Baby T-Rex joins the continued efforts to provide Chromatic owners with newly minted indie titles and re-releases of classic Game Boy games. With ModRetro sending out another wave of titles under their ModRetro Classics Collection label, Baby T-Rex marks the return of a somewhat obscure but once beloved Game Boy platformer on the heels of games like Toki Tori.
When I think of the original DMG Game Boy, platforming titles tend to spring to mind. From essential hits such as Super Mario Land, Metroid II: The Return of Samus and Kirby’s Dreamland to third-party efforts such as Mega Man and even some licensed takes such as Disney’s Aladdin (what can I say, I was a kid) and some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle titles, the Game Boy truly delivered some quality pocket-sized NES adventures on the go.
Originally released back in 1993, Baby T-Rex may not be familiar to North American readers as the game was released under a different title, that being We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story, capitalizing on the animated film of the same name (while featuring redone sprite work to reflect the change). Meanwhile, Australia and Sweden received the title under the names Agro Soar and Bamse. Now adopting its European label of Baby T-Rex, the 90s skateboarding dinosaur adventure is back, for better and worse.
Starting with the positive Baby T-Rex on the DMG Game Boy and now, the ModRetro Chromatic fills a somewhat underappreciated niche —providing players with a platforming experience that has a good sense of speed and momentum, almost akin to something like Sonic the Hedgehog, an impressive feat for the Game Boy hardware.
Baby T-Rex features 16 levels, complete with boss encounters, precarious platforming and 90s-era chiptunes that take full advantage of the retro hardware of both the original DMG, the ModRetro Chromatic and other derivative Game Boy handhelds. Undoubtedly, the most iconic element found in Baby T-Rex would be the inclusion of the skateboard, transforming an otherwise fairly bog standard platformer into one that exudes and oozes 90s attitude.
In fact, ModRetro has gone one step further with the re-release of Baby T-Rex, now sporting a flashy neon green cartridge that compliments the loud and colourful box art and the general vibe of the game far better than its old grey and borderline totalitarian Nintendo-issued offering.
“Baby T-Rex features 16 levels, complete with boss encounters, precarious platforming and 90s-era chiptunes that take full advantage of the retro hardware…”
Unfortunately, the game ROM itself, on the other hand, seems to be a mostly untouched rendition of the 1993 original. Now, from a collector’s point of view, or even a game preservation mindset, this can be looked at as a good thing, but it does feel like an opportunity to upgrade Baby T-Rex to Game Boy Color standards was missed. A “DX” version of Baby T-Rex would have gone a long way in providing an experience that properly matches its colourful box art and aesthetic while also showcasing what the ModRetro Chromatic is truly capable of.
Baby T-Rex’s biggest downfall is the constraints of the Game Boy resolution and its cramped screen real estate. For all the downhill momentum gained from the skateboarding and fast-rolling hills, not being able to see stuff that’s coming towards you can and will lead to taking hits and dying prematurely. Memorization will undoubtedly be your best bet in besting the game.
In other words, Baby T-Rex can be a challenging and somewhat unfair feeling platformer, best reserved for those who have nostalgia for the source material. Slowing down and taking the time to inch your way towards the end goal of each level can alleviate some of the frustration, but ultimately, it feels like that approach goes against how the game is meant to be enjoyed.
At the end of the day, Baby T-Rex seems to be a release targeting those who have nostalgia for the 1993 game, making it best suited for platforming fanatics and die-hard fans of legacy DMG Game Boy titles.
