Jack Tenrec
A capable mechanic and fighter who leads the resistance against the dinosaur poachers.
Documented for this version
Joystick | Move the character |
|---|---|
Attack | Perform a standard attack |
Jump | Jump |
AttackJump | Perform a special attack |
JoystickAttack | Use directional attacks |
AttackAttackAttack | Perform a basic attack sequence |
|---|---|
JoystickAttack | Attack in a chosen direction |
Arcade button labels and cabinet layouts can vary by machine.
Weapon, grab, and vehicle interactions depend on the current situation.
How it plays
The game uses a side-scrolling perspective. Players move through linear stages, defeat human enemies and dinosaurs, rescue civilians, and survive boss encounters before reaching the next area.
Up to three players can cooperate in the arcade version. Each character has different strengths, while attacks can be combined with jumps, grabs, thrown objects, firearms, and vehicles. Progression is stage-based rather than experience-driven; players improve mainly by conserving health, learning enemy patterns, and using the weapons and scenery available in each section.
Plan your run
Use the environment as part of your offense. Pick up weapons and objects quickly, throw them into groups of enemies, and avoid standing between opponents on both sides.
Learn each boss’s safe approach and preserve health by attacking during recovery windows. In multiplayer, spread out enough to avoid overlapping enemy attacks, but regroup when a large wave or boss appears.
Meet the cast
A capable mechanic and fighter who leads the resistance against the dinosaur poachers.
A skilled scientist and member of the resistance who fights alongside Jack.
A fast, agile fighter known for his speed and effective close-range attacks.
A powerful resistance fighter who relies on strength and heavy attacks.
Before you begin
Use firearms and thrown weapons to control crowds before committing to melee attacks.
Dinosaurs can damage enemies as well as the player, so position them carefully.
Save health by jumping over large attacks instead of trading hits.
Editorial context
A highly regarded Capcom beat ’em up with responsive combat, memorable dinosaur enemies, and excellent cooperative play.
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs is a side-scrolling arcade beat ’em up developed and published by Capcom in 1993. It adapts the post-apocalyptic world of Mark Schultz’s Xenozoic Tales, where humans and resurrected dinosaurs share a dangerous future Earth. Players choose from four resistance fighters and battle poachers, gangs, mutants, and dinosaurs across a sequence of densely packed stages. The game combines hand-to-hand combat with firearms, thrown weapons, vehicles, and environmental hazards. Its responsive controls, varied enemy encounters, and unusual comic-book setting earned it a strong reputation among arcade beat ’em ups. Although its arcade release was not followed by a major home-console version in many regions, it remains one of Capcom’s most distinctive cooperative action games.
Catalog entry maintained by EmuGamers Editorial Team
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