Back in April, we reported on an upcoming retro platformer, Dino Quake. We sampled the demo and felt that the Parasol Stars-inspired title from developer Neutronized was shaping up to be a fine game. Since then, we’ve had the chance to play the finished game that is out now on Steam. We’ve stomped our dino feet and swung our razor-sharp claws for this review to let you know if it’s a roaring success or a pile of dino dung!
Dino Quake pays homage to many classic single-screen arcade titles of yesteryear, especially Taito’s Bubble Bobble series. Everything from the aesthetics and music to the gameplay and bosses oozes early 90s platformer. Incidentally, the release of Dino Quake has come during a time when prehistoric retro games are in vogue. We recently reported on the new Joe & Mac collection as well as Prehistoric Gal, so that’s three dino-themed platformers in one month!
Dino Quake opens with a fun mini cutscene explaining that the dinosaurs were going about their business when aliens attack Earth. It’s now up to the dinosaurs to take them on in a fight to save themselves. After the intro, a beautiful, bright, and bold title screen appears that gives us a nostalgic feel of arcade cabs from back in the day. Everything about the opening of Dino Quake has been well thought out and is pleasing to the eyes and ears.
You start the game with a choice of two dinosaurs, Mina and Kiwi, who are homage characters of Bub and Bob from Bubble Bobble. The premise of the game is simple: defeat all the on-screen enemies by firstly stunning them with your dino stomp, then charging into them to throw them across the screen. Sounds familiar? Yes, the mechanic is exactly that of the Bubble Bobble series, but that is no bad thing; it works very well.
The game’s stunning and throw mechanic has been perfectly implemented and has great hit detection. There is also a ‘thud’ that lets you know you’ve connected that really helps with the immersion, especially in a fast-paced arcade title like Dino Quake. You have a set amount of lives, and once these are gone, it’s game over and back to the start. There is the occasional life heart drop that can keep you going, though. On the topic of lives, at no point did we feel there were any unfair deaths; each one was our fault.
For those struggling to reach the end of the game, there is an easy mode, but the normal mode has just the right amount of challenge that requires you to keep improving. Each set of levels ends with a boss battle that is won by throwing the stunned enemies at it. At the end of the boss, you’ve a choice as to where to go next. There are always two paths to choose and it’s fun finding out where you’ll end up next.
The whole game ends when you reach the final boss and destroy the aliens once and for all. There is a score counter to keep an eye on, but sadly, no high score screen is included. We wonder if this might be something the developer could include in an update, as the game would benefit from keeping high scores to challenge. After you complete the game, you’ll unlock new dinosaurs that give some much-needed longevity to proceedings. All the dinos have their own stats around speed, as well as stomp range and strength.
The other great aspect of the game is the power-ups that appear from time to time; these range from simple speed boosts to weapons that explode all the enemies on screen. Although you’ll need to work out exactly what each one does, as it isn’t always immediately obvious. The other interesting aspect is discovering the letters that make up TURNIP by stomping on the vegetables on the ground. Get them all, and a secret bonus level will open that boosts your score and gives an extra life.
Dino Quake isn’t perfect; a few of the bosses feel a little samey at times, although the good ones are very good, especially the shark battle and the tough final boss. We already mentioned the lack of a high score table, and how it’s not always obvious what some of the power-ups are actually doing to improve our dinosaur. However, all these are minor complaints given how much fun the gameplay loop is and how colorfully beautiful the graphics are.
Overall, Dino Quake is a fun, easy-to-get-into, arcade title that has brilliant presentation and some features that help it have some replay value. Anyone who is a fan of retro single-screen arcade titles will find a lot of fun in this one, and those who enjoy vibrant pixel art will appreciate the graphics. It may not be one you’ll play for a particularly long time, especially once everything is unlocked, but it’s great value given the quality.
