Games have come in many different forms for years now and while some a little more exciting than others, bring some more advanced effects and the like there’s one thing that will always stay with us: the platformer. Platformer games have been with us for a long time now and they’re still really fun, they rely on timing and quick reactions for us to get through level after level. Thankfully, controls are pretty simple as well, making them perfect for playing on mobile devices. Read on to find out if Dream Run is your next platformer.
Description: In Dream Run, you’re put in the shells of Gary the snail, who has a dream to live in a golden house. Like many of us he has his own dreams of living in luxury, however, Gary needs to get his hands on his own Golden Shell, it’s not easy as you might think and Gary has to go and collect all the golden shells he can find to build his own. Read on to find how you can help Gary reach his dream.
How it Works: Dream Run has you collect golden shells – essentially coins – in order to help Gary realize his dream of having a golden shell for himself. This all sounds pretty easy but, the game throws obstacles at you and generally gets in your way most of the time. Think of Temple Run meets Super Mario brothers, that’s the sort of formula that’s on offer here.
All you have to do is hit the play button and the snail action will get off of the ground. When it comes to complexity, there really isn’t any here with Dream Run, controls are simple and consist of two buttons. You have a button on the left to jump and then a button on the right to shoot.
You need to hit the left button to jump at the right times in order to collect golden shells and to also dodge obstacles. Obstacles are going to stop you in your tracks so you want to take extra care to avoid them. As you can see, when you collect shells there’s an effect on screen and there is also some info in the top left of the game screen that will tell you how many shells you’ve collected and how far you’ve gotten.
When you run into an obstacle, it’s game over and then it’s back to square one. Obstacles come in the form of stones, holes to fall down into, amongst others. It wouldn’t be a platformer without enemies getting in your way as well and this is why Gary has his trusty weapon with him.
When you fire the gun, it’ll take out enemies on the screen but, you’ll want to use it wisely, as you’re only given 5 shots to fire. If you don’t dodge or shoot down an enemy before you reach them then it’s game over just as it would be if you hit an obstacle:
As you progress through the game there a number of power ups, such as wings and the like that will help you get even further a long the game.
Opinion: I’ve been a huge fan of platform games for years now and I grew up playing games like Sonic and Super Mario Bros. and while it’s hard to imagine this type of game without those characters, it works just as well with a snail. Gary has a dream to realize and you’ve got to help him out, the combination of Temple Run and Mario works well here and is quite a bit of fun.
Ratings
- Speed (3/5) – For a game that relies on running and jumping, it’s a little jerky.
- Features (3/5) – While Dream Run is fun, it seems a little repetitive but, the challenge to do better each time still remains.
- Theme (3/5) – There are some glitchy graphics throughout the game that could be down to the 720p resolution I was using but, it’s a colorful game for sure.
- Overall (4/5) – I can see Dream Run appealing to kids more than anything but, there is some value here and if you like it, go for it.
- Colorful graphics and setting brings a fun environment for this platformer.
- Who doesn’t like a Snail who can do a somersault?
- Collecting coins and dodging bad guys has always been fun.
- Some glitchy graphics, which I assume is down to the 720p resolution I was using.
- Ads are really quite intrusive.