 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Dinosaur King
- Nintendo DS
- Price: $29.99
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
A Pokemon-style collection/fight game with dinos.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a Pokemon-inspired game that imparts some knowledge about dinosaurs as you collect them. While there is violence, you never see blood or even the dinosaurs hitting each other.
What's it about?
Imagine video game executives sitting around a table, making pitches. One says, How about Pokemon meets dinosaurs? And the crowd goes wild! As the latest riff on Pokemon-style game play, DINOSAUR KING tells the story of TV cartoon heroes Max and Rex as they traverse the globe to collect and trade over 100 dinosaurs with 240 special moves. Oh, they also save the world from the evil Alpha Gang, who have stolen a DinoShot, a fancy gadget that brings dinosaurs to life.
Basically, the game is a save-the-world RPG that uses collectible dinosaur cards to fight against other dinosaurs. You use the touch screen to pit dinosaur versus dinosaur in a Rock-Paper-Scissor-type game, with the ensuing bloodless battle shown in nice detail on the top screen. The game has one terrific twist on the old collect 'em all premise that is Pokemon's trademark. By scratching the screen with your stylus, you mimic digging and uncover dinosaur fossils. You even blow lightly into the DS mic to rid the bones of dust, a fun touch that's somehow realistic.
Is it any good?
As you move from country to country to collect dinosaurs, you talk to fearful folk who've been dealing with nasty dinosaurs wreaking havoc. Then you use a good dinosaur you've collected to fight the reptile that's causing trouble. But this concept becomes dull after a while as do the admittedly detailed and life-like animations in the top screen.
Dinosaur King has some true positives going for it: well-rounded characters with personality, triumphant trumpets sounding your kingliness and the aforementioned ability to dig fossils. Plus, you can play wirelessly against folks who have another DS and via a WiFi connection. But it's just too much like Pokemon to make it seem completely new. Plus, you have to do your own saving constantly, which is a royal pain. The Dinosaur Encyclopedia just doesn't have enough interesting dino facts to warrant the name. Finally, you wish the battle system had a bit more variety and nuance to it.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Kid, 9 years old
June 30, 2011
AGE
ages 9 to 12
good game bit violent.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Kids would love this game
I think this is the best dinosaur game for the DS and I think lots of kids would love this game, It came from the show Dinosaur King and the Arcade, then SEGA made dinosaur king for the DS and the game itself was very good, theres also a lot of dinosaurs you can collect by digging in the ground and then you go to a lab and they turned them into cards and there ar attack cards known as move cards so that the dinosaur can attack the outher dinosaurs and when the life metter go's down the dinosaur will turn back into a card. So yes I think Kids will realy love this game.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Perfect for older kids
Hey I really Like This Dinosaur Game it's Perfect for older kids
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Platforms: | Nintendo DS |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | Sega of America |
| Release date: | September 23, 2008 |
| Price: | $29.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E for Fantasy Violence |
Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.
Review It
Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings. We value your feedback.
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already played it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
