Dino Run
May 7, 2008 6:48 AM Subscribe
Pixeljam (the folks responsible for the retro flash classic Gamma Bros) have just released a new game: Dino Run. Control your dinosaur and escape the wall of doom.
The 'buy more levels with bones you collect' mechanism requires a bit more commitment than I'm willing to give a flash game. Fun, though.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:39 AM on May 7, 2008
posted by shakespeherian at 7:39 AM on May 7, 2008
Bad game design: player can't tell good objects and bad objects apart. Does that fuzzy thing give me life, or kill me? How about that other one? I'm still not sure which was which.
Good game design: after falling a ridiculous distance that I assumed was death, I landed on a path that let me crawl back up. Mario would kill for such a shot at redemption.
posted by rokusan at 7:51 AM on May 7, 2008
Good game design: after falling a ridiculous distance that I assumed was death, I landed on a path that let me crawl back up. Mario would kill for such a shot at redemption.
posted by rokusan at 7:51 AM on May 7, 2008
The only thing that will kill you is the giant black wall of doom, and I think it's pretty easy to realize that it isn't a good object. Plus, all the powerups are displayed on the "How to Play" screen. It pretty much boils down to "Eat everything you can while avoiding everything you can't."
posted by Nedroid at 8:02 AM on May 7, 2008
posted by Nedroid at 8:02 AM on May 7, 2008
Bad game design II: foreground and background objects often indistinguishable. Can I walk on that, or will I pass over or under it?
posted by rokusan at 8:05 AM on May 7, 2008
posted by rokusan at 8:05 AM on May 7, 2008
Aww, poor widdew dino..
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:16 AM on May 7, 2008
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:16 AM on May 7, 2008
It pretty much boils down to "Eat everything you can while avoiding everything you can't."
Funny, I was given the same instructions at birth, modified slightly around age 12.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:17 AM on May 7, 2008
Funny, I was given the same instructions at birth, modified slightly around age 12.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:17 AM on May 7, 2008
"Eat everything you can while avoiding everything you can't."
Funny, I was given the same instructions at birth, modified slightly around age 12.
Poor Becky Sue.
posted by rokusan at 10:56 AM on May 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
Funny, I was given the same instructions at birth, modified slightly around age 12.
Poor Becky Sue.
posted by rokusan at 10:56 AM on May 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
The bad game killed my cute li'l dinosaur!
Bad! Bad game!
posted by lekvar at 11:04 AM on May 7, 2008
Bad! Bad game!
posted by lekvar at 11:04 AM on May 7, 2008
I didn't know poor controls was the reason dinosaurs died.
posted by stresstwig at 1:16 PM on May 7, 2008
posted by stresstwig at 1:16 PM on May 7, 2008
Sorry, that was a little oversnarky-- I liked the game, but its controls were awful for me, especially when you had to jump over rocks and what not after being in a pit.
posted by stresstwig at 1:17 PM on May 7, 2008
posted by stresstwig at 1:17 PM on May 7, 2008
I jumped right into the game after reading only the first sentence of the OP.
This was a mistake.
"Hey, asteroid! I get it, land of the dinosaurs and everything. Heh, this game is pretty fun. Whimsical animation, smooth physics. Sorta reminds me of Sonic. And-a-jump and-a-leap and-a-eat-eat-eat. Alright, steady... and... yes! Nailed the tree full of eggs! *rumble* High score, here I come. So now I just need to jump over *rumblerumble* this little *rumblerumble* hillock and over *rumblerumble* that *rumblerumblerumble* um... what's that *RUMBLERUMBLERUMBLE* HOLY SHIT BIG BLACK WALL OF DOOOOOM *RUMBLERUMBLECRUNCHSMASHDOOM*"
I can say without hesitation that the Big Black Wall of Doom is among the most harrowing presences I've ever encountered in video games. "!" indeed, little dinosaur guy.
posted by Rhaomi at 2:23 PM on May 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
This was a mistake.
"Hey, asteroid! I get it, land of the dinosaurs and everything. Heh, this game is pretty fun. Whimsical animation, smooth physics. Sorta reminds me of Sonic. And-a-jump and-a-leap and-a-eat-eat-eat. Alright, steady... and... yes! Nailed the tree full of eggs! *rumble* High score, here I come. So now I just need to jump over *rumblerumble* this little *rumblerumble* hillock and over *rumblerumble* that *rumblerumblerumble* um... what's that *RUMBLERUMBLERUMBLE* HOLY SHIT BIG BLACK WALL OF DOOOOOM *RUMBLERUMBLECRUNCHSMASHDOOM*"
I can say without hesitation that the Big Black Wall of Doom is among the most harrowing presences I've ever encountered in video games. "!" indeed, little dinosaur guy.
posted by Rhaomi at 2:23 PM on May 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
(Disclaimer: I was made a beta tester for this game after submitting bug reports from Ratmaze 2, which I FPP'd some time back. I'm glad someone else posted this one, for as a tester I couldn't.)
I've been enjoying Dino Run, in one form or another, for months now, and it's been great to watch it grow. There's really a lot to find. I still haven't gotten two of the super eggs.
On controls: The controls are actually pretty good, but realistically, your dino doesn't jump straight up but away from slopes. This'll catch you on overhangs if you're not careful. It feels a lot like Sonic the Hedgehog in that regard.
On bone collecting: It's not hard to collect bones, especially once you hit level six, there's a large skeleton that's worth a good number just from running across. Plus I think anything you eat is worth at least one bone. Anyway, challenge mode is the "main" game, which is composed of randomized level pieces. The speedrun levels are pre-made routes.
Rhaomi: Agree about the wall of doom. That "!" is actually a recent addition, it started happening less than a week ago.
posted by JHarris at 6:48 PM on May 7, 2008
I've been enjoying Dino Run, in one form or another, for months now, and it's been great to watch it grow. There's really a lot to find. I still haven't gotten two of the super eggs.
On controls: The controls are actually pretty good, but realistically, your dino doesn't jump straight up but away from slopes. This'll catch you on overhangs if you're not careful. It feels a lot like Sonic the Hedgehog in that regard.
On bone collecting: It's not hard to collect bones, especially once you hit level six, there's a large skeleton that's worth a good number just from running across. Plus I think anything you eat is worth at least one bone. Anyway, challenge mode is the "main" game, which is composed of randomized level pieces. The speedrun levels are pre-made routes.
Rhaomi: Agree about the wall of doom. That "!" is actually a recent addition, it started happening less than a week ago.
posted by JHarris at 6:48 PM on May 7, 2008
Nice, but not that good as Gamma Bros.
Respect to PixelJam.
posted by Leech at 1:29 PM on May 8, 2008
Respect to PixelJam.
posted by Leech at 1:29 PM on May 8, 2008
Nice game. I always appreciate these Flash games. My aging computer can't do the 3D stuff very well.
posted by wastelands at 8:09 PM on May 8, 2008
posted by wastelands at 8:09 PM on May 8, 2008
I will add that Shift doesn't seem to do anything for me. Except maybe when I eat one of the yellow flowers. But the help says sparking feet = push shift, but nothin' happens.
posted by wastelands at 8:17 PM on May 8, 2008
posted by wastelands at 8:17 PM on May 8, 2008
The feet sparkling line is a little misleading, wastelands. I'd ignore the sparkle effect. The way it works:
You begin each level with a turbo boost. Press shift to use it; you'll get the flower-eating sound effect. You'll go a bit faster than usual for a bit. About 20 seconds after the boost, you'll get another, but there's really no good way to tell it's available than to keep trying. Also, it only works if you're on the ground, so if you don't hear the sound when you press shift and it's been long enough, wait until you have solid footing.
If you save up DNA, the turbo boost gains extra effects at 250 (super jumping) and 500 (super strength).
posted by JHarris at 8:21 PM on May 8, 2008
You begin each level with a turbo boost. Press shift to use it; you'll get the flower-eating sound effect. You'll go a bit faster than usual for a bit. About 20 seconds after the boost, you'll get another, but there's really no good way to tell it's available than to keep trying. Also, it only works if you're on the ground, so if you don't hear the sound when you press shift and it's been long enough, wait until you have solid footing.
If you save up DNA, the turbo boost gains extra effects at 250 (super jumping) and 500 (super strength).
posted by JHarris at 8:21 PM on May 8, 2008
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But great. Greater than it should be. Haven't tried multiplayer, but I'm sure that's awesome too.
posted by the dief at 7:08 AM on May 7, 2008