shinobody's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Light Bike]

I kind of like it.
Attention to details, like the fact that when you're speeding up you can actually feel and see it, and that other bikes will also crash into others definitely helps rescue this game from mediocrity and makes it moderately interesting.

Ideas for improvement would probably include ability to add vertical controls (justified as changing speed manually, reflected in scrolling speed etc.), and perhaps more elements to make it feel cyberpunk - perhaps include some sort of player nicknames floating above heads of AI riders to make players feel like they're truly in some virtual reality game? Also, more varied environment with stuff like walls, ramps, endless ravines, bonuses and so on which would on one hand increase the immersion of being in a virtual reality, and on the other hand increase gameplay depth.

[Escape the Volcano Dungeon of Dread!]

Look, game design advice - it seems your idea of raising difficulty seems to be limiting the player. Throughout the game you need to wait as the screen scrolls, then there are the orange blocks - look, game design advice - this just doesn't feel right in a video game. In general, it's better to add multiple systems and let player come up with interesting solutions to problems you create. And this applies to every game, look even at classics like Megaman - you can pick many paths through the game, and sometimes even through the levels themselves, fight bosses in different order, you decide what weapons and items you want to acquire when, and how and when to use them limited only by weapon ammo system - even when there were autoscroller levels they were few and far in between, a break from the more open rest of the levels. Same goes for other classics like Zelda or Metroid, just even harder - and hell, even Super Mario Bros had more gameplay depth between different powerups radically changing gameplay, secrets and warp zones, ability to play as Luigi in Lost Levels and generally deciding whether to go fast or slowly, and whether to try to engage enemies and risk getting hit in the process, or try to avoid them and risk getting hit in the back - reflected in game design, every castle boss could be defeated by being fireballed to death or by being dodged and taking the axe. Worst levels in Super Mario Bros? Water levels where you were usually unarmed and in constant danger, and you didn't have the tools to deal with that danger anymore.

Here, your idea of creating a challenge is to give player very little tools to deal with challenges ahead, and then at certain points limit player's options even more (make him wait for the orange blocks to touch lava, place enemies in a way that you can't skip them, make player guess what's ahead, and so on.) The only emotion it creates is frustration - and if you're intentionally trying to create a game about frustration, like maker of VVVVVV did, then it's fine. But I don't feel like that was the goal here, you were trying to create "challenging but fun" game and simply missed the mark.

It's especially annoying since some stuff is done well - introduction of new gameplay mechanics is done well and in self-explanatory way, and visual style is pretty neat, feeling faithful to the NES aesthetic. Controls are tight, music is good - just work on our design skills and you have potential to create some great games.

Gypopothomas responds:

Thanks for the feedback, lad. Some interesting points that I totally agree with. I'll save them to my brain's system memory for future projects.

[Zombo Buster Rising]

This game is as boring and bland cookie cutter zombie defense shooter.
Sure, makers tried to introduce certain elements to try and mix things up, but without concern about how they interact with each other.

We have flying enemies on balloons, but to my dismay you can't shoot the ballons to ground the enemies. Sure, why introduce something that could be FUN?
In fact, all enemy types other than ballon zombies introduce absolutely nothing new to the game. They vary a bit in speed in health, but nothing actually interesting. It's obvious absolutely no thought went into enemy design.
Back to mechanics.
We have refugees who will run through the crowd for cash bonus if they reach the base not killed by friendly (player's) fire, which was a nice thought - sadly, it doesn't mesh well with another mechanic, which is having a NPC on player's team.
Sadly, yur party members can't really tell which is a safe shot for refugees and will often kill them by accident (especially so since Sniper's ability is piercing through multiple targets, and Rocketman deals area of effect splash damage).
Another mechanic are spells which are usually found in less relfex oriented defense games (like tower defense) but hey, whatever helps to shake up the monotony of holding left mouse button. Except spells themselves are pretty forgettable and have a very long cooldown. Notable is Time Freeze, which freezes enemies in place for I think entire SECOND. Wow. Your character won't even reload a gun in this time.
What else is to say?
We have random effects like Stun or Critical Hit, but they're awarded randomly so I'm not sure why they're even there in a skill based game. All it does is make Rocketman the best character sinc he rolls for a critical hit on every hit in the splash damage, which seems like an oversight.
Graphics are super generic and forgettable, drawn in the same "cute" cartoony style we seen since Plants Vs Zombies. I didn't notice music was even there, and it's the same boring looping short jingle. There's dialogue, but it's not funny (I think it's supposed to be, but isn't), it's terribly written, adds nothing to the game and obviously an afterthought. Enemy desings are relatively creative, but what's the point if they don't correspond to gameplay much.
To be frank, this game is super mediocre. It's bad. It looks like someone with no experience in game design played Last Stand and went "hey, I can make that!".
Guess what? No, you can't.

[Thoreau Redux]

Innovative concpet, sub-par execution.

[Flash Punker]

It's nice that you listened to players and learned your lesson since Zuper Green - without having to race against the screen game is way more enjoyable, and playing as punk shooting zombies in urban environment is definitely more memorable than generic astronaut shooting generic aliens.
Still, game could use more random map segments - they quickly begin to repeat, and it's kinda jarring. More difficult enemies with varied behaviours (fast, jumping, shooting, exploding) could be useful too.
Not bad.

[Exercise]

Sorry, but even though I like the idea the movement of platforms is too random.

[WaxOware]

Looking at the comments below I see that not too many people played any of WarioWare games, and that makes me sad. As for the game itself - really great recreation of microgames style in flash, except is just normal mode boss was very confusing about the fact that I couldn't win - if you at least said in the beginning normal mode has different ending then it'd be better. Also, "Escape" (the one with multiple floors and nurses) microgame is too hard/complicated compared to rest, especially since you don't really get enough time for escape.

[Tesla Defense]

... I was unable to complete wave 5 for some reason. Game just didn't accept win even after retrying. Only upgrade I bought turn before was chain lightning. Also, quitting to menu and continuing game from there seemed to fix the bug.
It didn't happen again later.

[Zombies Island 2]

This. Game. Sucks.
A: Enemies die easily leaving plenty of ammo, game is not a challenge nor fun
B: Maps are dumb, repetitive and they end for no reason
C: Ammo bonuses use same sound as NG medals LOL (other sounds and music are average)
D: Your character draws weapons seemingly out of nowhere.
E: I will throw up if I'll see one more pointless flashy blur transition

[Zombogrinder 2]

Sooo, who's bright idea was to make BOTH fuel tanks and repair kits red, so you can't tell them apart?