MadMath's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Keep An Eye]

Waow. It's been a while I didn't review a game. But as there was a true effort in this one, and it was so enjoyable to play, I'll do it ! Hope I remember how to do so...

The first thing that striked me were the menus, which look really smooth, and epured, which is a great thing, next to the cool illustrations and the music (that couldn't loop a bit better, but which is pretty nice). This very first impression gave me a feeling of control and humility, which had been totally checked the more I played the game.
That's what I enjoyed, particularly in a game you're "supposed" to die a lot, that it doesn't lose time making unnecessary animations or cinematics. Here, you click start, you have a pseudo-story (which seems to be here, let's be honnest, only to justify the presence of the eye and to say that you've got a story, ha ha), and a very short tutorial. That's perfectly well dosed. You die, or you hit R, you respawn immediately. There are no ending animation that wouldn't be needed, etc. That, to me, is a sign of someone who knows, how a game works, and what players expect. So props for that.

About the game itself, I found it very enjoyable. It seemed pretty hard at first, because of the balance of the eye, but once you completed the game a first time, you realize that it's very fluid, and not that hard to handle and master. And that's because of the programming. DimmedLight, you definitely did an amazing job here. The mecanics, are truely perfect. The speed of the game is wonderfully dosed, and the difficulty, as it increase very reasonnably along the game, suits me very well. Not too hard, but enough to make the last medal a real challenge.

I also wanted to congrat you about the exploitation you made of all the different little helping dudes, and their different powers. Combining them inside the same level was obviously good, but consecrating some levels to one kind of power exclusively was very smart. This way, I didn't got bored at all. On the contrary, I got a lot of pleasure to finish this little flash game several times.

The star system (with the first hit not punished) and the achievements bring a very appreciated replay value to it, so once again, you did a great job, showing you know gamers and giving them what they want (at least what I want, he he).

If I had some negative points to give, I could say that the story was very light (but who cares ?) and could have been propped up by some drawings. The artist made nice stuff here, so you could have exploited him a bit more ;)
Also, I would suggest you to allow the X key at the very beginning, even if introducing on level 8. Because, when you finish the game a first time, it's destabilizing not to have access to it on the first 7 levels when you got used to it.

To sum up... I want to adress to the team a big and sincere BRAVO. In my humble and personal opinion, this game was really really great. Good job, and I hope to see more from you guys in the future !

ArcadeHero responds:

Wow! What a great review :)
Thank you so much from our team!
We glad that you enjoy "Keep an Eye".
Hope you like our upcoming game :)
And I hope you enjoy a sequel little bit later :D
-ArcadeHero

[OONi Battle Protoversion2]

Cool game overall in my opinion, very polished and professional on an esthetic point of view. Great menu, cool interface, original graphisms. The music is well wedged on the different scenes or events, and the game is smooth, fluid and without bugs. Plastically, it's undeniably a great job, and I like finding back the "old" characters I saw in your other games.

It's more on the essence of the game that I'm less convinced. First of all, I didn't see a big difference between this new game and Ooni Battle. Just adding checkpoints and a wheel of fortune (which I'm not denigrating, of course, they are good inovations :) ) is a bit too light to pretend to a sequel, when you're using the same characters, finding back the same fighting actions, the same items, etc. Actually, I liked the simplicity of the fighting and its super easy handling, but I must confess that after a while, it was even too epured and it kind of lost its interest for me.

As there are only a few options (enhance defense, attack, gain life or money), the upgrades that could motivate the player to keep playing an addictive game are insufficient here (still in my opinion). Actually, after having pick up +5, +10 or +15 attack the most I could, I just beat all my opponents in one strike (even bosses). That kind of killed the suspense. Each time, I just clicked once to attack, another to inflict heavy damages, and some other to catch up coins :) I never used items as they got pretty useless because of that...
I think it's the huge difficulty in this kind of game : to keep an addicting game addictive, and prevent the player to fell into boredom. As far as I'm concerned, I was a bit too close to the cliff...

To counter that, you included achievments (medals) and you were right ! Giving objectives is a good way to maintain addiction ;) But I'm sure you could have include some more, on streaks, on critical hits, or on the different tribes.

Though, I liked how the different tribes have their own stats, which is more enjoyable as you go through the game, and particularly their special moves. The "upgrade" button was also a good idea.

Here it is, I just gave you MY opinion on your work. I find it a good game, but I would have appreciate to see this kind of stuff in it. I hope this review helps, if you find in it some elements you agree with.

Good work, and good luck for your future games !

OONi responds:

Thank you for this thorough review! Indeed, we are aware that we need to add depth and replay value to the game, and that is what we are trying to accomplish with the "official" version, among many other new things (some of which you also mention).

Thanks again!

[Confound]

Awesome game you present here, sir.

The concept is very good. I already saw it before, but never that well realized.
Here, even when it's difficult, it's always possible to find a way to avoid the embushes. It just needs concentration, patience, and everything in your body focused on coordination and reactivity.
I liked how you arranged safe places, and the fact that the levels are more a succession of well distincted difficulties than a path you must chain without stopping. And I guess it's more standable like that, avoiding too much frustration from the player.

I also liked a lot how you go straight to the essential : no long story, no misplaced tutorial, no death or rebirth cinematic, etc. Just some boards you're free to take time to read or not, and immediate respawns. In a game where it's very easy to die, and on which repetition and chaining are essentials, I find it brilliant.

Good job also on the structure of levels and the evolution of difficulty, which is, in my opinion, very well thought. I found the last levels very difficult, particularly the last one, in its own genre, as you incorporated the arrow keys :P
About the pause level, I also found that a great idea and it was very well made as it didn't break the succession, because, even for an easier level, it has its difficult side.

Here is what striked me in your little game, and what gave me the envy to write another review (didn't do it for months !) and to play it till the end. For a first real project, I strongly wanted to salute your clairvoyance and your good taste on these practical and mechanical aspects of your submission.

I neglected a bit the external side of it, because it seemed a bit secondary for me, and not really peculiar. Graphism are classic, retro and purged, I'm ok with it, even if they don't look particularly original. They suit well to the game. The control screen was clear to read. And the musics were well chosen.

Finally, that's a really good game in my opinion. Rather original, and most of all, perfectly realized. For a first one, it's a true success. I checked your page but didn't see any other submission. I hope you'll show us something else, I'll welcome your future works with pleasure :)
Good luck ;)

cupnoodles responds:

Thanks a lot. For a game developer, it's positive feedback like this that keeps me going. Thanks for taking the time to write this review, I appreciate it very much, and I will definitely keep making games!
About the graphics, they are quite simple indeed, because I actually made them all by myself, and I'm no real artist. (Still trying to find one to help me out).
I'm going to start on a new project soon, so stay tuned, because in a month or two it should be ready. If you enjoyed this one as much as you seemed to have done, you'll probably like it too.
:D

[Dino Shift]

Nice little game, kind of old school, totally in the spirit of flash games.
The mix between platforming and reflexion is well thought and realized, and the overall makes something quite original.
The levels could be more varied, but intercaling stone-chase ones was funny and appreciated :)

I don't have a lot to say on your work, but for me it's a nice job. Cool colors and art, the cartoonish drawings contributes to the overall softness of the game. Music suits perfectly, nothing negative about coding, the movements are smooth and answer well.
That all makes a nice atmosphere, not ridiculous, childish or simpleminded. Just cute and relaxing.

I also appreciated the fact that the difficulty was not high (it's quite an easy game), but that also participate to the coherence of the flash and that just made me pass a good moment. I liked it :)

Good job (-0,5 for the variety of levels)

FuzzyMint responds:

Glad you enjoyed it :]

[Catch the coins]

Not definitely bad, but what's the point of this game ?

No problem with the technical realization, cause it's quite fluid, and there is no bug.

But, I don't really understand this little game. There is no coherence (nyan cat, a fireball and coins ?), no music, noises are not really appropriate (the mario jump sound when you miss a coin), and even (sorry for that) no interest in playing the game : you can't lose, and you can't win, but you cannot even try to beat your own score as you don't lose by missing too many coins.
This huge heterogeneity makes this little flash a game that has no sense, no soul, in my opinion.

As you can see that it's working well, why not thinking a bit more about the coherence of the ensemble ? Adding a music (why not a nyan cat remix if you choosed this theme), trying to think about a link between the dropper, the things dropped and the receiver, etc.

So finally, it works mechanically, but doesn't on a spiritual level, in my opinion.
1,5 and 2 for the work.
Hope you understand the criticism :)

[Christmas Super Ms. Claus]

Very nice game according to me.
A very original platformer with graphisms like cellphone games (i like it :). Good diversity of ennemies, backgrounds, the levels are quite challenging, cause the jump move is very short, and the holliday ambient is really fun to evolve in.

Though, I've got a few complaints, most of them about gameplay. It can be feel that you spent a lot of time on this very nice little game, and there are minor issues, but it would be a shame not to appreciate this flash to its real value because of minor bugs. So here they are :
- The choice of the keys is not really good. Personnaly I deactivate the sticky keys, but even, though, when you wanna throw a bomb and jump it's hardly possible. I'd suggest something really common like wasd + jkl or arrow keys and xcv. Or both !
- The moves are sometimes a bit approximative. It concerns jumps (when you're stuck to a wall you can't jump over the platform, you've got to move away a bit to jump again) and bombs (which doesn't explode the same way, or maybe has got a too small range).

Other than that, it's more than a decent game, Very complete, hard and fun, with nice drawings, good menus. It looks like you spent time on it and polished it.

Good job once again !
3,5 and 4

[Shrinkit 2]

That's a very nice little game you submitted, the idea is really good (even if it's a sequel, but as you also made the first one, i can say the idea is STILL very good :) ).
I really liked the perfectly dosed increase of difficulty. Starting with very simple puzzles, to strongly challenging ones ; and making us discover the growing move in the middle was a very good idea. Everything allows the game to have a good length of life.

I also liked the possibility of using several ways to win, (I guess I sometimes used some non academic logic to win, particularly on the 28th level "the lift" :D) that prevent the player for getting mad with an incomprehension of what to do, and gets him more interested in it, finding the better way to reach the star.

I'm not totally seduced by the plastical aspect of the different shapes which I find not really pretty or making an homogeneous ensemble (the star is too different than the squares, some shapes are shining while some other don't, colors don't really match each other, textures don't fancy me, etc.), but it doesn't prevent me from playing and I evoke that just to talk about bad points (which are furthermore a matter of tastes).

So finally, it's a very nice game, addicting, intelligent, and well realized. Good job ! 4 and 4 !

(Raa, and this secret medal is hard to find !)

NPGames responds:

Great review! I try to make games like a child playing with blocks instead of a car on a racetrack. Glad the graphics didn't get in the way of your fun, its the biggest point holding me back these days. pm me if you need a hint for the medal :)

[Christmas Coal Harvest]

Nice little game, the experimentation is a success.
You used the main codes of the genre to offer a short and succesfull flash game.
One scene, and just enough possibilities not to be bored and not to make the game too difficult (you really striked well on basis : short range defenders, long range, traps, walls, and workers, that's all we need !)

I had pleasure to see the ennemies getting stronger and stronger (white wolves, polar bears, etc.), and the increase of the difficulty is well made. It can be really difficult in the beginning, but when you've figured out how that work, it's easier to manage (proceeding by lines with traps-short range- workers- long range). So finally it's effective, the level is well thought cause we naturally organise our units with the landscape. Maybe a bit too obvious even.

Graphisms are nice, old school as I like it. Sounds are great too, the menu is well made.

'bout negative points, I noticed some.
- the interest is actually a bit limited, and if the lack of possibilities can be a plus, it can also be an issue. We could get bored because of the repetition of sequences. Actually, I guess it's possible not to do nothing by creating long range units by dozens and leave them making the job.
- music : this 2 seconds loop gets on my nerves finally :D
- chaos : if it's funny too see all units shooting in the same time, it's also a bit messy, and sometimes i had problems and couldn't pick up the soldier or trap i created.

So finally, I'm seduced, I'd say it's really a good job for an experimentation.
Way to go !

[Switch - Reaction Game]

Very nice !

Simple in the idea, damned effective in the realisation !
I could never have suspected that under such an epured window and a simple menu would hide a diabolic game. Very intense, you make the player be super focused for this small minute.

In my opinion it's really nicely made. Perfect music, nice and very simple graphism.
I guess the window size is perfect cause if you make it larger, it'll take more time to go from one circle to another. Same thing for the colors. That's a good idea to add some to keep the player entertained, but the grey one is probably the best, talking about legibility.

Nothing to criticize actually. Though, I guess the interest of the game is a bit limited :D ;)

8/10 and 5/5 (technically there's nothing to add here according to me)

[Missilebreak Outvaders]

Very good

And I mean it.
A mix between space invaders and wallbreaker can be a nice idea. But like those two original games, it should have a limited interest, particularly when you take the very first version of each, with no power-ups. And as it should have a limited interest, the player should got bored fast.

But, obviously it's not a single mix. And 2 colors give this game its savor and its consistency : those missiles that you can reflect constitute the essence of this little game, and make it definitely addictive.
It force you to distinguish and to treat independently those two kind of missiles, to develop a strategy (yeah ! a real strategy), particularly to win the hard medals. (unfortunately the last one popped up on the screen but i didn't receive it ?)
The idea is really great, and it's perfectly realized. Controls are so simple and effective, the sensibility is perfect. Graphisms are epured and primitive (in a good way) and don't spoil the visibility needed for the missiles.

Simple but very ingenious, and made with intelligence. I had much pleasure playing this game.
Just one thing : I guess it can get boring as soon as you've reached all medals. Particularly for the first mode, cause it gets repetitive and doesn't really push you to try to play for score. On the contrary, concrete objectives are really motivating. Maybe incorporate them in the game would be a good idea.

Well done !