Remember those games you played as a kid? The remembrance of games gone by has formed the cultural phenomenon known as “retro games.” In response to the growing number of “retro” titles that are only aesthetically similar to their inspirations, a game studio called The Rotting Cartridge formed. Its first game is “Kale In Dinoland,” which was an underrated platformer released by SkySoft in 1992 on the Nintendo Game Boy. In porting Kale In Dinoland, the Rotting Cartridge is staying true to the original’s game design and retro appeal, tossing aside mobile game design conventions in the spirit of accuracy to an era.
The founder of The Rotting Cartridge had this to say about the game: “We at the Rotting Cartridge believe that instead of – making – a new game, we would just rip off an existing game and port it to the iPhone. The original Kale In Dinoland was met with…lukewarm responses, but we at the Rotting Cartridge thought it needed a second chance – that this was a game that had potential, but because of the technical restrictions imposed by the GameBoy hardware, wasn’t able to meet that potential.”
Features:
* Six Areas, each with their own unique theme and enemies: Grasslands, Jungle, Resort, Arctic, Volcano, and Mansion
* 50 levels (~8 levels / area)
* Six Warp Areas – With the possibility of beating the game in record time, for those completists
* 10 rideable enemies to master and 1 secret enemy
* Retro UI and Graphics that stay true to the original
* Love-crafted 4-bit Soundtrack remade from the ground up
For those who didn’t play the original, Kale In Dinoland’s primary mechanic is ‘riding’ enemies, which grants the player control over their powers. By utilizing all the enemy’s powers, the player is able to progress further in the game. There are six areas in all, encompassing more than 50 levels of non-stop enemy-riding action. It’s a race to the top of a mysterious island called Dinoland and into Mr. Dino’s lair, where he holds Kale’s precious girlfriend Terra captive!