To the uninitiated, the name sounds like the result of a fever dream or a bad pitch meeting. But for those who pumped quarters into the massive four-player cabinet, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs represents the zenith of the "beat 'em up" genre and a unique slice of early 90s eco-conscious pulp fiction. Before it was a game, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs was Xenozoic Tales , an acclaimed comic book series by Mark Schultz. Debuting in 1987, the comic presented a post-apocalyptic 22nd century. After ecological disasters and massive earthquakes forced humanity underground for centuries, survivors emerge to find a world where mankind is no longer the apex predator. The continents have shifted, the climate is brutal, and—most importantly— dinosaurs have returned .
So the next time you hear someone complain about licensed games being cash grabs, tell them about the time Capcom, General Motors, and a comic book artist decided to make a masterpiece. Long live the Cadillacs. Long live the dinosaurs. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Capcom, Xenozoic Tales, arcade game, beat 'em up, Jack Tenrec, retro gaming, CPS-1, Mark Schultz. Cadillacs And Dinosaurs
In the pantheon of 1990s nostalgia, certain names trigger instant recognition: Street Fighter II , Terminator 2 , Jurassic Park . But lurking in the arcade shadows, wedged between a pinball machine and a racing cabinet, was a title so bizarre, so perfectly indicative of its time, that it has achieved near-mythical status among collectors and retro gamers. That title is Cadillacs and Dinosaurs . To the uninitiated, the name sounds like the
It is loud, it is weird, and it is perfect. In an era of battle royale shooters and hyper-realistic RPGs, the simple joy of —the name itself a thesis statement for awesome absurdity—is something modern gaming has never been able to replicate. Debuting in 1987, the comic presented a post-apocalyptic
Unlike Street Fighter II , which was in every pizza joint and laundromat, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs was expensive. Capcom used the CP System Dash (CPS-1) hardware, but the game required a massive motherboard and unique wiring. Consequently, it was mostly found in dedicated arcades or high-end movie theaters. Furthermore, due to licensing fees from both GM (Cadillac) and the comic publisher, home ports were almost non-existent.