1993 Millennium
Platforms: Commodore Amiga, Super Nintendo, SEGA Mega CD, SEGA Mega Drive
Due for release back in September 1993, Dino Worlds was a puzzle/strategy game, with a touch of adventure according to programmer Kevin Mullard.
In the game, you control a lone Tyrannosaurus Rex, who is trying to escape the slowly-approaching ice age. To do this, you must trek northwards through various terrains that are populated by all kinds of dinosaur, each with their own aims and attitudes. Friendly dinosaurs can be recruited and can help you in your quest to reach safety.
Progress is achieved by solving a series of puzzles (such as laying trees across large gaps to make a bridge, and also strategy, where you must battle rival groups of dinosaurs. However, if you don’t like strategy, then you can focus just on the puzzle side of things instead and build up a massive dinosaur army to make those strategy parts a lot easier.
The game would be fully controlled via mouse, with a simple point-n-click system. There would be a vast range of commands to give your fellow dinosaurs, where you can tell them to eat, fight or build bridges. Each dinosaur though has its own personality, so you must keep them happy so they don’t go off alone.
Although sounding and looking very promising from The One magazine preview in April 1993, September would come and go with no sign of the title. Did the programmer run out of steam, or were there other factors that prevented the game from being released?
Interestingly, thanks to Karl Kuras, we learn that Aktueller Software Markt magazine ran a preview of the game in 1993 which indicated that there were also plans for Super Nintendo, SEGA Mega CD and SEGA Mega Drive editions. We are guessing that nothing was ever started on those versions.
We hope to hear more from Kevin himself soon and see if something of this title could be saved.
With thanks to Karl Kuras for highlighting, Archive.org and Stephen (Mort) Stuttard for the scans.
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