A Dinosaur's Tale

• Release Date: 1994
• Genre: Action
• Style: Side-Scrolling Platform

Game Description

A Dinosaur's Tale is based on the 1993 animated movie We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story. Choose to play as either Louie or Cecilia and embark on a quest to save friendly dinosaurs Rex, Woog, Elsa and Dweeb from the evil Dr. Screweyes. There's one small problem: they're scattered all around New York City...

The game is divided into 13 levels, some of which involve 3D sequences like flying on the back of Elsa, helping Rex move through the busy city streets, and steering Woog while atop a scooter. In order to make it through the levels, you will need to jump on various enemies to turn them into bubbles. Collecting these bubbles will allow you to purchase power-ups such as boomerangs and red sneakers to help in your journey.

Review: Overall

A Dinosaur's Tale is obviously a game designed for younger audiences: the dinosaurs are "nice," the characters you control are kids, and it's based on an animated movie. You would therefore expect a cute, whimsical adventure that lets young fans feel like they were part of the cartoon. Instead, you'll find a cute game that will probably frustrate children with cheap hits and repetitive gameplay.

The game starts out promising, with characters and backgrounds that could pass for a Saturday morning cartoon. The animation isn't quite up the high standards set by most of the Disney games, but the clean, colorful artwork isn't that far off. Play begins by choosing either Louie or Cecilia, who both have identical moves, but start at different levels. Regardless of the character you select, you will confront the same objective -- find a dinosaur friend, or safely make your way to the end.

While Louie and Cecilia only walk and jump, you can "purchase" items to give them a few new abilities. Red sneakers let characters run, and boomerangs allow them to toss a small projectile (which of course comes back). The "money" to buy these items comes in the form of bubbles, which appear whenever you bounce on an enemy. Collect enough bubbles and you can buy these abilities (as well as one-ups, hit-points, high-jump sneakers, and a temporary bubble shield) whenever you press start. Each character gets a maximum three hits before losing a life, but you can always replenish health in the form of red caps for Louie, or blue ribbons for Cecilia, for every five bubbles you capture.

Alas, the biggest problem is the characters' slow, floating jumps, which contrast with the faster moving enemies. Animals will scurry back and forth as if they are on caffeine, making precise jumps very tricky. There are also falling objects, such as film canisters and sandbags, which seeming to come out of nowhere and claim your life. Things do get easier once you have the boomerang, but the game still seems harder than it should. The tiny boomerang hovers in the air too long, and if you don't hit the enemies the moment you see them, they will run into your character before you get a second throw.

Another disappointment is that the side scrolling levels are nothing more than Basic Platforming 101: jump, bounce and leap from ledge to ledge. Ho-hum. The only thing that distinguishes this game is the impressive 3D levels after you complete each platform stage. There is one small catch, however: you are directly behind the dinosaur. Objects come straight toward the screen while you are staring at the dino's rather large backside, so you end up swerving back and forth like a driver behind an 18-wheeler. You learn to adjust, but the rest of the game really isn't worth the effort.

Review: Enjoyment

The ordinary levels coupled with the tricky controls make for a frustrating game for young ones who may not have the patience to continue. The basic platforming action and limited character moves also hurt the enjoyment.

Review: Graphics

The graphics are almost cartoon quality and the characters animated well when they jump, but that's about it. Backgrounds are nothing more than nice looking, still pictures. The 3D levels could have been great if the developers would let you see what's coming toward you.

Review: Sound

The music and sound effects are slightly better than average, but you won't find yourself humming the tunes after you turn off the game.

Review: Replay Value

The two characters have slightly different paths (although they are very close in nature) with multiple difficulty levels.

Review: Documentation

The instructions do a fine job explaining how to play.