Dino Run

"Dino Run"
Author:	pixeljamgames
Audio used:	N/A
Origin:	06/11/2008
Size:	7.2 MB
Score (As of 11 January, 2012):	4.42/5.00
Awards:	Daily 2nd Place Weekly 2nd Place
Author's comments:
UPDATE: HELP US RULE KONGREGATE!! If you like this game, please take a second to visit http://www.kongregate.com /games/pixeljamgames/dino -run (take out the spaces in that url) and rate it. The dinos need your support! :) Whats up Dinos... Here's the latest from Pixeljam. We hope the NG crowd enjoys it. MULTIPLAYER mode is at xgenstudios.com/play/dino run. Race your friends! If you donate any amount to pixeljam, you get 50+ hats/helmets for your dino + many new colors, which show up in Multiplayer as well: pixeljam.com/donations. If the game looks weird or wont show a link, try the pop-up version. INTEL MAC USERS: use Safari. Firefox will not play this game well. All the basics can be found in HOW TO PLAY, but here are some pointers anyway: Escape the pyroclastic wall of doom and find your dino sanctuary! AWSD or Arrow keys move the dino. Or use a combo of both. SHIFT key gives you a speed boost, which recharges every 20 seconds or so. Press down while jumping for an air attack. Useful for many things. You must duck to eat things on the ground. The game can be played in CHALLENGE or SPEEDRUN mode. It defaults to challenge, which is a collection of 7 levels. Speedruns can be unlocked and chosen in the OPTIONS screen. You need Bones to unlock speedruns (and buy goodies). You get bones by eating critters and reaching milestones. Earn DNA by collecting eggs and eating critters. Use your DNA to upgrade your dino. The game auto-saves. You have 3 slots open for different dinos. The game is DEEP so EXPLORE and have fun!
Note	This information only refers to the official release on the Flash Portal.

Dino Run is a Platformer game by pixeljamgames. In this game, one plays as a dinosaur, possibly a velociraptor, which must outrun a wall of death caused by a meteor.

Design

Dino Run has three save files with four difficulty options. Depending on the difficulty, new stages may be added at the end of the game and there are different endings. The goal of each level is to outrun a wall of death that follows the player, presumably the results of a fallen meteorite. This essentially turns the game into a series of time attack challenges. Later, the player can unlock a speedrun mode, where they go through the levels as quickly as possible. Along the way, players need to navigate their way through a landscape of trees, valleys, hills, small meteorites, and larger dinosaurs. If handled unskillfully, these can slow the player down to a crawl, leading to their demise. The player can also eat smaller dinosaurs and eggs while running, thus gaining DNA points that can be used to upgrade the dino every so often. The player can also collect bone points in order to unlock parts of the game.

There are also two other game modes: Speedrun and Multiplayer. Speedrun is similar to the main challenge mode, except for the facts that the game is broken into level long chunks and Multiplayer mode is only available on XGenStudios.com.

Gameplay

The dino is controlled using the either the A, W, D, and S keys or the arrow keys and the Shift button. The left and right keys are used to run, the up key jumps, and the Shift key gives the dino a speed boost, which recharges approximately every 20 seconds. Eating is done automatically by touching an egg or small dinosaur. However, some things can only be eaten when the player ducks. The player can also fly temporarily by touching a pterodactyl. The pterodactyl will carry the player through the air for a few seconds, thus avoiding obstacles.

Presentation

Dino Run uses retro graphics.

Dino Run uses graphics reminiscent of 8-bit Atari and Nintendo games. Characters and objects are made with large, easily distinguishable pixels, and usually only have a few colors. The music and sound is also reminiscent of the era, with primitive beeps forming a large portion of the soundtrack. However, there are a few effects that would have been impossible during the 8-bit era. For example, as the player gets closer to losing, the background gets darker, and just before the player gets hit by the wall of death, the game becomes entirely black and red.

Reception

Dino Run was a hit on Newgrounds. As of January 2012, it has had over 1.4 million views, and has an average review of 9.4/10. The game is also featured in the Flash Portal History and Action Games collections. Furthermore, the game was also a finalist in the 2008 Tank Awards.

Play it here