Bezman's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Pico Sim Date]

'increase your stats' type game I've played.

Had a quick look when you were working on it and also yesterday. Looked really nice though I didn't have the time to devote to it.

Tonight, I chanced upon a BBS thread with Nene's stats in this game, and as I had some time, decided to play there and then.

Played through a couple of times. First time, I messed up dates #1 (which I went on without having gifts before Darnell had given his 2nd speech) and #3. 2nd time, I played pretty well, I think, starting off concentrating on studying and working up to around day 34, then building up my stats for maybe 10 days before coming in and wooing here in 3 days. We went on 3 dates in one day! Talk about a whirlwind romance!

Carried on for another 10 days, just because I kinda enjoyed the fighting.

On day 75, I was kinda expecting some cheesy questions or something. It was cheesy and I was really happy with what you had, including the whole ending. Made me almost chuckle.

Anyway...

----- The whole 'remembering tiny details to answer in later questions' in these games always strikes me as cheap. I'd find it annoying if I hadn't had the 'guide'.

+++ At first, I was kinda irritated by the random elements of getting a promotion etc. However, on 2nd play, when I realised most the chances were increased by your stats, I thought it was fairly interesting.

--- I don't like the way what Nene says is random, meaning a person with no guide might never hear her say certain things she later asks you if you remember. I just hate RNGs contributing to a loss.

+++ Most the drawing were pretty cool. Great style.

- Could be more animated though. Though it probably wouldn't be worth it in terms of time spent.

++++ Combat was really cool.

--- though I'd have liked more of an explanation of what moves did rather than have to use them each a few times to work out.

- The 'love' flash is actually worse to give than 7 'emotion' flashes. Is that intentional?

- When you get the top job, you can still try for a new one, but the buttons don't work. It'd have been nice to have a message there.

overall
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Probably the best 'increase your stats' type game I've played. The variety brought upon by the fighting and the script contributed to this, as did the streamlined gameplay.

Great work. Totally deserving of front page and everything.

[HAMU]

variations on an established theme

Firstly - over 218 reviews, over 70k views/2k votes... front page... a lot of folk obviously loving the game... and because it was 2nd rather than first you suggest your work 'went to nothing'?

Ridiculous.

Anyway... I basically played this game one two occasions. Last time was when the game got front page. I got so far, failed, then left it. This time I again played, got to the 'Defence' level then after losing decided I couldn't be arsed going through all the levels again.

review
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---- I just don't like having to replay levels. I think you should at least have an option to continue.

----- Not much changes from level to level. Sure, the 2-hit blocks, the invisible blocks and invincible blocks were introduced, but I don't think there's enough creative variation.

++++ Great in-game presentation. Lovely particle effects for when the ball hits the walls or when the spinning blocks break. Nice spinning for falling blocks. Also, nice moving squares in the bg.

++++ The way we need to hit the blocks as they fall to garner the real points is an interesting one.
Having said that, I think more could be done with the idea. As it is, there doesn't seem to be any real encouragement to get the blocks as they fall. Maybe if so many gave a special ability or we needed a quota to pass levels, or even if you just gave us more lives after so many points...

overall
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It's nice to see variations on an established theme, but I think you could have ran with the concept a bit more. As it is, I found it kinda dull and felt like playing yet again would be a waste of time.

[Pyrotec]

this could be kinda hypnotic

I played this a twice. When it got front page, I played it for a while, but got kinda bored. This time I again started it up and got bored. Then I kinda started messing about and lost.

I normally don't review games unless I've played them for longer, but as you asked for a review...

++++ I like how you have seemingly randomised types of fireworks. Different colours and different patterns.

++++ I also like how the fireworks become more spectacular for 'better' clicks.

--- I think some of the perfects should have been more spectacular though - all of them should have had secondary blasts I feel. Currently, some 'great's have more aural resonance than a 'perfect'.

+++ I like the risk/reward aspect of the main gameplay. The fact that we can't see exactly when it turns 'perfect' actually makes the game kinda more interesting in a way, kinda 'tempting' you to wait longer to ensure a perfect.

----- I think the game lasts too long and doesn't really offer enough variation. I think maybe we should only have one or two lives and maybe the speed should accelerate faster. Maybe you could start having some fireworks, with rings of a different colour to distinguish them, that need to go off closer to the bottom, or closer to the top. Maybe the option of a 'harder' difficulty level with fewer lives for a shorter and more 'tense' game?

overall
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I think with some modifications, this could be kinda hypnotic. I personally found the high number of lives and simple graphics (nice but maybe some texture would add?) contributed to me never really getting into it.

It seems like an accomplished game in some regards, but it brought me little pleasure.

[Flip It 2]

Nothing new. Too short.

- It's not original. Check:
w ww.experimentalgameplay.co m/game.php?112367
Though I have a suspicion you may have already played that.

--- Intro animation is way too long.

---- If we click the intro, it should open your site in a NEW window.

- The timer seems a bit too slow

-- The game as a whole is a bit too short and easy - I managed to get to the end with a maximum score, without failing anything. I preferred the endless version above.

++ I like the way you have obviously pre-made patterns. It does give the game a nice feel.

-- If it's meant to be a puzzle game, it suffers from the fact that the mouse can sometimes skip bits, due to folk moving it too quickly. I think you should interpolate between the previous and current mouse positions to make a truly puzzle-based version of this game. That'd be interesting.

overall
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Nothing new. Too short.

Still, I like the mechanics of the game and the coding and presentation seemed decent.

[Little Ball Game]

as is though

++ Nice shadow.

- Though maybe you could have the shadow move further away as it shrinks, when the ball rises.

- Also, maybe have the ball rotate as it moves.

+++ I really like the whole look of it, with the tiny trees and the moon... though it'd be maybe nice for the grass to also have parallax scrolling, the way it is just now makes it look as if it's a big ball on a tiny world, with little bonsai trees.

-- I think you should impose a max. limit on how long pressing the jump button will make us rise. As it is, I pressed it until it reached something like 50k, released it, saw it bounce a couple of times, then restarted (as it was just way too high).

++ basic bouncing works well.

overall
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Not a bad demo. Not much fun as is though, but it shows real potential.

Stay funky,
- Bez

darkhole-dk responds:

Hey thanks for the nice review, they're not used to be good now-a-days. The ball rotates, so i guess that'll be another plus. (Well, it does at my computer)

[Endless Flight 2]

folk were also really

-- You don't really explain properly that we need to HOLD down the mouse button to rise. As the dragon was flapping, it made more sense to me that each click would make it rise and that I'd need to click as fast as I could.

+++ Generally appealing graphics. Detail on the dragon.

--- Unoriginal with no real advances made. Offers nothing new over the helicopter game other than the power-ups (don't really change gameplay all that much) and the gfx (and the vagarities of the rock formation actually annoy and seem less fair than the original large rectangles).

+++ The clip I got after typing the msg was kinda funny. The folk were also really well drawn.

- But it had no0 relevance to the game. Why would you include that? No-one'd find it before you mentioned... and also, the sound's too loud.

overall
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I'd rather play the helicopter game. I think you should work on more original things mebbe.

[F - The Forgotten - F]

F

+ Bright colours

---- Nothing entertaining. Also, it's not a game.

F'ing crap.

[Krazy Kar 2]

the control of the car

First, I just wanna say that I've always been mega-impressed by your high level of output. Keep up the constant work!
===============================================

I personally started by playing the time trial a couple of times. Completed it in KK1, but didn't do it here. Played long/high jump around 3-10 times each. Played collection game. Played 'journey' but got bored and closed the window.

+++ I'm fairly impressed by the number of modes you've got here. Accomodating/requiring fairly varied playing styles.

--- No records of personal best in the game.

-- I think you should kinda explain better how you derive the high scores for the collection game.

---- I think the car should be a bit more powerful. In the collection game, there was one thing directly above a fairly tall spike , which was on the top of a hill. It was quite annoying - I failed to make it a few times, landed at the base of the hill, then had to travel a fair bit to gather enough speed to climb back up.

--- I find the general movement and control slightly unpredictable. I understand it's Krazy and whatever, but if we're expected to play for a while with it, trying to get high scores, I think it should feel more like it's under our control. Maybe that's a matter of personal preference though.

-- I don't like the way the bg doesn't move at all. I think it should, just much slower. If only to help give a sense of movement when the ground isn't visible.

++ I like the gfx. Having said that, I have a soft spot for purple... But it does all look suitably alien.

overall
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It's a nice game, but I felt the control of the car could have been better IMO.

[Pass the Pint]

not being able to replay failed levels

I'd played it before, but this time I persevered a little longer. Got 407 this time. Then I replayed it, but got annoyed when I failed and couldn't look over to see where I went wrong.

+++++ I really like the basic rules of the game. Simple enough to pick up and play. A small enough grid and few enough variables that we can plan out our actions. (Though it takes a while on larger grids.)

++++ The levels seemed to get harder harder later on and actually start to require thought . Having said that, I did experience a remarkably easy one at just under 400, but I'm in favour of giving us little breaks like that. I don't think a difficulty graph should be a perfect curve.
I'm not sure how you managed to implement the difficulty curve, or if it's even there at all. But I'll assume it is for the moment.

+ I liked the little animations, how you have some dancing, some staggering... although it might have been nice if it was only the drunk leprechauns dancing. That'd have made it easier to 'read' the levels.
Also, I liked the way the last leprechaun looked as if he was gonna puke.

- The pint should go down slightly after each leprechaun. It'd make sense.

- The music did get vaguely annoying.

++ But it was nicely themed.

---- I don't like the idea of failed levels just being 'skipped'. I'd maybe like a mode where we'd have to try again, this time putting more thought into our actions. I like the idea of being able to see where I went wrong and rectifying my errors. Maybe that could be an option?

-- I'd like difficulty levels, maybe changing the maximum number of leprechauns.

overall
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I enjoy the basic rules, but hate not being able to replay failed levels.

[[old] Fuzzballz #1]

I just felt sorry for him.

++ The guitar animation made me chuckle slightly.

+ Baby made me smile.

--- When I started it, I really didn't want to click anything. The Fuzzball looked so cute and scared. The way he stared at me just made me feel guilty and made the whole game seem nasty and sick.

-- Most of the animation is kinda predictable.

overall
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I just felt sorry for him.