We loved these dinosaur games and want to see them return on current day consoles

There is a connection between people that were kids during the 90s and dinosaurs. Whether it was because everyone back then watched the first Jurassic Park film or any of the Land Before Time animated features, people love things with dinosaurs in them. This is why many different video games released over the years have included or featured dinosaurs somehow. One way or another, dinosaurs had a presence in games that made a significant impact. It was a time when dinosaurs truly ruled entertainment with an iron jaw.

Some of the best video games to have dinosaurs are often from the 90s, which was a direct result of blockbuster movies like Jurassic Park. They might not have had the same tone or subject as the Steven Spielberg-directed film, but they were aimed at people who wanted more dino-action from their entertainment. Here are games with dinosaurs in them that we love and want to see make a comeback on current-day consoles.

Primal Rage

A clash of titans

Fighting games were a major part of the 90s, with companies like Capcom and Midway releasing major arcade hits. Arcade machines with games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat dominated the arcade scene and devoured quarters from players who were enthralled by it. With the fighting game genre being so popular, it was only a matter of time that the craze for dinosaurs would somehow be combined with it. What resulted was a game called Primal Rage from Atari for arcades and home consoles, which borrowed elements from Mortal Kombat to make a brutal fighter that lived up to its name.

Like Mortal Kombat, the story in Primal Rage is fantastical and over-the-top with its set up. In a post-apocalyptic version of Earth renamed Urth, a massive meteor causes a massive cataclysm that regresses the human race. The planet becomes overrun with primitive life, and giant dinosaurs and beasts awaken from deep within the planet's crust. These dinosaurs and titanic beasts have supernatural abilities that make them formidable enemies in combat. They become worshiped by the remaining humans on Urth and form tribes that divide the planet into sections, which become the basis for clashes between them for total global domination.

The fighting in Primal Rage is more basic than other fighting games, but with a greater emphasis on its presentation and mature content. The various dinosaurs and beasts that are playable have their own unique special moves and fighting styles, which are mapped to a six-button layout. While T. Rex-inspired dinosaurs have crazy abilities to breathe fire and cause earthquakes, other ape-inspired beasts can wield the power of cold and toxic powers to damage opponents. It's a real primal twist on the formula from Mortal Kombat, but without the competitive depth of that game. Many fans have wanted to see a re-imagining of Primal Rage for a long time, especially after other series like Killer Instinct managed to have one that offered something different to the genre. Maybe a developer will bring the franchise back from extinction and offer something new that fighting game veterans will be eager to see.

Jurassic Park (Sega Genesis)

Scarier action than what Nintendo had

The movie Jurassic Park was the main catalyst for the public's fascination with dinosaurs in the 90s. The movie gave a rendition of dinosaurs that was radically different from other interpretations in media, allowing bits of horror and sci-fi to blend the concept into something fresh and unique. Following the release of the 1993 movie in theaters, multiple video games for different platforms were released. The games from Nintendo ended up being very different kinds of games compared to the one released for the Sega Genesis. While it was more faithful to the plot of the film than other games, it was still different enough to include aspects of the Jurassic Park novel and parts cut from the movie. There was a follow-up to the game called Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition, which had similar gameplay and a new story, but it wasn't received as positively as its predecessor.

The Genesis game was an action platformer that had a darker tone than the ones from Nintendo. While Jurassic Park on the Super Nintendo was colorful and upbeat, the Sega Genesis game was grim and had a darker palette of colors. The dinosaurs themselves were scarier and more of a threat in comparison to other games that bore the same name. Players took on the role of Dr. Grant from the movie, trying to progress through levels that were inspired by locations featured in the film, with the goal of escaping the island alive. Although no other characters from the movie appear, it's heavily implied with the overall look that Dr. Grant in the game is supposed to be the same character played by Sam Neill in the movie.

However, the game offered more than just that. This version of Jurassic Park allowed players to take on the role of a Velociraptor hunting down Dr. Grant across the island. It was a big twist that wasn't done in any of the other Jurassic Park games released at the time, giving a perspective from the dinosaur's point of view. Jumping and biting enemy dinosaurs was fun, even though it wasn't incredibly deep in comparison to other titles. While this Jurassic Park game was released as part of the Jurassic Park: Classic Games Collection for current-day consoles, dino-fans have always wanted to see another game that played similarly, especially if it let them control more dinosaurs as part of it. Who wouldn't want to see a game where you got to control a T-Rex chasing down humans in the park?

Dino Crisis

It's like Resident Evil, but with dinosaurs

Capcom found a good formula for survival horror games in the late 90s with the release of the Resident Evil games. To follow up on their success with that series, the company developed and released Dino Crisis on the original PlayStation. It took the same concepts of survival horror with zombies and biological weapons, and applied it to rampaging dinosaurs that would chase players down. The same team and director who worked on Resident Evil titles at Capcom worked on Dino Crisis as well, so the games feel very similar.

The plot of Dino Crisis follows a special agent operative named Regina who is dispatched on a mission to a mysterious island. Both Regina and her team discover a facility that is overrun by dinosaurs on the loose, and must struggle to survive what happened at the facility, while escaping with her life. Just like in Resident Evil, the game has players roaming through different locations to solve puzzles and avoid being killed by dinosaurs that appear occasionally. Different species of dinosaurs, like the Velociraptors and a Tyrannosaurs Rex, show up to chase Regina down at key moments, forcing her to run away or fight them with a variety of weapons she finds. Depending on the situation, sometimes players will have to mash buttons to escape danger from a dinosaur that stalks them, leading to some crazy moments in the plot.

Dino Crisis has multiple endings that are possible, which are dependent on the actions taken during the game, with many revelations being made after the climax of the story. The game also got a sequel a few years later, titled Dino Crisis 2, but changed up a lot of the gameplay from the first one. Instead of a focus on survival horror, the sequel was more of an arcade-style shooter that was still liked by players at the time. Today, many Capcom fans want to see a remake of the original Dino Crisis using the same RE engine that was used for the Resident Evil remakes. Seeing detailed dinosaurs in the new RE engine could make for a terrifying experience, especially if a remake of Dino Crisis played with a similar third-person survival style that games like Resident Evil 2 Remake use now. It might just be a matter of time before Capcom decides to explore the idea.

Returning from extinction

Even with many video games that have been mediocre or forgettable, dinosaurs are a concept that will never get old. Many other video game releases have included dinosaurs in ways that were still interesting and fun to see, even when they weren't the focal point. But people still want to see some of their favorite dinosaur-related games make a comeback today in big ways, especially if it means seeing them in an entirely new light. They thrill players with their imposing and terrifying look, but still manage to be cool inclusions for modern video games. It's something that nobody ever wants to see become truly extinct in gaming.