Primal Rage

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a game by Probe Software, Time Warner, Bitmasters, and Atari Co.
Genres: Action, Fighting Games
Platforms: PC (1995), Sega GenesisGenesis, SNESSNES, Playstation, PSX, 3DO, Atari Jaguar, Saturn, GameGear, GameBoy
Editor Rating: 7/10, based on 23 reviews, 30 reviews are shown
User Rating: 7.5/10 - 8 votes
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See also: Jaguar Games, Primal Rage Games

Primal Rage is a graphic buffet, coming soon to an arcade near you. It includes seven characters, all of which are fantasy or mythological creatures, including various dinosaurs, giant apes, and more. Some unique features of this game (other than the incredible stop-motion animation that makes the game look light years ahead of the competition) are its four-button joystick configuration which is employed instead of the standard five or six we re so used to seeing, and the two-punch and two-kick buttons which feature specially mapped "power hits" that allow for easier to manage special moves and combos. Revision of traditional fighting games don't stop with the joystick configuration, though. The one-player game does not end after defeating all the characters. At that point the player is thrown into a shorter sequence, a no-room-for-error second round that's sure to make you kick a few arcade cabinets. The Two-player Mode is reminiscent of the "push-pull" engine most employed in Neo-Geo fighting games. Best of all, this great new fighting game is scheduled to ship in August.

Almost everything about this game is different. From the Character Selection Screen to the conquest of the new Urth. Even the P.C. "No animals were hurt in the making of this game" Screen is different! The Primal Rage production team, made up of nearly 30, was organized more like a Hollywood film crew than a typical game design team.

SAURON

Sauron is what this game was originally intended for--the large yellow Tyrannosaurus Rex with a huge temper. His moves are, for the most part, large and bumbling, but he gets the job done.

He really uses his size to his advantage, with such moves as an Earthquake Stomp and the ability to rip with those giant jaws.

CHAOS

Chaos is a wildhaired gorilla who is human-like in a lot of ways. His attacks use his hands and legs to crush the opponent. He can climb on anyone and his fists and feet are equal in strength. He's not afraid to hop around either, as his leaps can easily reach the top of anyone. His power is almost the same as Blizzard, his "brother."

BLIZZARD

Blizzard is the "Ryu" of the two gorillas. He doesn't have as many leaping abilities as Chaos does--he prefers to sit back and let his power do the talking. That right hook of his is lethal! He's been known to level buildings on a slow day. His stage is set in the Himalayas, and his powers are mostly freezing moves, with freezing breath and more.

TALON

Talon is aptly named, as he likes to claw his way into anyone. He is almost a cross between the ferocity of a tiger and the look and intelligence of a Velociraptor. He can leap from long distances and be at your throat in seconds. He is also very agile and has been known to climb up an opponent to reach the head and throat.

DIABLO

Diablo, the smaller of the T-Rex creatures, has a fiery personality and the moves to match. Mostly we have fire breath and his volcanic stage matches the color scheme. Diablo is primarily a fiery crimson red with streaks of black. The patterns are similar to what many scientists think ancient dinosaurs may have looked like.

VERTIGIO

Vertigo is part cobra and part effraasia.

His attacks are extremely fast and just as lethal. His blue stripings match his stage which is an eerie almost Atlantis-looking city. His tail is the most dangerous part of his body, giving him the longest reach by far of any other character in the game. His neck is almost just as long.

ARMADDON

The character of Armadon combines elements of a tricer-atops, ankylosaurus, and stegosaurus, creating a dinosaur that has very dangerous horns, a somewhat long body, and an almost hunchback aura around him that strikes fear into smaller opponents. He also appears to have a strange pair of eyes due to lack of sunlight.

Download Primal Rage

PC

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

SNES

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Pentium II (or equivalent) 266MHz (500MHz recommended), RAM: 64MB (128MB recommended), DirectX v8.0a or later must be installed
Playstation

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
PSX

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
3DO

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Atari Jaguar

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Saturn

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
GameGear

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Gameboy

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

FIRST IMPRESSION

My first impression was that I got what I expected. The technology of today's portables tends to severely limit arcade translations.

I expected a fighting game somewhat resembling the arcade smash Primal Rage, and that's what I got.

BEST FEATURE

Its best feature is the picture. I rarely had any trouble seeing the action--a problem common to games on the portable systems. Furthermore, there was no problem with blurring.

WHAT'S MISSING

A Boss! After you defeat all of the characters in separate battles, you then fight them all again in one round, but there is no new character as a Boss. Also, the difficulty! Even on the harder settings it's too easy.

WILL YOU LIKE IT?

Well, if you like Primal Rage arcade, then maybe you'll want to check it out. Otherwise, there's nothing here you haven't seen before.

  • MANUFACTURER - Probe
  • DIFFICULTY - Easy
  • THEME - Fighting
  • NUMBER OF PLAYERS - 1

Finally, this monstrous fighting game has made it from the arcades to your homes. If the thought of some carnivorous cranium crunching makes your heart pop (and it will), this game is for you.

ProTips:

  • Use Armadon's Spinning Death to quickly get across the screen or to pass under a jumping foe.
  • Beware of teleporting with Vertigo. She's vulnerable when she comes up.
  • When Armadon goes into his Bed-O-Nails, he's susceptible to a low hit

All the Rage

Once upon a time, long before Bedrock had indoor plumbing, dinosaurs ruled the Earth. They were gods that represented life and death, good and evil, insanity and decay, hunger and survival. A magician named Balsafas saw the threat these beasts posed, and entombed one. The others went into hiding, and millions of years later, after man had his shot at the planet, the encased dino escaped. Now the prehistoric gods once again rule the planet.

You play as one of seven skin-ripping fighters, each with its own unique fighting style. Some half-breed DNA disasters, like Vertigo, can hypnotize and spit acid, while others, like the steel-plated Armadon, rely mostly on punches and kicks to finish the best two-of-three round matches. Human worshippers also run around in each match, but they serve mostly as snack food to replenish a dino's health. It's all exactly like the arcade version, albeit with smaller sprites.

To do a good four-hit combo using Armadon, jump in with Button 1, then hit Button 2, and rapidly alternate between Buttons 1 and 2 as you land.

The game has a basic combo system, and multi-hit combos are registered on the side of the screen. Combos rely mostly on deft button pressing, since only four buttons are required to execute them. Simple controls make this game easy to learn and fun to play.

Primal Screen

Purists looking for the arcade version's heart-stopping graphics will be somewhat disappointed. Although this version is a lot better-looking than the Genesis version, the graphics are not as crystal clear as they should be. The fighters lose some detail and their colors are murky. The backgrounds, though, are well done and imaginative, from fiery lava ruins to an abandoned city.

The sounds excel in the SNES version. Each roar, fart, and skin-ripping sound effect is right on target. The music is hokey, but it doesn't impair the action.

A Rage to the Finish

Primal Rage is an imaginative concept, but the sluggish gameplay and less-than-spectacular graphics don't give this game the roar that Killer Instinct or Virtua Fighter possess. Still, this dino has teeth.

Sauron's strength is his unsuspecting air throw (Button 2 and Button 4 when in the air). Use it when enemies try to come in with flying moves, such as Armadon's Iron Maiden.

What Exactly Killed Off The dinosaurs? There's a multitude of theories to choose from: the ice age, a giant comet, reversal of the Earth's magnetic poles, ancient Egyptian UFO pilots... the list is endless. Judging by the evidence on display in Primal Rage, however, I think it's pretty safe to assume that their mass extinction was simply the result of a massive bundle that got seriously out of hand.

Yup, that's right. Primal Rage is the latest blood-thirsty beat 'em up to make the inevitable transition from arcade to home. Any smacking festival worth its salt has to have its own gimmick these days, and Primal Rage ups the ante somewhat by featuring not one, but two such gimmicks. First of all, it features dinosaurs in place of the usual boring old humans. Second, the sprites are in fact digitised puppets, brought to life via the stop-motion animation techniques so beloved of Ray Harryhausen and the makers of King Kong. Pour a load of special moves and combos over the top, add a whopping great sprig of gore, and there you have it - guaranteed commercial success.

Er, providing it's fun to play, of course. Which, thankfully, this is. The conversion has gone rather well - for which Teeny Weeny Games (the people responsible for Discworld) should be heartily congratulated. The sprites are satisfyingly large, the action smooth, and the sound effects spot on. The gameplay of the arcade original has survived the journey to the pc unscathed as well, and there's even a couple of extra playing modes chucked in for good measure. Fans of Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter should like this -I'd be surprised if they didn't lap it up.

Dino dynamite

Beat 'em ups tend to get short shrift from most 'serious' pc gamesplayers; they're often denounced as shallow children's games, which is a bit rich coming from people who like spending their free time on the computer pretending to hack their way through a monster-packed labyrinth, or imagining they're piloting an F-29 over Iraq. Sit down and play one with a friend for a few hours and you'll discover that beneath all the chopsocky tion, the best beat 'em ups are basically lightning-fast strategy games which get better each time you play them. And while Primal Rage isn't quite a classic, such as the aforementioned Street Fighter II, it's got more than its fair share of top-hole thrills and spills. Some of the special moves have to be seen to be believed, too (see panel, right).

All in all, it's a corker. If you've already got a scrapping sim for your pc. then you can live without this, but if you haven't - or if you're a die-hard fighting fan - then I'd recommend Primal Rage wholeheartedly. But for god's sake: only play it with a joypad or joystick (preferably one with four buttons), and don't expect a bundle of fun unless you're playing against a real live friend (but for best results one who isn't as skilled as you are).

I Know What You're Thinking. You've glanced at the game's name, given the screen shots the once over, noticed who's publishing it, and have already made up your mind. You have very nearly turned the page and you're thinking "This is going to he just like Rise of the Robots," aren't you? You're thinking "Fancy graphics doth not a good game make," and muttering something derogatory about ninja-bast pc specifications and coin-op conversions.

Well stop it! Stop it right now. You're just not being fair. Yes, Primal Rage is being published by the same people as Rise of the Robots, and yes, it is another beat 'em up ported over from a world-renowned coin-op. And yes again, it is going to be released on just about every format ever conceived and forced onto an unsuspecting gamesplaying public with a promotion campaign that Bill Clinton would be proud of. But (Mr Judge and Jury) before you make up your mind and decide on a suitable punishment that befits the crime(s), hear out the case for the defence.

Primal character references

Well, for starters, the conversion is being handled by those rather splendid chappies at Teeny Weeny Games (of Disovorlci fame) who, being rather clever, reckon that their conversion will mimic the arcade version as closely as possible (given the restraints of the hardware available), and will, therefore, be as immensely playable and satisfying to watch as the original game.

"That's all very well," you might think, but you may also think "I don't really rate beat 'em ups, especially those on the pc." Well, the only suitable retort to such cliched sentiment is something along the lines of: "that's exactly what everyone who hasn't played a beat 'em up on the pc says. But let's take a look at the facts..."

...Have you actually played Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo on the PC? Have you seen what they're doing with Rise 2? Did you know that Primal Rage is the first video game ever to use stop-motion animation throughout (a process that movie makers have been using for years to great effect i.e. King Kong, The Wrong Trousers etc.,), which enables software developers to take advantage of incredibly life-like prehistoric creatures which move and behave just like the real thing?

A moving experience

Have you even begun to consider the implications of playing a game which features seven oh-so-carefully crafted and highly individual dinosaurs and an enhanced fighting engine, which allows each individual character to execute over 70 different moves, including ready poses, normal moves, special moves, fatalities, combo hits and blocks? Can you fail to be impressed by the fact that Primal Rage will feature more combination potential than any other fighting game to date? Were you unaware that deftly woven into the tapestry of the gameplay were secret "diversions" that can be accessed at certain points in the game, such as ten-pin bowling (with the tribes people posing as the pins), and that each character is wont to indulge in ritualistic victory rites (such as pissing over their dishevelled opponent) on notching up a special victory?

Did it never occur to you that one of the best routes to unrivalled two-player fun is via a beat 'em up, and that Primal Rage looks to be all-conquering when it is released on August 25 on no less than 12 (yes, 12!) formats?

Look at the facts. Take a look at the grabs. Remember - dinosaurs are an endangered species and you should always be kind to animals.

Gaming fans drooled all over themselves at the annual Toy Fair in New York this February when Playmates (yes, Playmates once again) unveiled its latest video-game license, Primal Rage. Known for its groovy Earthworm Jim, Skeleton Warriors and Exo-Squad action figures, Playmates obviously hopes that dinosaur fever is still raging across the nation, since the figures are due to be on the racks of your local toy emporium as you read this.The figures are based on characters from the Atari arcade fighter which featured stop-motion animated dinosaurs brutally beating the blood out of each other's skulls in a contest to determine the "uber-reptile" of the new Urth. Primal Rage has subsequently made its bow on numerous home gaming systems thanks to the soldiering efforts of Time Warner Interactive.

Buy yourselves a bunch of 'em and simulate, if you dare, the vicious battles of the video game. If you desire to make your pretend battles a bit more "realistic," just roll on down to your local McDonalds and grab a handful of ketchup packets to use as fake blood for your duels. I've tried it. It's fun.

Hokey smokes, Bullwinkle! The game that's gone through more incarnations than Black Sabbath has once again decided to make an appearance on a new system, and this time it's the Saturn.

Surprisingly, the Saturn version of Primal Rage has somewhat better graphics than its predecessor on the PlayStation. The dinosaurs seem to be much better animated and the game just flows, you know what I'm saying?

All this aside, Primal Rage still isn't a great fighting game. None of the previous home versions has been able to capture the carnage of the arcade original, and sadly, neither has the Saturn.

Graphics - 8

Sound/FX - 6

Gameplay - 6

Rating - 6

Eat my prehistoric power, you pathetic primordial punk.

Fighting games come and go.There's always a theme, the fighters are nearly always from different countries and for some reason they can all throw fireballs. Primal Rage is no exception. A bunch of dinosaurs (and a big sasquatch-type creature named Blizzard) have assembled in the ruins of some post-apocalyptic Earth to battle for some kind of thing. A prize, probably. If I sound like I don't care about the plot, then you're very astute. What I do care about is levels and levels of extremely playable violence.

In the best tradition of a Street Fighter-style rip-off, Primal Rage has all the usual special moves and hidden cheats.The mechanics of the game feel very much like Street Fighter, but the moves are reminiscent of Mortal Kombat. Lots of staccato ieft/right combos. Once you get over the dinosaur-related novelty, you'll find a challenging and fairly fast-paced fighter.The Saturn version is especiall) pleasing in terms of graphics and loading times, but the samples could have been better and the music is cheesy anyway. Fans should look out for the cool Primal Rage toys from PlayMates.

Primal Rage is a graphic buffet, coming soon to an arcade near you. It includes seven characters, all of which are fantasy or mythological creatures, including various dinosaurs, giant apes, and more. Some unique features of this game (other than the incredible stop-motion animation that makes the game look light years ahead of the competition) are its four-button joystick configuration which is employed instead of the standard five or six we re so used to seeing, and the two-punch and two-kick buttons which feature specially mapped "power hits" that allow for easier to manage special moves and combos. Revision of traditional fighting games don't stop with the joystick configuration, though. The one-player game does not end after defeating all the characters. At that point the player is thrown into a shorter sequence, a no-room-for-error second round that's sure to make you kick a few arcade cabinets. The Two-player Mode is reminiscent of the "push-pull" engine most employed in Neo-Geo fighting games. Best of all, this great new fighting game is scheduled to ship in August.

Almost everything about this game is different. From the Character Selection Screen to the conquest of the new Urth. Even the P.C. "No animals were hurt in the making of this game" Screen is different! The Primal Rage production team, made up of nearly 30, was organized more like a Hollywood film crew than a typical game design team.

SAURON

Sauron is what this game was originally intended for--the large yellow Tyrannosaurus Rex with a huge temper. His moves are, for the most part, large and bumbling, but he gets the job done.

He really uses his size to his advantage, with such moves as an Earthquake Stomp and the ability to rip with those giant jaws.

CHAOS

Chaos is a wildhaired gorilla who is human-like in a lot of ways. His attacks use his hands and legs to crush the opponent. He can climb on anyone and his fists and feet are equal in strength. He's not afraid to hop around either, as his leaps can easily reach the top of anyone. His power is almost the same as Blizzard, his "brother."

BLIZZARD

Blizzard is the "Ryu" of the two gorillas. He doesn't have as many leaping abilities as Chaos does--he prefers to sit back and let his power do the talking. That right hook of his is lethal! He's been known to level buildings on a slow day. His stage is set in the Himalayas, and his powers are mostly freezing moves, with freezing breath and more.

TALON

Talon is aptly named, as he likes to claw his way into anyone. He is almost a cross between the ferocity of a tiger and the look and intelligence of a Velociraptor. He can leap from long distances and be at your throat in seconds. He is also very agile and has been known to climb up an opponent to reach the head and throat.

DIABLO

Diablo, the smaller of the T-Rex creatures, has a fiery personality and the moves to match. Mostly we have fire breath and his volcanic stage matches the color scheme. Diablo is primarily a fiery crimson red with streaks of black. The patterns are similar to what many scientists think ancient dinosaurs may have looked like.

VERTIGIO

Vertigo is part cobra and part effraasia.

His attacks are extremely fast and just as lethal. His blue stripings match his stage which is an eerie almost Atlantis-looking city. His tail is the most dangerous part of his body, giving him the longest reach by far of any other character in the game. His neck is almost just as long.

ARMADDON

The character of Armadon combines elements of a tricer-atops, ankylosaurus, and stegosaurus, creating a dinosaur that has very dangerous horns, a somewhat long body, and an almost hunchback aura around him that strikes fear into smaller opponents. He also appears to have a strange pair of eyes due to lack of sunlight.

Primal's coming to every game system there is, and the 3DO version will be a direct port of the arcade game. Seven apes and dinosaurs will perform prehistoric punishment on each other in lifelike stop-motion animation. The ferocious fighters retain all their original special moves. You'll even get the little cave people, who'll cheer their chomping champion on to victory.

Last month, we gave you a first peek at Primal Rage for the home systems. We know you're impatient forpnfo on what's going to be one of the top games this summer, so here's a progress report.

Time Warner's (TW) goal is to make all the home versions as close as possible to the arcade original. Although the handheld carts will obviously be graphically limited, the early versions have good detail, large sprites, and smooth game-play mechanics.

The 16-bit versions will have two-player head-to-head fighting action with all seven original dino fighters (Sauron, Diablo, Armadon, Talon, Vertigo, Blizzard, and Chaos). The early versions look great, especially the graphics on the SNES version. TW promises to include virtually all the popular moves, combos, and finishing sequences. Wonder if that'll include Chaos's handy use of his bodily functions? We'll keep you informed....

New for the 3DO system is Primal Rage. PR, as you probably know, was originally an arcade fighting game that used digitized dinosaurs. Now the home translations are on the way.

LG Electronics has finished the 3DO version and it is a very close translation. The only noticeable difference is that the characters are really small. Oh well, it's a tradeoff for being able to play it at home.

Primal Rage is your basic one-on-one fighting game, despite the prehistoric cast. Each of the characters has an assortment of normal and special moves. At the end of the match, a finishing move can be done to eradicate your foe.

The graphics are close to the coin-op, and the audio is perfect. The control is somewhat complicated, but quarter-flingers should be used to it.

Primal Rage is one of the high-profile fighting games for the 3DO, and it's not too bad.

Those prehistoric pugilists that graced the arcades over a year ago are now battling on the PlayStation for domination of Urth. And although this version is the best yet, it doesn't add anything new to the fighting genre.

Prehysteria

In this best-of-three fighting game, you still get eight dinowarriors, each with a unique brand of combat. Vertigo, a hybrid cobra-saur, uses hypnotism and spits acid, while the more traditional warrior Sauron, a T. rex, uses his jaws and some throws to get the job done. You can link some moves for very small combos, and in addition to standard and special moves, there are also fatalities. To date, we've heard that Chaos's Golden Shower fatality is intact.

Controlling the 'saurs will take some configuring. The standard setup works well with the unique design of the PSX controller, and even gamers new to Rage will love the easy controls.

Dino Might

The graphics blow away all other versions to date, and even make the arcade version seem tame. All the background details are here, including edible worshippers and gorgeous primeval sunsets. The great rendered movie added to the beginning of the game is a joy to watch, but doesn't add anything to the gameplay.

The sounds come across loud and clear. Plenty of roars, growls, and Flintstones funk, but nothing revolutionary for video game audiophiles.

But even with stunning graphics and great sound, Primal lacks the originality that captured gamers a year ago. It's not very deep (like VF 2) and not as fast and fun as other games (MK 3) that have debuted since.

Basic Extinct

The real beneficiaries of this title will be PlayStation owners who have never played Primal before (but always wanted to).

It's not a bad game for dinosaur lovers and fighting fans looking for a different kind of fighter. Primal roars...gently.

Primal Rage bites into home systems this year-and of all of them, the PlayStation version may be the fastest. As in the popular arcade game, you pit seven imaginary gods from the dinosaur era against each other in vicious two-player claw-to-claw combat. Sauron, Vertigo, and the rest are here with all their arcade moves, combos, and finishing sequences intact. New cinematic intros, victory animations, a training pen, and a tug-of-war mode help make Primal a major rager.

How many times can one person write different text on basically the same game?

In Primal Rage giant creatures roam the world after a terrible accident. They battle it out in brutal bouts to the death.

The PlayStation version looks good. All the glitz and glamour of the coin-op are here. Everything--from eating worshipers to the volleyball trick--can be done.

All of the characters are fully digitized and animated smoothly. This title seems to be making the rounds on nearly every system.

Primal Rage is a graphic buffet, coming soon to an arcade near you. It includes seven characters, all of which are fantasy or mythological creatures, including various dinosaurs, giant apes, and more. Some unique features of this game (other than the incredible stop-motion animation that makes the game look light years ahead of the competition) are its four-button joystick configuration which is employed instead of the standard five or six we re so used to seeing, and the two-punch and two-kick buttons which feature specially mapped "power hits" that allow for easier to manage special moves and combos. Revision of traditional fighting games don't stop with the joystick configuration, though. The one-player game does not end after defeating all the characters. At that point the player is thrown into a shorter sequence, a no-room-for-error second round that's sure to make you kick a few arcade cabinets. The Two-player Mode is reminiscent of the "push-pull" engine most employed in Neo-Geo fighting games. Best of all, this great new fighting game is scheduled to ship in August.

Almost everything about this game is different. From the Character Selection Screen to the conquest of the new Urth. Even the P.C. "No animals were hurt in the making of this game" Screen is different! The Primal Rage production team, made up of nearly 30, was organized more like a Hollywood film crew than a typical game design team.

SAURON

Sauron is what this game was originally intended for--the large yellow Tyrannosaurus Rex with a huge temper. His moves are, for the most part, large and bumbling, but he gets the job done.

He really uses his size to his advantage, with such moves as an Earthquake Stomp and the ability to rip with those giant jaws.

CHAOS

Chaos is a wildhaired gorilla who is human-like in a lot of ways. His attacks use his hands and legs to crush the opponent. He can climb on anyone and his fists and feet are equal in strength. He's not afraid to hop around either, as his leaps can easily reach the top of anyone. His power is almost the same as Blizzard, his "brother."

BLIZZARD

Blizzard is the "Ryu" of the two gorillas. He doesn't have as many leaping abilities as Chaos does--he prefers to sit back and let his power do the talking. That right hook of his is lethal! He's been known to level buildings on a slow day. His stage is set in the Himalayas, and his powers are mostly freezing moves, with freezing breath and more.

TALON

Talon is aptly named, as he likes to claw his way into anyone. He is almost a cross between the ferocity of a tiger and the look and intelligence of a Velociraptor. He can leap from long distances and be at your throat in seconds. He is also very agile and has been known to climb up an opponent to reach the head and throat.

DIABLO

Diablo, the smaller of the T-Rex creatures, has a fiery personality and the moves to match. Mostly we have fire breath and his volcanic stage matches the color scheme. Diablo is primarily a fiery crimson red with streaks of black. The patterns are similar to what many scientists think ancient dinosaurs may have looked like.

VERTIGIO

Vertigo is part cobra and part effraasia.

His attacks are extremely fast and just as lethal. His blue stripings match his stage which is an eerie almost Atlantis-looking city. His tail is the most dangerous part of his body, giving him the longest reach by far of any other character in the game. His neck is almost just as long.

ARMADDON

The character of Armadon combines elements of a tricer-atops, ankylosaurus, and stegosaurus, creating a dinosaur that has very dangerous horns, a somewhat long body, and an almost hunchback aura around him that strikes fear into smaller opponents. He also appears to have a strange pair of eyes due to lack of sunlight.

Primal Rage on the Game Gear is a three-inch masterpiece. In addition to great head-to-head fighting, this version has buckets of primal yuk.

The combos are smooth and easy to pull off. You have lots of moves plus special and finishing moves. Overall, the control is good, and the action stays fast.

There haven't been Game Gear graphics like these since MK It's debut. The sprites are big, detailed, and all present except Vertigo.

The soundtrack is, however, just ordinary. Pops and thumps serve as sound effects, but the dinos are silent.

Primal Rage is a must for handheld fighting fans. It's a reptile ragerforall.

ProTips:

  • Special moves like Buzzard's Air Toss (hold Buttons 1 and 2) make for easy three-hit combos.
  • Talon Is the quickest dinosaur. Use his high-speed attacks to score easy wins.

For the Sega fanatics out there, Time Warner is developing a translation of Primal Rage for the Game Gear. Surprisingly close in terms of both looks and game play, fans of the arcade should be pleased.

Primal Rage takes the standard one-on-one fighting game format and gives it a Jurassic twist. Players have a variety of dinosaurs to choose from (plus two apes), each with a number of set powers.

Six of the warriors can be played in all, giving you a dose of portable dino action. If you enjoyed the arcade, this is sure to become one of your favorites.

  • Time Warner for Genesis

You gotta ask yourself why these dinosaurs didn't remain extinct after taking a look at this sorry excuse for a port-over from the arcades. The graphics really suck and the action isn't much better. If you wanna play this, go to the arcades or a better system.

  • Manufacturer: Time Warner
  • Machine: Genesis

You gotta ask yourself why these dinosaurs didn't remain extinct after taking a look at this sorry excuse for a port-over from the arcades. The graphics really suck and the action isn't much better. If you wanna fight as a dinosaur, go to the arcades.

  • Genre: fighting
  • Players: 1or 2
  • Publisher: Time Warner Interactive
  • Developer: Probe Interactive

There is a certain amount of attention guaranteed to popular arcade games when they make their way to home consoles, and Primal Rage should enjoy a taste of this notoriety. Beyond the initial excitement, however, a game must be able to stand on its own as a quality title, ready to endure the inevitable comparisons to the original.

The first inclination of most gamers is to compare the graphics to the original which, unfortunately, immediately puts this game in the negative column. The downgrade in graphic clarity is, of course, to be expected from arcade to home console, but in a game like Primal Rage, which depends so dearly on the detailed look of its prehistoric characters, it's essential to get everything possible out of the host system. Instead, what's here is a rather bland and fuzzy version of the original characters, all possessing that distracting 'pasted on the screen' look. The home version also falls short in the sound category, which should help set the mood of the game, but somehow manages to be strangely flavorless in this version.

On the other hand, there is an impressive list of attacks here, including the bloody, tasteless, and disturbing moves that made the original on much fun to learn. Also included are combo and finishing moves. Most moves beyond punch, kick and jump are not exactly easy to pull off, but they're not impossible either, and at least they're all there. Oh yeah, and you can eat people too.

In the end, without the extra touches contained in the arcade version, this game ends up dangerously close to just another 2-D fighter. This one is for diehard fans of the original, and fighting game fanatics.

  • Manufacturer: Atari

This is the first in a series of planned updates for Time Warner Interactive's dino-brawler, and the updates are in machines now! This update adds a new finishing move for each character, adds more gore for each finishing move, and gives extra health for chomping on the natives. This update also tweaks some of the character damages to further balance the game and allows players to use familiar button moves as well as the original 'Rage' style.

The Primal Rage update is nothing but good for gamers and arcades, 'cuz Time Warner is putting the thing in free of charge. Better get some more quarters and see if you can hang with the new and improved Primal Rage.

Primal Rage stomps from the arcade to the Genesis without even denting the plastic on the 16- bit hardware. Finger-snarling controls leave a scratch or two, but solid arcade game-play and respectable graphics will snare fighting fans.

Total Domination

The seven original dinos and apes duel to rule once again, commanding the same blistering special moves and combos that they did in the arcade. Each prehistoric power lashes out with six standard moves (high and low quick, fierce, and power strikes), as well as a sweep and an uppercut. Winners of the best-two-out- of-three matches gain the loser's land and worshippers.

ProTip: Sauron's Cranium Crusher (hold High Quick and Low Fierce, then tap Down, Up) effectively takes out opponents when they jump in.

The fast, smooth gameplay revolves around combos: One-hit attacks, even if they look brutal, never pack the heat that a wicked five-hit combo does. The search for effective combos -- and the practice required to pull them off -- makes for fun, deep action that outshines the less polished SNES version.

Quick Kill?

The controls exactly duplicate the four-button arcade layout, but they should've been adapted to fit home controllers. Many special moves are executed by holding down three or four buttons while motioning on the directional pad -- a feat that only the most rubber-limbed gamers will be capable of on a three- or six-button pad. With a fighter's joystick, this problem vanishes and the moves respond seamlessly, but gamers who can't spring for a joystick will have a hard time.

Graphically, this version puts on a decent but not flashy show. The backgrounds and dinos pop with color, and you'll recognize everything from the arcade. The sprites, however, are a tad too small, and their movements stutter slightly -- the SNES world definitely looks better.

Diablo torches his defeated foe with the Fireball fatality: Hold High Fierce, Lorn Quick, and Law Fierce, then tap Toward five times.

The sounds lack the spine- rattling bass boom of the arcade, but the effects and music perform well for a home conversion. The smacks and cracks of combat definitely keep the pace lively.

Primal Conquers

With an impressive list of options and a widely adjustable challenge, this strong conversion of the arcade dino basher will engross fighting fans despite its few shortcomings. Rage!

  • Take advantage of Talon's lithe speed by jumping in for quick combos, then leaping away.
  • As Armadon, catch your opponent in midair with a High Quick followed by a High Fierce.
  • Chaos's Fart of Fury (hold High Fierce and Low Quick, then tap Down, Toward, Up, Away) dizzies opponents, so follow it with your best combo.
  • Slash foes from afar with Vertigo's Scorpion Sting: Hold High Fierce and Low Quick, then tap Toward twice.

Thundering straight out of Jurassic Park but taking on the fierce qualities of Mortal Kombatants, the deadly dinos of Primal Rage are coming. Rage is a slick one-on-one brawler that will grab you with its awesome character animation, and it may keep you around to pull some crazy ten-hit combos and a few gnarly Fatalities, too.

Primal Pix

This side-view street fight doesn't present a revolutionary new perspective, as Virtua Fighter did. It will raise the bar for digitized graphics, though. While the version we tested was a bit rough around the edges, the seven prehistoric beasts have a stunning stop- motion look to their digitized movements. Couple this with some red hand-drawn backgrounds and great cinema, and you have pix that might make Mortal 11 look like it was fashioned by grade-schoolers with Crayola markers. (Okay, that's overkill, but then so is this game!)

Game play mixes Street Fighter II with MK and adds a twist. Your four-button attack layout is like a scaled-back SF, except you do special moves by holding down two buttons and then doing the controller motion. There are a ton of combo possibilities, and -- joy! -- you can do both two-in-one combos and air juggle combos. There's even a combo meter to report the number of hits per combo and the amount of damage.

The GoreFactor for Rage is definitely a 5.0. Atari promises several Fatalities, and the middle- of-the-match action features spouting geysers of blood, an occasional chunk of flesh, ora human consumed for bonus life.

Big, Dumb, and Clumsy?

As outrageous as all this sounds, Rage may have to work its way up the fighting-game food chain. The near final preliminary version we saw had only seven characters, and two of them were palette-swap duplicates (in other words, exactly the same as their twins except for special moves and skin color). The dinos didn't feel as responsive and smooth as characters in other fighting games (imagine a semi- sluggish arcade version of Clay Fighter).

Even if Primal Rage doesn't improve before release, it should make a major gash into the coin-op revenues of Midway, SNK, and Capcom. If Time Warner Interactive adds real polish and shine, look for Rage to consume its competitors in one chomp and take on Sega and Nintendo for dessert.

Primal Rage on the Game Boy is killer.

Primal packs a broad selection of dino moves and quick action that make it a top fighter. There's no blood, but the easy-to-figure-out, easy-to-execute moves make for brontosaurus-size fun.

The game sports large, fast, smoothly moving sprites, and amazingly there's no slowdown. The sound is basic, but the dinos are silent - not a bad thing when you consider other recent annoying sonic headaches like True Lies.

Although Primal Rage Game Boy may not be as complete a package as the Game Gear version, it is one of the best fighters for the Game Boy. And since it has an adjustable difficulty level, everyone can get primed.

ProTips:

  • Use Talon when you need that extra burst of speed.
  • Smack 'em into the air with a Mega Punch, then jump up and throw 'em back to the ground using an Air Throw. Follow up with a projectile.

In the PlayStation and Saturn translations of Rage, look for outrageous two-player head-to-head fighting action with all seven original dino fighters from the arcade (Sauron, Diablo, Armadon, Talon, Vertigo, Blizzard, and Chaos).

Games for both systems should include all the arcade's popular moves, combos, and finishing sequences - including Chaos's intrepid use of his bodily functions. The graphics will closely duplicate the arcade version's, using the same stop-motion animation technique to create 3D characters that move realistically.

Making the rounds to almost all the known console systems, Primal Rage holds up well on the 3DO. This version has the best looks and sounds of any home-system Primal to date.

Leapin' Lizards!

Once again the arcade's seven dinosaurs battle for the new Urth, but this time extended options enrich the gameplay. In the endurance match, for instance, you can choose up to four dinosaurs for tag-team action, in the one-player mode, lack of a last boss puts a damper on the excitement-you simply face all the dinosaurs you previously vanquished.

This Primal excels with graphics and sound. The game looks great, with fine details on the dino fighters. With combatants hissing and chomping on humans, the sound effects are excellent. The music is appealing, with rock riffs that perfectly fit the intense fighting.

A six-button controller works better here than the standard three-button, and the game uses a unique special-move system (mostly holding down two or more buttons and performing a motion on the joy pad). The moves are easy to execute, but timing is important on the finishing moves.

The Dino That Fell ToUrth

Those looking for a close arcade translation can't do better than Primal 3DO. But it still won't convert those who never took to the arcade original.

ProTips:

  • Use Blizzard's Ice Geyser to freeze opponents and set them up for a combo.
  • To do Vertigo's finishing move The Cow Who Ran, hold High Fierce, Low Fierce, High Quick, and Low Quick and tap Left, Left, Left, Down, Left
  • Low on life? Eat a human for a quick life booster!

Rage. There used to be a time on this planet when, if you were the angriest of the angry, your place in the hierarchy of lifeforms was assured. If you could get angry enough to rend and tear the living, beating heart out of your reptilian (or simian) opponent, then you'd be livin' on easy street.Those halcyon days are evoked in Primal Rage,Time Warner Interactive's latest home adaptation of the arcade hit. The plot is too confusing and convoluted to recount in its full quasi-m/thological glory but, in a nutshell, a meteor has collided with Earth, cities are destroyed, humanity slides back into the Stone Age, and the old "gods", uber-dinosaurs banished to suspended animation in the bowels of the Earth, have been set free. It's party time! The dinosaur gods wage war against each other in single combat to decide who gets to reign in blood over the new "Urth". Wicked.

Every dino from the arcade game is present, and all the special moves have been retained in this version. In addition. Primal Rage on the PSX has the added advantage of being played on a controller similar to the arcade's original four-button set-up, a feature which SNES owners didn't have a problem with, but which annoyed Genesis fans no end.

This version of Primal Rage is, accordingly, almost arcade-perfect.The high frame-rate almost (but not quite) captures the Harryhausen-esque feel of the arcade game.The fatalities have survived intact, as has the ability to eat lowly humans to replenish your energy, you can set the options to "No Gore" if you'd like, but all of your friends will undoubtedly mock you (and rightfully so).There is also a training mode which allows you to practice your deadly craft, a Tug-Of-War (in which you and your opponent share one life bar) and an endurance mode, in which you and your opponent fight a fast-paced, four-dinosaur battle against each other.

Another flawed but popular fighting title is Primal Rage. Now available on PlayStation, this prehistoric blood-fest will please all those of you who are tired of MK but not savvy enough for Tekken.

For the most part, Rage on PlayStation resembles its arcade counterpart. Fine graphics and playability will keep coin-op loyalists satisfied, although they might be a little disenchanted with the sub-par sound. Primal Rage suffers mostly from loading time, which shows up in the most unwanted of areas, resulting in uneven gameplay, sure to annoy those of us who are impatient.There's actually load time between the "final blow" to an opponent and the exploding heart. Was this really necessary? Increase the initial load time a jot before interrupting gameplay for an effect that can be described as unnecessary at best.

Two new features of interest are Tug of War mode and Endurance mode. In ToW, every hit decreases your opponent's energy, while replenishing yours. You must string together many more blows than your opponent to win the contest. Endurance mode allows you to choose several combatants to battle with--pretty standard stuff,

This, along with the problems that limited the coin-op version in the area of playability, make this a tedious title. Not worth the money.

Gaming fans drooled all over themselves at the annual Toy Fair in New York this February when Playmates (yes, Playmates once again) unveiled its latest video-game license, Primal Rage. Known for its groovy Earthworm Jim, Skeleton Warriors and Exo-Squad action figures, Playmates obviously hopes that dinosaur fever is still raging across the nation, since the figures are due to be on the racks of your local toy emporium as you read this.The figures are based on characters from the Atari arcade fighter which featured stop-motion animated dinosaurs brutally beating the blood out of each other's skulls in a contest to determine the "uber-reptile" of the new Urth. Primal Rage has subsequently made its bow on numerous home gaming systems thanks to the soldiering efforts of Time Warner Interactive.

Buy yourselves a bunch of 'em and simulate, if you dare, the vicious battles of the video game. If you desire to make your pretend battles a bit more "realistic," just roll on down to your local McDonalds and grab a handful of ketchup packets to use as fake blood for your duels. I've tried it. It's fun.

Snapshots and Media

Saturn Screenshots

PC Screenshots

Playstation Screenshots

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

SNES/Super Nintendo/Super Famicom Screenshots

Atari Jaguar Screenshots

GameGear Screenshots

PSX Screenshots

3DO Screenshots

GameBoy Screenshots

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