Fossil League
Ages: Everyone 10+

The game counts on kids' fascination with dinosaurs, time travel and battle. But before you can get any of the above there is the back story – and it goes on and on. A young boy's father bequeaths to him, on his deathbed, a special fossil. Later we learn that it is the mother of all fossils. The youth's dream is to become a champion in the Fossil League. To do this, he must first turn 12 and then get a license to time travel to the ages of dinosaurs, capture his dinosaur, bring it back to the present, train it and enter it to fight in the Fossil League. Friendly Dr. Smith mentors him, and soon he has time traveled to the Jurassic period where, on his way to help Dr. Smith find healing herbs, he finds and bonds with two dinosaurs, a Staurikosaurus and an Anchisaurus. The trip to the herb fields involve numerous battles with other dinosaurs – so many that they become rote and all you pay attention to is the HP. Once you have reached your goal, you must return to the time machine – and you have to fight the same dinosaurs all over again. Bad enough the first time – awful the second. Standard multiplayer function is an option -- playing it with a friend allows you to cut to the chase and fight dino a dino.

There are some embellishments in the game – the dinos belong to power groups – earth, wind, water and fire and they all trump one or the other much like paper, rock, scissors. This is for more complex battles. Also there is a man in black who is bent upon getting the fossil that is hanging around the boy's neck. A dastardly plan is afoot – the plot thickens.

You have two time periods from which to gather dinosaurs – The Jurassic, from 144 – 280 million years ago and the Cretaceous from 65 – 144 million ago. Each period is divided up into Early, Middle and Late so you have six periods in which to hunt dinosaurs, but with the tedious duplication of the return fights, only the most dedicated kid will stay around. And that's just too bad because there is a lot of learning that can be had in the game. I know that dog fights are illegal – wouldn't dino fights be also? Picky, picky.

Fun Factor: Unremittent battles -- becomes boring.
Female Factor: Token female -- Yukri a security agent.
Player Friendly: Good help by Dr. Smith, two saves on level.

Reviewed by: Editor - 03/07