Jurassic Park: Genesaurus Does?

Often in the 16-bit generation licensed games wouldn’t just be versions across multiple consoles, but completely different games. Where the SNES Jurassic Park was by Ocean, the Genesis game was Blue Sky/SEGA. It brings the argument of ‘which is better’ beyond simply performance issues to a comparison of content as well. For instance, the Genesis game’s biggest selling point was that you could play as a Velociraptor – which was pretty exciting for the time – which was not an option on the SNES Jurassic Park.

As it turned out, I played way more of the Genesis game than I did the SNES game growing up. A friend owned a Genesis and this game got a lot of play. We never finished it to my recollection, I don’t think we gave it enough time to pass the midgame. But I had memories of it being pretty alright. When I eventually picked up my own Genesis and Jurassic Park years and years later, I felt the game was sort of a mess. But after beating the SNES game, I went on to clear this one too. My tune has changed once again.

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Herzog Zwei – Planes, Campaigns, & Robotomobiles

The Genesis had its fair share of gems, some of them were obvious but others have been left more to the mists of obscurity. But just because a game has been forgotten or isn’t as well known as Sonic doesn’t mean it wasn’t an important game. Games that have had influence, games that are seriously engaging and games that show why the Genesis was the Mega Drive. Herzog Zwei fulfills these criteria.

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Soleil – House of the Rising Centy

Remember when the term “Zelda Killer” was tossed around with wanton abandon? When any action adventure game featuring a sword was a “Zelda Clone?” It makes sense that these terms were used because The Legend of Zelda is undeniably one of Nintendo’s biggest draws to their console. So what of these killers and clones? There are some games that are flagrant in their aping of one another. But others still rise above it and become something special all of their own. Golden Axe Warrior is super close to the original Legend of Zelda in many ways, but it’s a solid game and I enjoy it more than the mainline Golden Axe beat-em-ups. Dark Cloud was touted as both a clone and a killer – but it’s a completely different game that just happens to star a boy with a green hat and a sword. So what about the more obscure entries into the Big N’s core 16-bit competitor? Fingers point squarely at Soleil.

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Rival Envy Squashed – Funk Brings the Players Together

I was a Nintendo kid. I relied on friends for Genesis game time and buying into the hype of the day I wouldn’t have pursued one myself. But I did enjoy the games, and I wouldn’t be spurned to collect Genesis games of my own for a long time yet.

But there was one game that defined my ‘rival envy’ of the time, Toejam & Earl. If there was one game I was jealous of in those days, it was this one. And the thing is – I didn’t have the opportunity to play. I was going by the GamePRO TV coverage alone.

I’m not too proud to admit that this interest was a product of a time. Toejam & Earl looked funky and rad, my brother was keen on it (so little brothers have to be too), and I was sold on GamePRO TV. But the thing is, I could never convince anyone to pick it up and no one wanted to rent it. I guess I could have rented it myself but the host usually rented games in my crew and there never would have been the interest in the game besides.

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