Dinosaur Hunter (video game)

Eyewitness Dinosaur Hunter is an educational video game in the Eyewitness Virtual Reality series, developed by DK Multimedia and released for Windows and MacOS in 1996.[1][2][3]

Dinosaur Hunter
Developer(s)DK Interactive Learning
Publisher(s)Global Publishing Software
SeriesEyewitness Virtual Reality
Platform(s)Windows, MacOS
Release1996
Genre(s)Education
Mode(s)Single player

Gameplay edit

The player explores the museum, using a point-and-click method. The museum is in the shape of the Eyewitness logo. The outer corridor contains a timeline showing the evolutionary branches of certain dinosaurs, the east room contains maps and images of what the world looked like during the period in which dinosaurs existed, and the west room is a multi-level excavation site where the player can dig for fossils.[4] Upon completion of a skeleton, the dinosaur will "come to life" and roam the museum. The rest of the museum contains various exhibits, which players can either explore themself or experience through four virtual tours: Introduction, how dinosaurs lived, how dinosaurs evolved, and extraordinary dinosaurs.[4]

Reception edit

The game was considered advanced for its time, described as virtual reality, although today the term is restricted to much more advanced programs. Chilldhood Education journal described it as having a "feeling of walking through an actual museum" despite the simple point-and-click system used.[5] The Culture of Design said the game's developers went to "extraordinary lengths" to make the museum believable.[6]

The New York Times described the game as having a "clear, clean interface and design".[1] Edmonton Journal praised how it combined "old-fashioned reading and model building".[7]

Other Eyewitness Virtual Reality titles edit

  • Eyewitness Virtual Reality Earth Quest[8][9]
  • Eyewitness Virtual Reality: Cats[10][11]
  • Eyewitness Virtual Reality Bird[12][13]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Manes, Stephen (1996-08-27). "Pursuing Virtual Dinosaurs, Alive on Your Screen". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  2. ^ Aaronovitch, David (1996-12-09). "CD-ROM review: Dinosaur Hunter Castle Explorer How Things Work Dorling". The Independent. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  3. ^ Keim, Alice (2000-09-14). "REVIEW; Discovering Dinosaurs on 2 CD-ROM's". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  4. ^ a b "Eye Witness Virtual Reality Dinosaur Hunter". ENC Focus. 5: 45. 1998.
  5. ^ Wilson, Linda J (Winter 1996). "Bird: The Ultimate Multimedia Guide to the World of Birds / Cat: The Ultimate Multimedia Guide to the World of Cats". Childhood Education. 73 (2): 119. ProQuest 210394173.
  6. ^ Julier, Guy (2007-11-20). The Culture of Design. SAGE. ISBN 9781446204535.
  7. ^ "Roaming in the Dinosaur Hunter's Realm". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 1996-10-10. p. 57 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Salvador, Phil "Shadsy" (2019-02-17). "Eyewitness Virtual Reality Earth Quest". The Obscuritory. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  9. ^ "Eyewitness Virtual Reality Earth Quest". EW.com. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  10. ^ "Eyewitness Virtual Reality: Cats". GameSpy. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  11. ^ Al-Masri, Ahmed; Curran, Kevin (2019). Smart Technologies and Innovation for a Sustainable Future: Proceedings of the 1st American University in the Emirates International Research Conference - Dubai, UAE 2017. Springer. ISBN 9783030016593.
  12. ^ "Eyewitness Virtual Reality Bird". Amazon.ca. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  13. ^ Sharma, Shaloo (2002). Modern Methods of Teaching Computer Science. Sarup & Sons. ISBN 9788176253260.

External links edit