Gaming Target - Game Boy: Tyrannosaurus Tex

Written by Derek Noad on November 10, 2000

First Impressions: A true 3D environment in the palm of your hand.

Without knowing very much it is still easy to say that Tyrannosaurus Tex is an interesting game with a bit of promise. It is taking a huge leap in the field of innovation for Game Boy Color by attempting to make a 3D first person shooter.

The gamer will play the role of Tex, a daredevil cowboy in search of diamonds in a new mine. These mines (and may be more) span 28 levels and you will encounter 10 types of enemies. You will gain access to six weapons throughout your journey, and you can be assured they will be some interesting toys to play with. (So far I have seen some big launching weapon and a pair of revolvers.) There will also be plenty of other items like runes to unlock hidden features and special pick-ups like force fields.

From the screens of this game it looks interesting, to say the least. Don't expect Perfect Dark, or even Doom though; rather, something more intriguing. The areas definitely lack detail and the walls are basically monochrome. The enemies I have seen range from robots to dinosaurs and look pretty sweet for such a small screen. The game also provides a 2D map in the pause screen to help any lost gamers. A map is a great feature that many games seemed to have forgotten and there's nothing worse than running in circles in a first person shooter. I still would need to see this game in action to get a good look at the fluidity of the animation and frame rate.

One of the coolest features of this game is probably the battle mode. You will be able to link up with another Tyrannosaurus Tex owner and play a little head to head death match. You can choose from five characters and 5 levels unlocked in single player mode. This mode could very well be a great way to pass the time on the road.