- An Action Adventure in the Era of Dinosaurs!
Dyna Gear is a 1993 arcade Run-and-Gun action game developed by Sammy Corporation.
Set in the futuristic year of 2993, the player assumes the role of Roger, a Space Cop pursuing the space-time traversing criminal Gustaf, who had escaped custody. In the ensuing chase, Gustaf attempts fleeing through a space warp, with Roger hot in pursuit, only for both of them to crash-land on a prehistoric planet filled with hostile dinosaurs and prehistoric monsters.
It turns out that Gustaf has apparently also angered the local indigenous people, who are something like werewolves, and lend their aid to adventure across the wilderness and take them down. As luck would have it, Roger managed to befriend a wolfman-like alien - simply named "Wolf" - who's also after Gustaf, for unknown reasons.
Players assume the role of either Roger or Wolf (on one-player mode, the other will act as backup) as they pursue Gustaf over valleys, hills, deserts, villages filled with hostile tribespeople and underground caverns before a final confrontation.
Dyna Gear contains examples of:
- Airborne Mooks: From Pterosaurs and Dimorphodons to giant wasps and floating statues in the underground levels, this game have plenty of airborne enemies.
- Antlion Monster: The mid-boss of the desert stage is an antlion monster, who can only be damaged when it sticks its maw out of it's pit to attack Roger and Wolf.
- Assist Character: On single-player mode, players as Roger or Wolf will occasionally run into the other, who will then assist the player in attacking onscreen foes. There are also stages where you can obtain the help of friendly dinosaurs, though they'd leave if you're killed.
- Battle in the Rain: The second stage is set in a rain-soaked valley, with Roger and Wolf fighting enemy dinosaurs in the middle of the downpour. On two-player mode, Wolf actually asks, "Do you have an umbrella?"
- Big Bad: Gustaf, the wanted space-time criminal who escaped custody in the backstory, and shows up at the end of the game as the Final Boss.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: There are giant wasps in the valleys, and giant sandworms in the desert.
- Blade Spam: By collecting enough sword power-ups, Roger and Wolf can spam a flurry of sword-stabs forward at enemies. It's short in range but deals plenty of damage on gigantic dinosaur bosses and gets the job done.
- Captain Obvious: Wolf have his moments.[as Roger and Wolf enter the desert level] "It's really hot."
- Desert Skull: Skulls of gigantic, deceased dinosaurs occasionally show up in the desert level. Destroying them can net either a power-up or extra coins.
- A Dog Named "Dog": The player 2 character is an alien Wolf Man named... Wolf.
- Epic Flail: One of the a defense-based power-ups creates a shield made of three flails consisting of spiked balls attached to chains, which circles around Roger and Wolf pulping enemies that gets in the way.
- Foul Flower: Giant Rafflesia flowers growing on walls and cliffs are a recurring hazard, capable of shooting poisonous bubbles from their buds. They're immobile and can be easily destroyed from a distance, though.
- Giant Mook: Baryonyxes, Ankylosaurs, Brontosauruses, Triceratopses, and larger variants of the common Pterosaurs.
- Goomba Stomp: Besides shooting and throwing projectiles, this is another method Roger and Wolf can use to damage enemies. In fact stomping their heads in would predictably net higher points than using ranged projectiles.
- Homing Projectile: The homing exploding arrows Roger and Wolf can obtain throughout.
- Indy Escape: The stage in the underground pyramid filled with collapsible ceilings and walls, platforms over Bottomless Pits which Roger and Wolf needs to cross by jumping, rocks dropping from above, and closing walls from behind, in an entire stage lifted from Indy's films.
- Lizard Folk: The hostile dinosauroids in the village area who will attack Roger and Wolf on sight. One of the tribespeople elders even serves as (a rather easy to kill) Mini-Boss.
- Lost Technology: The underground pyramids, being built by an ancient, lost civilization, somehow contains Mecha-Mooks as recurring enemies, as well as fire-spewing turrets as traps, which Roger and Wolf need to destroy while trying to find their way out.
- Money Spider: Collectibles in this game are depicted as coins (either silver, gold or bronze) and are dropped by dinosaurs, insects, giant plants, and enemies that logically shouldn't be carrying coins around.
- Panthera Awesome: In a seemingly out-of-nowhere encounter, one of the bosses (in an otherwise dinosaur-themed vide game) is a fast-moving giant lion-humanoid, who charges at Roger and Wolf with a difficult-to-avoid Diving Kick.
- Rolling Attack: The Talarurus boss can roll itself into a spiked ball, and execute a charging tackle on Roger and Wolf.
- Sand Worm: Sand worms are recurring enemies in the desert level, where they'll stick their heads from underground to chomp at Roger and Wolf.
- Spread Shot: One of the earlier power-ups, which allows Roger or Wolf to fire three projectiles at a time.
- Unique Enemy: During the underground tunnel stage Roger and Wolf fights a fireball-breathing stone dragon monster. It's a one-of-a-kind enemy that goes down as easily as most other mooks.
- "What Now?" Ending: The game ends with an epic confrontation between Roger and Wolf against Gustaf, in a difficult Final Boss battle. In the cutscene after winning... Roger realizes he's still stranded on the dinosaur planet with no hope of escaping. The game ends with him still waiting for a rescue ship, and his armor decays as the end credits go on.
- Written Sound Effect: Every now and then after using exploding projectiles on enemies, expect to see "BOOM!" or "BANG!" accompanying each deaths.
