Dinosaurs 3D review

Considering they died out millions of years prior to the first humans walking the earth, Dinosaurs are surprisingly well-documented creatures, mainly thanks to bones, fossils, and interactive 3D apps on Windows Phone 7. Okay, maybe not the last one.

In fact, Dinosaurs 3D, created by development team SoftwarebyEugene, seems to be the only Windows Phone 7 app out there right now that offers users the chance to view these ancient creatures on their handsets and read up on facts surrounding the most popular dinos through the ages.

It’s a shame then that both elements feel extinct.

The initial look-through seems positive enough. The presentation and interface is kept sweet and simple, with no extra menus bar the initial list of six available dinosaurs to view. This list comes complete with information about the relevant creatures’ length or height, so there’s no debate over which one’s bigger out of a T-Rex and an Allosaurus.

This titbit of information is all you’re going to get in terms of known facts about the pre-historic animals, though, as the rest of the app is noticeably devoid in the way of additional material. If you don’t know the difference between Herbivore, Omnivore, or Carnivore, for instance, you’ll remain none the wiser after using Dinosaurs 3D.

Selecting a dinosaur brings up a 3D modelled version of the creature in question, complete with instructions to tilt the phone sideways to rotate the camera. What it fails to mention is that it’s impossible to rotate a full 360 degrees around the models.

Instead, the camera can only be moved approximately 120 degrees, which ended up making us think we were viewing a cardboard cut-out, rather than a full-blown 3D model, especially as this restricted us to just one side.

This limited viewing angle, combined with the lacklustre selection of creatures and minimal information, makes Dinosaurs 3D feel more like you’re paying for a digital artist’s university portfolio, than a full-blown Windows Phone 7 application.

While the 3D models themselves are nicely done, there’s very little reason to shell out the 79p asking price, even if you’re the most dedicated fan of pre-historic beasts.

It’s best just to leave Dinosaurs 3D in the dusty annals of Windows Phone 7 history.