I’ve loved dinosaurs for a long time. I’ve loved racing games for perhaps the same amount of time. Maybe even longer. So fuse the two together and you have my interest. Which is exactly what 3DClouds have done in making Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart. Gigantosaurus is a preschool TV series based on a book by Jonny Duddle, following four dinosaur friends on their adventures through the world they inhabit.

Taking a media franchise and turning it into a kart racer isn’t new ground, and it is one that 3DClouds have already partaken in. In fact, you might remember the last kart racer I reviewed. PAW Patrol: Grand Prix is also developed by 3DClouds, with the two sharing many similarities. I won’t refer to those similarities while talking about Dino Kart, however. All games deserve to be seen by their own merits, after all.

To start things off, you have the tutorial which teaches the basics of driving. The boost start, items, and the autodrive are all here. But not the drifting. You need to refer to the controls to know it’s a thing. Drifting can offer up a boost after a few seconds of holding it, with faster speeds meaning the curve of the drift will be wider. As such, mastering it can give you near limitless boost. There’s also an easier way to look behind you than the right stick, which the tutorial also neglects to tell you.

As for the other help, the autodrive does its job well, keeping acceleration always active and turning when needed to guide the kart around the course. It can put up a bit of a fight if you want to aim for a shortcut, but that’s par the course for autodrive systems. Another helpful thing the game has is to show what the items do when you grab one. Whether a coconut bullet or sticky fruit, the game will always make sure you know what it does by showing a brief animation of that item in action.

Those items are geared toward close-quarters combat, but the game also seems to make sure that you are always at threat of being hit by one by keeping other racers in the action. Race courses also have obstacles on them to avoid, with shortcuts proving to be worthwhile if you manage to evade the numerous traps that lie in wait on them. Even just one hit from an item or an obstacle can be enough to have other racers overtake you, so it does pay to be careful of what’s going on around you. And if you have an unfortunate run-in with Gigantosaurus – who serves as a moving obstacle on some of the courses, you’ll be squashed.

The Adventure mode sees you take on the five races of one of the three areas the game has taken from the series. These are the Savannah, the Jungle, and Mount Oblivion. It might sound a bit boring in terms of visuals. Sticking to the same theme for five races? 3DClouds has made sure it won’t be, with each race never having the same path through that area. With the Savannah, you can have a simple race through greenery, then take a drive over and around the lakes.

There are eight characters in total, though three need to be unlocked through the Adventure mode. Four of these are the main characters of Rocky, Bill, Tiny, and Mazu. Two are supporting characters, with the other two being antagonists. Each come with their own kart based on their characteristics. Cror & Totor, being siblings, have a kart that holds them both, while Bill, being a timid dino, has a kart that all but encloses him within. This being prehistoric times, these karts all have a nature-based look.

Along with the Adventure mode is the standard race mode, which allows you choice in which races you take on in a custom championship of up to twelve races. Or quickly get into a race with instant race, which will select a character and track at random. There are only six racers on track at a time, though with the game making sure they remain close to you, there is still plenty of chaos and close finishes to be had. Should you want other people to race against instead, local multiplayer is a thing to allow up to four players to get to some splitscreen mayhem.

For those who want a goal to work toward, the collection page shows how much of the game you have completed. This is done by earning the awards of the game, unlocking the characters and the extra skin they have for their kart, and finishing first on all the tracks on hard mode. Most of this will unlock without you actively hunting it, but the collection page is easy enough to navigate to see what you have left to do should you need it.

On the Switch, the game runs fine. The visuals look crisp, with the framerate being smooth. The screenshots taken while in handheld mode do look blurry, but when in motion that blurriness disappears. When a lot of visual effects clutter the screen, that framerate can drop, but that usually only happens on the podium screen. The voices give these characters life, with them reacting to item hits and other things going on in the race.

Overall, this is a very lovely game for fans of the TV series, or even just dinosaurs and racing games. While I will admit it might seem a bit basic for any older players who want to give it a try, the young audience that it is aimed at are sure to absolutely love it. For parents who want to gift their kid a game, and perhaps even join in the fun with them, I can easily give this a great recommendation. Take a look at this and other games 3DClouds have developed over on their website.

Images Taken From:
Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart | Nintendo Switch