The Endless Runner Genre

The idea of moving a game character onward while dodging, jumping, or performing a combo of moves, avoiding deadly obstacles while on the run (just to survive), has captivated the hearts of many gamers over the years. These kinds of games are called "Endless Runners", since as the name implies, one has to run and run and survive as long as one can.

The gameplay is simple yet addictive, with game mechanics not that difficult to work with, as the controls are simply intuitive. The youngest of gamers would easily grasp them; what's more, the various obstacles combined with the constant forward momentum of the game (not to mention the speed) will keep the player focused and immersed, in order to avoid misteps that will lead to certain doom.

Endless Runner games have carved out their own specific niche in today's gaming scene, especially in the mobile games market, of which many can be considered as casual games. Popular titles such as "Temple Run" and "Bendy in Nightmare Run" are a couple of good examples of this kind of game. Also, prior to the efforts of top and big game companies in promoting the genre, many indie developers were already releasing runner-type games using Flash and the World Wide Web, among of which was Dino Run.

Dino on the Run

The original Dino Run was a Flash-based side-scrolling game that ran on a web browser. Released in April 2008, the game was a collaborative effort between PixelJAM Games and XGen Studios. Dino Run features (as the name implies) a Dinosaur running for its life as the game continually moves forward with the left end of the screen acting as an apocalyptic wall chasing down the frantic Dino. Flash games were quite popular at the time, especially for gamers who loved to play fun online games.

The player controls the Dino, who has to avoid, dodge, and jump over continuously advancing obstacles, ready to end the Dino's life as well. However, various power-ups in the form of eggs and DNA can be collected by the Dino as they provide extra abilities that likewise aid in keeping the tailed protagonist alive. The controls are quite easy and intuitive as the player can immediately relate them to the various actions that the running Dino can perform.

Dino Run was created using a very 1980s-like arcade game design with pixelated graphics and simple game mechanics. Even the game's sound was presented under the 8-bit environment, that playing the game gave a full impression and experience of the earlier arcade games of the late 70s and 1980s. Also, the game's bakground and environment were procedurally and progressively generated (the game code creates the graphics) just as most of the arcade games of the era did.

Dino Runner Superstar

As simple as the game was, Dino Run became one of the most played web-based arcade games to date, with the original being played around 100 million times. The game has evolved over the years that, many variations, iterations, and clones have sprang up to catch a piece of the overall running dinosaur's fame.

The game looks simple yet incredibly difficult to master. Running away as fast as one can while simultaneously jumping and avoiding obstacles and traps while collecting eggs and DNA is gaming multitasking at the highest level. Also, probably, the foremost challenging feature of the game that has kept it immersive and addictive to many.

The simple logic, the easy user interface, and the controls have appealed to a lot of players worldwide, as it doesn't take much complicated thought for anyone at any age to understand the game's concept and gameplay. The difficulty of mastering the game, however, provides the challenge that hooks the player into the repetitive process needed to win the game.

Initially a solo player game, Dino Run now provides online multiplayer races, chat rooms, as well as supporting player communities who love the game. With its 80s look and feel, Dino Run has attracted a lot of nostalgic senior players, and is considered one of the best arcade games for grandma.

Despite the closing down of Flash, Dino Run is still one of the most accessible and widely played games to date. Whether in downloadable form or played through the current HTML5 browsers today, Dino Run is one game that will continue to be available all over the Internet, and as it looks like, in the coming years ahead.

Image Info:
https://www.monsteraplay.com/play/dino_run