Making licensed games might not exactly be as hard as making a complex AAA experience, but I firmly believe that making a game aimed at kids so young is one of the hardest feats a studio might be tasked with. Especially considering they might not even know how to read or properly wield a controller. Not to mention the fact that we have to analyze the game both as an experience for toddlers and as a competent product a parent might feel satisfied with. A non-patronizing piece of software that can entertain and educate, somehow. This was the hardship faced by 3DClouds while developing Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart.

We did talk to one of Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart‘s developers not long ago, and we asked this exact question: how to make this appealing and playable to kids so young they might not even know how to properly wield a controller? The studio had previously proven its worth with a licensed racer aimed at a slightly older crowd with Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R, but their previous efforts with “baby’s first Mario Kart” titles have been mixed at best, with Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axle City Racers being its previous attempt. Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart is their best kid-friendly kart racer yet, but it’s not without its flaws.

Technically-speaking, Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart easily feels like an evolution over Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axle City Racers. It looks a bit better (though still simplistic), runs at twice the framerate, and features similar controls. Don’t expect for this game to be a challenge. In fact, if you’re above the age of seven, you will beat all three cups, comprised of five courses each, in about an hour, maybe less. The sensation of speed is practically nonexistent as well, but considering the target demographic, requiring less reflexes was a smart decision. There’s even an autopilot mode and read-aloud menus. The latter is pretty annoying, but I get it: the target audience might not even know how to read yet.

The track design is decent, but the game suffers from a lack of visual variety. Given how it’s based on a dinosaur-centric cartoon, pretty much every single track is set in a jungle or a mountain. There’s just so much you can do with such limited scope. I do commend that there aren’t any oval course like the ones in Blaze, but I cannot say I found any track in Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart to be memorable. Hell, can’t even remember a single name.

I think that the biggest issue with Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart in general is its brevity, coupled with its AA price tag. Nothing about it is offensively bad. Far from it, everything is competent enough for a kid’s game, without ever feeling patronizing. But even though it has a handful of modes, some unlockables, and even four-player split screen multiplayer (easily its highlight), there are just fifteen tracks. There are just three cups. Granted, the game adds some replayability with unlockable skins, and the cups features static but voiced cutscenes, but you’ll see everything Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart has to offer in an hour or so.

So this basically ends up being the typical licensed game that feels like a godsend to fans of the franchise in question, but is a cautionary purchase for everyone else. Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart is easily 3DClouds’ best attempt at a kid-friendly racing game, and it has enough mechanics to make it feel like the perfect introductory racing title for your kids before you teach them about the horrific tale of the Blue Shell, but it’s a bit too brief in terms of content. Your kid needs to be a die-hard fans of Gigantosaurus in order to enjoy the somewhat disappointing amount of tracks and races the game has to offer.

 

Graphics: 6.0 It’s colorful and it runs well, but it does look a bit too simplistic. There’s just not enough variety in its level design, and that mostly stems from the source material.	Gameplay: 7.5 The sensation of speed is practically nonexistent, but the controls themselves are not particularly bad. The game also runs well enough, and there’s even an autopilot mode for a younger audience.
Sound: 6.0 I appreciate the inclusion of voiced, read-aloud menus for the target demographic, but they got annoying quickly. The music is subpar and the voice acting, while not terrible, is limited to a handful of static cutscenes.	Fun Factor: 6.5 As expected, it’s unbelievably easy, a perfect fit for its target audience, but it lacks substance. You can pretty much see everything the game has to offer in an hour. The fact it has a few unlockables is an incentive for a bit of replayability, but the point stands.
Final Verdict: 6.5

Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Reviewed on PS5.

A copy of Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart was provided by the publisher.