Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (video game)
A 1993 arcade beat 'em up based on Xenozoic Tales.
Capcom’s 1993 arcade beat 'em up Cadillacs and Dinosaurs is a side-scroller based on the Xenozoic Tales comic. The game was produced as a tie-in to the short-lived Cadillacs and Dinosaurs animated series which was aired during the same year the game was released. A port for the Capcom Power System Changer was shown but never released.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Capcom
- Composer
- Isao Abe; Syun Nishigaki
- Released
- April 1993
- Genre
- Side-scrolling, Beat 'em up
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Arcade system
- CP System Dash
- Platforms
- Arcade
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Up to three people can jump into the action at once, picking one of four fighters—Jack (all-around), Hannah (technique-focused), Mustapha (quick), or Mess (strong)—to battle through eight levels full of enemies and bosses. Dinosaurs wander around as neutral creatures, attacking both the players and their foes. Each character has two special moves, including one that costs health to use on contact. When two or more players team up, they can pull off a combined attack. Along the way, players can grab guns, throwable items like rocks and explosives, or melee weapons like clubs. If a player gets knocked out, a first-person view shows a big villain holding a gun to their face, sneering lines like "Eat lead, baby!" A twenty-second countdown gives a chance to continue; otherwise, the baddie fires, ending the game.
Plot
In the 26th century, a gang called the Black Marketeers begin hunting dinosaurs, making them violent and causing them to attack villages. Four heroes—mechanic and shaman Jack Tenrec, diplomat and explorer Hannah Dundee, engineer Mustapha Cairo, and mysterious Mess O'Bradovich—team up against the Black Marketeers. They journey to the "City in the Sea" where they suspect the hunting network operates. After reaching the top of a building, Vice orders his men to attack, but the group fights Vice Terhune. Defeated, Vice tells them about Butcher, who had been hunting in the northern woods. They go through a swamp forest, finding many dead dinosaurs, and defeat Butcher. Meanwhile, Hogg realizes Jack is busy and takes over Jack's Garage. The heroes travel through the desert of death using their car, but Hogg chases them on his cruiser motorcycle. After defeating Hogg, Jack realizes the gangsters have taken over his garage; they clear it out and defeat leader Slice. They then receive a message from an old villager about weird dinosaur behavior. Reaching the village, they find dinosaurs attacking people and the village set on fire. The old villager is about to reveal the person behind it all when he is shot dead by Morgan, who attacks the group. During the fight, Morgan transforms into a dinosaur-like creature called Morgue. The heroes learn that some doctor is trying to create new lifeforms.
Reception
Critics liked Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, with GamesMaster giving it a thumbs-up. In Japan, Game Machine’s June 1993 issue ranked it among the top arcade games for the prior two weeks, beating out Warriors of Fate. RePlay also listed it as the ninth most popular arcade game at the time. Go Play, a PSP magazine, reviewed it with Willow and The Punisher, calling the trio “some of the best CPS1 games you're unlikely to ever play on a Capcom compilation.”
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (video game) released?
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs was released in April 1993.
Who composed the music for Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (video game)?
The music for Cadillacs and Dinosaurs was composed by Isao Abe and Syun Nishigaki.
Is Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (video game) single-player or multiplayer?
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs offers single-player and multiplayer play.
More in Capcom Games of the 1990s
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