Dinosaur games
I tend to frame these posts I make as recommendations. Most of the time that’s true because a majority of them are relatively unknown games that I want to share with whomever is willing to take a look. However, being that I post about every game I play, it feels silly to add games such as Tomb Raider to these lists because they don’t need any more publicity. In these cases, I’m pretty much just sharing my experience because they’ve already been reviewed/recommended plenty of times.
This is a special edition containing dinosaurs, my favourite type of plant. Yes, I purposely played dinosaur games so I could make a little theme to write around. Yes, I know Tomb Raider isn’t about dinosaurs, but I don’t care.
Dinosaur Party by everythingstaken (Blake Andrews)
This is one of those occasions where I was trying to craft a humourous review/recommendation, imitating the style of the game’s writing. However, I feel that such wouldn’t do Dinosaur Party justice. It’s an epic tale spanning almost fifty chapters, each piece elevating the whole into a masterpiece filled with drama, humour, and beauty. Any more words on the game would spoil it, so please set aside a bit of time to enrich your life.
Dino Run DX by Pixeljam
I did a beta test on another game from Pixeljam, Cheap Golf. As a thanks, they sent me a key to Dino Run DX.
As much as I admire it, I just never clicked with the humour of Flash games and animations in the early 2000s, so I ignored them in favour of Tony Hawk and WarioWare. Unfortunately, this meant that I missed hundreds of neat browser games, the original Dino Run being one of them.
Dino Run DX is awesome. It’s one of those experiences that feels so good when you’re in a flow zone. As long as you traverse the landscape well, your path to the end of the level feels so smooth (especially if you’re assisted by the brown pterodactyls). Of course, if you bump into an obstacle, your momentum is severely diminished, a fitting punishment.
One of the coolest aspects of this is making your dino cute. Although I prefer the simplicity of normal human head coverings, there are so many options you can choose from. It’s crazy how many references to other games and media there are. I think it’s awesome, but replacing a dino’s head with something incongruous just creeps me out, so I avoid it, lol.
Rex: Another Island by shysaursoft
“Open world” is typically a phrase that turns me off. I have neither time nor patience for games of these sort, especially knowing that many are padded with inconsequential content.
Yet I felt that this concept greatly benefited Rex: Another Island. I find that shorter nonlinear games work well because they don’t overwhelm with possibilities. I appreciate being given choice within a certain limit that respects the player’s time, favouring a succinct experience that’s just the perfect amount of time to complete.
Everything about this game is brilliant: the sprawling world design, the detailed artwork, the satisfying controls, and the top-notch soundtrack (seriously, it’s so good that I actually purchased it). shysaursoft put together one incredible package that I’d be hard-pressed to suggest anything to improve it.
Right now, I’m listening to the soundtrack (“The Sewers” at this moment), and it’s making me feel wistful. I’m seriously bummed that I cannot experience this for the first time again…
Tomb Raider (1996)by Core Design
I played OpenLara when it first came out, and it dumped me in the second level. Right away, wolves pathfinded to Lara, freaking me out. I believe I stopped shortly after the bear followed me into the water, vowing never to play it again. It’s too scary.
Eventually, I saw some footage and couldn’t resist. Shortly after purchasing the PS1 disc, my friend started playing it, and ended up spoiling the game because I thought the T-Rex was the final boss. Regardless, I started playing it myself as soon as he left.
It took me half of the entire game to really grasp the controls. I still couldn’t help but fall in love with the imaginative use of grid-based environments. Translating organic landscapes into neat little sections is a bizarre dissonance that brings so much character to this game. Even though Tomb Raider is unforgiving (losing half-an-hour of progress because of the difficulty+pitiful checkpoint system sucks ass), it’s worth the effort to witness the lack of inhibitions Core utilized to their advantage.
I own Tomb Raider II, but my friend told me there’s more human-to-human combat, the weakest part of the original for me. And even though it’s a fan favourite, I highly doubt that the sequel can touch the innovation of no.1.
Another dinosaur game I own but haven’t had time to play it yet: JumpJet Rex.
Previous recommendations from this season: Pico-8 Advent Calendar / Games for Winter
