About two months ago, the only arcade that remained in my hometown closed down, and in its place a supermarket was built; yeah, it really felt like one of those moments in a series or movie where a big evil corporation wins, the only thing missing was a nostalgic or sad song in the background.
Even if in its last years the arcade itself and the machines were in a pretty bad condition, seeing it gone was like seing a part of my childhood fade away, and being even more specific, the fact that I’ll probably never get to play The Lost World: Jurassic Park in an original machine is what stings the most.
I basically grew up with this one, every time I got out of the movie theater with my family or friends an attempt at this was guaranteed, and for the longest time this was the only SEGA game I had ever played (That's right, while others were playing the ''sonics'', I was shooting down velociraptors, who had the better childhood huh?). I luckily was able to beat this with a friend years ago, so at least I can proudly say I finished, and so, what do I think about one of the games that where so important to me when I was younger?...
... yeah it's alright.
While I'm extremely happy to say that yeah, it's a pretty good rail-shooter based on a pre-existing property, I can't really call it amazing, especially because as it goes on, it keeps losing steam. It still has some pretty damn good meat on its fossil tho: visually it holds up surprisingly well, they are not the most impressing arcade graphics ever, but they do have some charm and aside from some ugly graphic tiles on some floors, is actually pretty cool and visually distinct; tho this last point is expected, seeing how it has a surprising amount of different set pieces of locations. The game doesn't take the original movie's plot to heart, and rather it does a kind of parallel story, which grants it A TON more of creative liberty and leads to some actually fun and creative moments, still clearly based around The Lost World, but did that movie had a part where a bunch of velociraptors where going after a dude in a motorbike and the main characters had to shoot them down? Yeah, that's what I though! Boss fights were also a highlight for me, overall some can even drag a bit, but once again the encounters and set pieces are incredible, shout-outs to the Carnosaurus boss fight, loved that big son of a bitch.
The game is a true spectacle, and while yeah, it has a ton of flash, it forgot the substance at home. While as I said, the set pieces and encounters are pretty damn original, they are always a variation of the same thing: shoot at velociraptors that are charging at you. There is some enemy variety here and there, but almost every encounters consists of the pesky raptors attacking you, and with one or two exceptions, the rest of enemy tipes also act the same way, and many of them only appear for one levels only! Even if the context of the shooting or where it happening changes, it doesn’t change the fact that it just feels too samey and unoriginal. Even the little quick time events or moments where you have to shoot a specific part of a dino feel like a chore rather than an interesting challenge. Also I don't know what InGen put in that frog DNA, bit it's almost comical how literally the entire fauna you come across is hellbent on killing you, I know it seems like a stupid thing to say considering this a shooting-gallery and well, the things you shoot have to attack, but it rather than dinos they feel like the aliens from Space Invaders, except I believe even those would have a bit more of self-preservation.
At the end of the day, it's an Arcade game you can beat in an hour if you have enough skill or money, one that I will always cherish for the great moments and memories it gave me, and I really commend the things it does well, but I can't go past how repetitive on top of its perks as an arcade title... and also why are so many goddam velociraptors, it's insane, you could have at least have had some variety on the carnivores department mister Hammond, this is borderline absurd.
Even if in its last years the arcade itself and the machines were in a pretty bad condition, seeing it gone was like seing a part of my childhood fade away, and being even more specific, the fact that I’ll probably never get to play The Lost World: Jurassic Park in an original machine is what stings the most.
I basically grew up with this one, every time I got out of the movie theater with my family or friends an attempt at this was guaranteed, and for the longest time this was the only SEGA game I had ever played (That's right, while others were playing the ''sonics'', I was shooting down velociraptors, who had the better childhood huh?). I luckily was able to beat this with a friend years ago, so at least I can proudly say I finished, and so, what do I think about one of the games that where so important to me when I was younger?...
... yeah it's alright.
While I'm extremely happy to say that yeah, it's a pretty good rail-shooter based on a pre-existing property, I can't really call it amazing, especially because as it goes on, it keeps losing steam. It still has some pretty damn good meat on its fossil tho: visually it holds up surprisingly well, they are not the most impressing arcade graphics ever, but they do have some charm and aside from some ugly graphic tiles on some floors, is actually pretty cool and visually distinct; tho this last point is expected, seeing how it has a surprising amount of different set pieces of locations. The game doesn't take the original movie's plot to heart, and rather it does a kind of parallel story, which grants it A TON more of creative liberty and leads to some actually fun and creative moments, still clearly based around The Lost World, but did that movie had a part where a bunch of velociraptors where going after a dude in a motorbike and the main characters had to shoot them down? Yeah, that's what I though! Boss fights were also a highlight for me, overall some can even drag a bit, but once again the encounters and set pieces are incredible, shout-outs to the Carnosaurus boss fight, loved that big son of a bitch.
The game is a true spectacle, and while yeah, it has a ton of flash, it forgot the substance at home. While as I said, the set pieces and encounters are pretty damn original, they are always a variation of the same thing: shoot at velociraptors that are charging at you. There is some enemy variety here and there, but almost every encounters consists of the pesky raptors attacking you, and with one or two exceptions, the rest of enemy tipes also act the same way, and many of them only appear for one levels only! Even if the context of the shooting or where it happening changes, it doesn’t change the fact that it just feels too samey and unoriginal. Even the little quick time events or moments where you have to shoot a specific part of a dino feel like a chore rather than an interesting challenge. Also I don't know what InGen put in that frog DNA, bit it's almost comical how literally the entire fauna you come across is hellbent on killing you, I know it seems like a stupid thing to say considering this a shooting-gallery and well, the things you shoot have to attack, but it rather than dinos they feel like the aliens from Space Invaders, except I believe even those would have a bit more of self-preservation.
At the end of the day, it's an Arcade game you can beat in an hour if you have enough skill or money, one that I will always cherish for the great moments and memories it gave me, and I really commend the things it does well, but I can't go past how repetitive on top of its perks as an arcade title... and also why are so many goddam velociraptors, it's insane, you could have at least have had some variety on the carnivores department mister Hammond, this is borderline absurd.