The SNES library is packed with all-time greats. Titles like Metroid, Mario, and other Nintendo gems show how heavy competition was during that time period. With so many amazing games, some SNES titles didn’t get their heyday at release, but have gone on to become cult classics.
One game that’s become quite the classic in certain circles is Jurassic Park. While the movie that inspired it is still hailed as a masterpiece, the game has been forgotten by many, even though it’s timeless. Not only is it linked to a cinematic franchise, but it has ingenious mechanics that have stood the test of time.
Jurassic Park On the SNES Was More Than a Movie Adaptation
The T. Rex from Jurassic Park is killing a Gallimimus.Image via Universal Studios
Back in 1993, Ocean Software and its studio Ocean of America began developing a Jurassic Park game exclusively for the SNES. On paper, it looked like an easy cash grab. With the movie expected to be a box office hit, the goal was clear: create synergy between the film and another medium.
A video game was a natural fit, bringing the story into people’s homes while helping promote the film. The game launched around the same time as the movie as part of that broader marketing push. At the time, movie tie-in games were often rushed and uninspired, and Jurassic Park was expected to be the same, but it completely defied the trends.
First and foremost, Jurassic Park feels far removed from the typical movie tie-in. It’s bold and a little daring, and it captures the spirit of the film franchise surprisingly well, but it also stands on its own as a game. Someone could play it without ever seeing the movie and still have a good time.
There’s no clear data on exactly how well the Jurassic Park game sold, but it’s obvious it made an impact. The movie’s popularity gave it a boost, and strong reviews and word of mouth did a lot of heavy lifting too. Critics didn’t just see it as a promo product, and many were pleasantly surprised by its innovative ideas.
The Jurassic Park Game Was Ahead of Its Time
A T. Rex eats Alan Grant in Nintendo’s Jurassic Park game.Image via Ocean Software
One big reason the Jurassic Park game dodged the problems with movie tie-in games was how closely the developers worked with Universal during the film’s production. The team got still shots from the movie for visual reference, along with digital dinosaur models and storyboards from key scenes.
Early testing also played a big role in shaping the final game. Jurassic Park on the SNES didn’t impress everyone at first, and some early builds were heavily criticized. Ocean Software actually went back and reworked parts of the game to address those concerns, which led to a noticeably better result.
Graphics drew the most scrutiny, especially since the version shown at an electronics fair in Chicago was already outdated. That meant the team still had time to polish things up, and they used it to make the improvements the game needed. Without that course correction, the game might have turned out very differently.
Those improvements show in the final version of the game. Visually, the title is absolutely gorgeous, even today. It recreated the film’s landscapes with impressive detail. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the praise it received when it was released focused on how good it looked, since Jurassic Park delivered a memorable, immersive atmosphere on the SNES.
The sound design also made the Jurassic Park game feel like something special. Unfortunately, the developers couldn’t use most of the movie’s score because of both technical and licensing limits, but they got around that by using audio effects to build a soundscape that made players feel like they were really visiting the iconic park.
In the SNES Jurassic Park, players control Alan Grant from a top-down view as they explore the world, solve puzzles, and battle back against dinosaurs. Certain missions switch to a different perspective, and the game moves between these styles rather effectively.
There’s also a set of hidden objectives, like securing the visitor center from raptors, clearing dinosaurs off the ship, and tracking down every egg scattered around the map. Some players felt the goals were too simple, while others ranked it as one of the hardest games on the SNES, suggesting that the developers struck the perfect balance.
The Jurassic Park SNES Game Was Incredibly Underrated
Alan Grant begins his adventure in Jurassic Park on the SNES.Image via Ocean Software
A game’s cult classic status usually comes down to a few key things, and one of them is the game’s legacy. There were plenty of Jurassic Park games that followed this first one, which suggests it made a real impression. The SNES Jurassic Park game was re-released on modern consoles in 2023 for its 30th anniversary, and that says a lot about its staying power.
Of course, as good as it is, the Jurassic Park game isn’t perfect. The biggest sticking point is the lack of a save system. Even though lives were limited and some stages were tough, there was no way to save progress. Other SNES games managed it, but Jurassic Park didn’t.
That meant players had to finish it in one sitting, which was a true challenge. Anyone who was able to achieve this feat has a badge of honor, but trying to get through the entire game in one go wasn’t necessarily an entertaining process. While this flaw might keep Jurassic Park from being one of the greatest SNES games, there’s no denying that it got a lot right.
The complexity of the world design in Jurassic Park was impressive, especially for the time. It continually asked players to solve problems in creative and unusual ways, and that gave it tons of depth and made it very replayable. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the game is filled with stunning dinosaurs.
If the game had offered a standard save mechanic, it would likely be recognized as a classic today. As is, many players found themselves frustrated and gave up on the game, but if they had stuck around, they would have seen how effectively it brought the world of Jurassic Park to life.
In the end, the SNES Jurassic Park is a nostalgic cult classic in spite of a few flaws. It made an impact at launch and raised the bar for movie tie-ins. Now that movie tie-in games have fallen out of fashion, it’s likely that a game like this will never be made again, so it’s like a relic of a bygone era.
The development team overcame countless challenges while making Jurassic Park, accurately recreating the film even though they were just working off of photos and storyboards. What they accomplished is truly remarkable, and while Jurassic Park on the SNES will continue to be outshone by bigger Nintendo games, it deserves to be in the conversation all the same.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Released
October 1, 1993
ESRB
t
Developer(s)
Ocean of America
Publisher(s)
Ocean Software
