FightingSeraph's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[MLP: Friendship is Pain]

Assassin needs to be brought back!

I first came to this site back in 2000 because of it, and it's time that someone brought back this lost NG tradition. In addition, I also love how you had the balls to go after My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. (I never seen it, but the theme song is very annoying.) Now, on with the review...

When it comes the animation, it's a case of good animation without going overkill on the effects. It's great to see an assassin game with frame-by-frame animation and you did a great job with the backgrounds. This definitely gets my approval!
Audio: Great job on the sound effects, and nice use of the songs by Musty Elbow and Through darkness. However, Ren & Stimpy music is starting to become overused as of late, and I think that you should have used some songs from the following: Xarnor (Defiance and Desperation), A-n-d-Y-J (Razor and FIRE!), Hades, Cutting-Christ, and Waterflame (Whatever!).
Content: As said before, you guys sure had the balls to go after something so coveted and fawned over as My Little Pony. Plus, I thought it was pretty funny in a nasty way. However, I think you could have gave people more ponies to kill, made the deaths longer, and with a larger variety. (Abortion, butterfly slice, the Daleks from Doctor Who, the Sentinel Sphere from Phantasm, Mortal Kombat, Fist of the North Star, and loud music just to name a few.) I suggest you check out Kill Gerko by AzureSt0ne (Creator of Keegan's Truck) if you do another one of these. Personally, this deserves a higher rating than what it has right now.

What I like:
-Funny
-Clever music selection
-Good animation without being processor intensive.
-Underused subject
-Having the balls to make this
-Finally, a new assassin scenario!

What I dislike:
-Ren & Stimpy music is starting to become overused.
-Needs more ponies to kill.
-Needs longer and more varied deaths.

Overall: To all three of you, here's your nine and keep making these. Maybe try the Angry Nintendo Nerd, Michael Moore, Former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards, Sam T (Ebolaworld), Legendary Frog, and those Smart Phones/portable Wacom imitators. (Read: iPad)

[A Sabtastic Sketchbook 2]

Looks like Shadman has competition!

I didn't expect you of all people to submit something in the flash portal. Then again, I didn't expect Cross 666/DJ Harlock, Box-Killa, or Jon "Xarnor" Bradley to submit flash either.

Graphics: While it may be another sketchbook flash, at least you gave people the option to look at the individual drawings at their own pace. (A wise decision on your behalf) Plus, all of them are excellent, just like Shadman and Celx Requin. I wouldn't mind seeing either of the following: You learning how to animate or your take on my characters.
Music: Nice use of jpbear's remix of Paragon X9's Metropolis, although this could have used a few more songs. (Lunar by Arnas, Above Arcadia by DJ Harlock/Cross 666, Haunt a Bitch by Mister Scoops, and Psy-Kaliber 2097 by Nemesis Theory just to name a few.)
Miscellaneous: I think I may have to do one of these sketchbook flashes, but most of my stuff are just boring studies.

What I liked:
-Nice drawings
-Good song selection

What I didn't like:
-The fact that this is just a sketchbook tour.
-Could have used more songs

Overall: Sab, here's your ten and I think that you'd feel right at home on ConceptArt.org.

[SHMUP]

Great, but needs a few improvements.

To Shawn (Afro Ninja): As much as I liked your escape games--as well as your video submission--it's nice for you to do something different.

To Hyptosis: Nice to see you attempt custom spriting.

To Josh (Kelwynshade): Great job on the music, but more on that later...

When it comes to the graphics, the spritework and backgrounds are excellent, along with many of the enemies. However, the player craft is needlessly huge, not aesthetically pleasant to look at, and has bad aerodynamics. I think that Hyptosis should've consulted with some CA.org members who know a few things about spacecraft design. Plus, I suggest that you cut down on the blur effects, it makes older computers lag. The music, of course is a blast to listen to and fit the game real well. On the other hand, I think this could have used better sound effects. Last, but not least, the gameplay. So far, I have enjoyed this, but when you have good ammount of bullets on screen, a smaller hitbox would have helped. That, and a faster pace. Now, I know that not every flash space shooter should be like Matt Roszak or MaelstormM, but a faster pace could have helped. Plus, I have to agree with what Amway on adding a combo system to spice things up. Of course, it's still solidly made and addictive, so that settles it.

What I liked:
-Addicting
-Great experience system
-Top notch music
-Great spritework

What I didn't like:
-A combo system would have been nice.
-The player ship doesn't look capable of flight, nor is it pleasing to look at.
-Plus, it's hitbox is too big.
-Could have used less filters.

Overall: I'll keep playing this, and for all three of you: A nine out of ten.

[The Princess Peach Party]

Pretty good considering the subject.

I don't have a problem with people using Mario as subject material as long as the end result is good, but the subject has been used so many times over the years. On the other hand, Princess Peach does make for great hentai material. But let's not get side tracked.

In terms of graphics, you did a good job on importing the pictures and--to a lesser extent--modifying them. However, I don't know if you asked Sigurd and the other people who drew them for permission to use them. If not, I suggest that you do that so they don't get pissed. When it comes to sound, great job on the music, and the Mario voices, while fitting; can get grating. Of course there's the gameplay, which is another case of "simple, but effective". While it may not be innovative, the individual puzzles can be a bit of a braintease at times, but still can be figured out. However, it could have been a bit longer.

What's good:
-Fun
-Simple, but still can be a tiny bit challenging
-Good music and sound
-Good picture selection

What's bad:
-Voices can get annoying.
-Overused subject
-I think you could have asked permission to use those pictures in your flash.

Overall: A few gripes, but I still liked it. Here's your eight out of ten.

[Plimpton's Video Falconry]

Excellent Coleco-remake!

Jon Martin, Jak Baron King, and I-Mockery have hit the nail on the head. This is a neat homage to the games that were made before the NES, which I happen to familiar with. To be honest, I never expected that you guys would go out your way to pay tribute to that commercial, but considering that Room game that you did with Oney; it makes a bit of sense. Let's get started, shall we?

Graphics: Jeff did a great job with the spritework making it accurate with the actual system that was the subject of this flash. I think more people could look into custom spriting on this site. It may not win beauty contests, but still gets the job done none-the-less.
Sound: Stamper, This is just another reason why I still look up to you, Mindchamber, and Tom. The chiptune music, while repetitive, was nice and fit the game perfectly. Plus, great job on behalf of Nerdist for the narration.
Content: It is what it is and that's all that matters because I enjoyed playing this game. You even went and simulated the Colecovision controller on the numpad just for the novelty, which while confusing, never wore off. In addition, great job on the Alien Hominid cameo in the space stage. Of course, the only real gripe I have is the intro. While it is informative, it felt tacked on like an afterthought.

What's Good:
-Excellent spritework
-Fun to play
-Nice chiptunes
-Underused subject

What's Bad:
-The intro, while informative, felt forced.

Overall: Here's your ten guys.

[Hunters - Relic of Stars]

I'll keep playing, but...

...Exlipse and Madwon are right about the graphics. Look Rhete, I know that you have a substance over style approach, and that not every flash should look like Adam Phillips, Ferguson Winston, or SunnyGOES. However, it's not an excuse to keep drawing like you had for years. Take a look at Press Start, which is also known for spartan visuals, but at least Kevin Folliard knows a few artistic basics such as propotions, anatomy, and construction. In addition, the lip sync was badly done and was off at times. On the other hand, it was very clever of you to not mirror the player graphics (Something that usually irks me), it didn't lag very often, and you did a good job on the guns.
Sound: This is a bit of a mixed bag here. On one hand, I really like the music selection from the Audio Portal, and it's not easy to find fitting music there. On the other hand, the sound effects and the voice acting are just bleh. Firstly, the sound effects aren't fitting considering that most of them are from FlashKit. I mean, a handgun that sounds like a rifle is quite jarring. Second, aside from Avior (the red haired guy), the voices were either stiff (the commander) or annoying (the female voices). Plus, by having Rina-Chan in this you're going to piss off Spazkid and the other guys behind Street Fighter Chode.
Content: The gameplay is what pretty much saved this from getting a much lower score. For starters, using the keyboard to aim was rather nice since using a tablet mouse can be quite cumbersome although the option to aim without moving would have been nice. While the pace of both the story and the gameplay could have been faster, it was fun to explore the spaceship for a bit. However, the dialogue sounded cheesy, but got the point across none-the-less.

What I do like:
-Good gameplay
-Something different
-Nice music selection and sound test
-Difficulty settings.
-Having a minimap was nice...

What I dislike:
-...but the exploration felt forced due to the plot.
-Aside from Avior, the voices were weak.
-Sub-par sound effects.
-Outdated graphics
-Slow story and cheesy dialogue
-A fixed-aiming option would have been nice.

Overall: While I can't overlook this game's flaws, it's too addicting to dismiss it as cheaply made because the effort was there. Therefore, I'm going to be fair and give you a seven out of ten.

[MeMox]

Pretty good for something simple!

I never expected you--the creator of Starlight Odyssey--to submit here again, and while this may not be too elaborate when compared to what's in the top 50; I enjoyed this for what it was.

Graphics: I really liked the textured visuals for something that's under a megabyte. Plus, the lighting effects were really neat as well, along with the interface used.
Sound: There wasn't any music, but that wasn't needed for the xylophone sounds were cute and a bit charming if I do say so.
Gameplay: Look, it may not be original, but not everything needs to be 100 percent original in order to be good (although there are exceptions to that). For a point-and-click game, I enjoyed for what it was meant to be. Anything more would be missing the point. On the other hand, the1truehero is correct to mention that it can get repetitive at times.

What I like:
-Simple and to the point
-Nice photoshopped graphics
-Fitting sound
-Small filesize
-Fun to play if you're in need of a quick gaming fix.

What I didn't like:
-The fact that similar games were made before this.
-Gets monotonous after a while.

Overall: Here's an eight out of ten, and have you considered doing a sequel to Starlight Odyssey?

genesys responds:

hehe.. nice you remember. There actually is an unfinished sequel - a starfoxlike 3d flash shooter game which is rottening somewhere in the depths of my backupdisks.
But stay tuned, i'm working currently on some 3d sci-fi games for the iPhone which i'll also link to some newgrounds submission.

Thank for your review, I appreciate!

[|~Puzzatales2!~|]

Rough around the edges, but still good.

Even though I haven't played the first Puzztales, this game doesn't require the player to play though that in order to get the story behind this. Truth is, I happen to like these anthology movies that share one thing in common, but are still different.
However, this still has a few faults that I will get to later.

In terms of graphics, it may not have the most pleasing animation on here, but the mix between frame-by-frame and tweening was well-done and that is what counts. In addition, I like how masking was used for each of the puzzles, which makes this series unique. However, the hunter's left leg in the third story after the third puzzle looked off center, which looked awkward. Then there's the sound, which is a mixed bag. On one hand, your music is excellent and was put to good use. However, the voice acting isn't very good and took away much of the entertainment value for the cutscenes. This, of course leads up to the content. When it comes to the gameplay, this is one of the many strengths of this very flash; and the puzzles are fun to put together. However, the stories are a somewhat major fault with this. While they were original, cohesive, and not convoluted/contrived/overcliche; they weren't very compelling. Of course, I though the second story was kind of funny.

What I do like:
-Fun to play
-Above-average art and animation
-Great music
-Clever use of masking

What I don't like:
-The stories, while original, aren't very compelling to watch.
-Sub-par voice acting.

Overall: It may not be the most perfect flash game on NG, but this is still the best puzzle on here. Spike, here's a nine for you and those who contributed.

[Pee Man - The Game]

Now that's a tribute!

It really sucks that he died because he was in position to make a masterpiece in the Flash Portal. Look whiners, dying from a drug overdose may not be a noble way to die, but who are many of you to criticize when he did some of the best cartoons and music on here. Plus, Unlike Arrogancy or Notorious, he strived to improve on his movie-making skills. Not to mention that he never supported spam groups, unlike Zekey Spacey Lizard, Piconjo, or Rtil. With that out of the way, let's get started, shall we?

Visually, Psycho Goldfish did an excellent job emulating the Pee Man art style. Plus, I liked how he cleverly used rotation-tweening with simple frame-by-frame in some areas. It may not have the best graphics, but it gets the point across; which it ought to be on here. As for the sound, nice use of his music, which while repetitive at times, fits the theme of the game. The sound effects may not be anything special, but also fit. Then there's the gameplay, which is pretty fun, but not without faults. On one hand, having a limit on how much he can pee was a good way to keep it balanced. On the other, the lemonade usually came at inappropriate moments, but that would have made it even easier. Speaking of which, it wasn't much of a challenge and sometimes tended to drag. Then again, not everything needs to be as hard as MaelstormM's Roll Next or PiGPEN's Lastman games.

What I approve of:
-Good art and animation
-Fun to play
-Amusing
-Good music selection

What I disapprove of:
-Not much of a challenge and gets monotonous.
-People are still going to bash this because of how Ben died.

Overall: Even though I haven't seen Ben's Pee Man cartoons; I still thought that this is a good game. Here's a nine out of ten for both Tom and Josh.

[Looming]

Addictive, but can get confusing at times.

Gregory, you sure know how to get that "simple, but effective" formula down to a T. A great example on how an original idea should be executed. As much as I enjoyed your last game, this was better designed in the actual levels. With that out of the way...

In terms of graphics, it may look like an old Mac black-and-white monitor, but that sets an atmosphere that was well-captured with compelling story to go with it. Sure, many will complain about the character being a stick man, but even Ben Spurgin admitted that Stick Slayer movies are still stick movies. Aside from that, I liked what you had for this. In terms of sound, you did a great job choosing sound effects; which results in this getting my approval. Of course, those things are nothing when compared to the game play, which I was hooked for minutes on end. However, trying to find everything this game has can be confusing as hell, which is the only notable flaw it has.

What I do like:
-Nice mood/atmosphere
-Enjoyable stories
-Fitting graphics and sound
-Addictive

What I don't like:
-Can get confusing at times.

Overall: I consider this a step up from Babies Dream of Dead World, which had a few poorly-designed levels (the coin collection parts). It may not be a replacement for Malapa's Challenge or Ex Mortis, but it is still great in it's own right. Here's a nine out of ten.