Dino Run Coulda Been a Contender

Had Dino Run been released during the actual 8-bit Atari age, I do believe it would’ve been a hit. The gameplay is silky smooth, the constant running pace is excellent, and the balance of priorities (outrunning the black smoking fallout of dinosaur extinction vs. finding eggs to preserve your species and earn continuations) is a great stress enhancer. Plus, the music! Why don’t do they do music like that any more?

My favorite details: the running dino visibly craps himself as the wave of doom approaches, and surviving a close brush with death is considered an achievement (“doom surfing,” my best time was seven seconds).

Here’s the review from Play This Thing. And here’s the game itself.