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