| Introduction
Konami plan to release no less than three GBA titles
based on the Jurassic Park license. There's already
been 'The DNA Factor' (which we haven't reviewed but,
trust us, keep away from it), the soon to be released
'Primal Fear' and this one. Taking an unusual direction
for a movie tie-in this isn't a platformer, an adventure
or even a FPS. It's a Sim. Yes, that's right, in an
ambitious move the developers have decided to bring
a genre to a handheld which has previously been more
at home on the PC or Mac. A mindless gamble or has it
paid off?
GamePlay
On starting the game you're given almost a completely
clear island with the only things already constructed
being the famous Jurassic Park gates. It's your job
to design and build an attraction using the variety
of skills available to you and, of course, keeping within
the all important budget. The thing to do is not to
overstretch yourself and start small. A short road where
coaches can drop off visitors, a few shops/cafes and
a single pen is a good introduction to running an attraction.
Go too big, too soon and it will all be over before
you know it.
The actual management and building of the island
is done using a variety of icons activated using the
shoulder buttons. Here you'll encounter every aspect
of running your attraction and you'll see that everything
has a price. To start with, for instance, you'll need
to send some qualified workers on a dig. You can decide
where they go and for how long but all this costs and
when the samples of DNA are returned, you'll need to
invest more on breeding. Getting the balance is all
important and you'll constantly be monitoring things
to see how you can improve and attract more visitors.
There is some help available and, with the aid of
your computer, failing aspects of the park will be pointed
out to you. Advertising is a major cause for concern
and you'll have to choose from a variety of media taking
into consideration who your target audience is. There
are other things to watch out for such as visitor satisfaction,
obstructed views, overcrowding and even sick dinosaurs.
There is a plus side as if it's all getting too much
you can save the game with a handy battery backup.
Controls
As you'd expect with a Sim game of this nature the
control system is very complex indeed and you'll find
your first few attempts at creating the perfect attraction
incredibly frustrating. This could have been avoided
with a simple tutorial mode or on-screen help which
is common in most home computer versions. Instead you'll
be pausing the game and referring to the manual on a
regular basis for the first few tries. It does become
easier though and when you become an accomplished park
designer and manager you'll realize just how clever
the control interface is for a handheld console.
Graphics
After a very uninspiring intro you're propelled into
the game interface. The most important aspect of the
graphics in a game like this are the icons and fortunately,
even on the GBA screen, everything is clear and understandable.
There are some nice images of dinosaurs in the incubation
and DNA sections but you'll spend most of your time
in the park. Everything here is in isometric view and,
as with most Sims, is completely out of proportion.
The people are larger than the buses they've just arrived
in whilst cafes appear able to only seat a single person.
None of this really matters though and what's more important
is that you know what's going on and, thankfully, you
always do.
Sound & Music
The music here is divided into two different types.
Firstly there's the park music which plays when the
attraction is actually open. This is clearly taken from
the 'Disney - Small World' area of music and is possibly
there to calm your guests and give them a pleasing experience
as opposed to the expected Jurassic Park theme which
would probably clear your park in a matter of minutes.
The other soundtrack plays when you're in building mode.
This is a nondescript piece of music but I much preferred
it to the other track. There are also some nice clear
samples of Dinosaurs screeching at the intro. Not the
high point of the game but then that's not why you buy
a title like this.
Final Comments
If you don't find the thought of slow, thoughtful
gameplay and an incredibly sharp learning curve exciting,
then this probably isn't for you whether you enjoyed
the movie or not. Anyone who's played Sims on their
home PC, on the other hand, may want to give this a
try. It hasn't got all the features of a mighty CD-Rom
game but there's enough here to warrant buying this
handheld version and Konami must be congratulated for
taking on such an ambitious project. It is difficult
and even on the 'easy' setting can take some time to
set up a successful park so ask if you can have a demo
before you hand over your hard earned cash.
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