It's no secret that dinosaurs are all the rage these days. Ranging from movies like Jurassic World to video games like ARK: Survival Evolved, it's evident that the long since extinct creatures have risen once more to entertain audiences the world over. This got us thinking about some of the great dinosaur games that we've enjoyed over the years, and we've managed to come up with a list of five dino-themed titles that kept us firmly in our seats upon their arrival.
Setting aside the sheer number of playable and lackluster dinosaur ventures over the years, though, it's safe to say that we had to sift through a number of less than stellar titles to compose our list. Some of these games are kid-friendly, while others are intended for older audiences. Bearing our own dissatisfaction with the overwhelming number of mediocre games, we believe we've discovered the cream of the crop. Without any further ado, let's take a look at the top five dinosaur video games of all time.
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Bonk's Adventure
Originally published by Hudson Soft for the TurboGrafx-16 system before being ported to other consoles such as the NES, Bonk's Adventure managed to impress quite a few gamers. In fact, the game was deemed such a success that it eventually went on to receive four more sequels across a medley of platforms. The cutesy caveman would fight a number of prehistoric baddies in his original outing, but none were as prominent as the anthropomorphic dinosaurs that constantly set out to stop him – with the final boss being the villainous Tyrannosaurus Rex King Drool.
We fondly remember Bonk's Adventure for its fun platforming and unique controls, which largely involved head-butting foes. The series has since been shelved following the cancellation of Bonk: Brink of Extinction in March 2011, which is unfortunate given the fact that the brief hands-on time we had with it during E3 2010 proved to be very enjoyable. Sadly, the series is now as extinct as the dinos that occupied it.
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Jurassic Park (SEGA Genesis)
It's no secret that licensed games are traditionally lacking in quality, and this is usually the result of being rushed to launch alongside their respective films. While licensed games depend largely on brand name to carry sales, there was actually a good dinosaur game based on one of the most iconic (the only iconic?) dinosaur films of all time, Jurassic Park. What made this side-scroller special was the fact that players could play as either movie protagonist Doctor Alan Grant or a freaking velociraptor.
Being able to take control of an animal that's long since been killed off was an unforgettable experience in the eyes of many players. The levels would change up depending on which character was selected too, which made it feel as if there were two distinct campaigns included on the cartridge. Despite the game appearing on both the SEGA Genesis and SNES, the SEGA-published entry is widely accepted as the better version – hence why it has made our list.
Primal Rage
Technically Primal Rage doesn't feature dinosaurs so much as a pair of "gods" that happen to look identical to dinosaurs, with another that resembles a raptor. Still, this fighting game has stuck with us as one of the most enjoyable in recent years. Developed by Atari, the entire game takes place in a post-apocalyptic version of Earth (known in-game as Urth) where long slumbering beasts have emerged and begun to be worshipped by tribes of surviving humans.
The ability to see a fire-breathing dino go head-to-head with a King Kong-sized gorilla speaks for itself, and that's exactly why the game was such a hit upon its arrival in 1994. Primal Rage first appeared in arcades before being ported to SNES, SEGA Genesis, and even the original PlayStation where it made a name for itself. Given the toy and comic book lines that followed the game's release, it's surprising that fans haven't seen the series return in any way shape or form in the years following its debut.
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Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
First-person shooters were just starting to gain a following on consoles back in the '90s, and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was one title that managed to leave an immediate impact on the gaming landscape upon its arrival. Starring a Native American, time traveling protagonist known as Turok, players quickly ran into one of the most prominent enemies featured in the game – raptors. Fast and relentless, these predators had to be dispatched post-haste to avoid certain death for the hero.
The Nintendo 64 exclusive managed to move an impressive 1.5 million during its time at retail, and eventually went on to spawn six sequels within the series. It's been a while since players have suited up as bow-wielding hero in an attempt to murder dinosaurs and aliens alike, with the latest game arriving in 2008 attempting to reboot the series, but rumor has it that an HD version of the original game may be in the works. Hopefully this comes to fruition, but in the meantime we'll just have to keep dusting off our N64 whenever we feel the need to lob arrows at a T-Rex.
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Dino Crisis
We really only have one thing to say and that is: of course Dino Crisis is on our list! Capcom's survival-horror game is easily one of the best dinosaur games to ever exist, and that's really saying something. Playing out similarly to the company's original Resident Evil title, the game featured fixed camera angles with potential for killer dinosaurs to be hiding around any corner. The end result made for some truly terrifying moments, and, really, that's all we could ask for from a game based on encountering large, naturally well-armed, and prehistoric lizards.
Starring Regina as the red-headed protagonist, players were exposed the the horrors of hungry dinosaurs on their unsuspecting victims. An organization known as SORT sends in Regina's squad, having them parachute into a base with the intent to capture a mad scientist – not knowing what danger awaits. After a less than stellar landing for a fellow squad mate, the remaining task force encounters half-eaten guards littering the base on Ibis Island. Suffice to say, the dinosaurs only get bigger and the game gets scarier from that point on, and we loved every second of this PS1 classic.
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Admittedly, sequels took the franchise down a bizarre path (they started fighting dinosaurs in space for some reason), but it seems absolutely crazy to us that Capcom hasn't tried to give the game a proper reboot. Maybe with the company's new found dedication to remastering classic titles, we'll finally see the series get the HD polish it rightfully deserves.