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Genesis Version

In 1993 a series of Jurassic Park video games were developed to tie into the upcoming film. The titles on Nintendo's platforms were handled by Ocean
Software while Sega's titles were developed by BlueSky Software. BlueSky's Genesis title was a platformer which allowed you to play as either Dr. Grant or a Velociraptor while you attempted to escape Isla Nublar. Since the game began development before the film had been completed the designers had to borrow heavily from the novel for stages. With additions like the pump station and river levels being ripped directly from the novel.

Gameplay when selecting Dr. Grant is a standard side-scrolling action platformer. As you attempt to escape the island you amass an arsenal of non-lethal weapons such as darts, smoke grenades, and tasers. This character's series of levels leads you through locales such as a power plant, a river (where you pilot a motorboat), and the interior of an active volcano. Grant's finale sees you reaching the visitor's center and escaping the island via helicopter.

Opting to play as the Velociraptor gives you access to a completely different arsenal, namely your claws. The raptor's main goals are to eventually defeat Dr. Grant and reach the mainland. Playing through each level you will require you to defeat armed guards still stationed on the island as well as other hostile dinosaurs. The raptor's campaign is noticeably shorter than Grant's, completely skipping levels such as the volcano and river. Completing the game as the raptor shows that you have successfully escaped the island by concealing yourself in a crate that is loaded into a cargo ship.

After the successful sales of the Genesis version BlueSky released a sequel to Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition.

SNES Version

The SNES version of Jurassic Park was incredibly different from its Genesis counterpart. In the game you controlled Grant from a top down perspective and you were given the task of collecting a number of velociraptor eggs before they hatch. Along with a much more cartoony and brighter look, it also had first-person indoor sections in the same vein as Doom where you would have to collect key cards and codes for use outside. The first-person sections could become very confusing because of the very limited color pallet, mainly consisting of greys and browns. In addition to this, many of the indoor sections would spawn enemies behind you, adding to the frustration.

For the most part, the game was very open-ended, not unlike some earlier Zelda games. The game required you to do a lot of backtracking and hunting for items which would help progress you through the story. Unfortunately the game has no save or password function so you would have to collect all of the eggs in one sitting, a very daunting task with lots of trial and error gameplay involved.

Game Gear Version

The Game Gear version had more in common with the Genesis version, being a side-scrolling shooter. With your only weapon a pistol, you played as Dr. Grant. For the most part progression from level to level was non-linear, giving the player the option to choose which area of the island they wanted to begin in.  Before the actual side-scrolling segments of each zone you would play through a vehicle segment. In these segments you would shoot down dinosaurs pursuing your jeep, successfully clearing these levels granted you bonuses. Each level was unique in its design, showcasing a different area of the island, complete with a boss fight at the end. Clearing all the selectable levels opened the Visitor Center finale, where you would be confronted by the park's Tyrannosaurus.

Game Boy & NES Versions

Like the SNES Jurassic Park, the Game Boy and NES versions were also developed by Ocean Software. Also similar to the SNES version, the main goal of each stage is to simply collect a certain number of dinosaur eggs, opening access to the next area. Blocking your progress through these stages is an assortment of dinosaurs, including main enemies like velociraptors, procompsognathus, and dilophosaurus. To deal with these threats, the player is given one primary weapon, bearing a strong resemblance to a rocket launcher. As you kill dinosaurs they drop ammunition for your armament. Interspersed between levels are boss encounters, including a sequence where you are required to dodge stampeding triceratops, as well as a fight where you do battle with a Tyrannosaurus.