Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World
Reviewed by Diane Cote
Although T*HQ's The Lost World is far from the quality you'd find in a Nintendo
developed platform game for the Game Boy, I still came away from this
little tyke impressed. I was expecting an even more slapped together affair than
Spielberg's movie.
Obviously geared towards younger players and the dinosaur fans in the family,
The Lost World actually does offer enough run, jump, hunt and shoot activity
to make any bus ride or plane trip that much more endurable.
This cartridge is not a direct interpretation of the mediocre 32-bit platform
game of the same name. Instead, this is a brand new adventure which features
visuals and gameplay that have been cute-ified. Tiny dinos chase your tiny,
unnamed hero all over tiny representations of the movies jungle and laboratory sets.
Your objectives in each of the eight large-ish levels in the game vary from
collecting 10 dino eggs, 10 data discs or 10 DNA vials - you get the idea. The
levels are filled with ledges, huge drops and assorted bodies of water (some of
which you can swim in). The Lost World features most of the standard platform
game attractions.
What keeps this game enjoyable is the formidable collection of dinos the
developers have thrown in your path. Those pesky Compsogathnus (Compys) have
never been quite as irritating as they are in this game - there's nothing worse
than getting attacked by dinosaurs that are no bigger than a quarter of an inch.
Other ancient creatures, like the deceptively docile Stegosaurus, the aeronautically
helpful Pterodactyls, and the ever frightful Velociraptors (even on the Game Boy!)
all manage to keep your gaming instincts honed.
Interestingly, it's not just these enormous reptilian beasts you have to contend
with. You'll also have to maintain a vigilant eye out for an assortment of cold
blooded human enemies. These BioSyn employees, which pack around rifles and
grenades, may just end up being the most annoying obstacles you encounter on
this cart. 'Course the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Raptors might have something
to say about that.
The control for the game is straightforward, but it's nowhere near the level of
precision that you'd find in a Miyamoto adventure. Right away, you'll notice the
slippery-slidiness involved in coming to a complete stop. There will be plenty of
times that you'll overstep a nasty ledge because of this. The fact that your character
can grab and hang onto these ledges is a definite plus in the control department,
however.
Sound-wise, I wouldn't be expecting much if I were you. The Game Boy is hardly
renowned for its musical finesse, so the various plinks, plunks, beeps and Casio
drum sounds that make up the score for The Lost World are hardly worth paying
attention to. Chances are, you'll probably be playing this game in a place with
tons of ambient noise anyway, so the sound effects and music are probably the
least significant component of the cart.
The Lost World is no stellar, out of this world type of achievement. It is a fun little
portable platformer for a system with tons of great side scrollers already. I'd say
the cart is worth your cash if you loved the movie, like dinosaurs, or you just plain
need a new Game Boy adventure to occupy your traveling time.
If, however, you weren't a huge fan of the film but you've come to The Lost World
expecting to find some gameplay innovation, I'm afraid you're probably going to
end up being about as disappointed as you were when you left the theater.
I'm giving The Lost World 6.5 out of 10