ChaoticBrain's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Super Switcher]

Well that was certainly an experience.

The last few levels were really exhausting, but I pulled through. I'm really not much of an action gamer, so for making it through every level, I'm feeling quite proud of myself right now. Enjoyable, great music, and all-around solid game.

Now then, on to complaints, because no game is immune to my pessimism:

* Gate-switching could get really confusing at times. If it were at all possible, I would appreciate having an option to rotate the field 90 degrees counterclockwise, so that the number keys match up with the gates, left to right.

* Freezing power-downs are more of a nuisance than they're meant to be in the last few levels, because more than likely, before the gate thaws, another will fall on you and reset the duration, with no way to stop it from happening. Lucky for me that I had a ton of lives and a devastating laser, or things would have gone south quickly. Also, I fear that it's entirely possible to be caught in an indefinitely long freezing barrage, with no hope to escape. Unless there was a hidden variable protecting me, I would implement a fail-safe to prevent that sort of thing.

* I was let down by the fact that my only reward for beating Level 12 was a loopback. I would have preferred a celebratory victory screen followed by a return to the main menu, to let my accomplishment sink in. Or at least, separate the game into a 12-level mode and an Endless mode.

Anyway, I think you've gotten enough criticism. Again, really, really great game. Tons of fun. Can't wait to see what you come up with next.

Zoete responds:

Thanks for your review! I'm glad that you liked my game. I'm glad that you gave some good criticism. It's nice to get good reviews like this. If you wonder what i am coming up next with, here is the link to a preview of the next game i am working on. I guess it will take a while until it is finished, but it looks pretty neat. Just visit www.zoete.com/teirtest.htm

Zoete

[Catapult Madness]

Very solid entry.

The game is very fun, the graphics are excellent, and your taste in music is impeccable (though it doesn't match all that well with the theme of the game).

However, I only have one complaint. Do you think you can make pointers which indicate what's on the ground below and ahead of you? That way, you at least have a chance to dodge run-stopping obstacles (like those trolls with spears). I can tell you it's not very fun when something ends your run without warning and you have no way to prevent it.

[Bubble Tanks TD 1.5]

Good upgrade.

In fact, since you're in such a generous mood, do you think you could address some major flaws that have gone unaddressed in this game for a while?

I'd really like it if you could change the music. The song that plays during levels practically puts me to sleep, and makes the game less fun to play. It would also be nice if you could add one row and one column to the default dimensions of the arena, since the current dimensions more often than not make my tower designs rather unsightly.

[Front Flips]

Why does the gauge so high?

It apparently seems like if I hold down the button for longer than half a second, I go so high that I never come back down and die. Why do you let the power go that high in the first place? And I don't understand why everything is constantly moving to the left, as if it wasn't already hard enough trying to figure out how you're supposed to get onto the platform in the first place when the jumping mechanic makes no sense.

It really doesn't help that the graphics were carelessly slapped together and the sound is nonexistent. I'll give you one point for programming a non-generic game, but that's as generous as I can get. Try a little bit harder next time.

[Smokey Bear Puzzles]

The puzzles are far too easy.

In fact, they get easier the higher the difficulty goes - that's to say, I score higher on harder levels. The amount of extra time you give to compensate for the extra number of pieces is too much. The addition of a grid which all-too-helpfully snaps my pieces into position makes it overwhelmingly easy, and I lose interest immediately.

Challenge is essential. Never forget that.

[Tunning Puzzle]

The presentation of this game baffles me.

Why do I get 30 minutes to beat such a simple puzzle? Why do I get checkpoints, and why do I need them? Why do police cars occasionally run across the screen? Why does it say "100% perfect" when I finish a puzzle? Was there some way I could have lost? Why are there no instructions explaining all this?

I'm so confused.

[Indie Jones]

Frustrating and unfun.

I filled up the gem meter just as the boulder was about to crush me. Indie punched it... and he died. So that's nice. Apparently, even though I collected enough gems on the brink of death, the game isn't going to let me continue. How incredibly frustrating.

Another frustrating feature: The fact that missing even a single gem, no matter how close to full your gauge is, means you lose it all. Meaning if you regularly collect 8 or 9 gems in a row, and can't quite manage to get the next because it spawned just a little out of reach, you're basically fucked. In fact, you get punished less for collecting a smaller chain of gems before a full-10-chain. There is a valley between playing badly and playing well that receives the most punishment.

I know this is just a quick, cheap, tie-in game to promote the upcoming documentary, but tell me this: Why would I want to watch what this game is promoting if I dislike it so much? So, consider addressing these problems in an update.

[Collect Proteins!]

Review

The guy moves too slowly, the objects fall too quickly, and the space above the guy is too short. All these elements combined means that it's difficult, if not outright impossible, to react to a Fats in time to dodge it.

[One Button Arthur]

I love this game.

However, the sizing of the screen is messed up for some reason. The left and right edges appear to be cut off, which really affects gameplay. You should fix that as soon as possible.

[Puzzle Brawler]

It's an okay concept, but has many flaws.

There is a deep imbalance between you and your opponent, since you both play by different rules. In particular, the opponent's only "strategy" is to just stand around and do nothing, hoping that the player screws up for enough turns to unleash an attack. But since you have unlimited time to think, the only way you can lose is if you just randomly click without thinking.

I suggest you incorporate the following ideas:
* Have both the player and AI take turns moving pieces.
* Have Player and AI play by the same rules for charging attacks.
* Have matches cause minor damage to the opponent.
* Add a 15-second time limit to each turn to keep the pace up.

soybeansoft responds:

Thanks for playing and the helpful review. It would be hard for me to do an update (too many changes), so I think it's better to just build another game :). Taking notes on your suggestions. Hopefully better next time. Thanks! :)