Developer: Titus Publisher: Titus Released: 1995 Genre: Platformer
I really loved Joe & Mac, both in the arcade and at home. Though short and easy I enjoyed every second of it. So you can imagine my disappointment with Joe & Mac 3: Lost in the Tropics. Here you have a game that tried to appear larger than it actually was and was full of fluff for no reason. Titus Prehistorik Man was the game I wished Lost in the Tropics had been; a long adventure full of variety and decent production values that used its setting to stand out from the other platformers of the time. This is a great game and one you should not miss.
Although it may seem like a new intellectual property Prehistorik Man is actually a sequel to an earlier Titus game for the Amiga named Prehistorik 2. Aside from the character and setting however the two games are nothing alike. In the middle of the night greedy dinosaurs steal all of the food from a caveman village. Unfortunately this is right before winter. The village chief is too old to undertake the task of getting their provisions back and so calls on Sam, the gnarliest caveman you’ve ever seen to find their grub.
Prehistorik Man is a pretty good looking game overall. The game boasts a vivid art style that literally pops off the screen and brings the great pixel art to life. There are large variety of settings that change every few stages and aside from slime world all look great. The animation is the true star as the game has a Saturday morning cartoon quality to it. Sam and especially the bosses boast a number of exaggerated animations that are a joy to see in action. I may not have liked most of Titus output but they did not slouch on the production values in their games, questionable quality or not.
Sam is as simple as a caveman can be. Aside from his club he can shout really loud which blows weak enemies away and destroy boulders. He’s quick on his feet and responsive but the controls can be touchy at times. The staple butt bounce is present however its only use is to gain height on your jumps. You are not alone on your journey as a few villagers tag along on the quest. The inventor will craft a few wacky vehicles such as the wheel and pogo stick that break up the hop and bop action. The metalsmith will craft new or improved weapons to aid in your expedition.
Aside from your level objective your other goals are to collect as much food as possible to feed the village in your absence. Food is totaled up at the end of each level and the snarky elder grades your progress. While funny you can completely ignore this goal with no repercussions. It makes it a bit pointless unless you like to explore. Bones are currency in the rare shops to purchase temporary weapons, information and extra lives.
Prehistorik Man’s greatest asset is its variety. Although it is simple new items and mechanics are introduced every two or three levels that keeps things fresh. Every level has a set objective and in a good number of cases they aren’t as simple as reaching the exit. The level design is great if a bit repetitive; you’ll ascend that same tree a few times and spend a little too long in slime world before moving on. Not all of them are winners (I’m not fond of the hang glider and pogo stick controls) but for a platformer released in 1996 this is above and beyond many of the games released at the end of the system’s life.
Despite its cheerful appearance Prehistorik Man puts up a decent fight. Until you extend your life bar it can be easy to die to random enemies. The initial levels are sparsely populated but by stage seven enemy placements are dense and tricky to navigate. The dinosaurs and insects become more aggressive as well. Boss battles are always a challenge but in a good way as they have fun patterns to exploit. The difficulty curve rises gradually as each new set of levels asks more of you while still being intuitive. Overall this is a well-balanced game for all skill levels.
If there is one flaw it’s the lack of battery backup or passwords to save progress. This is an incredibly long game at twenty three stages. Many of these you won’t complete on your first try. That is certainly getting your money’s worth in terms of value but what good is all that content if you don’t have the will to see all of it? It’s asking a lot of gamers to expect them to finish this in one sitting. As much as I like the great deal of variety the game offers I would still have liked the option to play it at my own pace rather than all or nothing each time.
In Conclusion
Prehistorik Man took me by surprise and in a good way. I acknowledge most of that was due to the fact Titus were not the best publisher. Prehistorik Man is probably the best SNES game Titus ever released and an excellent addition to the SNES platforming library.
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