Who doesn’t love a good dino? Since literally the dawn of time, dinosaurs have been a symbol of all things cool, large, and most definitely in charge, so it should come as no surprise that video games are completely flooded with them.
From the jungles ofTurokto the shores ofYoshi’s Islandand from friend to foe, we searched high and low to uncover the most instantly recognizable dinos in all of video games. Whether you’re a dinosaur enthusiast by nature or you just played a lot of Dino Crisis growing up, these are ten video game dinosaurs that are more than just memorable -they’re downright iconic.
10Screamer
Turok’s Most Iconic Enemy
This one might not be as iconic nowas it was back in the 90s, but nonetheless, Turok’s raptors, called Screamers in the game, are the perfect example of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. These fearsome beasts are your classic raptors, tried and true, and we can’t get enough of them.
Sure, they might be the first enemy you see in the game, making them trivial to take down once you know what you’re doing, but that doesn’t make them any less memorable to anyone who’s playedthis N64 gemfor themselves.
9Tyranno
The Most Powerful Fossil Fighter
Fossil Fighters on paper is a fantastic idea; take the gameplay ofPokemon, mix it with the fossil system inAnimal Crossing, and then sprinkle in some anime absurdities, just for good measure. In practice though, Fossil Fighters is unfortunately a bit of a mixed bag.
That doesn’t stop the game’s iconic T-Rex design (called Tyranno in the Japanese version of the game, which is what we played) is nothing to sneeze at no matter how you feel about the games themselves. We love the stripes and spines, they make this beast feel distinct from other video game T-Rex’s in the best way possible.
8Noshi
…It’s Called A Noshi.
Everyone knows Dino Dino Jungle is one of Mario Kart: Double Dash’s most beloved tracks. While the 3DS version of the course simplified things a little, we’ll always rememberthe Gamecube originalas being a truly wild ride from start to finish, thanks in no small part to the massive dinosaur that gives the track its namesake.
We love Noshi for her lovely pastel blue color, adorable spots, and a silly little spine on her nose. She may not be present much outside of this track, but there’s no denying that anyone who’s ever raced in Dino Dino Jungle could recognize this lovable dino on sight any day of the week.
7Velociraptor
Clever Girl
Of the many renowned raptors dinosaur fanatics the world over know and love, the velociraptor is easily the most iconic, thanks in large part to its appearances in movies likeJurassic Park.
That being said, the best video game depiction of these powerful pack hunters is most definitelythe Dino Crisis series, thanks to the games' emphasis on survival horror and close encounters. Every time you encounter a velociraptor in Dino Crisis, regardless of which game in the series you’re playing, you’ll need to think on your toes if you want to make it out of the experience alive.
6Alex
This Dino’s Ready To Throw Hands
Alex is one of theTekkenseries' most hilarious characters, appearing as a raptor of sorts who also happens to sport a nice fancy pair of boxing gloves. He’s got one of the silliest designs of any fighting game character, but that’s exactly what makes us love him so much; he’s just out here trying to be the best and looking pretty slick while doing it.
Even sillier than Alex’s design, of course, is his story; Alex was engineered by the military using the classic Jurassic Park method, only instead of filling the missing DNA pieces with frog DNA, they went with kangaroo DNA instead, which explains the boxing, at least.
5Thunderjaw
The King Of Machines And Dinos Alike
Under technicality, the Thunderjawfrom the Horizon seriesis actually a robot, not a dinosaur, but we’re including it anyway because this thing is way too cool, and way too recognizable to not be considered iconic. If you know nothing else about Horizon: Zero Dawn, you know about the giant mecha T-Rex, and that speaks volumes about the quality of this behemoth’s design.
With a remarkable design based on a T-Rex, the Thunderjaw isn’t just Horizon’s most iconic enemy, it’s also one of the game’s most powerful.If we’re not fully prepared to fight itwhen we see a Thunderjaw coming, we’re not sticking around to see it arrive, and we recommend you do the same.
4The Lonely T-Rex
We May Not Have Internet, But At Least We Have Each Other
Who doesn’t recognize this T-Rex? Some of us even turn our internet off intentionally from time to time just to play it. Reminiscent of the classic flash game, Dino Run, Google Chrome’s browser game takes something we all unconditionally fear–not having internet– and turns it into something fun that helps make us feel at least a little bit better about it.
Gamers and non-gamers alike have enjoyed running around with this little guy since the game first appeared in 2014, and hopefully, will be able to continue to visit this lovely T-Rex for years to come, no matter how reliable internet connections become.
3Tyrannosaurus Rex
An Odyssey For All To See
Seeing Mario overtake the all-powerful Tyrannosaurus Rex was one of the early signs thatSuper Mario Odysseywas going to be a truly incredible experience. From the first time we saw it in the trailer to the moment it surprised us deep in the forests of the Wooded Kingdom, we’ve been head over heels for this delightful dinosaur.
Taking over something so large and dangerous feels a bit risky every time, and when we see it sleeping, approaching it slowly to throw Cappy at this monstrous dino always feels a little scary, no matter how many times we do it.
2Aerodactyl
Pokemon Or Not, It Still Counts
While many players don’t exactly consider Aerodactyl a dinosaur these days so much as a Pokemon, we think it’s still crystal clear what Ken Sugimori was thinking when he designed it.
Eventhe Pokemon world itselfconsiders Aerodactyl and other fossil Pokemon to be dinosaurs of a sort, but of the many fossil Pokemon we’ve seen over the years, the one that most feels like it screams the word “dinosaur” has got to be Aerodactyl. The gray coloration, sharp teeth, and iconic arrow-shaped tail make Aerodactyle instantly recognizable both as a Pokemon and a dinosaur.
1Yoshi
Could It Really Be Anybody Else?
Yoshi has been our best dinosaur buddy since he first appeared back inSuper Mario World, and our love for this iconic green dino has only grown stronger with time. Yoshi is such a key aspect of the Super Mario franchise’s identity that Mario games don’t tend to feel complete these days if he isn’t there.
Whether we’re using him as a boost to reach the next area, feeding him tons of enemies and berries in hopes of getting a 1-Up mushroom out of his egg, or just playing a round of golf, Yoshi is an integral part of video game history and is without question gaming’s most iconic dinosaur.
