Dinosaurs rock!
Here comes another Disney edutainment title to bounce of the back of a blockbuster animated movie, in this case, Dinosaur. Like the similarly styled Disney's Aladdin Activity Center, this is a fine piece of software that uses the license well and incorporates some fun and interesting minigames to good effect. There are five activities on offer here, each based on specific parts from the movie and which test various skills in the player. Lemur Love Match is a color matching game, while Stracosaurus Spelunker is a puzzler which revolves around breaking rocks in order to escape from a cave. Iguanadon Pond-a-thon is similar to the classic Lines and Boxes, where you must fill an area with water while playing against an opponent and Colossal Fossil Faceoff is a chess- or Stratego-style game where you are trying to protect and rescue your eggs. The final game allows you to create your own stories using various images and sounds, and each activity uses stills, quotes, effects and of course the characters from the actual film. For younger players in love with the movie, or dinosaurs in general, this is a fine little experience. The five activities are all varied and well thought out, with simple mechanics which are easy to learn but which are also very entertaining to play. The use of clips from the movie is well implemented, giving it an authentic feel, and the visuals are up to the usual high standard we expect from Disney tie-ins. There's a good level of challenge too, so all in all, this is another fine title from the House of Mouse.
