Primal Rage (Genesis)

Primal Rage
Developer: Probe Entertainment Publisher: Time Warner Interactive Platform: Genesis Released in US: August 25, 1995 Released in EU: August 25, 1995 This game has unused modes / minigames. This game has debugging material. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prototype article

Primal Rage is a strange one-on-one fighting game where a bunch of prehistoric animals fight each other on a post-apocalyptic Earth. Techniques include farts as special moves and urinating as a finisher.

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Prototype Info

Extra Options Menu

Press Left, Up, Right, Right, Up, Left, Right, Right, Left, Left, Up at the main menu to make a second options menu appear.

While many of the options are self-explanatory, a few of them aren't:

• Soak Test - Runs continuous AI vs. AI matches. Soak testing is a method used by developers to test for memory leaks that only show up after extended usage.
• Play Bowling Game - Starts the match off with a bowling minigame (see below).
• Okay Right? - When this option is enabled and Diablo is selected as the player's character, a jumping devil with the face of Fergus McGovern (the founder of Probe Entertainment) will appear in your matches.

Bowling Minigame

As noted above, there is an option to start regular matches with a bowling minigame: The fighters will walk offscreen and a bunch of humans will run up, serving as the pins. The player(s) or COM can use the controller to line up their shots, which consists of the respective fighter rolling into the "pins".

After the minigame ends (which consists of only two frames), the match returns to normal.

Revisional Differences

For the Sega Channel, three special versions of the game were made. The ROM files were found on a Sega Channel development disc.

Test Drive

Essentially a limited demo available throughout August 1995.

• Only 3 of the 7 characters are available: Blizzard, Armadon, and Sauron.
• Players could play a single match against either a second player or a randomly chosen CPU opponent.
• Upon completion of that match, the screen to the right appears informing the player about further Primal Rage-related events happening on Sega Channel.

Full Version

This version was available on the game's launch day, "Rage Day". It was claimed that this was the full retail version, but it does contain a few omissions - namely the "Okay Right?" option and the bowling minigame from the extra options menu.

The internal ROM header is copied from Mortal Kombat.

Primal Showdown

A one-day contest held on August 26, 1995 from Noon to Midnight, Eastern time. The first 154 winners could win a variety of prizes, the grand prize being a full Primal Rage arcade cabinet.

Players were tasked with completing the single-player campaign as either Sauron or Blizzard. Upon completion, the screen to the right appears instructing players to call a phone number with the secret word and code shown. While the secret word is static, the secret code is generated based on... something.