Microsoft Dinosaurs

{{Short description|Interactive simulation by Microsoft}} {{Infobox software | name = Microsoft Dinosaurs | logo =  | logo alt = | logo caption = | screenshot = Microsoft Dinosaurs Splash Screen.png | screenshot alt = | caption = | collapsible =  | author = | developer = Microsoft | released = 1993<ref>{{cite web|title=Microsoft Dinosaurs|url=https://archive.org/details/microsoft-dinosaurs|website=Archive.org|accessdate=9 May 2018}}</ref> | discontinued = yes | ver layout =  | latest release version = 1.0 | latest release date =  | latest preview version = | latest preview date =  | repo =  | programming language = | operating system = Microsoft Windows 3.1, Macintosh System 6<ref>{{cite web|title=Microsoft Support Lifecycle Search|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/search/698|website=Microsoft.com|accessdate=9 May 2018}}</ref> | platform = | size = | language = | language count =  | language footnote = | genre = Educational | license = Proprietary commercial software | website =  | standard = | AsOf = }} '''''Microsoft Dinosaurs''''' is an educational interactive CD-ROM developed by Microsoft, themed around dinosaurs.

== Production == Microsoft invested in access to the entire library of writing and images of reference publishing house Dorling Kindersley. They used it to create content for the Microsoft Home software line, including ''Microsoft Dinosaurs''.<ref name="The Obscuritory">{{Cite news|url=https://obscuritory.com/software/microsoft-dinosaurs/|title=Microsoft Dinosaurs {{!}} The Obscuritory|date=2016-06-06|work=The Obscuritory|access-date=2018-04-30|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Gameplay == The game contains 400MB of dinosaur-related information, including full-motion video, audio, and a gallery of scanned artwork. The main program features 1000 illustrations, 200 hypertext articles, and 800 pop-up windows. Players can explore the content in four different ways: Atlas, Timeline, Families, and Index. There is also a guided tour, hosted by "Dino" Don Lessem. The game contains sequences featuring dinosaurs feeding, fighting and breeding, which had previously been broadcast in an American television series put out by the Public Broadcasting Service,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14119124-300-review-software-have-fun-at-the-interface-wiyh-a-dig-into-darwin-games-for-the-flighty-art-on-screen-statistics-and-the-facts-about-fax/|title=Review: Software – Have fun at the interface {{sic|nolink=y|reason=error in source|wiyh}} a dig into Darwin, games for the flighty, art on screen, statistics and the facts about fax|work=New Scientist|access-date=2018-04-30|language=en-US}}</ref> and the Phil Tippett short ''Prehistoric Beast''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NouACgAAQBAJ&pg=PA326|title=The Dinosaur Filmography|author=Berry, Mark F.|publisher=McFarland|year=2015|isbn=978-1476606743}}</ref>

== Animals Featured == === Dinosaurs === * Albertosaurus * Allosaurus * Anchisaurus * Ankylosaurus * Apatosaurus * Archaeopteryx * Bactrosaurus * Bagaceratops ''(off-screen)'' * Bambiraptor ''(off-screen)'' * Barapasaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Barosaurus * Baryonyx * Brachiosaurus * Camarasaurus * Camptosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Carcharodontosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Carnotaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Centrosaurus * Ceratosaurus * Cetiosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Chasmosaurus * Chindesaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Chirostenotes ''(off-screen)'' * Coelophysis * Coelurus ''(off-screen)'' * Compsognathus * Corythosaurus * Dacentrurus ''(off-screen)'' * Daspletosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Deinocheirus ''(off-screen)'' * Deinonychus * Dilophosaurus * Diplodocus * Dravidosaurus * Dromaeosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Dromiceiomimus * Dryosaurus * Dryptosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Echinodon ''(off-screen)'' * Edmontonia ''(off-screen)'' * Edmontosaurus * Einiosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Elaphrosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Eoraptor ''(off-screen)'' * Euhelopus ''(off-screen)'' * Euoplocephalus * Euskelosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Eustreptospondylus ''(off-screen)'' * Fabrosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Gallimimus * Garudimimus ''(off-screen)'' * Gasosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Gastonia ''(off-screen)'' * Giganotosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Gojirasaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Gorgosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Gryposaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Hadrosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Haplocanthosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Herrerasaurus * Heterodontosaurus * Homalocephale ''(off-screen)'' * Huayangosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Hylaeosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Hypacrosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Hypsilophodon * Iguanodon * Kentrosaurus * Kritosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Lambeosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Leaellynasaura * Leptoceratops ''(off-screen)'' * Lesothosaurus * Lexovisaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Liliensternus ''(off-screen)'' * Lufengosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Maiasaura * Mamenchisaurus * Marshosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Massospondylus * Megalosaurus * Melanorosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Micropachycephalosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Microraptor ''(off-screen)'' * Minmi * Monoclonius ''(off-screen)'' * Monolophosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Mononykus ''(off-screen)'' * Montanoceratops ''(off-screen)'' * Mussaurus * Muttaburrasaurus * Mymoorapelta ''(off-screen)'' * Nodosaurus * Omeisaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Opisthocoelicaudia ''(off-screen)'' * Ornitholestes * Ornithomimus ''(off-screen)'' * Ouranosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Oviraptor * Pachycephalosaurus * Parasaurolophus * Parksosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Patagosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Pelecanimimus ''(off-screen)'' * Pentaceratops ''(off-screen)'' * Piatnitzkysaurus * Pinacosaurus * Plateosaurus * Polacanthus * Prenocephale ''(off-screen)'' * Probactrosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Proceratosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Procompsognathus ''(off-screen)'' * Protoceratops * Psittacosaurus * Rapetosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Rhabdodon ''(off-screen)'' * Rhoetosaurus * Riojasaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Saltasaurus * Saltopus * Saurolophus * Scelidosaurus * Seismosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Shantungosaurus * Shunosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Silvisaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Spinosaurus * Staurikosaurus * Stegoceras ''(off-screen)'' * Stegosaurus * Struthiomimus * Styracosaurus * Supersaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Talarurus ''(off-screen)'' * Tarbosaurus * Tenontosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Thecodontosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Therizinosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Thescelosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Titanosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Torosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Torvosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Triceratops * Troodon * Tsintaosaurus * Tuojiangosaurus * Tyrannosaurus rex * Ultrasaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Velociraptor * Vulcanodon ''(off-screen)''

=== Non-Dinosaurs === * Angustinaripterus ''(off-screen)'' * Anurognathus ''(off-screen)'' * Archelon * Cearadactylus * Ceresiosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Clidastes ''(off-screen)'' * Cryptoclidus ''(off-screen)'' * Cynognathus * Deinosuchus * Dimetrodon * Dimorphodon * Dsungaripterus ''(off-screen)'' * Elasmosaurus * Eryops * Eudimorphodon * Eurhinosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Excalibosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Futabasaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Globidens ''(off-screen)'' * Henodus ''(off-screen)'' * Himalayasaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Ichthyosaurus * Kronosaurus * Lariosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Leptonectes ''(off-screen)'' * Liopleurodon ''(off-screen)'' * Macroplata * Metriorhynchus ''(off-screen)'' * Mixosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Mosasaurus * Moschops * Muraenosaurus * Nothosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Ophthalmosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Ornithocheirus ''(off-screen)'' * Peloneustes * Pistosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Platecarpus ''(off-screen)'' * Plesiosaurus * Pliosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Plotosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Postosuchus ''(off-screen)'' * Protosuchus ''(off-screen)'' * Pteranodon * Pterodactylus * Pterodaustro ''(off-screen)'' * Quetzalcoatlus * Rhamphorhynchus * Rhomaleosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Santanadactylus ''(off-screen)'' * Shonisaurus * Sordes * Tanystropheus ''(off-screen)'' * Tapejara ''(off-screen)'' * Temnodontosaurus ''(off-screen)'' * Tylosaurus ''(off-screen)''

== Critical reception == The Obscuritory felt the title "demonstrates how thoughtfully crafted reference material can bring value to information", adding that guided learning experiences such as this have value even in the age of Wikipedia.<ref name="The Obscuritory"/> Compute! magazine thought the title was "highly entertaining and educational".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue160/106_Microsoft_Dinosaurs.php|title=Microsoft Dinosaurs|last=May|first=Scott A.|website=www.atarimagazines.com|access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref> PC Magazine deemed it instantly usable and a "visual delight",<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNt4ttAFAiwC&q=%22Microsoft+Dinosaurs%22&pg=PA497|title=PC Mag|date=1993-09-14|publisher=Ziff Davis, Inc.|language=en}}</ref> with "beautifully rendered illustrations and lots of text".<ref name="pc19931207">{{Cite magazine |last=Trivette |first=Donald B. |date=1993-12-07 |title=After Hours |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7k7q-wS0t00C&pg=RA1-PA584 |access-date=2025-03-22 |magazine=PC |pages=584–589}}</ref> PCWorld.pl felt the title was aesthetically perfect and extremely rich in substance.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pcworld.pl/news/Microsoft-Dinosaurs,297665.html|title=Microsoft Dinosaurs|work=PCWorld|access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref> The Seattle Times thought its chief asset is its consistently challenging, informative content.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19930824/1717474/t-rex-meet-vdt-dinosaur-program-is-microsofts-best-multimedia-disc-yet|title=Business {{!}} T. Rex, Meet Vdt: Dinosaur Program Is Microsoft's Best Multimedia Disc Yet|website=community.seattletimes.nwsource.com|access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref> An article at the Journal of Accountancy recalled a four-year-old child who, a few months after using the program, correctly identified the species of a dinosaur toy and pulled up the information in the game.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2014/aug/whiz-kids.html|title=Whiz kids|date=2014-08-01|work=Journal of Accountancy|access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref>

The game's sound effects won a multimedia industry award.<ref name=":0" />

== References == {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}}

Dinosaurs Category:Dinosaurs in popular culture Category:1993 software Category:1993 video games Category:Children's educational video games Category:Educational software for Windows