Dinosaurs for Hire

From Sega Retro

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Dinosaurs for Hire Title.png

Dinosaurs for Hire
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Sound driver: GEMS
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US
$49.9949.99[2] 1050
Videogame Rating Council: GA
Sega Mega Drive
BR
044580

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Dinosaurs for Hire is a Mega Drive game based on the comic book series of the same name. It was only released in North America.

Story

The "dinosaurs" are actually intelligent aliens who resemble smaller versions of Earth dinosaurs. After their spacecraft malfunctions in Earth's atmosphere and crashes into the ocean, they are stranded on Earth and become mercenaries for hire.

Gameplay

Introduction

It is a side-scrolling run-and-gun game similar to Contra but involving a group of dinosaurs who fight crime. The game mostly involves blasting enemies as they pour in, but there are also some platforming elements. The players can choose from one of three dinosaurs, who all play the same. In two-player games, each player chooses a different dinosaur. The dinosaur is moved with Left and Right and lies down with Down. The dinosaur jumps with C and can jump slightly higher with Up+C. The dinosaur has a gun that can be aimed in eight directions with the D-pad and fired with B. The gun can be upgraded by finding items. Each dinosaur also has a close-up attack with A. This is the often the easiest way to attack smaller enemies or enemies that come within the minimum range of the dinosaur's gun. Guns can be fired while lying down or jumping, but the close-up attack can only be done while standing. Both can be done while moving, but the dinosaur stops to do the close-up attack. The dinosaurs can jump off and on platforms and between the foreground and background layers of some stages with Down+C and Up+C and can climb ladders with Up and descend them with Down. The dinosaurs also have a "dino smash" attack that can be done by holding Down and then holding C.

Dinosaurs also have a Smart Bomb that can be detonated with A+B+C, which destroys all enemies on screen (except bosses, who are merely damaged). Dinosaurs can find more Smart Bombs within the stages and hold up to four. In two-player games, items effects are not shared and each dinosaur has his own stash of Smart Bombs.

The dinosaur has a health bar that goes down as he takes damage from enemies. Dinosaurs are also injured from falling from heights. When the health bar is emptied, the dinosaur loses a life and restarts the level if he has an extra life remaining, losing any weapon upgrades he may have. If he has no more lives, the game ends but can be continued if the player has continues remaining. There are items that replenish health or give extra lives. In two-player games, the players have separate health and lives but share continues. Players are revived in place (rather than the beginning of the level) when they die. However, if one player dies with no more remaining lives, the player cannot be revived until the other player gets a game over and uses a continue.

Characters

Dinosaurs for Hire, Characters, Archie.png
Archie
The cool-headed leader of the group, a Tyrannosaurus who wears a leather jacket. He likes Jurassic Park and wants to wrestle Shadow Yamoto (from Eternal Champions, also developed by Sega Interactive). His close-up attack is bashing enemies with his rifle.
Dinosaurs for Hire, Characters, Lorenzo.png
Lorenzo
A Triceratops who wears Hawaiian shirts like Magnum P.I. He likes Chun Li and dislikes Ryu and Ken (from Street Fighter II). His close-up attack is goring enemies with his horns.
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Reese
A one-eyed Stegosaurus and the "loose cannon" of the group. He likes Clint Eastwood and The Terminator. His close-up attack is sweeping enemies with his tail.
Dinosaurs for Hire, Characters, Cyrano.png
Pterodactyl
A Pterodactyl who occasionally appears to advise the group. Not a playable character.

Stages

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 1-1.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 1-2.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 1-3.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 1-4.png

Stage 1

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 2-1.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 2-2.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 2-3.png

Stage 2

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 3-1.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 3-2.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 3-3.png

Stage 3
In the jet ski segment, Right speeds up and Left slows down.

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 4-1.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 4-2.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 4-3.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 4-4.png

Stage 4

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 5-1.png

Dinosaurs for Hire, Stage 5-2.png

Stage 5

Items

Items are usually found in capsules that must be broken open first.

Dinosaurs for Hire, Items.png
Weapon Upgrade
Upgrades the power of the dinosaur's gun, up to five times.
Dinosaurs for Hire, Items.png
Multishot
Turns the dinosaur's gun into a spread shot. Upgrades it to two streams initially and then three if the item is found again.
Dinosaurs for Hire, Items.png
Power Field
Gives the dinosaur temporary invincibility.
Dinosaurs for Hire, Items.png
Dino Juice
Fully replenishes the dinosaur's health.
Dinosaurs for Hire, Items.png
Dino
Gives the player an extra life.
Dinosaurs for Hire, Items.png
Nuclear Holocaust
Gives the player another Smart Bomb.
Dinosaurs for Hire, Items.png
Universal Firepower
Fully upgrades the dinosaur's weapon.

Production credits

Program Code/Design (C) 1993 Sega
All Rights Reserved
Source:
In-game credits

Magazine articles

Main article: Dinosaurs for Hire/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #15: "October/November 1993" (1993-xx-xx)
also published in:
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
60
[4]
Cool Gamer (RU)
60
[5]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
68
[6]
Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU)
60
[7]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
78
[8]
Mega (UK) NTSC-U
35
[9]
MegaTech (UK) NTSC-U
64
[10]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-U
69
[11]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U
63
[12]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
83
[13]
Sega Zone (UK) PAL
58
[14]
Todo Sega (ES)
91
[15]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
73
[16]
Video Games (DE) NTSC-U
40
[17]
Sega Mega Drive
64
Based on
14 reviews

Dinosaurs for Hire

Mega Drive, US
DFA MD US Box.jpg
Cover
DFH MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
DinosaursForHire MD US manual.pdf
Manual
DfH MD US pcb.jpg
PCB
Mega Drive, BR
DFH MD BR Box.jpg
Cover
DFH MD BR Cart.jpg
Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
CRC32 39351146
MD5 e4c6cbf1a2ea36404fb69667cd080b4f
SHA-1 d006efbf1d811e018271745925fe00ca6d93f24f
1MB 1993-06 Cartridge (US)
Sega Mega Drive
CRC32 8954dee9
MD5 c6d15f7e64341c1a12fd093108231b1a
SHA-1 2a04b30cf4930631bdb6c031ecd12c23387c278b
1MB 1993-05-02 CD-R disc[18] Page
Sega Mega Drive
CRC32 16000453
MD5 2c64241c31024f877d30307f0d28f21d
SHA-1 944af2e25e9ab5ecf82fe5da1c55113edeee8709
1MB 1993-04-27 CD-R disc[19] Page
Sega Mega Drive
CRC32 54c77d3e
MD5 7b38a12a0673b86c542d9d601f3bf6f9
SHA-1 101b97769ddd54e04f6c0c1d46d194fc78cb6f22
1MB 1993-04-26 CD-R disc[20] Page

References


Dinosaurs for Hire

Dinosaurs for Hire Title.png

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Sega Mega Drive
Prototypes: 1993-04-26 | 04-27 | 05-02