Dinosaur King for Nintendo DS isn't an absolute disaster, but it's also not the "hidden gem" some nostalgics try to sell you. It's a game clearly made with the Pokémon mold, swapping out monsters for dinosaurs and mechanics for rock-paper-scissors, seemingly thinking that was enough. Does it have good points? Yes, dinosaurs are cool, the sprites are decent, and the battles, though simple, can be entertaining for a while. But it doesn't hold up beyond that. The story is forgettable, the world feels empty, the gameplay loop quickly wears thin, and the sound design is so weak it sounds like it was composed by a half-asleep intern. This is pure fanservice for those who watched the anime as kids and want to relive some of that era. And hey, if you go in with low expectations, you might enjoy it for a few hours. But if you're looking for a real Pokémon alternative, a solid RPG, or a game that truly hooks you... you're better off looking at Fossil Fighters or even any of the secondary Digimon titles.

Based of the Arcade game and anime which are both really good, Dinosaur King on the DS is a very faithful port of the original Arcade game onto the DS, it has a unique storyline and nearly all the dinosaurs from the Arcade return into this DS game to cause mayhem! The gameplay is simple but a lot of fun, it's basically Rock, Paper and Scissors but with Elemental Dinosaurs! It can get repetitive at times, but there's a lot of things to spice up the game like... Awakened Dinosaurs which are more powerful versions of your starter and a hidden Awakened Dinosaur. Alpha and Super Alpha Dinosaurs A LOT of unique attacks Small but fantastic soundtrack The game's graphics are really good for DS standards, the hub world and maps are colourful, but bland when it comes to character as a lot of people in this game is very forgettable except the main villains and your friends. Overall a really good port of the arcade version! If anyone from SEGA is reading this, PLEASE PORT THIS TO THE 3DS!