Dino Smash iPhone Review

I have to face the music. My last Powso piece, a favorable review of Chillingo’s arcade thriller iDracula, was posted to the site over two months ago. My bad people. My bad.

In an effort to make up for lost time, I’ll be posting a string of brief albeit scrupulous reviews in the coming days.

Life post-graduation hasn’t been easy. I’m a jobless wayfarer; a spineless intern. But the one thing that gets me out of bed every morning is a gregarious, glowing rectangle. My iPhone. My pocket companion. And let me tell you, the unemployment train has not derailed my App store consumption habits. Sorry Dad.

Without further ado, I present Dino Smash, Eurocenter’s frenetic multiplayer dino brawler. Dino Smash has racked up stellar reviews on a variety of mobile gaming sites, and drew early comparisons to the original (read: unparalleled) Super Smash Brothers on the N64 for its friendly control scheme and frantic gameplay.

The first incarnation, featuring deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag play modes invited players to control identical dinos in a one-map death arena of ladders and platforms. Using a virtual joystick and three, colorful action buttons (fire, grappling hook and jump) the player must navigate through a side-scrolling tree-top labyrinth, offing enemy dinos with a well-rounded arsenal of weaponry.

The gameplay is smooth and boasts a speedy frame rate. The controls are simple, but nuanced enough to satisfy hardcore high-score list toppers. For instance, a mastery of grappling allows for momentum-based maneuvers a la Spiderman 2 on the PS2. Those with squatter tendencies can even dangle from a vantage point and pick off unsuspecting noobs. Talk about old-fashioned pwnage.

From an audio standpoint, there’s nothing to complain about. Childish yips and battle grunts properly suit the game aesthetic. And the menu soundtrack, a bouncy affable tune,  is suspiciously reminiscent of Diddy Kong Racing. I like.

Recent updates have added customizable avatars, match-making preferences, additional player ranking information and a couple more maps.

At $.99, there is no reason to gloss over Eurocenter’s charmingly polished offering. Dino Smash is hands down the best online fighting game on the platform.

That being said, I always manage to pick a bone or two. Developers, lend me your ears.

Among a dynamic balance of rifles, grenade launchers, shotguns and katana blades is a debilitating default weapon. The hammer. The noob-approved weapon of choice for imprecise mayhem, the hammer is an unfortunate go-to for anyone looking to up their kill count. Hammer spammers are the bane of my Dino Smash experience. And though only a cursory knowledge of acrobatic evasive tactics is required to avoid these bashing brethren, they are still disproportionately powerful.

My remaining significant criticism lies with the dismal map selection. I have a feeling if Eurocenter released some-sort of complementary level editor the dedicated dino fan base would throw up their hands in reverence.

Finally, the online-only aspect is bound to turn off shooter veterans who prefer to refine their skills against the A.I. before entering live play. And 3G connections will inevitably welcome lag.

All in all, these criticisms (though warranted) are minor. Dino Smash is a smashing good time and I highly recommend it to anyone itching for some killer mobile multiplayer action.