Big Nose the Caveman
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1991 |
Big Nose the Caveman is a side-scrolling platform game created by Optimus Software and launched in 1991. It was published by Camerica for the Nintendo Entertainment System and by Codemasters for the Amiga and Atari ST. Additionally, a finished but unreleased version named Dinobasher was developed for the Master System and Game Gear.
A sequel titled Big Nose Freaks Out followed in 1992.
Gameplay
In this title, players guide Big Nose across four distinct islands—Paradise, Monster, Terror, and Chaos—in search of food. Gathering bones enables players to buy spells, upgrade abilities, and acquire items from shops found within the game.
The gameplay presents a significant challenge as there are no checkpoints to resume from after losing all lives. Big Nose succumbs to a single hit unless shielded by stones, which can be launched from his club to eliminate foes. Levels are filled with numerous traps, pitfalls, and dangers such as lava and water bodies that Big Nose is unable to swim through.
Reception
Allgame awarded the game a score of 2.5 out of 5 stars, emphasizing its distinctive feature of attacking enemies using a club rather than jumping on them. The review characterized it as a competent platformer with sizable character sprites but lacking in visually striking environments.