sqykly's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Dreams Chapter One]

There's a fine line between casually experimenting

and taking WAY TOO MUCH ACID. Don't ask me to draw it.

This is what happens when the Mario brothers (a la their GBA game) get together with Doctor Seuss to watch Fear and Loathing!

But seriously, there are some really neat, and completely original, mechanics here, and you get many, many points for that. The view switch in battle for the different characters I have never seen before. The timed turn system vaguely reminds me of the WORMS series, but is unique in its implementation. Like some other reviewers have noted, I did feel that there's a lot of un-tapped potential there for more interaction between characters. In fact, I was a little disappointed when I didn't have to blow the boss's mask off with the bomb shot combo before I could damage it with the hammer. I also agree with the other reviewers that the controls felt a little awkward. The WASD/mouse thing is in right now, but when you throw in character switching and different views, it just feels like there must be a simpler way to do it.

The art, man! I can't get over it. I've never seen anything like that, not even when I read Dr. Seuss all the time!

The bottom line is that you've got something unique here, and I think I speak for everyone's curiosity when I say that I want to see it developed further. With all the creativity in these environments, characters, and gameplay, you can definitely go further with the mechanics you've introduced. I want to knock stuff over with the hammer, use the gun to drop a chandelier on the giant worm's head... blow the mask off the boss's face! If you can make something like this, then you can definitely make something where I can do that.

LordDF responds:

Wow! Yes I felt the same way when I was developing the battles, but it's also a huge challange for me, since Im not a programmer beyond what I learned to make this game.

Development for Ch.2 started in January, and it should be out by fall 08. Its a much larger game!

[Artifission RPG chp1]

Good, but very buggy

I like this. The plot is unlike most RPGs. The system is well organized, easy to understand, and very slick. The graphics were simple but were put together very well, with excellent use of scale and parallax in the map scenes and very good battle animations. While some battles tended to consist of either trading blows or tactically using the shield command, especially once the main character is built up, there were enough enemies that behaved differently to keep you on your toes. The system might have more depth if one could change weapons during a fight. I found myself switching from the shield to the pistol as soon as I ran into the bugs that counter with poison, only to run into one of those six-legged gorilla things a few steps later and regret my lack of shield.

The only thing I found to seriously detract from the game were its bugs, and a few pesky nuances. Several times when I used curative items in battle, the game froze. Once it happened with an Energizer, once with an item that cures poison & panic. Once, it happened before I reached the first save point, which was really irritating. If you can't fix this bug, definitely throw in more save points or a key to skip the intro. On the third map from the very beginning, there was an item box that regenerated after I fought a battle. I picked up the item at least twice, after which the box appeared to be closed, but did not yield an item. There were many chests throughout the game that appeared unopened after I got the item, but couldn't be opened again. Finally, no matter how many times I tried, the workshop would not give me the Shock Fist weapon. I had all the required items. The other items worked fine.

I think this is a really good game, but these bugs need to be addressed, because they detract from the game's polish.

Fickludd responds:

Thank you for the honest review! I'm happy someone appreciates the combat/equipment system :D.
I'm really sorry about the bugs, they didn't show on my computer but i think I've gotten hold of them now anyway.

[Deconstructor]

THIS = AWESOME

So about how awesome this is. This is retro to the bone, not just the graphics, which conjure 8-bit flashbacks without sacrificing polish. The epic backstory is skimmed right over on the way to the fast-paced, super frantic violence and indiscriminate destruction. The difficulty and curve are also reminiscent of the brutal NES days. The English of the text is obviously non-native, which feels right at home, if perhaps unintended.

The gameplay elegantly infuses the classic mayhem of Rampage with the advancements that have been made to the overhead shooter genre since Smash TV. The popular WASD + Mouse scheme a la Crimsonland is intuitive and effective. The enemies' friendly fire and collateral damage to buildings adds a tactical element to the chaos, forcing the player to decide which buildings to destroy in the name of advancement and power ups, and which to use as cover. The enemies are challenging and numerous, and while the AI is relatively simple, the variety of strategies they employ is impressive. Did I mention that this is awesome?

I'm not giving this a 10/10 because, while all the retro generally adds flavor and fun, there are some aspects of it that were vestigial traits of the 8-bit world, which have since been abandoned for a reason. When a weapon powerup is retrieved, the old one is abandoned, including all its ammo. This can be annoying when it happens accidentally. The powerups also disappear so quickly that it is impossible to grab them all after a large building is destroyed. The backgrounds sometimes lacked detail and became monotonous. Finally, while the music was decent, at least one of the jazzier tracks sounded a little out of place.

These few faults can be forgiven, of course, because this game is awesome.

[Stabika ep.2: Carnage]

Very good game

My only complaint at all is that I want it to be longer. I guess that's a merit, in some way. Also, the action & animation were smooth & varied; I could tell you put a lot of effort into the wide variety of ways this guy can move. It never felt like I was always hitting a button to jump or punch someone, it's always something cool & different. Felt like watching a kung fu movie or something.

I think some new mechanics would add some depth to the game. For instance, you could do some really cool stuff with a life bar. It seems like messing up on most of the stuff the character does would be invariably fatal, but in some cases, it would be nice to have some breathing room, or even have varying degrees of success. For instance, maybe you're fighting someone, and the struggle bar comes up, but you only get 3/4 of the way through it. Instead of having to start over, you could just lose some life.

Bonuses, like an adrenaline shot that slowed time even more before an action, would make things interesting and could be rewarded for precise timing or something. Alternate paths through the level would be pretty cool, too.

I'm not complaining about the way it is right now, though; if the next one plays just like this one, I'll be more than happy.

TheMillz responds:

Hey man, that's kool. If your looking for more of adventure mode, you can check out episode 1: Escape. It's alot more simple in some respects, but it's always something to play if you want more fluid action like in this one. The multiple paths thought came up, but it would require alot of work. After all, adventure mode is basicly an interactive movie. I like the bonus adrenaline shot idea. Definetly something to consider for a sequel. Thanks for reviwing. Stay tuned to Stabika, because the third one will take the story in a wild new place. ;)

[Frag Assault]

Critics are a bunch of daffodils.

Yes, the inability to carry more than a single clip in a single gun was annoying. But don't listen to those losers whining about the difficulty. If you don't like using the sword, freakin AIM! Don't get another gun until you can't finish the next wave with your remaining ammo! If you can kill multiple enemies with a grenade, DO IT! Don't waste any ammo on those spider things! KILL THOSE GODDAMN FLAMETHROWER GUYS FIRST, and when you do, DON'T just mash on the trigger! Stay calm and fire 1 or 2 shots at a time, or you'll miss, run out of ammo, and get fried. I figured this stuff out in two minutes, and I get to around wave 30 every time, which I think is not too bad.

Over all, a very good game once you adapt to its quirks. It's like a lunch break sized Crimsonland. Then again, Crimsonland is lunch break sized, so this is probably cigarette break sized. Don't change the difficulty, and don't change the blood! That has so much more style than a life bar. And really, shouldn't things get harder after you've got 3rd degree burns and a tank shell stuck in your leg?

My only real gripe is that I can't figure out what those numbers mean at the end. The ones like "You've killed 728 tons of radio shack equipment" or something. I don't get it. But whatever. Good game.

ZT responds:

Heheh, kinda like a mini strategy guide in this review. The numbers at the end are part of a super duper secret code. Thanks for playin, man, I'm supa glad you liked it :)

[zombie hord3!!!]

hell. yes.

You've taken the best GTA games (the first two, of course) and Crimsonland (which rules for blowing off steam), blended until smooth, and garnished with Resident Evil. Fantastic. If you're gonna do another, I humbly suggest that you add some character building besides equipment upgrades - like choosing to improve your headshot ratio (I know, no headshots in this one, but you know what I mean) versus being able to dash like a maniac, aong other options. I think that would be cool, but I can imagine that some others would find it obtrusive, or something. Finally, I suggest you let me do your music =).

Seriously, bravo. I haven't seen a flash game with this kind of ambition in a long long time.

painisenjoyment responds:

email me. we'll talk about possible collaborations. :D