Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues Game by OCEAN Reviewed by retropyor bobplate@hotmail.com Size: 2 megabits Save: Restart at last level only if never turned off. Released: 1994 Works with: Currently all Gameboy systems up to GBA SP **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: This is the first game I bought with all my birthday money when I was only 8 years old. I'm a nostalgic ol' man. **************************************************************************** Gameplay Descripion: It's kinda like you're standard, generic platformer, albeit with dinosaurs. You are Dr. Alan Grant, and for some reason, are out alone after you're Explorer broke down. Naturally you have to get out of the park before you end up as a memory, and to do so, you must collect the ID Cards necessary to open up the gates at the end of the level. Of course, the dinosaurs will find some way to impede your progress, and all you have to protect yourself is unlimited ammunition for your rifle, harpoon gun and grenades. At the end of every two levels, there is a boss level where you fight some huge dinosaur. I suppose all the other dinosaurs in the other levels were only babies. In case that's not enough, there happens to be some danged T-rex on the loose. Liked: I'm a sucker for the dinosaur theme. I saw Jurassic Park 3 more times than I can remember. Hated: There is no save! You gotta restart at the beginning of each level, and don't even think of turning your Gameboy off. **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: Graphically, it's a mixed bag. Keeping in mind that this game came out even before Gameboy Color, it manages to convey the enviroments pretty well. Personally, Dr. Grant moves a little like a duck, but that might be because of the whole cartoonish look of the game. The dinosaurs look as much as their movie counterparts as can be expected, except for a few. What the heck happened to the Velociraptors? These dinos scared me in my dreams, yet here they make me laugh. And the dilophosaurs (those spitting dinos)? They look like awkard old men. Some dinos looked great, while others made me want to sue OCEAN. Liked: In some levels, there was pseudo-parallax scrolling. That's always cool. Hated: OCEAN screwed up the 'raptors!! **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: Um, think OCEAN music and sound effects. They have this weird techno/synth sound. And there's very few songs. I think maybe less than five in all. Maybe only three max. And only six or seven sound effects. Clearly, most of OCEANS budget goes into license acquisition. Liked: The songs aren't the kind that drill themselves into your consience. Easily forgettable. Hated: They just didn't seem very inspired. **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: Here, I must give credit to OCEAN. Play control is very spot-on. Grant jumps when you press A, and shoots when you press B. He has five-way firing, and pressing select will switch weapons (unless you're underwater, in which case all you get is Harpoons). Control is very tight, so if you die, it's because you screwed up. The level designs are very simplistic platformer elements. They're not very huge either, so you really can't get lost. Liked: Small level design=pick-up-and-play game. Always good with Gameboy Hated: Not a whole lot. It's like white bread. You really can't hate white bread, even with the crust. **************************************************************************** Improve: If they wanted to keep the same bland platforming, then don't change anything but the music. And give me better dino models! RIYL: Just about every game involving a main character and platforms. From Super Mario Bros. to Metroid. **************************************************************************** Final Words: This what I would call a "safe-game". It's so generic, it can't be screwed up. **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: *** Graphics: *** Sound/Music: ** Play Control/Game Design: *** Personal Opinion: **** (Dino-nut plus nostalgia equal four stars) Total: 15 Final Score: 60% **************************************************************************** Currently Known Codes: Some walls can be destroyed only by grenades, and are absolutely necessary to get through some levels. If you beat a level with only one heart left (you start with four, and lose one with each hit), then Dr. Grant will take his hat off and wipe his brow. Just a little surprise for living life dangerously.