Reviewed by: The Ghostly Gamer
Developer: Wild Sphere
Publisher: Outright Games
Genre: Adventure, Racing
Release Date: 3.27.2020
Price: $39.99
Watch the Trailer
Buy Gigantosaurus from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
So, as you can see there seems to be a trend when it comes to reviewing kid friendly games and I am your guy. I not only sit and listen to what the kids think and feel again but I am pretty much a man child when it comes to video games. So, when we got the opportunity to give this game a go I didn't hesitate. Now, I know it is based off a children's show but I have never heard of Gigantosaurus but my kids on the other hand were really excited to play for they have. I had high hopes for this game because the OG name was attached to it and I really enjoyed everything else I have played with their name on it, did this game stand up to the expectations? Let's dive in.
DI-NO-MITE Fun For The Whole Family
You start off as a group of little dinosaurs playing a game. As they are playing the game they bump into a few velociraptors that had just snatched a baby dino egg and get it mixed up with your ball. Being a good group of little dinosaurs you help return the egg with the help of a pterodactyl. As this is happening a meteor shower comes and hits the land, scattering baby dino eggs all over the place. And now you must quickly help find them and return them to their nest before those mean old velociraptors snatch 'em up.
So, you can see that though it is a video game it is well-designed to teach the good old lesson of right vs wrong. Now I said this is fun for the whole family, how is it fun for adults? Well the game does support up to four players allowing mom and dad to get in in the action as well. There are four dinosaurs you can play as. Each of them - like any good adventure game - has their own ability to help you progress at certain points. So, if you are playing multiplayer that allows everyone to get a good piece of the action. If you are paying single player you can simply swap dinos at any given point to play as, allowing you to do what you need to do without an annoying computer controlled player following you around and getting in your way. Other than that all four dinos have the same basic moves, a jump, and a little tail swing they can do to swat off any enemies you may encounter.
Gigantaudiovisualsaurus
Gigantosaurus overall is cartoonish enough to help keep the attention of the kids playing it. It almost looks like you are playing the cartoon itself in some parts. The only thing that aggravated me at some points and got my kids wanting to rage quit at some points is the camera angles. You are supposed to be able to control the camera with the right thumbstick but that didn't always seem to work and we could only move it manually in certain sections. This can be a bit problematic when in certain areas and you needed to move around; it was like you had to run in circles sometimes to get it to fix. Other than that when playing through story mode, or racing, or watching the cutscenes it is visually appealing to all. One of the things I appreciated visually is the fact it is kid friendly; when doing the main objective (collecting eggs) there is a purple trail that helps guide you to them and then back to the nest, making it easier to point out to the kids on where to go.
The overall audio to the game is fun and a lot like other children's games. The sound effects are spot on and make the game very entertaining. The background music however is not as catchy as most games. Usually I find myself even getting the kids-style music stuck in my head but not this game. It doesn't quite grasp you as well as others. I had to boot the game back up just to remember what the music sounded like. The narrator on the other hand has a very kid-friendly voice and the story is read to you like an audiobook. The rhyming reminded me a lot of Dr. Seuss. So regardless if your kid can or can't read well yet they will know what is going on, a policy I wish more games would adopt.
Kid Gloves Are On
Again this game is made for kids so you would expect easy controls so they can enjoy the game and that's exactly what you get. When playing story mode there isn't much to the controls making it suitable for all. You run around and jump for the most part with an occasional tail swing or switching of characters. Even when racing it is very easy to grasp. You have a button to accelerate, jump, and break while steering. But for the most part you can just get away with accelerating and steering, no brakes or jumping really needed.. My two year old really loved being able to just run around and looking at all the NPC dinosaurs that just chill on the map.
Dino-Sized Fun For Everyone
Like I have stated the main part of the game is saving baby dino eggs but that's not all there is to do. You can race, and as you progress in the story you unlock more playable tracks. You can find collectables, help plant trees, and find walnuts. Now when playing the story I said there is a guidance trail, but there isn't when doing the smaller tasks so if you see something just take a moment and mess around in that area unless you want to remember how you got there. There is a map but it's just easier to play around if you are already there. Even when you race you can unlock statues to look at by collecting all the dino skulls throughout the track. The overall game is decent-sized too. You have 6 different locations that make up the world. So far we have played in the Savanna, Jungle, and Desert. Each area offers all kinds of environments for the kids and bad guys as well (scorpions, dino-eating fish, and then some) and they aren't overwhelming again making it fun for all.
You can even find little power-ups that help you along the journey and do silly little things. You can play basketball, go down slides, hop on swings, and find hidden tunnels. Gigantosaurus definitely offers a lot to keep the kids having fun and entertained and I highly recommend it for anyone that has smaller children of their own. Like I said both of mine really enjoyed it one of which is 7 and the other being 2. Heck I am playing as I write this and I'm playing alone; I'm more of a completionist so I'm finding myself collecting all the stuff the kids missed to let them see it all. Like I said the only problem I noticed is the iffy camera movement and the not-so-mesmerizing soundtrack to the game. Overall this game is a family fun keeper and I'm glad it's on the market.
Score 8.5/10
Buy Gigantosaurus from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
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*A game code was provided for review purposes.
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