Jurassic Park: Most overproduced game?

On Sunday a friend took me to a game tourney at a store in Massachusetts. To my surprise, they actually sold Genesis games there, and I got a few decent deals after the tourney (CIB Subterrania for $5, Jungle Strike for $3), but I laughed when I saw that on the shelf, there was a stack of at least ten or twelve Jurassic Park carts that no one was buying. It made me wonder why there are so many JP carts floating around. Last year I bought 3 wholesale lots of games to sell for some profit, and each one came with a JP game, two boxed, but not with manual. There are so many of them that I can't sell these, so should I just throw them out? I've already got a copy of my own. Thoughts?

I've owned like 10 or so JP carts already and I hate the damn game.


If you wanna get rid of them, just wrap them up and auction the whole package at ebay. You'll at least get your starting bid (whatever the lowest bid is at ebay.com).

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Originally Posted by Why-Disciple

It made me wonder why there are so many JP carts floating around.

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It was a successful movie so they made sure to produce lots of carts in hopes of everybody wanting one?

http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page....ichard%20Karpp

Richard Karpp: I played a minor role in the development of Jurassic Park, but I do remember a lot of pressure to get the game out in time for the movie's release. I was also working on Technoclash at the time, so I had to put in a lot of hours to make sure I could handle my tasks on both games.

My recollections of the Jurassic Park project revolve around trying to get the game done extremely quickly. We knew that there was a lot riding on the game, because it would be getting a big marketing campaign, and we expected the movie to be huge, so we looked at it as a great opportunity to put BlueSky on the map. I guess it did the job, because it seems to be the game most people still remember.


You just gotta love how SOA set up a huge campaign before actual development of the game even started and without giving the guys enough time to do some decent work, and even less knowing whether the game itself would end up being worth it.

Jurassic Park was insanely popular around the time the movie came out, and the merchandising reflects this. If your listed age is correct, you were a toddler at the time, so it's understandable you wouldn't remember. I was in fifth grade at the time, and I wound up buying a ton of Jurassic Park stuff, as I'm sure a lot of kids did. I'm sure you're finding a ton of Jurassic Park carts because people bought them.

Reflecting on my experience with JP now makes me realize that I actually hate that game. I loved dinosaurs as a kid which is probably why i bothered playing it so much. I remember all the "dead ends" the game had. Where if you messed up a puzzle or didn't have an item, you were pretty much stuck....that's how I remember it at least.

Rampage Edition > The Original

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Originally Posted by Mr Smith

Rampage Edition > The Original

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What was different/better about it?

*NEW* Now with 100% more black outlines!!!!

http://www.sega-16.com/forum/attachm...5&d=1274307467

I love everything about Jurassic Park. I just don't see the relevance in the Genesis game. I still enjoy the Genny game, though; but it has very archaic gameplay style. It feels like yet another "Flashback" (the game). The only game I completely enjoy that also uses this "stubby" platforming style is Prince of Persia. As for the number of games produced, I'd say I've seen my fair share of JP carts; but it's definitely not the only Genesis game that ranked in the "surplus" category.;)

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Originally Posted by Duane Dibbley

Jurassic Park was insanely popular around the time the movie came out, and the merchandising reflects this.

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I still have some unopened Jurassic Park candy. :lol:

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Originally Posted by Televator

I remember all the "dead ends" the game had. Where if you messed up a puzzle or didn't have an item, you were pretty much stuck....

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I don't think you and me played the same game.. http://www.sega-16.com/forum/images/icons/wtf.gif

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Originally Posted by Christuserloeser

*NEW* Now with 100% more black outlines!!!!

http://www.sega-16.com/forum/attachm...5&d=1274307467

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I never liked the whole black outlines thing they did in the sequel, made it seem too cartoony.

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Originally Posted by NeoVamp

I don't think you and me played the same game.. http://www.sega-16.com/forum/images/icons/wtf.gif

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This game? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qD8w0JcB00

@ 1:55 you'll see some of what I mean.

That guy just really sucks at the game. For starters, he obviously doesn't know you can jump over the Triceratops without taking any damage. As for that "unpassable" part, all you need to do is climb up the conspicuous vertical pole and cross using the power lines. The box is only for helping you get to the ledge with said pole. It helps to pay attention when playing the game.

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Originally Posted by NeoVamp

I never liked the whole black outlines thing they did in the sequel, made it seem too cartoony.

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Not just cartoony, but cheap and tacky. I see no reason for them to have done it either. (it's not like it helps things stand out -given that much of the BG is dark...)

Pointless and graphically detracting...

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Originally Posted by Televator

What was different/better about it?

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Faster flowing gameplay, better controls, more moves with the raptor, better designed levels, better weapons for Grant. All it needed was a time machine and lesbians and it would pretty much be a flawless game.

I preferred the original, mostly due to the nostagic factor that I owned that one, and only recently got Rampage Edition, RE isn't BAD, just not as enjoyable or memorable for me.

Nothing beats the just cool factors of this game when you were a kid, from the T Rex roaring with the Sega logo, later in the game busting in an area you are in and attacking, dodging raptors gunning for your head, all great fun.

But DAMN that first raft level was irritating!

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Originally Posted by Assman

That guy just really sucks at the game. For starters, he obviously doesn't know you can jump over the Triceratops without taking any damage. As for that "unpassable" part, all you need to do is climb up the conspicuous vertical pole and cross using the power lines. The box is only for helping you get to the ledge with said pole. It helps to pay attention when playing the game.

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Well I guess I just sucked at the game too. Perhaps it would have been more enjoyable with a guide. I've played a lot of games though and I say many of the things you call conspicuous were not so for me. I can't tell you how many times that T-Rex made a meal out of me.

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Originally Posted by Assman

That guy just really sucks at the game. For starters, he obviously doesn't know you can jump over the Triceratops without taking any damage. As for that "unpassable" part, all you need to do is climb up the conspicuous vertical pole and cross using the power lines. The box is only for helping you get to the ledge with said pole. It helps to pay attention when playing the game.

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Agreed.

It's a difficult and occasionally frustrating game, but it can be fun, once you figure out what to do. Plus, I think the music is great. I had my copy up for sale for a while, but I decided to keep it, in a large part because of the music.

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Originally Posted by Televator

This game? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qD8w0JcB00

@ 1:55 you'll see some of what I mean.

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Jesus these are your dead ends and hard puzzles?
I practically flew through that level, everything was laid out for you.

The only level that actually required you to think was the water level,
where a wrong turn meant you crashed too deep, and even that one was easy after 4 or 5 tries.

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Originally Posted by Mr Smith

Faster flowing gameplay, better controls, more moves with the raptor, better designed levels, better weapons for Grant.

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Rampage Edition truly played better, but the changed visuals were distracting and the game didn't feel like a Jurassic Park game anymore,
in the first game i really had that feeling that i was replaying the movie, gotta get Grant to the visitors center!!

While the sequel was like "oh crap Biosyn is gonna steal teh dino's!! better go back and go Rambo on their asses."

the game looked great (except for the black outlines thingy) and had warm looking and detailed levels,
but the whole rocket launchers/flame throwers/grenades/machine guns/etc was just very un-Jurassic Park

I also really missed the use of passwords, it was fun to be able to load a later level if you were tired
of starting from the beginning all the time.


Great use of music/samples though, really gave some of the levels a much needed identity, something that was lacking in the first game.
(though the 2nd Snes version of JP has it beat with a much better eerie ambiance)

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Originally Posted by NeoVamp

Jesus these are your dead ends and hard puzzles?
I practically flew through that level, everything was laid out for you.

The only level that actually required you to think was the water level,
where a wrong turn meant you crashed too deep, and even that one was easy after 4 or 5 tries.

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No need to take it so seriously. I used the vid as an example that some folks do indeed get lost in the game. I'm one of them and my experience was hindered because of it. If you "flew through it", good for you. You are a Super Deluxe Jurassic Park game lord. Hail to you.

I didn't take it seriously, I was just confused at your mentioning of puzzles
and how a missing item would mean you couldn't finish the game.

because there are no puzzles and the game doesn't use key items.

For me it was always simple, there has to be a solution to everything.
(unless you count early 80's Commodore 64 games)

So I'd just look around and do the math, pole? check, wires? check, bombs for T-rex? check!
box to shoot down? check!

The one thing that did always bother me about the first game was the end battle,
I'd spend hours trying to come up with the way to defeat those Raptors,
turns out it was as simple as dropping down and throwing bombs,
talk about over analyzing stuff. http://www.sega-16.com/forum/images/icons/talking.gif

Btw, anyone ever noticed how the last map seems.. buggy somehow?
its like the game doesn't like the enormous dinosaur skeletons.
because it would always get flickery at some points.

and one more thing, I just watched a clip of the last level and i noticed the blood on the elevator door,
that was pretty brutal for a game mostly played by kids. :D

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Originally Posted by Mr Smith

All it needed was a time machine and lesbians and it would pretty much be a flawless game.

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http://murderburger.files.wordpress....y-lesbians.jpg

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Originally Posted by NeoVamp

I didn't take it seriously, I was just confused at your mentioning of puzzles
and how a missing item would mean you couldn't finish the game.

because there are no puzzles and the game doesn't use key items.

For me it was always simple, there has to be a solution to everything.
(unless you count early 80's Commodore 64 games)

So I'd just look around and do the math, pole? check, wires? check, bombs for T-rex? check!
box to shoot down? check!

The one thing that did always bother me about the first game was the end battle,
I'd spend hours trying to come up with the way to defeat those Raptors,
turns out it was as simple as dropping down and throwing bombs,
talk about over analyzing stuff. http://www.sega-16.com/forum/images/icons/talking.gif

Btw, anyone ever noticed how the last map seems.. buggy somehow?
its like the game doesn't like the enormous dinosaur skeletons.
because it would always get flickery at some points.

and one more thing, I just watched a clip of the last level and i noticed the blood on the elevator door,
that was pretty brutal for a game mostly played by kids. :D

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If I remember correctly weren't supplies like ammo limited in the game? That's what I mean by not having an item. Also having to figure out things like how to kill a raptor was a puzzle in of itself IMO. I actually got to that part you are talking about with all the raptors, but it was game over for me there. Never went back to it since. After having the T-rex eat me like 150 times, I didn't feel like going through it again with the raptors.

I don't think you could actually kill the raptors, not even with the rocket launcher,
you gotta realize that there was this whole red line in the book about not hurting the dinosaurs!!
and i feel they managed to add that into the game very well, nothing more creepy then tranquilizing a Raptor only to see him get up after.. what? 10 seconds?

And yes ammo was (kinda) limited, but i always felt the game had enough hidden ammo,
and unless you Gung-ho'd your way through the game you never really had any problems.

And the game was even nice enough to have a collection of bombs hidden right below you in the final level,
so you'd never get stuck. (unless like me you couldn't figure out that you had to throw the bombs while standing on the floor)

And you never thought about throwing a concussion grenade or flashbang to the T-Rex head?
thats the first thing I did, take this fucker! BOOF BOOF! http://www.sega-16.com/forum/images/icons/talking.gif

And i really liked those little scenes where the Raptor would follow you, really made it feel like the movie/book.

I don't own one... I'll take one off your hands!

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Originally Posted by Mr Smith

Rampage Edition > The Original

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That

Playing as the raptor is epic.

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Originally Posted by NeoVamp

I don't think you could actually kill the raptors, not even with the rocket launcher,
you gotta realize that there was this whole red line in the book about not hurting the dinosaurs!!
and i feel they managed to add that into the game very well, nothing more creepy then tranquilizing a Raptor only to see him get up after.. what? 10 seconds?

And yes ammo was (kinda) limited, but i always felt the game had enough hidden ammo,
and unless you Gung-ho'd your way through the game you never really had any problems.

And the game was even nice enough to have a collection of bombs hidden right below you in the final level,
so you'd never get stuck. (unless like me you couldn't figure out that you had to throw the bombs while standing on the floor)

And you never thought about throwing a concussion grenade or flashbang to the T-Rex head?
thats the first thing I did, take this fucker! BOOF BOOF! http://www.sega-16.com/forum/images/icons/talking.gif

And i really liked those little scenes where the Raptor would follow you, really made it feel like the movie/book.

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LOL! The flash bangs were the very last thing I would think to use on a T-rex. I guess the concept of not killing in a game threw me off as a kid. I did try them sporadically on my different attempts but I think I kept missing somehow and I'd eventually run out of them.

There was a very nice little easter egg in the game that allowed you to kill though,
try shooting a rocket or a charged tazer stream at a tiny compy.

EXPLODES!~#@!


I wonder why Bluesky Software never added a level where the T-Rex was fully visible, it worked on the 2nd Snes game.

Couldn't the Genesis handle sprites as big as the T-Rex?

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Originally Posted by NeoVamp

Couldn't the Genesis handle sprites as big as the T-Rex?

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http://www.quebecgamers.com/dossiers...osses/ros1.png





The SegaCD game was much better!

Anyway, at the time I didn't have a Megadrive, and witnessing the T-rex roaring at the Sega logo impressed me quite a bit, and you can imagine my disappointment when it turned out to be another platformer!

http://i48.tinypic.com/21an5ae.gif

I've always been impressed by the Sega CD version, but i've always loved those kinda games,
but sadly i didn't have a Sega CD back then, so i never really got to play it when it was fresh.

But after watching a youtube playthrough i was thinking, wouldn't it be cool if they remade the Sega CD JP game?
I mean, we have the technology to make fully 3D islands, it would be a sweet little adventure with real time dinosaur's.

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Originally Posted by NeoVamp

But after watching a youtube playthrough i was thinking, wouldn't it be cool if they remade the Sega CD JP game?
I mean, we have the technology to make fully 3D islands, it would be a sweet little adventure with real time dinosaur's.

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Sort of like Sony's Afrika? That does sound like a jolly good idea!

Jurassic Park would be awesome if done like that, just make it a sandbox game and people will be exploring jungles and abandoned facilities and running from raptors and Rexes.

Kinda like Tresspasser, but not as sucky and open ended.
(unless you decide to get off with a boat or call in a chopper or something)