Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

This article is about the home console and PC video game. For the Game Boy video game, see Turok: Battle of the Bionosaurs. For the comic book, see Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (comic book).

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
Developer(s)Iguana Entertainment
Nightdive Studios (remaster)
Publisher(s)Acclaim Entertainment
Nightdive Studios (remaster)
Producer(s)David Dienstbier
Designer(s)David Dienstbier
Programmer(s)Robert Cohen
Artist(s)Alan D. Johnson
Composer(s)Darren Mitchell
SeriesTurok
EngineTurokTech (Original),[11] Kex Engine (Remaster) [a]
Platform(s)
ReleaseNintendo 64
Windows
  • WW: December 17, 2015[6]
OS X
  • WW: February 23, 2016[7]
Xbox One
  • WW: March 2, 2018[8]
Linux
  • WW: June 21, 2018[9]
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: March 18, 2019[10]
PlayStation 4
  • WW: February 25, 2021
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter is a first-person shooter video game developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Acclaim for the Nintendo 64 console and Microsoft Windows. It was released in 1997 in North America and Europe. Turok is an adaptation of the Valiant Comics comic book series of the same name. The player controls Turok, a Native American warrior, who must stop the evil Campaigner from conquering the universe with an ancient and powerful weapon.

As Acclaim's first title for the Nintendo 64, Turok was part of a strategy to develop games internally and license merchandise; Acclaim acquired the rights to Turok when it purchased Valiant Comics in 1994, renaming it Acclaim Comics. Suffering from cash flow problems and falling sales, Acclaim came to rely on Turok as its best hope for a financial turnaround. Iguana pushed the Nintendo 64's graphics capabilities to its limits, and were forced to compress or cut elements to fit the game on its 8 megabyte cartridge. Bugs delayed the game's release from September 1996 to January 1997.

Critical reception of Turok was highly positive. Becoming one of the most popular games for the console on release, Turok won praise for its graphics and evolution of the genre. Complaints centered on graphical slowdowns caused by multiple enemies appearing onscreen and occasionally awkward controls. The game sold 1.5 million copies and boosted sales of the Nintendo 64. Turok spawned a video game franchise that includes a direct sequel, titled Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, in 1998, and a prequel, Turok: Evolution, in 2002. A remastered version of the game by Nightdive Studios[8] was released through digital distribution for Microsoft Windows in 2015, followed by an OS X release in 2016, Xbox One and Linux releases in 2018, a Nintendo Switch release in 2019,[10] and a PlayStation 4 release in 2021. The original game was also re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack via the Mature 17+ app in June 2024.[12]

  1. ^ a b "Acclaim Announces Turok Tuesday; Acclaim launces its PR campaign with news of Turok:Dinosaur Hunter's upcoming arrival". IGN. February 4, 1997. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  2. ^ Mannes, George (March 4, 1997). "Seeking acclaim from game". Daily News. p. 45. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "Turok Dinosaur Hunter". Nintendo Magazine System. March 1, 1997. p. 20. Retrieved April 14, 2024. Release: March 17th
  4. ^ "Acclaim's Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for PC Thrashes into Retail Outlets Nationwide". November 26, 1997. Archived from the original on July 13, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  5. ^ "Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Release Information for PC - GameFAQs". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  6. ^ "Turok Remastered for PC - GameFAQs". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  7. ^ "Mac OS X Version and Update #3 is now available". Steam. February 23, 2016. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Erfanian, Sasha (December 15, 2015). "Turok Remastered is Coming in December". IGN. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  9. ^ "Turok 1 - 'Version 2.0' is now available + MacOS and GNU/Linux versions!". Steam. June 21, 2018. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Turok". www.nintendo.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  11. ^ https://www.pcgamingwiki.comview_html.php?sq=Facebook&lang=en&q=Engine:TurokTech
  12. ^ Cooper, Dalton (June 18, 2024). "Surprise Nintendo Switch Online Update Adding 4 Classic Games". Game Rant. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.


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