Dynowarz: Destruction of Spondylus

Dynowarz: Destruction of Spondylus

Overview & History

Released by Bandai in North America in March 1990—and developed by Advance Communication Company—Dynowarz: Destruction of Spondylus is a bizarre, ambitious sci-fi action platformer for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game casts you as Professor Proteus, a brilliant scientist tasked with stopping the deranged Dr. Clock, who has seized control of the mineral-rich planet Spondylus and reprogrammed its massive biomechanical dinosaurs into engines of global annihilation. Dr. Clock has hidden himself deep within the planet's core, forcing Proteus to navigate hostile environments to put an end to his reign of terror.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Dynowarz uniquely splits its gameplay into two distinct, alternating phases across seven grueling stages. The game begins in side-scrolling platformer stages where Professor Proteus explores on foot in a pressurized spacesuit, utilizing a laser pistol to blast mechanical pests, alien flora, and security sentinels. However, the true core of the experience lies in finding and boarding your ultimate weapon: Cybasaurs, giant biomechanical dinosaurs that give the game its namesake. Once inside the cockpit, the game shifts dramatically in scale, power, and pace. As the Cybasaur, you trade fragile human agility for devastating firepower, utilizing heavy tail whips, stomp attacks, and explosive projectile weaponry to obliterate obstacles and screen-filling robotic bosses. Players must carefully manage health meters for both Proteus and the mech; if the Cybasaur takes too much damage, you are ejected back onto the alien terrain on foot, drastically lowering your survivability and forcing you to scavenge for power-ups and energy refills before reaching the stage's end-boss confrontation.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move Professor Proteus / Navigate the Cybasaur
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause