FightingSeraph's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[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!!

[The Hut in Ayre Forest]

Finally, a Game Jam submission worthy of my time.

I usually ignore Game Jam submissions for a multitude for reasons, but this one I just had to check out. Plus, it's nice to see Hyptosis improve on his animation unlike some people. With that out of the way...

Graphics: Hyptosis' art is great as always with nice colors, clever usage of texture, thoughtful composition, and solid construction. And the animation, while not up to par with Jake Hollander or SunnyGOES, is decent enough to get the point across. In other words, I think people should learn from him and the rest of ConceptArt.org's top tier artists.
Music: Trois, the music you made for this was both well-composed and fit perfectly. Plus, I also like the sparse usage of sound effects considering that free sounds aren't easy to come by.
Content: While it not be the ideal Flash game, but the overall product is still great none-the-less. The engine is solid, the button setup is well-done, and the combat is decent. Yet the controls could be a bit tighter, and the enemy placement could have been better planned. Here's hoping that Squidly puts his game engine to great use in future works.

The Good:
-Original
-Great graphics
-Excellent music
-Decent plot
-Mostly well-coded

The Not-so-good:
-Could have used tighter controls
-The cave segment can be confusing to figure out.
-The enemy placement could have been planned out better.

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

[Realtime 3D]

Not bad for something done in AS3.

Many people know you for your music, but you also work in flash as well? I think a lot of people who are in need of programmers could use your talents and knowledge. (Example: Cherry-Cupid) It's something that you should seriously consider.

When it comes to the graphics, it isn't bad considering that it's just wireframes. Plus, this looks like a cross between an old vector game and Red Alarm for the Virtual Boy. However, I will suggest for any games that will use this engine is you throw in some sort of color variety. There isn't any sound that was used in this, but considering that it is a demo; I won't take points off. Finally, the content is neat for what it is. Unfortunately, due to the fact that this is a mere demo, I can't give a full score. On the other hand, I acknowledge the effort that went into this and wouldn't mind seeing an actual game made out of this.

The Good:
-Nice wireframe
-Shows knowledge of 3D and Actionscript 3 programming

The Bad:
-The fact that this is a mere demo, which explains why there's no collision detection.

Overall: Here's a seven for the work that went into this, and an actual game being made out of this would be excellent. (3.5/5)

[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.

[Myosotis Chapter 2]

Interesting plot, and addictive to boot!

It took me quite a bit to figure it out, but what you have so far is enjoyable. However, I would like to say something to Hania: Most of your songs sound exactly the same and your voice annoys me. On the other hand, I will never give a submission a low score because of that. (I know you and everyone else on NG will hate me for saying that.)

When it comes to the graphics, I like the "simple yet effective" approach that was prevalent during animation's golden age. It's surprising that you don't get to animate more often. However, the still image part during the prologue could have used some actual visuals. Suggestion: look up Cooljaw: Dreaming Darkly by Celx Requin. Then there's the music, which isn't as annoying as every other one of her songs. Unfortunately, the theme that was made for this was boring and didn't set any sense of mood. I suggest that you look up the following:
-ObsidianSnow - Mist
-Snowfender - Buffalo Lullaby (She's also a voice actress if you need one.)
-Most songs by SpikeVallentine
-Any non-electronic song by Papkee.
In addition, the song that was used wasn't looped properly, which somewhat exacerbated this. Finally, the content of this was good, but could have used a bit of tweaking in the story department. While the plot was interesting, it wasn't very engaging due to how the prologue was presented. Another suggestion is to get an additional animator aboard such as Psychicpebble, SunnyGOES, or Nhazul. However, the gameplay makes up for this because I found it quite addicting. Honestly, your puzzles required a bit of thought without being too obtuse. A sign of good game design, but that can make things a bit too easy for someone whose incredibly intrepid. In addition, it's nice to see something that has original characters that doesn't exist for DVD/Blu-Ray releases & YouTube subscriptions.

The Good:
-Original
-Addicting
-Nice aesthetics
-Interesting plot
-Clever puzzles

The Not-so-good:
-The prologue was not very engaging
-Could have used better music

Overall: Here's an eight from me and I know that you'll get better.

[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 :]

[Commando C64]

Nice port of the C64 version!

As a fellow Commodore fan, I have to say that this was well done for what it was. Now, let's get started...

Graphics: Same as the Commodore version, and you did a great job at importing the sprites. So, no complaints here.
Music and Sound: Again, you did a great job porting the music and sound effects in this one. Problem is, there was only one song used throughout the whole game, but seeing that fault was part of the C64 version; it's no big deal.
Gameplay: Also true that version, the controls are responsive and goes at a decent pace. On the other hand, it also has the bad parts about it. 1) You can only throw grenades in one direction, and 2) there aren't as many stages as the arcade game. Then again, I'll let this slide since the effort that went into this was great. Plus, you also get bonus points for keeping it under five megabytes.

The Good:
-Great job on porting this
-Fun to play
-Small filesize
-Underused subject

The Bad:
-It has the same flaws as the C64 version.

Overall: Here's a nine from another Commodore fan. (4.5/5)

[Memohuntress]

That was beautiful, but not without it's flaws.

Here's another review from me.

Graphics: Great work on the backgrounds and many of the animations. Plus, It was really nice of Vinnie Veritas to contribute to this. However, I do have two issues with this:
1. The character animation, while not bad, just isn't up to par with many of your older submissions. I understand that tweened pieces made this physically possible, but at the same time it doesn't feel right.
2. The amount of detail in this is amazing, but in some parts it's cluttered and therefore, not very conductive to the gameplay. I'm more of a person who would prefer very specific details over lots of them.
Sound: The voice acting was good, and kudos for not having Rina-Chan involved in this. (Due to the Street Fighter Chode guys and PiGPEN.) The music is, by far, the best I've heard from you. Not to be insulting, but this is better than Hania Lee's entire body of work. It's surprising that no body else ever uses your music in their flash and videos.
Gameplay: This is one of the more inventive and original games on here that doesn't exist for awards, publishing deals, or the best table at some bullshit restaurant. It's a nice mix between a word search, platforming, and point-and-click adventure. While it is very challenging, there are times when the aforementioned graphics obstruct the clickable objects, which makes it tedious. As for the story, it's simple without being flat or contrived. In other words, it gets the job done.

What's good:
-Mostly great graphics
-Excellent music
-Good voice acting
-Original
-Decent plot
-Fun to play

What's left to be desired:
-The main character animation looks rigid
-Many of the items get lost in the foreground layers.

Overall: Would you guys like a nine out of ten from me? (4.5/5) Plus, I think that a lot of people could learn something from you.

[Bullet Maze]

Very clever!

I did not expect you--the creator of Naked With Apes--to come out with something so quickly. Although this wasn't the first flash that had Ikaruga's duality system, it's nice to see it used for something that isn't a clone of that game.

Graphics: This is easily your best-looking game to date, although I--along with countless others--have complained about your drawings. You have some pleasing color selections and a clever usage of flash gradients. On the other hand, there are times when the color choices aren't aesthetically pleasing. (Example: Level 12)
Music: You did a better job on the sound effects, and great use of Cycerin's music. It really makes you wonder why Audio Portal musicians don't review more flash submissions.
Content: As said before, nice mix between a maze game and Ikaruga/Silhouette Mirage. You have some great bullet patterns and maze layouts going on here. Plus, the addition of keys keeps things interesting, along with the difficulty. However, it can get repetitive over time, but that's to be expected.

What's Good:
-Nice graphics with equally good color choices
-Inventive
-Fun to play
-Great music selection
-Fitting sound effects

What's Bad:
-Can get repetitive over time
-Some of the color choices are hard on the eyes.
-Not the first flash to use Ikaruga's Duality system.

Overall: Here's your nine, and I think it's high time you learned proper drawing skills from now on.