Cadillacs And Dinosaurs

I have always had a soft spot for the Sega CD and the fact that Cadillacs and Dinosaurs only got one console game and it was on Sega CD is kind of cool and sad at the same time. I loved this show as a kid and what I loved, even more, was the Capcom arcade machine that was based on it. Unfortunately, this Sega CD game is not based on that game. This is a game that was made by Sega and it is nothing like the arcade game.

So Real It Is Like The Real Thing

The best thing about this game is the story that it tells. I say that because the story is made up of FMV from the show. We all know that when it comes to FMV, the Sega CD is not the best. However, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs I feel has some of the best FMV on the system. Especially when it comes to games that use an animated art style.

Are The Dinosaurs Extinct?

I really should not compare this to the Capcom game of the same name as it is kind of unfair. However, at least that game had some actual dinosaurs in it. I feel like Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, “you do actually have dinosaurs, in your dinosaur video game, don’t you?” is what he would say. I say this because there is a severe lack of dinosaurs in this game, the biggest enemies are things like trees and rocks. There is the odd dinosaur here and there, but you really do not see much.

The visuals in the actual game are decent enough, they have a cell-shaded style to them and even with the rather modest color pallet of the Sega CD/Genesis the game is fairly easy on the eyes.

Getting Behind The Wheel

Ok, so once again Cadillacs and Dinosaurs is not based on the arcade game, but I was pretty shocked at the angle Sega took with this. What we have here can be best described as an on-rails shooter! You have a very small number of levels and each one has you either driving the car or a minecart! That is right for numerous levels you do not even drive the Cadillac!

You need to move the vehicle left and right to avoid obstacles and also move a crosshair to shoot stuff. It is very basic stuff, thankfully the levels take no time at all, but that means you can blow through this game in no time at all. Well, in theory, you can. I say that because this game is hard as hell thanks to the dodgy collision detection and the fact everything wants to hit you.

Why on Earth did Sega not go to Capcom and ask if they could have just ported the Cadillacs and Dinosaurs arcade game? That would have been awesome and in all honesty one of the best games on the system. I am more than confident the Sega CD could have handled it. Instead what we got is average at best. It is worth playing if you enjoyed the TV show as a kid, apart from that I do not see anything that is going to win you over here.

Pros:

• The FMV quality is not that bad
• The actual game looks fairly decent
• The voice acting is good
• The game is very easy to beat
• The box art is cool

Cons:

• There are not enough dinosaurs
• The whole game is very meh in every regard

Cadillacs And Dinosaurs for the Sega CD or as it is better known, Cadillacs And Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm is a rather interesting title for the Sega CD. This was actually put out by Sega themselves which makes it interesting and is probably also making some of your sad right now. Based on the TV series (and lesser extent, comic book) this is not a home port of the awesome Capcom arcade beat em up.

Like A Movie…. A Grainy Movie

I am not here to get on the Sega CD for its FMV quality. In all fairness, I feel that Cadillacs And Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm for the Sega CD is a pretty good-looking game. The story follows the show pretty well, has voice acting and there is quite a lot of cut scenes that move the story forward. As far as using FMV on the Sega CD goes, I feel that this game actually does it better than many give it credit for. Is it great? Well no it is not, but as someone who enjoyed the show as a kid, I can appreciate what they did here.

Where Are The Dinosaurs???

For a game that has dinosaurs in the title, Cadillacs, And Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm has a real lack of them in the main game. I already mentioned the Capcom arcade title, this was a fantastic Final Fight style beat em up game. For this game though, we have an on-rails shooter where you spend six levels driving the famous red car from the movie and the final three in a minecart!

The real enemies in the game are trees and rocks that get in your way. There is a real lack of dinosaurs which is disappointing. The coolest “dinosaur” in the game is when you have to steer under the legs of a massive one walking past.

Who Wants To Drive?

The biggest problem that Cadillacs And Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm has going for it is that it is just not a lot of fun to play. The jungle levels all feel exactly the same. You move the car left and right and move a crosshair on the screen to shoot at stuff that gets in the way. The game is generous with the lives it gives you, but you can lose this incredibly fast. The game is very, very short which I feel is a good thing as even with the short length the game can overstay its welcome.

Pros:

• The FMV is kind of cool
• The game looks better than many people give it credit for
• I liked how there was a great deal of voice acting
• Driving under the dinosaur’s legs is cool
• As is avoiding dinosaur bones

Cons:

• The game is over before you know it
• It is more of a chore to play than fun

Welcome to the Xenozoic Age, a world 600 years in the future, where dinosaurs of the past co-exist with men and women of the future in a desperate struggle for survival. Power your 53 Cadillac through 10 post-apocalyptic levels of danger as Jack "Cadillac" Tenrec and Hannah Dundee race through treacherous jungles full of poachers predators and unnatural hazards, to stop the Second Cataclysm and restore the planet's natural balance. Based on the enormously popular graphic novels of Mark Schultz. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs takes players into a unique "2 1/2-D" environment with the look and feel of a graphic novel brought to life coming from Rocket Science.