Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
A 3DS launch title featuring dinosaur combat and customization.
Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D is a fighting game in the Battle of Giants series, developed and published by Ubisoft for the Nintendo 3DS. It launched in Japan on February 26, 2011, followed by North America on March 27, 2011, and Europe on March 31, 2011. Players control different dinosaur species and battle hostile dinosaurs to advance through levels.
The game is set in a prehistoric age where dinosaurs lived peacefully under four guardian dinosaurs. After cataclysmic events kill the guardians, an evil dinosaur named Arkosaurus invades. Four dinosaur champions must stop him. Players choose a dinosaur from one of four groups—predator, hunter, charger, or defender—and level it up to eventually challenge the final boss. To face Arkosaurus, players must use a dinosaur from each group.
Combat uses an attack-and-dodge system. Players press the B button to attack and the A button to push or charge. Dinosaurs can also dodge. Some dinosaurs can equip weapons that grant power-ups. When an enemy flashes blue, attacking it triggers a powerful "dinostrike." Enemies flash red before attacking, signaling players to dodge or lose health. Dinosaurs can perform "frenzy attacks" for extra damage. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can knock dinosaurs around and cause damage during fights. A fight ends when all enemy dinosaurs' health reaches zero.
The game includes 24 dinosaurs, such as Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Oviraptor, Stegosaurus, and T. rex. Most are playable, but the six boss dinosaurs are not.
Ubisoft originally announced the game as *Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike* at E3 2010, later renaming it. It was a launch title for the Nintendo 3DS in North America. Chance Thomas composed the music, and Christian Pacaud handled audio design.
According to Metacritic, the game received generally unfavorable reviews based on 18 critics. Reviewers praised the graphics and large dinosaur roster but criticized the repetitive campaign and simplistic combat. IGN's Jack DeVries called the concept "brilliant" but felt the game fell short, needing more varied gameplay, a longer career, and multiplayer. Nintendo World Report's Josh Max enjoyed the customization and ease of play but noted low difficulty and poor replay value, adding that the game underused the 3DS's 3D features.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
- Developer
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Series
- Combat of Giants
- Released
- JP · February 26, 2011 · EU · March 31, 2011 · NA · March 27, 2011
- Genre
- Role-playing
- Composer
- Chance Thomas
- Platforms
- Nintendo 3DS
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game takes place in the prehistoric age, where dinosaurs lived in a peaceful world overlooked by four guardians. A series of cataclysmic events kills off the guardian dinosaurs, and an evil dinosaur known as Arkosaurus invades the land. Only four dinosaur champions can stop him. Players must pick a dinosaur from one of four groups—predator, hunter, charger, or defender—and level up to challenge the final boss, Arkosaurus, using a dinosaur from each group. The combat system is attack and dodge oriented, with the B button for attack and the A button to push or charge. Dinosaurs can perform powerful attacks called 'dinostrikes' when enemies flash blue, and must dodge when enemies flash red. Frenzy attacks deal more damage, and environmental hazards like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can affect the fight.
Reader's Guide
Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D received a 'generally unfavorable' reception according to Metacritic, based on 18 reviews. Critics praised the graphics and the large set of playable dinosaurs, but disliked the redundant campaign and simplistic combat. IGN reviewer Jack DeVries called the concept 'brilliant' but felt the game did not live up to it, citing a need for more varied gameplay, a longer career, and multiplayer. Josh Max of Nintendo World Report praised the fun dinosaur customization and easy pick-up-and-play nature, but noted low difficulty and lack of replay value, and felt the game could have better used the 3DS's 3D capabilities. GameSpot's Jane Douglas criticized the redundant campaign, lack of touch screen use, ineffective StreetPass implementation, and absence of head-to-head multiplayer, calling the combat overly simplistic. She praised the amusing dinosaur customization and neat, amiably colourful visuals. The game's significance lies in being a launch title for the Nintendo 3DS, showcasing early 3D capabilities and dinosaur-themed role-playing, though its legacy is marked by missed potential and a lack of depth that limited its appeal to very young or inexperienced players.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally announced as Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike at E3 2010.
- It features 24 different dinosaurs, including Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Oviraptor, Stegosaurus, and T. rex.
- The final boss, Arkosaurus, can only be challenged after the player uses a dinosaur from each of the four groups.
- Chance Thomas served as music composer for the game.
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