Jurassic Park is a video game developed concurrently with the film of the same name. Most major gaming platforms of 1993 had their own game to tie in with the film's release, but rather than being ports, each was a separate project. The Sega Mega Drive / Genesis game is a 2D platformer, developed by BlueSky Software.
Gameplay[]
Both of BlueSky's Jurassic Park games for the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis are singleplayer, side-perspective 2D platformers, in which the player navigates complex terrain while defending themselves against the hostile residents of Isla Nublar.
The player can choose whether to control Dr. Alan Grant or a Velociraptor, selected using the 'Player' option in the game's main menu. Grant's campaign is longer, and the player scours the levels for tranquilizer weapons as well as healing items. The raptor player faces human security guards as well as other dinosaurs, outmaneuvering them with superior speed and spectacular leaps. The raptor heals by finding chunks of meat scattered across the levels, or hunting down Procompsognathus.
Jurassic Park is punishingly difficult, a common trait in early 1990s console games: cartridges were too small for long campaigns filled with distinct assets, so developers increased the challenge to ensure that typical players couldn't complete the games quickly. Jurassic Park is teeming with hazards that can instantly kill the player, such as long falls, fast water, rolling boulders, or being swallowed whole by a Tyrannosaurus. Common enemies can be deadly too, but this aspect varies based on the difficulty setting. The first two levels play relatively conventionally, and then the difficulty escalates in the third (River or Pumping Station). The game ends if the player dies three times, and there are no checkpoints, but each level has a password given at the start, so players can try again without starting from the beginning.
Story[]
- "Nerve Shredding Action!
Enter Jurassic Park - the ultimate experience. In this lush, lost, island preserve covering thousands of rain forest acres, dinosaurs - yes, DINOSAURS - roam, feed, sleep and breed. Recreated from ancient DNA, the most massive, dangerous animals ever known resume their primeval lives as if the last 65 million years were just another yesterday.
Protected by the latest electronic safeguards, thrill-seekers watch as brachiosaurs wallow in the swamps and herds of Triceratops thunder through the jungle vines. Yet an unexpected fate awaits the fearsome beasts and unsuspecting tourists alike. A sudden, violent hurricane rips through the park, trapping the humans and freeing the most terrifying animals of prehistory!
Dinosaurs rampage across the island, battling other beasts and eluding the traps and weapons of their human enemies. And one man, paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, stranded in the storm, pushes on to safety while dodging the slashing jaws of Tyrannosaurus rex and the paralyzing spit of the dilophosaurs!
Now it's your turn. Take on the role of the Raptor or Dr. Grant. Plunge into a heart-thudding race for survival in a techno-primitive world - if you dare!
Grant: Stranded In T. Rex Territory!
Dense, dark clouds have packed the sky for days, smothering the horizon in all directions. But your research can't wait, so you head out in a park vehicle, crisscrossing the island with your head full of questions and your notebooks filling up with scientific data.
You're all the way across the island when the rain starts pelting your vehicle's roof. Then the storm kicks up, and as the winds whip through the jungle palms, your hopes weaken. You round a turn, headlights shimmering on the electrified fence ahead and its identifying sign: T. rex.
With a piercing flash, lightning slices the sky. Everything goes dark. Then - deafening silence. Has a minute gone by? Five minutes? Fifteen? Suddenly, huge jaws rear up in your windshield, inches from your face. Razor teeth crunch into the vehicle's framework. Then you're in a salt shaker, bumping, head snapping, like the last grain of salt - or the last man - on earth!
The next thing you know, you're dazed, bruised... and still breathing. The vehicle's wrecked. Something heavy is shuffling in the grass nearby. Better clear your head quick - and figure out how you're going to stay alive!
The Raptor: Survival Of The Toughest!
Life inside a barred enclosure is meaningless. A Raptor needs to be free. So when the piercing light struck and the bars lost their sting, the Raptor escaped!
Now it roams free, one of the deadliest, most cunning of the Jurassic Park beasts. It scents the trail of the small, upright creature - the one who hatched from the strange egg that the Tyrannosaur destroyed. The scent tells the Raptor that the creature will be very good to eat..." - —US manual([[1]])
The manual tells a highly condensed version of the Jurassic Park story, with the power outage being caused by the storm rather than sabotage, and Alan Grant being the only named character. Narrative is delivered in-game by the password screen at the start of each level, which displays a map of the park and scrolling text.
Both campaigns begin with a short video sequence. Grant's shows the park's power going out while he drives past the Tyrannosaurus enclosure, with its occupant breaking out and attacking his tour vehicle. After the video, the game begins in earnest with Grant laying beside the destroyed car at the foot of a cliff. He has a small amount of Blue-Banded Dart and Stun Gun ammunition, and treks through the park to find the Visitor's Center, where a helicopter can take him from the island.
The raptor's video shows the dinosaur break out of its pit-like enclosure, and gameplay begins with the raptor standing in the jungle. Although the park has plenty of human staff, the raptor has a particular interest in Grant, and chases him throughout the campaign - he appears by the exit to each level. The raptor finally tracks him down to the Visitor's Center lobby, where the pair do battle; the raptor makes its own escape from the island in a cargo crate.
Levels[]
Jungle |
Dense trees and vines, finishing in a watery cave. This introductory level is relatively short and easy, especially for the raptor. However, a pool of deadly water stands by the exit, and Grant also has to contend with steep drops, and a rolling boulder. Grant can bounce on certain pieces of terrain to fly over obstacles, and can climb overhead vines by pressing Up while jumping. Be careful not to fall too far. Jungle contains Procompsognathus, Dilophosaurus, and for Grant only, Triceratops, Pteranodon, and Brachiosaurus. The raptor must also contend with human security guards. |
Power Station |
Power Station is a cavernous industrial building, packed with catwalks, wires and machines. Grant's version of Power Station is divided into several sub-levels, whereas the raptor just has a single, large level. For Grant, the Power Station relies on some gameplay mechanics that aren't immediately obvious. Some of the wires can be climbed, using the D-pad (hold Up while jumping to grab an overhead cable). There are also elevators, which can be controlled using Up/Down, crates which can be shoved by moving against them (and also shoved into elevators), and escaping the level requires pressing buttons on a switch panel with the Up button. Power Station sees the introduction of Grant's most powerful opponents, the Velociraptor and the Tyrannosaurus. For the raptor, progress through the level depends on the high jump, which is performed by holding Up+C. It is also possible to nudge crates into positions that can elevate the jump height. Both characters must beware of sparking electricity. |
River |
River is exclusive to Grant's campaign. The level begins in the jungle. A rubber motorboat is moored by the shoreline, and Grant pilots it along the rapids into a system of caverns below. River is the only level in Jurassic Park with vehicles. The motorboat must be regularly topped up with fuel, which can be found on shorelines throughout the level. Grant must jump from the boat to reach the shoreline, and can drop down from land back to the boat by pressing Down+C. The motorboat loses power as fuel runs low, and if no fuel remains, it simply moves with the current. The lowest pool of water has no current, so if the boat runs out of fuel at that point, Grant will be stranded. There are three motorboats in the level; the second (near a Tyrannosaurus) can be skipped if Grant has enough fuel, but Grant must switch to the third boat to complete the level. All water in the game is lethal if fallen into, which makes River extraordinarily difficult. Many of the waterfalls plunge Grant to his death, and the shorelines are dotted with Dilophosaurus, which can block Grant's attempts to jump out of the boat. Try to sedate the dinosaurs from the boat whenever possible. A map of River is available in the gallery section, showing which waterfalls are death drops. |
Pumping Station |
Pumping Station is a dark, enclosed complex of broken pipes, dirty water, and oily machinery. In Grant's version of the level, there is a Procompsognathus nest. Arguably the hardest level in the game, Pumping Station is full of difficult jumps over death drops. For Grant, the pool in the starting area can only be crossed by climbing high enough to land on the head of a feeding Brachiosaurus, and jumping off just before it descends into the water. There are also deadly jets of hot steam, which can be turned off by using nearby valve wheels (press the Up button), and dangling chains which can be climbed between using the D-Pad. At one point, Grant must dislodge a large wheel to progress; hang back until the wheel has stopped moving, or it will crush Grant. The raptor's version of Pumping Station is simpler, and yet more deadly. The only enemies are Procompsognathus and human guards. The main danger is the water, which floods large swathes of the Pumping Station; if the raptor falls in, it dies instantly. Progress depends on making carefully controlled jumps between platforms; the trajectory of the jump can be controlled by the length of time C is held down, or by changing direction mid-air. The gallery section contains a map of the raptor's Pumping Station, showing which types of jump are required to progress through the level. |
Canyon |
Canyon is a range of rocky outcrops overlooking an active volcano, circled by Pteranodon. The player begins on a high mesa, and drops through a fragile ledge to finish the level. Canyon is simpler than it appears, and is not a particularly tall level (4 screens' height for Grant, 2 for the raptor). Just be sure to look below to check there's a safe landing before dropping down. As Grant, some items are stashed in overhead rocks, and can only be brought down with a Concussion Grenade. As the raptor, Canyon is the only level featuring Pteranodon. Some enemies can be killed by pushing rocks onto them from above. There are several death drops in Canyon, which can be avoided by sticking to the high route whenever possible. |
Volcano |
Volcano is exclusive to Grant's campaign. The level is a smoke-filled network of volcanic caves. Fiery pits can be found in the lowest reaches of the level, near the exit. Quite a challenging level, it isn't always obvious which falls are fatal, especially near the start. The player should initially head right as soon as possible, rather than venturing further downwards. Grant can scale the handholds of some vertical terrain, but sometimes must be in exactly the right spot to start climbing. Some of the stalactites can also be held onto and shimmied across, similarly to the vines and wires in earlier levels. |
Visitor's Center |
The final level of both campaigns takes place in Isla Nublar's Visitor's Center. Similar to the film, it is part construction site, part high-tech lab, part commercial attraction. Players make their way through scaffolding, offices, banks of computers, hatcheries, stairwells, and eventually climb into the ceiling, before emerging in the main rotunda lobby. The final challenge is a puzzle section that takes place around the tyrannosaur and sauropod skeletons depicted in the film. Visitor's Center is easier than the middle section of the game, as there are no death drops, and the terrain is mostly quite simple. Both characters fight their way from room to room. However it is quite lengthy, and divided into multiple sub-levels. As Grant, there are some gameplay features that may puzzle a new player. Early on, there is a high doorway that Grant can't reach, just past a scaffolding. The way through is to shoot a crate dangling overhead, which makes it drop down onto the scaffolding, so Grant can climb on it and jump to the high doorway. A little later, Grant comes to a dead-end; this room contains an elevator. The method for activating it is to press Up on one of the buttons next to the elevator. As the raptor, Visitor's Center contains the most difficult human enemies in the game. The most notorious example is late in the level, guarding access to the ceiling crawlspace, near the exit into the rotunda. He can maintain a near-continual barrage of Stun Gun blasts, and there isn't enough room for most of the raptor's vertical attacks. The most reliable method for defeating him is to bait him into firing a rocket, and then perform a Down+B lunging jump. For both players, the enemies in the rotunda - the game's final challenge - can't be killed by conventional means. They must be defeated by bringing down the dinosaur skeletons. |
Controls[]
All of these buttons can be remapped in the Options menu.
- Grant
- A: switches weapons. Grant starts with 5 Blue Darts and 25 Stun Gun ammunition. These, and more weapons Grant finds throughout the campaign, can be cycled between by pressing A. The icon in the top-left corner shows which weapon is selected, and the number below shows how much ammunition is remaining for it.
- B: fire weapon. Most weapons fire a single shot each time B is pressed, but with the Stun Gun, B can be held down to charge the weapon up, unleashing a more powerful blast when the button is released. Use the D-pad to fire upwards or diagonally. Grant can't fire while climbing, but can while jumping.
- C: jump.
The game is filled with objects that Grant can interact with by using the D-pad - if the player is ever stuck at a dead-end and unsure what to do, try searching for any unusual objects and attempt to interact with them. A variety of switches can be operated by pressing Up, including elevators and steam valves. Crates can be moved by walking into them, and one in Visitor's Center can be shot down using gunfire.
Ladders can be ascended/descended using Up/Down on the D-pad. The same goes for dangling vertical ropes, although sometimes Grant needs to jump first.
Grant can grab many horizontal wires, vines and stalactites dangling overhead by pressing Up, and then shimmy along them by angling the D-pad diagonally left or right. It may be necessary to jump up to them first.
Grant takes damage when he falls, and instantly dies if he falls too far. This isn't the case for the raptor, but there are still death drops throughout the game which instantly kill both characters.
- Raptor
- A: bite. There are two variations on this: Down+A delivers a downwards bite, which the raptor can use to eat Procompsognathus whole, gaining health. Holding Forward+A sustains a mauling action, which the raptor can use to grab human guards and shake them.
- B: kick. Leaving the D-pad alone makes the raptor kick on the spot, holding left or right makes the raptor perform a jumping kick in that direction, and holding down makes the raptor perform a horizontal long-jump.
- C: jump. The longer C is held down for, the further the raptor will jump; careful timing of this will be required in certain areas. The raptor can perform an enormous vertical high-jump by holding Up+C. The trajectory of all jump types can be adjusted by changing direction with the D-pad while in mid-air. While the raptor is jumping, any enemies it touches take damage.
The raptor moves at a walking pace when the D-pad is pointed left or right, but can run by pointing the D-pad diagonally up-left or right.
All enemies in the raptor's campaign are defeated by hitting them once with any attack.
While the raptor's campaign has fewer objects that can be interacted with than Grant's campaign, it is still possible to push crates or boulders by nudging horizontally against them. This is mainly used to provide platforms to jump higher, but rocks can sometimes be pushed off ledges to crush enemies below.
While these seemingly lack a functional purpose, the raptor can perform snarling taunts by holding A+C or B+C.
- Both players
Some thin ledges can be dropped below by holding Down+C. This is particularly essential in River for allowing Grant to move between shorelines and his dinghy.
Both players can crouch by pointing the D-pad down, and crouch-walk by moving the D-pad diagonally down-left or right. This can be used to dodge certain attacks, and to access narrow spaces.
While jumping, if the player only just reaches the edge of a surface, they will automatically grab onto it and pull up, unless the player turns to face the opposite direction. Also while jumping, any damage taken can knock the player backwards. This is a particular problem when Grant faces off against Dilophosaurus in the River level, as they can push him into the water.
Doors are opened by standing next to them and pressing Up.
It is possible to see more of the level by holding the D-pad up or down. The game is filled with death drops, so it's important to scout out the surrounding terrain before taking a leap.
Items[]
Weapons[]
Most weapons in Jurassic Park are non-lethals; they are used to temporarily stun enemies. These only feature in Grant's campaign, the raptor starts with all the weapons it needs.
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Blue-Banded Darts | Low-damage weapon that takes multiple hits to sedate most enemies. Procompsognathus and Pteranodon can be taken down in a single hit, so Blue Darts are best reserved for these. Don't bother using them against the Tyrannosaurus, which is nearly impervious to them. Darts and rockets fire straight ahead, and theoretically have infinite range if they stay on-screen. |
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Red-Banded Darts | A more potent dart weapon, able to sedate enemies in a single hit (including the Tyrannosaurus), although the time a raptor spends sedated is the same as with Blue Darts and the Stun Gun. However, it still takes multiple hits to sedate a Triceratops in a frontal attack. |
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Stun Gun | A short-range electrical weapon. The Stun Gun works differently to the other weapons, in that it fires when B is released, rather than when it's pressed. This allows it to charge up a stronger attack. Full charge is reached in about two seconds, using up 5 ammunition, blowing compies apart, and sedating raptors for a similar time to darts. The Stun Gun can only hit nearby targets, but it works through walls. It also has a knockback effect against nearby enemies, so short blasts can be useful for repelling raptor attacks. |
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Gas Grenades | A single Gas Grenade can sedate any enemy, but they have a shorter sedation period for raptors than any other weapon. Grenades are slower and clumsier to fire than darts or rockets, but can be used to attack enemies above or below Grant. |
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Flash Grenades | Not really a weapon, Flash Grenades briefly daze enemies near the blast site, rendering them unable to attack, and giving Grant a couple of seconds to escape or cycle to a heavier weapon. Best used on the Tyrannosaurus, against which it has the same effect as most other weapons. |
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Rockets | The most powerful weapon in the game. All enemies are sedated in a single hit. Raptors are effectively neutralized: they won't reappear unless Grant moves a very long distance away. Compies are blown apart. |
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Concussion Grenades | The second most powerful weapon in the game, able to sedate raptors for longer than anything except rockets. Compies are blown apart. These grenades are capable of releasing the pickups stashed behind rocks in Canyon. |
Power-ups[]
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First Aid Kit | Fully restores Grant's health. |
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Gasoline | Only found in River, these provide fuel for Grant's motorboat. The higher the boat's fuel level, the more power it has. |
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Meat | These turkey legs are the only pickup found in the raptor's levels. They restore small chunks of health. More health can be acquired by eating Procompsognathus: stand slightly away from them, and hold Down+A. |
Note, there is no way to restore lost lives in Jurassic Park. Players can use passwords to continue their progress with the full complement of 3 lives.
Species featured[]
Procompsognathus |
These tiny little creatures can be dangerous, sometimes leaping up to nip the raptor, or grappling onto Grant and continually biting until they're dislodged by repeatedly tapping any button (the D-pad is most effective). They are very fragile, succumbing to damage from any weapon. They can be destroyed entirely by using explosives, or as the raptor, swallowing them whole (providing the player with health). If sedated, they can very slowly return to consciousness while on-screen, but return more quickly if the player moves so they disappear off-screen. Sometimes, destroying a compy results in a new one appearing, so it can be more effective to sedate them. Procompsognathus appears in every level. |
Pteranodon |
These pterosaurs, flying reptiles closely related to dinosaurs, are only ever seen airborne. They divebomb the player, typically after flying overhead as a warning. They can be knocked out of the sky by a hit from any weapon, after which they do not return. Pteranodon only appears in Jungle (Grant's version), River, and Canyon (both players). |
Dilophosaurus |
Similarly to the film, these medium-sized theropods spit gobs of venom across the screen. They are larger than their movie counterpart, but still not as sizeable as real-life adults. Dilophosaurus are somewhat fragile, taking only two Blue Darts to sedate... but they can never be permanently neutralized. No matter which weapon takes them down (even a rocket), they return whenever the player moves far enough away. Dilophosaurus appears in every level, except Pump Station (raptor's version). |
Velociraptor |
The most deadly common enemy, raptors exhibit a wide variety of behaviours. They can pursue Grant for some distance, even leaping to higher platforms to reach him. Sometimes they just back away and snarl. Sometimes they feign death, then spring to their feet when Grant moves past - often working in a pincer attack with another raptor that attacks from up ahead. If they reach Grant, they knock him down and cause heavy damage. Raptors are quite tough, taking three Blue Darts to sedate. Nearly all weapons only knock them out very briefly, and they'll return to their feet while on-screen. The only exception is the rocket: if hit by this, they will be neutralized almost indefinitely. Technically they can eventually return, but Grant has to move so far away that it's unusual to re-encounter them. The raptor player never encounters others of its species. For Grant, they appear in every level from Power Station onwards. |
Triceratops |
These powerful herbivores make rare appearances in the game, the first of which is snuffling around near Grant's crashed car at the start of the campaign. Triceratops are deadly if provoked, charging Grant and throwing him across the screen. Sometimes they become aggressive if approached from the front, but not always; if approached from behind, it is possible to jump harmlessly onto the dinosaur's back. Triceratops are highly resistant to dart and electrical attacks from the front, but can be taken down with 4 Blue Darts or a partial Stun Gun charge if attacked from the rear. Grenades and rockets are more effective, and always do the job in a single hit. However like Dilophosaurus, they reawaken as soon as the player moves off-screen. Only three Triceratops appear in Jurassic Park, all in Grant's campaign. The first two are in Jungle, and the third blocks the exit of River. |
Brachiosaurus |
These tall sauropods occasionally rear their heads out of lakes or crevasses to feed and watch Grant. Brachiosaurus are completely unaggressive. Sometimes they block Grant's passage, and other times Grant needs to hitch a ride on their heads to survive a fall or reach an otherwise inaccessible path. They behave slightly differently each time: sometimes their heads raise and lower of their own accord, sometimes they follow Grant's movement until jumped on, and sometimes they respond to being attacked. Brachiosaurus only appears in Grant's campaign, in Jungle, River, Pumping Station, and Canyon. |
Tyrannosaurus rex |
Jurassic Park's apex predator, Tyrannosaurus appears in Grant's introductory cinematic. Is too big to fit into the actual levels, but is occasionally able to loom through tunnels or bash through walls to reach for Grant, and finish what it started into the intro. It can never be completely neutralized: attacks only daze it, typically giving Grant a window of around 20 seconds to safely move past it. The exception is with Blue Darts, which have no significant effect. If it catches Grant, it swallows him whole. Tyrannosaurus only appears in Grant's campaign, in Power Station, River, Pumping Station, and Visitor's Center. |
Human guards |
A large force of heavily armed guards is out to recapture the escaped raptor. They typically stay in one place, and can use Stun Gun blasts, Gas Grenades, or Rockets, depending on the situation. Reaction time and firing speed varies massively between each human; some barely react to threats, others are almost unassailable. When brought down, they are permanently removed from the game. Enemy humans feature throughout the raptor's campaign, but Grant never meets any. |
Cheats[]
- Cheat mode: Go to the password screen, enter NYUKNYUK, and select the "Start" menu option. Instead of starting a level, text displays saying "SECOND CONTROLLER ENABLED". When starting a game, the second player's controller (which is otherwise unused in Jurassic Park) can now be used to perform cheats. Use the D-pad to perform noclip-style movement, in which the player character can be moved anywhere in the level, including through walls. Press B to set every weapon's ammo supply to 99 (except the Stun Gun), and fill the player's health bar. While A is held down, the game moves in slow motion. Pressing Start resets the game to the startup screen. The first player's controller functions as normal. Cheat mode continues to work if another password is entered.
- Level select: Enter cheat mode with the NYUKNYUK code, as described above. Staying at the main menu, open the Options menu. Now, when selecting Start from the main menu, instead of beginning a game, a level select screen will display. The player can switch characters in this menu, and even play the raptor levels as Grant or vice versa, although these will be heavily glitched.
The game's version can be determined on the level select screen, using the date at the bottom. The US version is dated 5/26/93 Wednesday, 10:10:39 AM. The European version is dated 6/14/93 Monday, 10:37:47 AM. The Japanese version has the same date, at 10:27:50 AM. - All weapons: Enter the password WAGNER93 to begin the game with all weapons. None have their ammo supply maxed (99), but there will be 20 Blue Darts, 16 Red Darts, 8 Stun Gun charges, 56 Gas Grenades, 56 Flash Grenades, 52 Rockets, and 40 Concussion Grenades.
- Unofficial: Using a Game Genie or Pro Action Replay (which are simulated in most emulators, but not official ports), it is possible to enter codes which modify a game's RAM values. This can enable powerful cheats, such as unlimited lives, or more fuel for the dinghy in River. But it can also create glitches, such as an inability to jump from moving objects. A comprehensive list of codes can be found at GameHacking.org.
Rampage Edition[]
- Main article: Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition
Just over a year after Jurassic Park, BlueSky released another game in the series, Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition. Despite the name, this isn't an update, but a sequel. It uses the same singleplayer 2D platformer dynamic as the first game, and many of the same dinosaur graphics and sounds, but has a very different direction: faster-paced, more action-packed, and designed to be less frustrating. Challenge typically comes from the intensity of the combat, rather than tricky platforming.
Rampage Edition was developed by some of the original staff, including lead programmer Keith Freihart and sound/music designer Sam Powell, but with a different producer and art director, among others. It was again exclusive to the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis.
Grant's story directly follows the original game, as his escape is curtailed by hostile InGen staff on the helicopter; he returns to the island to stop company agents plundering genetic material. A new raptor character is fighting to escape the island. Both characters are in a race against time before the park is destroyed by the Costa Rican government.
Gallery[]
Video[]
Trivia[]
- The Brachiosaurus and Tyrannosaurus never appear in full in the game, only their neck and head are visible in each encounter.
- The ending confrontation in Grant's route bears similarities to one of the early scrapped endings for the original movie (a mounted skeleton crushing the antagonist).
- Main development of the game was completed before the release of the film. The developers had a lot of access to the film's production crew and assets, and some of the graphics use photomapped or scanned copies of their movie equivalents, but there are many inconsistencies with what the film would portray.
- Because the game didn't have a finished film to work from, it is heavily inspired by the novel. For example, it features Procompsognathus and pterosaurs, the rocket launcher is the only seemingly lethal weapon, there is a river sequence featuring a Tyrannosaurus attempting to break through to Grant's boat, and there is a volcano (which isn't directly shown in the novel, but is alluded to. Isla Nublar is a volcanic seamount wreathed in mist due to its vulcanism; the name translates to "cloud island").
- The Triceratops bears a striking resemblance to the unused prop for the juvenile Triceratops (which later made a brief appearance in The Lost World), which may be part of the reason for its small size. However, the developers added full-sized horns and frill, to make it resemble an adult.
- Many of the dinosaur animations, sounds and behaviours are based on birds. This came at the recommendation of famous paleontologist Dr. Robert T. Bakker, who consulted on the film, and was brought onboard by Sega to help with the game. This approach ended up being vindicated by the end of the decade, when the discoveries of Sinosauropteryx and Microraptor confirmed beyond doubt that birds are theropod dinosaurs.
- The introductory cutscenes appear to have been produced after most of the game. Both recreate images from the movie, and Grant's video shows his vehicle to be a tour Explorer, whereas when the actual gameplay starts, he is next to a ranger Jeep.