Remastering Kuato Studios’ award-winning children’s adventure for modern devices and Nintendo Switch.
Originally released in 2015, DinoTales is an educational children’s adventure game created by Kuato Studios. Players explore a prehistoric world, hatch and care for dinosaurs, complete activities and create their own stories from their adventures.
Years after its original mobile release, Whitepot Studios worked with Kuato to bring DinoTales back to life, remastering the game for modern iOS and Android devices before taking it to an entirely new platform: Nintendo Switch.
The remastered DinoTales launched on Nintendo Switch in June 2022, reaching the top 10 of the UK Nintendo eShop’s recent releases chart. The following year, Kuato Studios’ DinoTales won Best Game App – Original at the 2023 Kidscreen Awards.
Bringing DinoTales back to life
Before we could bring DinoTales to a new platform, there was a more fundamental challenge: getting a seven-year-old game running again.
The original DinoTales had been developed in an older version of Unity, against mobile platforms and third-party technologies that had changed considerably since 2015.
When we received the legacy Unity project, running it on a modern device resulted in little more than a black screen.
We worked through years of engine, platform, plugin and compatibility changes to restore the original game, upgrade its underlying technology and get the experience running reliably on current hardware.
With DinoTales back on its feet, we could focus on the remaster itself: modernising the project, resolving bugs and compatibility issues, improving performance and preparing the game for current iOS and Android devices.
From mobile game to Nintendo Switch
Restoring the original project also gave DinoTales the opportunity to reach an entirely new audience.
Whitepot adapted the mobile game into a fully fledged Nintendo Switch release, taking an experience originally designed around mobile hardware and touchscreen interaction and making it work naturally as a console game.
Our work included Nintendo Switch development, controller support, platform integration, optimisation and the technical changes required to turn the restored mobile title into a commercial console release.
DinoTales launched on Nintendo Switch on 30 June 2022, seven years after its original mobile debut.
Following launch, we were delighted to hear from the game’s producer that DinoTales had reached the top 10 of the UK Nintendo eShop’s recent releases chart.
An award-winning return
DinoTales was already an established and successful Kuato Studios title long before Whitepot became involved. Our role was to preserve that original work, overcome the technical challenges created by years of platform change, and make it possible for the game to find a new audience.
Following the remaster and Nintendo Switch launch, Kuato Studios’ DinoTales went on to win Best Game App – Original at the 2023 Kidscreen Awards.
From a legacy Unity project displaying a black screen to a charting Nintendo Switch release and an award-winning return, DinoTales is one of our favourite examples of what can be achieved by giving an older game the technical care it deserves.
Services
Game remastering · Nintendo Switch porting · Legacy Unity development · Unity upgrades · Mobile-to-console porting · iOS and Android modernisation · Controller support · Platform integration · Optimisation · Legacy game support
Release and coverage
DinoTales was originally created and released by Kuato Studios in 2015. Whitepot Studios worked on the later remaster and Nintendo Switch release.
