FightingSeraph's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Pico's School DX]

Great remake of a Newgrounds Classic!

As a fan of the original game (and early Newgrounds in general), I have to say that you did an excellent job on this throwback. I remember playing this back in the summer of 2000 and enjoying it immensely. It's a pity that so many people on here are unaware of how the site was back then and it had a delightful raw and crude edge to it.

Graphics: Great use of the originator's style, with excellent use of AS3 effects. It may not win beauty pageants, but fuck that shit; something REAL is always better than something "realistic." I think NG ought to take what it learned over the years and apply it to that raw crudeness that was prevalent back in 2000-2003.
Music and sound: Zach, you have done another excellent job on that department. Those cover songs you provided are top notch and quite fitting.
Content: Those looking for a hardcore gaming experience are going to be severely disappointed, but for those wanting something that's good; you've found a winner. It plays just like the Flash 4 original, but with a better shooting engine, faster pace, and the sick humor that NG was once infamous for. However, considering that this is just a remake, it's not very original, but who cares about that when content should be first and foremost.

The Good:
-True to the original
-Better graphics
-Better music
-Better pace
-Good gameplay

The Bad:
-The fact that this is a remake

Overall: Kenney Vleugels, here's a ten for reminding us what NG used to be. (5/5)

Kenney responds:

Thanks for the review and spot on, this is exactly why I made the game. No worries though, the next Pico game is going to be 100% original. I just wanted to have the grips on the original before starting a new game.

[Flash Shadowgate]

Great remake!

Although Icom/Infinite Ventures has already ported Shadowgate on the Game Boy Color; yours was a case of something accurate to the source material, but adds a few enhancements to make it better.

Graphics: It's the same as the NES version of the game, but you added to it with Flash 8's capabilities. To put it another way, what you did with Flash's tweening added to the experience, and kudos for managing to make shape tweening NOT look shitty. However, I think you could have taken the Flash enhancements a bit farther and some sprite editing would have been nice.
Sound: You did a great job at porting the game's music, though you could have used a greater variety of sound effects. For example, try Megatron's Laugh from Beast Wars upon the death screen.
Content: It may be a Flash remake of an NES game, but at least it was fun and that's what matters. In addition, you also streamlined the interface a bit and added mouse support, which makes this better. That, and an easier to navigate item menu. However, having to deselect a command can get a bit tedious, but that didn't affect playability in any major way.

What I like:
-Solid gameplay
-Good music
-Previously Unused subject
-Addicting
-Clever enhancements

What I didn't like:
-The enhancements could have been taken a bit further.
-Can get confusing at times, but still manageable if you know where to look.

Overall: Larry, how would you like a nine from me? (4.5/5)

larrymcduck responds:

Thank you very much! Your nine is appreciated!

[Election Ejection 2012]

Looks like I'm not the only one who doesn't like either candidate.

I will admit that this isn't any different from your Kick Out Bieber game, but at least you took the time to add multiple targets in this one. In addition, you went after both sides without becoming heavy-handed about it. That's very commendable.

When it comes to the graphics, it may not be the best, but it gets the point across. Plus, considering that you had ragdoll physics, high-end animation would have been unfeasible. However, the walk cycles looked awkward and I think you could study up on animating a bit. Then we have the audio department, which could use a little tweaking. While the sound effects and music are chosen well, it could have used a few more background songs. However, that would jack up the filesize considerably. Finally, the content is a case of generic being a good thing. To be honest, I'm not too hot on throwing games, but the celebrity-killing antics of NG Assassin keep this interesting and the gameplay is solid. Also worth pointing out is the upgrades for this game--along with the target variety--keep this game enjoyable. However, it would be nice for you to do something that's original rather than another copy/paste game.

{+}
-Fun to play
-Goes after both sides
-Good audio
-Decent graphics

{-}
-Unoriginal

Overall: How would you like a nine from me? (4.5/5)

Wedi responds:

Hi FightingSeraph. Thanks for your detailed review!!!
You're right, we based on our previous game engine. It's because it suits election theme so well....we just couldnt resist :) We had a lot of fun making this game.
We are working on few new original projects...that we hope you will like :)
Thanks for rating and your review!!

[Katawa Shoujo: SotF]

Reminds me of I-Mockery's Castlevania 2 Priest Battle!

It's great that there's someone who took the time to make a workable CV engine in flash. However, it's even greater to make something with a Doujin Game that only a very few on here know about. In other words, this was fantastic while being reminiscent of many of the stuff made during 2001-2004 before this site got taken over by tightwads and people with no writing/comedic talent. Now on with the review...

When it comes to the graphics, you did a great job on importing the sprites. Plus, your sprite editing skills are just fantastic. Just how long did it take you to do those custom character graphics? Unfortunately, the throne room was saved as a jpeg, which made it look kinda like crap. Soundwise, you also did well with that considering those sounds were hard as hell to obtain. However, while the music was fitting, it wasn't edited properly. I mean, you kept the beginning of Dance of Illusions rather than cut it and make it a separate file. On the other hand, you were smart enough to cut the music into loops. Finally, the content of this submission is worthy of my approval. Aside from the subject, you did an phenomenal job with the design on this though the controls could have been more responsive. Of course, this may not be up to par with Mega Man Next Remix or Abobo's Big Adventure, but the hidden boss that you put in this somewhat makes up for it. I know that you'll have something better in the making.

The Good:
-Addicting
-Good music selection
-Previously unused subject
-Good sprite work

The Not-so-Good:
-The controls--while good--could have been tighter.
-Needs better music editing
-The difficulty could put off some people, but it's not Lastman hard.

Overall: Here's a nine from me. (4.5/5)

ShadowWhoWalks responds:

appreciate the review, it will help me fix things on future projects. I spent a week on spriting and three days to implement the program because I wanted to rush this out for valentines day. If given more time, I would've used tilesets and install actual stages. Next time.

[Pico Radio]

Novel, but ruined by a bad song selection.

Matt, you'll probably get bent out of shape on hearing this, but I couldn't enjoy it. In addition, Your fans will hate me for saying what I have to say too.

Graphics: You did a great job on the interface and the art selection. However, there could have been a much bigger selection of pictures, which is a bit disappointing. I think an actual visualizer akin to the one in the Audio Portal would have been better.
Music: This is easily the biggest kick in the nuts in terms of game submissions. Aside from Nightkilla's Evil, almost all of the songs ranged in from middling (Chaoz Fantasy) to horrible (anything by Hania Lee*, Dot Dot Dot**, and Super Slumber Party). How come there were no songs from the following:
-NemesisTheory
-Xarnor
-Hopeku
-Evil Dog
-Cheshyre
-SolusLunes
-ObsidianSnow
-snowfender
-Papkee
-Mister Scoops
-Burn7
-Elfire
-Helix6
-Box Killa
-AndY J
-AukeSam
-Kajet
(*=Nearly everyone will despise me for this, but almost all of her songs sound exactly the same and her voice annoys me. **=Not funny, sorry.)
Content: While it may not be the first attempt at a radio gadget on this site, but the flash radio concept hasn't been run into the ground like tower defense games. Of course, you actually put some thought into the interactivity while making this, which shows that the effort was there. Unfortunately, due to the music you selected, I couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. In addition, JohnnyUtah's voice demo felt out of place and tacked on.

The Good:
-Underused concept
-Nice pictures
-Nightkilla's Evil was a smart choice.
-I liked old cartoon Pico
-Good interface

The Bad
-Poor music selection
-JohnnyUtah's Voice demo didn't really belong

Overall: Death ink, this was distressing for me to say as it is for you to hear, but I'll be fair and give you a seven.

deathink responds:

Great review Seraph, I don't get bent out of shape by honest thoughts and opinions, I am sorry you didn't enjoy it, As far as having random comedy skits like Utah voice reel, I wanted to capture the feeling of the old radio serials and dramas. As far as leaving those other musicians out, some of us noobs don't have as extensive knowledge of users as NG vets ;) I will however look in to them and try to get some into the next update. P.S. NIGHTkilla is the shit!!!!

[Final Ninja Zero]

Just as good as the original!

How did you guys manage to get something like this from something that's multiple MBs down to 48kb? I think that a lot of people on here could learn a thing or two on optimizing their games/movies.

Graphics: You Nitrome/Pixeljoint/Pixelation guys did an excellent job in this category! The sprites were excellent, and I like the clever use of effects. (transparency, rotation, and scaling) Proof that you don't need High Definition for something to look good. (HD is overvalued) However, the blur effects used in this felt superfluous.
Sound: There's not much in terms of sound effects, but they get the point across. However, the music, while fitting, could have used some more variety. Maybe you guys should consider looking in the Audio Portal for music next time.
Gameplay: It's the same as the first one, and that's a good thing. With responsive controls, fast pace, clever level design, and hidden secrets; this will keep me coming for a while like the original. With that being said, it has some flaws that could be addressed. For starters, when sliding down a wall, I think using the jump key to rebound off of it would have been better. Second, while mouse aiming may be great; an alternative control setup would be great for those using laptops without one. Also worth noting is the small file, which is quite a feat. It's a great example on how to optimize a game and would like to see more people looking into that.

What I liked:
-Fun to play
-Great graphics
-Responsive controls
-Good sound effects
-Small file size

What I didn't like:
-Could have used some more songs
-Better wall jumping mechanics wouldn't hurt,...
-...Along with an alt control setup.

Overall: Here's a nine out of ten from a fan of the first game. (4.5/5)

Nitrome responds:

The game is dynamically loaded in, it's not 48kb :]

[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!

["Battle Pong"]

How did this get overlooked?

Sure it may be Atari's old Pong game, but this adds a "versus space shooter" twist to it; and a well-executed twist at that. It's a damn shame that too few people on NG remember Atari and what they accomplished; they made some great games during the '70s, '80s, and early '90s. However, it pretty much declined when the Jaguar was released due to its lack of proper 3D acceleration hardware, bad development tools, and bad management. Of course, there were Hasbro and Infogrames who kept the name alive, but I heard that Infogrames has dropped the Atari name some tiem ago. Enough ranting about Atari, on with the review...
Graphically, the sprites are decent with some nice background variety, and a cool-looking energy ball. However, the paddles themselves could have been designed and shaded better. On the other hand, video games don't need to have phenomenal graphics; just enough to get the point across. Then there's the music, which makes use of what I think is the Guilty Gear soundtrack, but could have used more songs. However, that would have jacked up the filesize considerably. The sound effects, on the other hand, could have used some more variety. I think some sound effects from RayForce would be fitting to use for this. Then there's the gameplay, which in spite of the fact it was Pong, was top-notch if I do say so myself. Many may complain about the difficulty, but I like how this put up a challenge without being cheap. As for the "Versus Space Shooter" twist: it adds another element of strategy that adds to the replay value. Plus, I also like the power-ups in this as well, which can turn the tide to you advantage/disadvantage.

What I did like:
-Above-average graphics, with some nice level variety.
-Fun to play with an added element to keep things fresh.
-Good music selection
-The two-player option was a wise decision for those who have friends over.

What I didn't like:
-The fact that it's Pong, which a few snotty-ass pricks will whine about.
-Needs more sound effects, along with some voice samples.
-The paddles could have used an orange hue for the the jet exhaust.
-Could have used more songs, but that would have jacked up the filesize unless cut up into loopable pieces in Acid, Goldwave, or Audacity.

Overall: Here's a nine out of ten for doing something new to an old classic, Maelstormm.

maelstormm responds:

( ^_^)b

[-Shooting Range-]

Excellent for what it is.

I'm surprised that you never did another game with this engine, Doomhammr. It runs nicely even on a machine that is under the system requirements. Even though this was just a school project, I can see a whole lot of untapped potential with this fun little diversion. Enough with the gameplay, now it's time for the graphics. While they may be simple drawings and photographs, you put those pictures you used to your advantage. Plus, I liked the left-handed view, which is a sign of creativity in my book. However, the gun didn't line up with the perspective, but having to redraw that gun would have been tedious. The sound is also fitting and nice use of white noise/static sound.

What I liked about this:
-Great game engine, of course you have competition from BoMToons (Portal Defenders), MaelstormM (Mega Man Next), RiftMaster (Cereus Peashy), FrostedMuffins (Red Baron), Luka M(OCD+), etc.
-Nice use of photography and gradients
-Fitting sounds

What I didn't like:
-The gun in your hand is off-perspective, but you didn't have the time to do something about it.
-The fact that the game engine has loads of potential that is just asking to be tapped into.

Overall: I don't usually review more than two entries from the same author, but I think that what I had to say was necissary. Here's a ten for what this is: A fun little diversion.

[Sketch Tucker Tribute]

This isn't bad by any means.

Larry McKee, I would like to say "Welcome Back." With that out of the way, I'll start with the critique. First of all, the menu is very smooth, consistent, and well animated. I think you've improved quite a bit in the flash drawing department since Mega Man and Pompous Robots. However, the various designs of Sketch over the years needed some actual shading. You should study how light works, perspective, and probably anatomy. That will make your character even better over time. A lot of people will scoff at this for not having much in animation, but the fact that it's different than what you see here makes up for that. As for the fanart, it could be improved upon quite a bit. If there is one other thing that could be improved upon is the needlessly huge filesize. Three Megabytes for something like this is ridiculous.

What I liked about this:
-Something different
-Smooth lineart
-Slick-looking menus
-Original character

What I didn't like:
-Character could have used some shading.
-The fanart isn't as good as the flash-drawn art.
-Could have used some sound effects.
-Needs optimization
-Not everyone will like the anthro-styled character.

Overall: Here's a Seven out of ten, and if you have the time; try doing some still lifes.

Malamite-Ltd responds:

Thanks for revieving it. Permit me to make a few arguments and a few other admissions.

Sure, I admit the file size could have been a bit smaller, and I could have spent a bit more time on the modern art by giving it some shading. I've never been much into shading, and the best I've done is toon shading.

And maybe I could've added some sounds. I was trying to set a goal for myself at the time; I wanted to finish the whole thing before the year ended. I've started stuff before and never finished it...I admit to trying a Flash cartoon featuring the Ice Climbers and never completing it. So finishing things is like a personal accomplishment for me.

All that aside, there's not much I can do about the fan art. I put up the best of what I got from folks; it could only get worse. Trust me...if I had gotten better art, I'd have displayed it. I'm usualy pretty easily impressed. And this was part of the reason the file size is big; they're resized raster images.

Speaking of which, I think the design of Sketch has been quite refined since his origins. And I have the sinking suspicion that you may not have seen *everything* the gallery had to offer. Did you see the other pictures featured in each page? Among the eight pages, there's 30 total to see, and that REALLY added to the filesize. This can really show that I've made improvements on his looks over the years. It's baby steps, but it's at least something. Also, I placed a "Hidden Fact" in each page that caused most of the Sketch Tucker variations to *change.*

I've never been the best at character art, and I don't put this up flaunting such a talent. It's just a self-made presentation dedicated to a favorite character of mine. I consider myself a jack-of-all-trades; I draw, write, design, compose, animate, and organize things primarily on my own, within my own limitations. It worked okay so far.

Regardless, I appreciate the mainly positive input. I never paid too much regard towards drawing still-lifes, mainly because the experience actually doing them has made me feel rather uncomfortable in the past. So I'll probably end up doing some research in other manners. I may reupload the thing with smaller raster images and a few sounds, but for now I'm just trying to regain my composure. It was hard putting all this together!