animation aren't bad. Wish I could say the same about the gameplay. Raptors pounce on you in a flash and can absorb an inordinate number of shots. Even when you're ready for them you'll take a lot of damage as they attack alternately from the right and left. There's a "dodge" move that looks more like a side-step. So when a raptor lunges at you, you're supposed to say "excuse me" and let it go by?

It doesn't help that you're always situated near the center of the screen, giving you little time to react to creatures that appear from the edge. Be sure to toggle your weapon using the shoulder buttons. It's easy to assume that your default pea-shooter is all you have at first, but that's not the case.

The stage design is lacking. The jungle areas feature cheesy flashing red arrows showing where you can move to the next area. It's also very easy to accidentally move between areas when trying to fire upward. Sometimes a raptor pounces on you as you enter a new area before you even know what's going on.

Much of the game takes place inside dark concrete bunkers, calling to mind Alien 3 (Acclaim, 1993). These places are huge, with all sorts of ladders, ramps, and pipes to climb. The problem is, it's like a big maze where everything looks the same. It's so cookie-cutter you don't know if you're making progress or moving in circles.

Certain missions pit you against soldiers, but I can't seem to kill them, so what is the point? The game does feature a two-player co-op which I played with Chris. I don't think it made a favorable impression based on the fact he described it as irredeemable. I'd like to say Jurassic Park Part 2 proves the third times' a charm, except there was no third game.

Okay, now this is more like it! In stark contrast to the meandering overhead style of the first game, Jurassic Park Part 2: The Chaos Continues is a proper side-scroller. You play the role of Dr. Grant who looks cartoonish but moves in a fluid manner. His gun has unlimited ammo and he can fire rapidly in any direction, a la Contra (NES, 1988). Precision controls make it fun to leap between grassy platforms, and when you jump into water the game kicks into Jungle Hunt (Atari 2600, 1983) mode.

Not only can you swim, but you can shoot while swimming! On land expect a lot of small chicken-like dinosaurs and pesky flying lizards. Those baby triceratops patrolling narrow platforms will dole out plenty of mandatory hits until you realize you can just shoot them! Doesn't seem right does it? The game is not particularly hard and the bosses are predictable. That said, the exciting chase sequence with that zombie T-Rex had me clutching my controller like grim death!

As with all other Jurassic Park games, there's the obligatory riverboat scene. Was this scene deleted from the film? Jurassic Park Part 2: The Chaos Continues is a sequel I can get behind. It's probably what the first game should have been. Note: The manual contains an ad for Kenner's line of Jurassic Park toys, and I have to admit they look like they'd be a lot of fun to play with!

Hot on the heels of the first Jurassic Park (Genesis, 1993), this follow-up offers better control, faster action, and a fresh set of stages. Rampage Edition lacks a password mechanism but does have a very nice stage select screen. You can begin at the docks, the aviary, or in the savannah where you ride on the back of a galloping dinosaur who is not named Yoshi, for once. For some reason the game also pits you against soldiers - as if the dinosaurs weren't enough!

I'm surprised how they altered the graphic style for this game, rendering characters and creatures with black outlines. I guess it's supposed to make them stand out more, but it looks less realistic and feels like a step back. The animation is silky smooth - especially when climbing ladders - but there is some mild slowdown. The rich scenery looks fantastic, conveying a nice sense of atmosphere. In the lost ruin areas you can practically feel the humidity.

The controls are highly responsive but you no longer have the ability to grab onto ledges, and it's sorely missed. You can still have the option to play as a raptor, and his controls are much improved. Not only do you now have a dash move, but you can attack by swinging your tail!

Your weapon arsenal includes electric zappers, grenades, machine guns, and flamethrowers that burn critters to a crisp! Yes, you can kill the dinosaurs this time. Haven't you ever wanted to shoot a raptor at point-blank range with a sawed-off shotgun? The only correct answer is yes. There are constant explosions in this game, and they are awesome.

My favorite stage is the cargo ship at the dock. You never saw much of this area in the movie so it's kind of cool to explore it during a raging thunderstorm. The aviary stage (as featured in the third movie) can be very irritating. You're trying to make it to the bottom but a pterodactyl is constantly picking you up and carrying you back to her nest! Shoot her on sight! The savannah stage adds some levity as Dr. Grant yells "yahoo!" while riding what looks like a giant galloping ostrich. I like this stage because you can really go buck-wild.

Later stages include lost ruins and river rafting mayhem. The river rafting is much improved from the original game. You can't fall to your death and the water looks amazing. Unfortunately I got hopelessly stuck in this stage due to a bug which dampened my enthusiasm.

In general Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition feels more polished than the first game and has a better flow. The checkpoints are well-placed and there are hidden areas to discover. Though released before the second film, it contains elements from all three, making it one of the more entertaining Jurassic Park titles.

Lost World seemed like a dream come true for a Jurassic Park fans like myself. You play as a compy, raptor, human, and T-Rex through "31 intense levels". The smoothly-animated dinosaurs look fantastic. The game also utilizes a 2.5D graphic style which immerses you into a 3D world while retaining the simple controls of a 2D side-scroller.

I especially love the high-tech dinosaur intro sequences that bombard your senses with INGEN computer graphics before dissolving into a sonar image of fossilized remains. You begin the game as a Compsognathus (compy for shot), which is the dinosaur equivalent of a chicken. He can run, jump, and perform a few awkward attacks.

Lost World's gameplay never lives up to its promise. The controls feel laggy and the attacks feel unsatisfying due to lousy collision detection. Jumping between ledges can be frustrating, and sometimes you're required to take blind "leaps of faith". The instructions incorrectly state you "can't kill anything larger than yourself" but in fact you can kill raptors which are clearly bigger. Once you realize this, the game becomes a bit easier.

Each stage has hidden passages and branching routes to discover, but some will have you moving in circles. Many areas are peppered with poisonous red flowers, and even touching one with your tail might cost you half of your life. The jungle scenery, while immersive, has a way of blocking your view with its wide trees and boulders. You get plenty of lives but your health bar drains quickly and doesn't reset at the beginning of each stage.

I don't mind using a weak creature like the compy to begin with, but not for the first nine stages of the game! Sadly, things don't dramatically improve when playing as a human, raptor, or T-Rex. Being the human "hunter" allows you to shoot, but your weapon is so weak most dinosaurs can absorb 20 bullets. Your grappling hook lets you swing over danger, but why are the rock ceilings lined with dangerous spikes? Playing as human "prey" (the woman) you're basically just running for your life, getting impaled on any shard of wood you don't jump over cleanly.

The Raptor stages are probably the most fun since you can pounce on humans and chew on their necks. The warehouse stage exudes atmosphere with lush mountain scenery visible through its windows. But once again the designers found a way to ruin the fun. Whenever you smash a crate, bombs inexplicable spill out, resulting in cheap hits.

Playing as the T-Rex is anti-climactic. Once you eat a few people the novelty wears off. Though visually impressive The Lost World has got to be one of the most disappointing games I've ever played. The game spares no expense and yet still feels like an ordeal to play. As if to "right the ship", Electronic Arts quickly followed this up with a "special edition" that toned down the difficulty and put an exciting new T-Rex stage right up front.

People lined up in droves to see The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) at movie theaters, but nobody liked it much. This game leaves a similar impression. The dinosaurs look so lifelike it's uncanny, and their screeches, grunts, and roars sound amazing. The jungle scenery just envelopes you and an orchestrated musical score adds a cinematic flair. Each set of stages is introduced via rapid-fire INGEN computer graphics. It's pure sensory overload and I love it.

Too bad the gameplay can't live up to the lofty production values! The first nine stages force you to control a small, green Compsognathus who is extremely weak and not particularly easy to control. The second set of stages isn't much better. You control a hunter armed with a pea-shooter, and it takes a good 20 shots to kill anything!

The "2.5D" graphics are a step down from the Playstation, with slight graininess making it harder to locate shadowy passages in the rocks. The collision detection is lacking as you regularly overlap with other creatures. The animation is fluid but suffers from slowdown.

Despite its flaws I prefer this Saturn version of The Lost World. It's far more forgiving and the jumps feel less slippery. Touching a red flower doesn't instantly drain half your life, and even if you get stuck between two raptors you still have a chance to escape with a reasonable amount of health.

The true star of Jurassic Park: The Lost World doesn't arrive until stage 22! Playing as the T-Rex lets you finally inflict some large-scale carnivore carnage. I can understand how the developers might save the best for last. Unfortunately they were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

Wait - this is supposed to be a Jurassic Park game? This clumsy platformer plays more like a bad Flashback (Genesis, 1993) sequel. Your fluidly-animated character can run and leap like a track star but is hard to control with any precision. He tends to slide all over the place. In the opening stage you sprint over hills and through caves to collect ten compy eggs.

Your adversaries include both dinosaurs and human hunters. Large dinosaurs stomp you and small ones latch onto you, so they are equally annoying. The bad guys are super lame. You just run up to one (after taking several bullets), punch him in the face a few times, and grab the health icon that appears. Rinse and repeat!

The second stage takes place in a forest where you retrieve pterodactyl eggs. At first it's alarming to get carried off by a pterodactyl, but they often carry you to where you need to go! The control scheme is awkward. The select button cycles between your weapons and hands, but you need your hands to open the crates so you're constantly having to switch. When fighting, your guy performs a series of uppercuts and sweep kicks like he's in Mortal Kombat (Genesis, 1993). Enemies have an annoying tendency to overlap you so you can't touch them.

The lab stage is the worst; it's just an expansive maze with elevators. Everything looks the same. I did find it interesting how your objective is to collect floppy discs! The remaining stages are blatant rehashes of the first three. The spastic "music" that plays throughout the game is just plain irritating. Good video games require skill, reflexes, and cunning, but The Lost World is just a matter of perseverance and pain.

If you liked Jurassic Park (Sega, 1993) you're bound to enjoy The Lost World. This fine-tuned platformer offers lifelike animation and some really attractive background scenery. If you play this on a Retron 5 with filters turned on this game looks amazing.

The selectable stages take you through dense jungles, rocky gorges, and shadowy power stations. You can shoot everything but the dinosaurs don't die; they either fall asleep or tumble off the screen. Your health is indicated by the color of your vest, which was not readily apparent to me.

This game surprised me. I was alarmed to see dinosaur heads peeking through the foliage, only to discover you could hop on them to reach higher ground! The raptor stage in the power station is made more exciting by the need to turn on the lights to attack the raptor. While running from a rampaging triceratops you can slide under Stegosaurus that get in your way, and that is awesome. One stage even let you play as a little compy dinosaur.

There's no score or password - just unlimited continues. That's a bit of a problem because the difficulty is low and the stages are short. I can picture a kid blowing through this in just a few minutes. Still, The Lost World is quite a thrill while it lasts.

This game was released late in the Genesis life cycle, making it a pretty rare title. Unlike the first two Jurassic Park Genesis games, this is an overhead, free-roaming adventure. It sounds a lot like the SNES Jurassic Park game, but this one looks far more realistic. If only it were more fun.

You start by wandering around a savannah surrounded by heavy brush. Hitting the start button brings up a "web site". Yes, this was an early attempt to emulate the world wide web in a game. This fake website contains email messages, a map, and the all-important "dino facts".

I like how the missions branch, but every one felt like a tedious wild goose chase. Typically you must rescue some poor schmuck by blasting obstacles and disabling electronic generators. Each time you encounter an electric field you have to scour the area to locate its power generator, and it's usually the furthest possible distance from your current location.

Every stage feels like a maze, and don't get me started about these pesky dinosaurs. They aren't particularly aggressive, but your weapons are so freakin' weak that you can't get rid of them! Even with a machine gun you'll barely chip away at the health of a small dinosaur. The action is tediously slow, and it just gets slower with more activity on the screen. I was hoping Lost World might be a hidden gem but this is one Jurassic Park game best forgotten.

This movie adaptation is visually impressive. The level of detail is pretty amazing, and I like how they use shading to separate the layers. Check out the stegosaurus herd trudging through the background. If only you could tell what was happening in the foreground, this could have been great.

The Lost World begins with a driving stage that lets you weave around dinosaurs stampeding through a savannah. You get a wide selection of vehicles including a Humvee, bus, and motorcycle. You view the action from behind and there's a decent sense of speed.

Unfortunately it's hard to tell where you're supposed to go with so many dinosaurs, bushes, and other hazards cropping up all over the place. When your car blinks it's taking damage, and it blinks all the time. In my experience the only strategy is to watch for a dinosaur approaching from behind, and get the [expletive] out of its way.

The second stage is a typical side-scrolling platformer boasting lush jungle foliage and lumbering dinosaurs in the background. These graphics are unlike anything I've seen; it looks like they're drawn with a pencil and you're flipping through the pages of a book!

Unfortunately the dinosaurs blend into the scenery, and when you finally spot one unresponsive controls make it hard to react in time. Even if you manage to shoot a dinosaur with your tranquilizer gun, the effect wears off in about ten seconds.

Stiff controls make jumping between tree branches very difficult. It seems like most branches are just barely out of your jumping range, sending you into a free fall. Pterodactyls continuously swoop in, and when touched you instantly collapse and let out an effeminate scream. Wait a minute - I'm a chick? Oh wait - my character is actually Sarah Harding from the film. I would have never guessed.

There are plenty of digitized dinosaur noises but the grunts make it sound like they're constipated. The title screen music sounds strangely like the Halloween theme, but the gameplay music sounds more like a toddler banging away on a Casio keyboard. This could have been a showcase title for the Game.com, but between fighting with the controls and squinting at the screen, it's not so much Lost World as it is Lost Cause.

Clearly trying to make up for flaws of the original, The Lost World: Jurassic Park Special Edition boasts of a new T-Rex level, mid-level checkpoints, and "stronger and longer lives". The new opening stage lets you rip through a warehouse with the T-Rex, bashing barriers, chomping on soldiers, and flinging lifeless bodies. The key is to maintain your health by consuming a guy every now and then. This rip-roaring opening stage does a good job of setting the tone, giving you a taste of raw power and excitement.

Unfortuantely for the next nine stages you're stuck with a small but fleet-of-foot "compy" dinosaur, scampering through lush jungles, hopping between rocky ledges, and mauling small creatures when necessary. Lost World's 2.5D graphic style combines fluid animation with shifting camera angles that were absolutely mind-blowing in the late 90's.

The game looks undeniably awesome, but the collision detection is awful! Sometimes you can leap over several raptors in a single bound and sometimes you'll get bounced between them like a pinball. The stage where you walk between the legs of a herd of Brachiosaurus was always amazing to me, but did they really need to include unnecessary hazards like poisonous red plants and rolling rocks?

The human "hunter" stages suffer from weak weapons, and the fun of the raptor stages is undermined by exploding crates and beds of spikes. Biting humans as a raptor is less-than-satisfying because instead of clamping onto them with your jaws, you just sort of bite through them.

The Lost World Special Edition is a step up over the original, offering a slightly easier, less-frustrating experience. There are still the headaches of falling off ledges and getting knocked around, but at least this time you have a fighting chance.

I enjoyed this one-on-one dinosaur fighter more the first time I played it - when it was called Primal Rage (thank you, David Spade). At least Primal Rage (3DO, 1995) had a sense of style and originality. Warpath feels like it was hastily produced to cash in on a movie license.

This one-on-one dinosaur fighter features 14 unique dinosaurs rendered in 3D polygons, and I like their realistic skin textures. You'll find your old favorites such as the Velociraptor, Triceratops, and T-rex. You also get some lesser-known dinos like Styracosaurus, Ankylosaurus, and Suchomimus. About half are locked from the outset. In order to level the playing field, all the dinosaurs are similar in size.

The battles take place in various locations inspired by the first two films. One is set in an empty paddock while another takes place in a sparse visitor's center. The only interesting location is the freighter ship in the San Diego harbor, boasting a gorgeous night San Diego skyline.

Of course the fighting is what truly matters, and it is not good. The dinosaurs have few ways to attack besides banging their heads and whipping their tails, so there's not much technique to speak of. And the upright dinosaurs can't really block. Their large bodies convey little sense of mass, unless you count the pronounced lag when you initiate an attack.

The camera doesn't really come into play until you employ a grab or throw move. These take-downs look pretty dramatic, but normal attacks just "pass through" your enemy with small splashes of blood indicating damage. Clipping is common as the creatures flop around like rag dolls. Slow-motion instant replays magnify the game's graphical issues, making you wonder why they even bothered.

There's no score or sense of progression. Why does the screen occasionally flash red? Can I eat the occasional human who wanders through? Who knows? It doesn't really matter because Jurassic Park Warpath is one game you will instantly forget the moment you remove it from your console.

As one of three Jurassic Park III games made for the Gameboy Advance, Island Attack is an action-packed adventure. There's not much of a story (thank goodness for that) but the style and visuals stay true to the film. At the start of the game you find yourself next to some plane wreckage while talking to the coast guard with a transmitter. The guy offers some pretty dubious advice, like "if you run into any dinosaur, just make a run for it." Actually he's right - running is usually your safest bet, considering there are no weapons.

The action is viewed from a tilted overhead angle as you explore jungles with wide clearings, a partly-operational control center, and a dilapidated museum. The graphics are so detailed that they sometimes border on digitized. The massive Spinosaurus looks particularly ominous as it rocks back and forth, ready to charge.

Some of the smaller dinosaurs however, like the spitting Dilophosaurus, can be a little hard to make out. Your main adversaries are raptors, and the most effective way to subdue them is to lure them near explosives and ignite them with a flare gun.

This cat-and-mouse style of play gets a little old after a while. In one area you need to lure five Dilophosaurus into an electrified pool of water, and it's a tedious, time-consuming process. The running controls are awkward, forcing you to double-tap the directional pad. Frankly I wish my guy was running all of the time.

A crosshair symbol appears on items of interest (like a breakable crate), but sometimes only intermittently. Aiming the flare gun is frustrating, especially when a dinosaur stands between you and a crate. When it comes to smashing a box or opening a rusty door, the game prompts you to button mash.

Most stages are relatively short, and you can save your progress after completing each one. The transmitter comes in handy later in the game when you're in need of a hint. A high-speed motorcycle chase offers a nice change of pace, but it's about twice as long (and hard) as it should be. Jurassic Park III: Island Attack has its highs and lows, but it should appeal to fans of the film.

The intro to this game features digitized (and pixelated) dinosaurs running wild, and it really got me psyched up to play. Jurassic Park III: Park Builder is a simulator along the lines of SimCity and Theme Park. The icon interface makes it pretty easy to construct a park with roads, hotels, restaurants, shops, and fenced areas for the dinosaurs.

The process for making a dinosaur is consistent with the films. First you deploy teams of excavators to various continents to mine for amber. Upon their return you analyze the amber in a research lab, with each piece containing portions of DNA for a particular dinosaur. Once you acquire a full strand you can produce an egg. There are 140 (!) types of dinosaurs in all, and it's fun to "collect" them.

As the park comes to life you'll see people milling about with bubbles over their heads indicating if they are sad, happy, or excited. The game lets you customize your park to a surprising degree, incorporating things like landscaping, statues, and fountains. You can upgrade facilities, read what the people are saying, and view a graph of the attendance. There's plenty to do, but your hands are often tied by available funds.

Your money is shown on top of the screen, and it fluctuates wildly. When in the red you really can't do much of anything except wait, and the park freezes in time when you peruse the menus. I also dislike how the game is constantly prompting you to "name" things, including every single dinosaur. Not only do I have no desire to "name" the dinosaurs, but the keyboard interface royally sucks.

One crucial tip for a novice is to install "rotaries" to connect roads with walkways. Otherwise you get all kinds of nonsensical error messages. Once you get the hang of it Park Builder is a pretty intriguing title that packs a surprising amount of content.

Of the three Jurassic Park III games for the Game Boy Advance, DNA Factor is probably the most playable. It feels like a traditional side-scroller as you guide a lanky Indiana Jones-looking dude through jungles and laboratories while jumping, dodging, shooting, and collecting DNA samples. Good times!

Your character actually moves between two planes, but since they aren't clearly delineated, it takes a while to figure out where you can or can't go. There are a lot of bottomless pits, but your guy usually grabs the ledge instead of falling. The DNA samples (colored dots) burst into stars as you collect them in a magically delicious kind of way. You don't need to collect all of the DNA, but grab what you can because if you don't collect enough you'll need to replay the stage.

I really enjoyed the arcade style of DNA Factor, but the game finds some imaginative ways to annoy. When trying to get past the Brontosaurus boss, even touching his leg can spell instant death. Worst yet, the "earthquakes" caused by his stomps deal significant damage unless you jump in the air. It's actually possible for him to kill you after he's completely left the screen!

I could also do without that "DNA shooting" mini-game between stages. It has an old-school flair (I guess), but it's confusing and unnecessary. Worst of all, if you fail it, you need to restart the previous platform stage, and that just sucks. The DNA Factor had the right idea, but a few bonehead design choices prevent it from being exceptional.

Billed as a 3D "action-sim", Operation Genesis is an ideal way to bring Jurassic Park to the video game world. One aspect of the original movie that fascinated people was the elaborate theme park, equipped with safari tours and other attractions. Now you can create your very own dinosaur park, and like other sim-style games, it's incredibly addicting. Once you get into this game, the hours just seem to fly by.

There are tutorial exercises to get you up to speed, but I think it's more fun to learn as you go. The menus can be intimidating at first because there are so many options available to you. First you'll need to deploy fossil diggers around the world and extract DNA at your genetics lab before you can even start breeding dinosaurs. Initially you'll have to settle for the small ones, but you'll gradually uncover fossils of larger beasts.

Creating the park layout is a joy. You'll run fences and paths, and place trash cans, benches, and fountains. You'll set up concession stands, souvenir shops, and hire cleaning and security personnel. You have a research staff that you can assign to one project at a time, which gradually increases your building options.

Once you officially open your park, it comes alive with thrill-seeking visitors. You can actually zoom in on the people to see their reactions! Naturally the character models look rougher up close, but they still look good. Eventually you'll construct balloon rides and safaris to keep the people entertained. Best of all, you can actually participate in the rides yourself, and even take pictures! To keep you abreast of your progress and latest developments, you are almost constantly notified by incoming emails. It sounds annoying, but they tend to be informative, short, and to the point. I don't think I ever got bored playing this game, because the bigger your park gets, the more there is to do.

For gamers who prefer instant gratification, there's also an exciting mission mode that challenges you to take pictures, shoot down rampaging carnivores, herd herbivores, or perform rescue missions. I played Operation Genesis for hours on end, but there were a few flaws that eventually tempered my enthusiasm. You'll often need to shoot dinosaurs from a helicopter in order to sedate them, and the targeting absolutely sucks. The cursor is far too sensitive to get a bead on the really small dinosaurs.

Next, transporting new dinosaurs from a breeding pen to their permanent homes is a time consuming and tedious process. You need to tranquilize them from a helicopter, move them to the proper area, and finally revive them. It isn't so bad for one dinosaur, but when you're breeding four or five at a time, it's downright aggravating! Also, I hate how some of the dinosaurs have such short lifespans. Few last more than a few years, and some only live for six months! Once your dinosaurs start dying off, you can't breed them fast enough.

I should also mention that the occasional hiccups in the framerate, while not offensive, are certainly noticeable. But overall, Operation Genesis is still one of the most engrossing games I've played on my XBox. If you have any interest in dinosaurs or the Jurassic Park movies, don't miss out on this.

I haven't seen any magazines or web sites review this game, presumably because it's not a military shooter and hence irrelevant to the mainstream media. It's a shame because titles like this provide a welcome change of pace. Describing Jurassic Park as an interactive movie isn't unfair, but it's not as derogatory as it sounds.

This game owes a lot to the critically acclaimed Heavy Rain (PS3, 2010), and it isn't just another adventure with a license slapped on it. No, the story picks up where the first movie left off, reusing locations, vehicles, and facilities. The layout of the visitor center looks about right, and I love those colorful green tour jeeps. The dialogue is a little predictable but the game has an appealing cinematic quality.

In some areas you just pan around and explore your surroundings, like a point-and-click adventure. You're often presented with dialogue options, but trying them all can be tedious. There are bits of humor sprinkled throughout, like when I tried to tell a lady "you need rest" in Spanish, and it came out as "you eat pencil".

The action scenes are where the game gets some serious traction. These intense sequences prompt you to press keys quickly - not unlike the "quick time" segments in games like Shenmue (Dreamcast, 2000). It's exciting as you frantically try to fight off or escape from a dinosaur. In one memorable scene I found myself caught up in a battle between a T-Rex and a Triceratops. Each failed prompt reduces your score, and too many miscues are fatal.

The worst aspect of the game is scouring a scene for clues, which can be time-consuming and boring. Still, Jurassic Park fans will like the idea of being able to revisit the original island and play a part in their own movie. Even if it's never clear how much impact you're having on events, it's a fun ride all the same.

I thought I had had my fill of Lego games, which are all pretty much the same, but my unbridled love for anything Jurassic Park forced me to buy this. Lego Jurassic World covers all four movies for crying out loud! Its simplistic graphics are to be expected, but the loose collision detection and awkward camerawork beg the question: are they still reusing the original PS2 Lego engine?

Each stage allows you to toggle between multiple characters, and sometimes it feels like there's too many cooks in the kitchen. Each character brings a different ability to the table like using a gun, climbing, fixing stuff, or performing acrobatics. In some cases these abilities make sense, but too often the who-can-do-what seems terribly arbitrary (only this kid can build this, only this guy can turn this lever, etc). Sometimes an action can only be undertaken by a character you haven't even unlocked yet (and never will). Sometimes you get to control the dinosaurs.

Bashing scenery releases tons of cogs to collect, but I'm about ten years past the point of caring about those. Parts lying around can be assembled into bridges, ladders, and giant catapults by holding the O button. The O button is used for so many things it's ridiculous: digging, building, interacting, picking up stuff, employing special abilities, and more.

The controls seem poorly thought out. Why would a raptor need an aiming reticule? As you might imagine, the confusion is magnified with two players. The unskippable cut-scenes are mildly-entertaining at best, and even the save system is suspect. If there's an autosave, what's the point of manual save points?

I encountered one spectacular glitch that literally launched my raptor into the stratosphere! I watched in surreal amazement as he floated back down to his virtual world. I would complain about that if it wasn't so awesome. Despite its glaring flaws I don't hate Lego Jurassic World. I like how it recreates the movie storylines and there's always something new to do and see. Little kids will probably spend countless hours collecting all the cogs and hidden items. Best of all, that snooty brunette assistant gets eaten in this game too.

I wasn't wild about the console version of Lego Jurassic World (PS4, 2015) but hoped the game might translate better to a portable system. If nothing else the standards are lower! I also thought the 3D might just add a little sumpin-sumpin to the standard cookie-cutter Lego formula.

The game kicks off with the "Raptor loading" scene from the original Jurassic Park, except nobody dies in this one. I love how Lego Jurassic World covers the original Jurassic Park trilogy as well as the first Jurassic World film. The Lego action feels pretty familiar by now, as you smash objects, collect cogs, and build ladders and other useful gadgets from twitching spare parts.

You'll unlock all the characters from the movie, each possessing unique abilities. For example, Ellie can dive into dinosaur dookie and little Timmy can use night vision goggles. It is a little tedious having to switch characters for every little action, but the game's button prompts make it easy.

One thing I noticed about playing on this 3DS version is that the cut-scenes look a lot less impressive. They're not rendered in 3D and appear kind of washed out. The 3D is a benefit to the game itself however, as it makes you feel a little closer to the action.

But it's the audio that really caught me off-guard. It sounds amazing. During that first stage the sound of crickets sounded like it was coming from my window, and the occasional sound of a buzzing fly made me want to swat it with my hand! The game also makes effective use of voice samples to reprise memorable lines from the film. And it almost goes without saying the orchestrated music is outstanding.

The gameplay is easy and holds your hand much of the time. If it's possible to get "stuck", that's just because you didn't notice some key object like a square sticking out of the dirt. When in doubt, destroy everything in sight.

The game's sense of humor really shines through, particularly in the scenes with Jeff Goldblum. Certain stages expand upon memorable scenes in imaginative ways. For example, once you cure the sick Triceratops and then use him to bust through a series of barriers. The code-breaking computer sequences are also surprisingly enjoyable.

Not only does this little cart cover four movies but you can even move freely between them. I tended to focus on the older films this time and found them fairly entertaining. I never expect much from this type of game, but Jurassic Park 3D is the most enjoyable Lego title I've played in at least a decade.

I enjoyed Jurassic Park Operation Genesis (Xbox, 2003) just fine, so what the hell?! Jurassic World: Evolution has the most intriguing premise and all this cutting-edge technology, so why does it feel like homework? Right from the start I had issues simply providing power to my buildings. This feels like one of those PC games ported to consoles. PC gamers are willing to put up with a lot of crap, like bad user interfaces, microscopic icons, hazy objectives, and steep learning curves.

Evolution attempts to hold your hand at first by severely limiting your options. The problem is, if you get stuck it's all the more frustrating because you can't do something as simple as selecting a building or perusing a menu. When a game pisses me off within the first five minutes, I don't forgive and forget.

Once you gain a little traction you'll be sending out excavating teams around the world to dig for fossils. Using these findings you can perform various research and incubate dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are born as adults, and it's fun to watch them released into their enclosures for the first time. They look so lifelike and it's interesting to see how they interact with their surroundings.

Jeff Goldblum is the highlight of the entire game, lending his voice as Ian Malcolm, throwing out occasional words of wisdom. In terms of graphics, I love the manner in which the buildings are constructed in a time-lapse manner, with layers of scaffolding rapidly going up before being torn down a few seconds later.

It's very easy to deplete all your cash in this game. I don't even know how much money I have at a given time. Maybe it's buried in that spreadsheet screen? While trying to carry out basic objectives I'd suddenly find myself stuck because "unlock conditions not met" or "need to research". Are you telling me I need to research how to sell apparel at the freaking gift shop? In the words of Dr. Ian Malcolm "that is one big pile of sh*t".

One time I created a new power station and couldn't figure out why it wasn't functional. A few minutes later I discovered it because I forgot to pave a sidewalk to its front door. Apparently no one can enter a building unless it has a walkway. Another time I created a fast food restaurant which had no power despite being literally surrounded by power stations and criss-crossing power-lines. WTF?!

It's never a good sign when you need to rely on YouTube videos to make progress in a game. Jurassic World Evolution makes it easy to do hard stuff and hard to do easy stuff. I'm sure there are persistent gamers out there who managed to create a thriving park from this game. But they were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

I'm not sure why I purchased this considering I already own all of the original Jurassic Park games. I guess I just wanted to prove to the world I was the ultimate Jurassic Park Superfan (TM). There's also something to be said for experiencing these oldies in crisp high definition with a handy save feature. If you played any of these back in the 1990's there's a better-than-average chance you'll still enjoy them today.

This Classic Collection includes one NES title, two SNES, two Genesis, and two for the original Game Boy. I find it curious how the NES is referred to as "8-bit", the SNES "16-bit", and the Game Boy "Portable". Only the two Genesis games specify the actual system. There are a few glaring omissions in this collection, specifically the Jurassic Park games for the Sega CD, Game Gear, and Sega Master system game. Had those been included this would have been A material.

The first Jurassic Park game was released in June 1993 for the NES. The huge T-Rex head on the title screen looks absolutely crazy with saliva dripping from its teeth. The game itself is fun but the tilted overhead view and cartoonish dinosaurs aren't very scary. I love the music but the game has its share of annoyances like baby dinosaurs that pester you to no end. The Game Boy edition is pretty much the same, albeit with less-responsive controls and blockier, colorless graphics.

The SNES Jurassic Park is a better-looking version of NES game, except it's far more aggravating. The dinosaurs are larger but harder to shoot because you're always in tight quarters. Raptors tend to hide in the brush, so you don't even see them until it's too late. The Wolfenstein 3D-style interior stages are a minor disaster, and this emulated version makes their controls feel even more stiff and delayed.

Also hailing from the SNES is Jurassic Park II, which is unrelated to the Lost World. It's a good-looking side-scroller that's hard to play. Right from the git-go you're hounded by raptors who take about 20 shots to take down. The Game Boy edition looks cartoonish but is a lot more fun and far less confusing.

The two Genesis games are the cream of the crop. Both are conventional side-scrolling platform shooters with graphics that appear practically digitized! The dinosaurs not only look real but sound real as well. The graphics may look grainy but at least the gameplay captures the sense of urgency of the film. Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition is a bit more polished but uses locations not seen in the original film, like a cargo ship and lost ruins.

If you're a Jurassic Park fan this collection is worth your while. Not only do the graphics really pop in HD but the ability to save and load at any time is huge. A CRT filter option conveys that old-timey feel, but I prefer the clean look. There's even a rewind feature, also known as cheating. None of these games are gems, but they will transport you back to those glory days of awe and wonder. Of course we're talking about the 90's!

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