We see a LOT of games, and more than that, we see a lot of questionable games. There’s a new first person shooter out from Zoo Games, and, for the right price, it ain’t half bad.
Dino Strike is like any number of arcade games you used to play, but instead of feeding untold quarters into a machine, you can just rent it, or buy it, and call it good enough.
Dino Strike is roughly 100x better than the original Duck Hunt… I know, that’s not exactly a compliment, but I’ve played a bunch of games that barely rivaled it, and some that did so in fail-a-licious ways.
The game isn’t bad at all. It’s kind of fun for me, and lots of fun for the kids, even though it’s a tad graphic.
The game play is pretty repetetive in terms of the enemies you face, but the background changes regularly, and they do a pretty good job of juggling things around. The graphics are better than fair, the new weapons you can earn are as fun as they are critical to surviving the next level, and the controls are just about flawless.
The repeat playability isn’t quite there, but bear in mind you’re comparing this to $10 million dollar games like Mario Galaxies 1 & 2 and Zelda Twilight… I also didn’t like Zelda Twilight Princess, but again, maybe that’s just me.
If you’re thinking about this title for a rental, it’s a definite yes. If you’re looking at it for a purchase, it’s a strong maybe. Looking online today, I see it for prices ranging in the mid $20 area, and at that price, it’s definitely worth considering.
If it was a $40 game, I’d feel cheated, but if it was $20, I’d feel it was a surprising value, assuming you like arcade-style shooting games… which I always have.