Adventures of Dino Riki

Adventures of Dino Riki is one of the stranger action games on the NES. Developed by Hudson Soft, it puts you in control of Dino Riki, a prehistoric warrior trying to survive a world filled with dinosaurs, dangerous creatures, and plenty of environmental hazards. The game originally appeared in Japan in 1987 as Shin Jinrui: The New Type before reaching North America as Adventures of Dino Riki in 1989.

At its heart, Dino Riki is a vertically scrolling shooter, but it does not play like the typical spaceship-based shooters of the era. Instead of flying a futuristic vehicle, you are running through prehistoric landscapes while throwing primitive weapons at anything that gets in your way. Dino Riki starts with rocks, but collecting power-ups upgrades his attacks to axes, boomerangs, and eventually fiery torches. Each weapon changes the way you deal with enemies, making it important to grab upgrades whenever you can.

There is also a surprising amount of platforming. Dino Riki has to jump over pits, water, and other hazards while the screen continues moving forward. Finding special wings can make these sections much easier by allowing him to fly over dangerous terrain, although taking a hit can quickly turn things around.

The adventure is divided into four worlds, with bosses waiting at the end of the stages. Enemies become increasingly aggressive, and losing a weapon upgrade can make later sections considerably tougher. That difficulty is probably the game's most memorable feature—and its biggest weakness.

Adventures of Dino Riki is certainly rough around the edges, but there is something appealing about its unusual combination of prehistoric action, shooting, and platforming. It feels like Hudson was experimenting with ideas rather than following a familiar formula, which makes it an interesting game to revisit today.