Jurassic Park (Amiga)

Adventures in Jurassic Park, part 4

It looks nice enough, though it's not as flashy as the SNES version.

Okay, that's pretty flashy. It sounds great too, all ambient jungle sounds.

Shit! There's something really creepy about this picture. It doesn't help that it's so bright and I have to stare at it while I wait for the game to load. The Amiga version comes on FIVE disks, so it's not the last time I'll be seeing this.

That looks pretty nice. It's less cartoony than the other versions. Right away the game gets bonus points for starting off with something that actually happened in the movie.

I've got a recharging taser like the SNES version, but no jump button. Also I have to reach over and press the I key to switch weapons, which is even more awkward than hitting Select was.

I wonder how it compares to the PC version.

DOS version

The PC version has got more colours on screen, but much worse music. At least on a Sound Blaster. The Amiga version has a very atmospheric tune for the first level which I guess doesn't translate to midi well. The PC version loads a thousand times faster though, and has no disk swaps!

These plants annoyingly keep coming back when I kill them. And there's something creepy about how they have less contrast than everything else on screen. They're just plain unnatural.

Those flying insects are more annoying through, it's a pain in the ass to hit the things. At least plants sit still when you're shooting them.


LATER.

I've found Tim, and now I've found a bunker too. There's nothing in here but a box of tools though. It'd be nice if I could just lock the door and sit in here until rescue arrived, but Lex is out there somewhere and she needs my help. So I leave the bunker behind and venture back into the mazelike jungle.


LATER.


After a while I found a drainage tunnel, and used the tools to break the bars over the entrance. Lucky I found that bunker or else I'd be screwed. I go inside to investigate.

Oh great, a sewer maze. And I've lost Tim!

I took a left turn and found a dead end with a keycard! I could have totally missed this, and spent hours searching the jungle for it before I even thought to check the sewers.

Oh shit, I wandered too close to the bottom edge of the sewers while backtracking, and it thought I wanted to leave. An 'Are you sure want to leave the sewers?' message would have been nice.

And now I'm back outside again. At least I know Tim's not dead now. He just didn't want to go into the stinking sewers, and I don't blame him.

I head back in without him. Don't worry he'll be fine, the dinosaurs always leave him alone. It's me they want.

More loading. Awesome!

I really should have played the PC version.

Just out of curiosity, I check to see if I've still got the keycard. But nope, here it is again on the floor.

Oh for FUCK'S SAKE! I accidentally left the sewers again. Waiting for this to load wouldn't be so bad you know, if it didn't happen BOTH WAYS.


MUCH LATER.

Okay I picked up the keycard again, then navigated the maze of identical looking sewer pipes, and I found Lex! But she doesn't want to come with me. I guess she doesn't want to wade through sewer water, which I can totally relate to, but she should have thought of that before SHE WADED IN HERE THROUGH SEWER WATER! And why? Why did she even do that? It's not like it's even safer in here. Tim's fine just standing around outside.

Okay, fine, I'll find a way to get rid of the water or a leash to put around her neck, or SOMETHING. Maybe I can make a raft out of keycards.


MUCH LATER.

I have found a box! A very nicely pixelled box too. Now I just have to get the box to the girl, which would be easier if I could remember the path I took to get here.

It'd also be easier if this damn creature would stop jumping out of the water at me. What is that anyway? A baby t-rex?

I get Lex on the box, and get a little picture of her looking worried for my efforts. Now I just need to get her all the way back through the maze. Man I really wish I'd drawn a map.

I'd also be nice if the screen would scroll to show more of the level in front of me. How am I supposed to dodge sewer dinos when I can't even see them? It was like this in the jungle too, but never this bad.


HOURS PASS.

Yes, I'm out! Out of the sewers, out of the jungle, out of this damn level! I use the keycard, and head towards freedom.

But first... loading.


HOURS PASS.

Hey, it's a motion sensor! I hope this one has a little computer on it like the NES/GB versions. Wait, where have Lex and Tim gone?

Motion Sensor

Tim and Lex are in the Stegosaurus paddock to the north. The Bridge has collapsed.
An alternative route leads through the triceratops paddock to the northwest, to an underground tunnel network.
The entrance to the tunnels is in the bunker.

Great. At least I've got this detailed map now. I sat through all that loading for this?

I do like how the sides of the screen are lit up red by the numbers though...

Hang on, it brought up a little berry picture on the left when I walked on a red flower. Crap, that means I've got to collect them doesn't it? I've got to wander this maze hunting for little red dots with no map to tell me where I've been and no indication to tell me if I've missed one haven't I?

Well, I'd better backtrack to the start then...

Haha, awesome, I found the toilet from the movie. And it's got a berry in it! At least I hope it's a berry, and not a piece of lawyer.

These poor creatures can only pace left and right, I guess because they didn't want to/couldn't make the graphics for them to face up or down. So I shot it as it shuffled sidewards to try to hit me.

I saw a berry on the left, so I walked off the cliff to get it. Ooops, instant kill. I guess the cliff was higher than it looks.

And now I'm back here at the start, and the berrymeter is empty. Fuck this game.


I didn't even get to see the first person 3D bit, but whatever. Next game!

Part 1: Jurassic Park (NES)
Part 2: Jurassic Park (GB)
Part 3: Jurassic Park (SNES)

Part 5: Jurassic Park (Master System)
Part 6: Jurassic Park (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Part 7: Jurassic Park (Sega Mega CD)
Part 8: Jurassic Park Interactive (3DO)
Part 9: Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Part 10: Jurassic Park II - The Chaos Continues
Part 11: Jurassic Park 2 (GB)
Part 12: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Part 13: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (GB)
Part 14: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (PSX)
Part 15: Warpath: Jurassic Park (PSX)
Part 16: Jurassic Park: Trespasser (PC)