Jurassic Park, released in 1993 by Ocean Software, is an action-adventure game inspired by the blockbuster film directed by Steven Spielberg. The game puts players in the role of Dr. Alan Grant, who must survive the chaos on Isla Nublar after the park’s security systems fail and dinosaurs roam free. The main objective is to restore order to the park, rescue stranded visitors, and ultimately escape the island. While following the basic premise of the movie, the game introduces its own gameplay scenarios and challenges, creating a tense and immersive experience for fans of both the film and the novel.

The gameplay in Jurassic Park is a unique mix of two perspectives. Outdoors, the game features a top-down view as players navigate jungles, rivers, and the park’s various enclosures while avoiding or confronting dangerous dinosaurs like velociraptors and triceratops. Indoors, such as in the visitor center or power stations, the game shifts to a first-person perspective reminiscent of early 3D dungeon crawlers. Players must solve puzzles, collect keycards, and manage limited resources like ammunition and health packs. This alternating gameplay style adds variety and suspense, as the indoor sections feel more claustrophobic and intense.

Visually, Jurassic Park makes strong use of the hardware it was released on, featuring detailed environments, atmospheric lighting, and recognizable dinosaurs. The jungle areas feel lush and alive, while indoor facilities are dark and foreboding. The sound design heightens the sense of danger, with digitized dinosaur roars and an ominous soundtrack that keeps the player on edge. Limited dialogue and text help create a feeling of isolation and survival, making the player feel like they’re truly stranded on a prehistoric island.

Jurassic Park received mixed reviews at launch but gained a cult following for its ambitious design and cinematic atmosphere. It stood out among licensed games of the era for trying to create a more immersive and tense experience rather than a simple action title. Various versions of Jurassic Park were released across multiple platforms, each offering slightly different gameplay. Despite its difficulty and sometimes cryptic objectives, it remains a nostalgic favorite for fans of early ’90s adventure games and the iconic film franchise.

• Developer: Ocean Software
• Publisher: Ocean Software
• Release Year: 1993
• Platform(s): SNES, Genesis, Amiga, DOS, and others
• Genre: Action-adventure
• Game Mode: Single-player
• Graphics: Mix of top-down 2D and early first-person 3D sections
• Sound: Atmospheric music with digitized dinosaur sound effects
• Key Feature: Dual gameplay perspectives with exploration and survival elements