Disney's Dinosaur

Dinosaurs with a bone to pick!

What is Disney up to? They should be happy enough that Pixar made them billions with the Toy Story and A Bug's Life films, but now it seems the 'House of Mouse' is playing Pixar at their own game. Dinosaur is Disney's first attempt at their own full-length computer-animated feature, the cheeky monkeys! And as ever where there's a movie from Disney, the game conversion, like a shadow, is never far behind!

The plot, in line with the film, concerns a bunch of cute dinos who escape a meteor shower and go looking for the 'promised land'. Although it seems to have been tailored from another dinosaur film – The Land Before Time – the gist of Disney's offering is a slightly darker, alien, and prettier affair.

Scales Galore!

Anyway, back to the game, taking control of the main character (Iguanodon) you must guide your prehistoric friends to safety across all kinds of nasty, tricky obstacles. The game is viewed from a bird's eye perspective and there are plenty of characters to save, platforms to jump and mazes to navigate. As you progress, there are moments when you are simply too weak, far or slow to get through a particular challenge and it is then up to your other buddies to take over. It is this "passing of the gauntlet" that gives the game its real challenge and promises some top puzzle moments.

Dinosaur is aimed at young gamers, however even if you are an older player, you'll probably find yourself hooked on it too, as despite its simplicity the gameplay is strangely compelling. Go on, have a go, you know you want to!

The movie was weak-sauce in the eyes of many (usually those over the age of one), but that doesn't mean the game has to be! Ubi Soft is aiming this one at the kids, but that's not a bad thing if the gameplay turns up aces. While the movie may not be the blockbuster everyone expected, the game will linger on when it's released this summer. You've always wanted to be an Iguanodon, admit it!