Based on the Dinotopia book series created by James Gurney, TDK's Dinotopia: The Timestone Pirates comes to the Game Boy Advance. This side-scrolling action-adventure features Clayton, a young hero, trying to find the tyrannosaurs' eggs, which have been stolen by pirates, and return them to the tyrannosaur nesting grounds. Armed with a sunstone prod to ward off enemies, players control Clayton and make their way through 20 levels of the make-believe world of Dinotopia.

The game's five levels -- Waterfall City, Treetown, Canyon City, Underwater, and Diamond Caverns -- are each broken down into four areas. There are three eggs hidden in every level. After each level, a mini-level called the Tyrannosaur Nesting Area appears and Clayton must return the eggs he has found thus far. Just as the regular levels present enemies, the tyrannosaur level also requires caution. During all levels, players can use the sunstone prod and its abilities to help Clayton defend himself. Some levels consist of running and jumping while others have players navigating a submersible ship or piloting the flying Skybax.

Available items include health elixirs, extra lives, and sunstones. Sunstones provide different abilities for the sunstone prod, which without the stones can only be used like a club. Acquiring the differently colored stones allows the club to be used as a blinding laser beam and can also instigate earthquakes. Regular and special attacks are used to fight off the pirate aggressors along the way. Clayton also possesses the abilities to grapple from the edge of cliffs and sneak past adversaries by crawling. Returning all 15 eggs to the nest completes the game.