Jurassic Park + Killer Instinct

Jurassic Park

Sega’s Jurassic Park is based off of the blockbuster film with the same title. In the ‘Rail Shooter’ genre, players would have had to shoot attacking dinosaurs out of the car they travelled in. Combining 2D sprites with 3D polygon graphics and a moving seat that reacted to what was happening on screen, the car appeared to be moving forward. It was the first game within the genre to have a 3D environment as its background.

Set a few months after the events in the film, the game took place on Isla Nublar. Interestingly, the player would shoot and control the game with a joystick rather than a light gun and must avoid fences and large rocks. Dinosaurs in the game included: T-Rex, Raptor’s, Triceratops and a Brachiosaurus to name a few.

Killer Instinct

A critically acclaimed fighting game of its time – Killer Instinct differentiated itself from other games in the genre. The one on one fighter genre was rife in the 90s with hit franchises such as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Virtua Fighter gaining popularity rapidly.

In a way, Killer Instinct took the defining aspects from these series and built upon them. Although taking the attacks from Street Fighter and Fatalities from the Mortal Kombat series, the new series added much to the genre. These included:

• Double Energy Bar

Replacing the ‘win 2 of 3 rounds’ dynamic with a modern double energy bar.

• Automatic Combos

Attack combinations are automated and can be enabled by inputting a determined button or special move. This would lead the character to delivering a string of hits

• Finishing Moves

Alike MK’s’ ‘Fatalities’ though less violent (as the game was linked with Nintendo). These were called ‘No Mercy’ moves and ‘Humiliation’ which made the opponent dance.

The game followed the mega-corporation Ultratech who had organised a tournament to put their experimental creatures head-to-head to test their strength. These characters include: