Score: 8

"Clever, challenging gameplay"

submission: MindScape

date: June 11, 2007

4/5

This game really grew on me. It takes a moment to get used to the game mechanics, but once you do, it's a really clever and well-constructed game.

First of all, your graphics are perfectly suited to this concept. They're simple in design and color schemes, which helps keep things from getting too confusing. I've always liked your art style, and the game is really reflective of your work in general. The backgrounds were simple and clever. The main character and the enemies are very clearly delineated and well-animated.

The game mechanics, while a little unusual, become completely natural once you get the hang of things. It's not your typical side-scroller, that's for sure. Later on, the game throws a few curveballs with the different environments and a couple of different activities (the switches and the final race). It's a credit to your programming skills and the game's learning curve that it's easy to figure it out. Probably the only weakness would be the somewhat loose hit detection, especially when rounding corners. I bumped into several enemies even though I seemed to be far enough away. But it didn't hurt the overall gaming experience. The level of challenge was perfect - it wasn't overly easy or difficult.

I loved your choices in music - it really set the mood in each level. The whole game had a great mood and feel. I'm giving you extra credit for creating a nice storyline to frame the events. It wasn't tacked-on or gratuitous, and the ending was surprising yet made perfect sense. Nice work here. I wonder if you got your inspiration from dreams or maybe you're just a little insane. :)

Now after all that gushing, I do have one major gripe and I saved it for last. I was really annoyed by the keys used for the controls. A, W and D are not the optimal keys for this kind of game. Most games of this type would use the arrow keys and/or space, or allow customizable controls. The way it was set up here was awkward. But this is a very easy thing to fix.

Overall, I was really pleasantly surprised by the game. It really grows on you - and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've always enjoyed your animated work in the past, so it was nice to see you put your visual stamp on a game. Great job!

Score: 8

"Hypnotic"

submission: Retro Collab

date: June 2, 2007

4/5

A clever concept for a collab and surprisingly original execution. When I saw the title "Retro Collab", I figured it would be a slew of Nintendo parodies or something we've seen before. Instead it was something much more interesting and visually involving. The effect was almost hypnotic and the music worked fairly well.

My only gripe (and this applies to most collabs) is showing the name of the author during their section of the animation. I think it would have flowed better without constantly telling us who animated what part. That should be saved for the credits. It always seems to take me out of the animation.

But still, a very well done animation.

Score: 9

"Great piece of work."

submission: MK vs. SF 3

date: May 8, 2007

5/5

This is a great piece of work.

From a visual standpoint, it was flawless. You definitely have skill and a sense of style, and I can just imagine the amount of work you went to between the sprite editing and special effects. The lighting effects were outstanding, and your attention to detail is commendable. My only complaint in this area would be that things moved a little too fast. It needed just a little more time to linger and enjoy the view, so to speak. The fight scene, amazing as it was, could have also used some closer shots. I felt it was kind of distant throughout.

I loved your choices in music, and even the sound effects were well done without becoming repetitive. I'm kind of ambivalent about the end credits song, it was a little "soft" for the characters and my taste. But the audio editing was still masterfully done.

Interactivity wasn't an issue, although the Extras button didn't do anything. Hidden special features? I appreciated the inclusion of the scene and sub-scene selection. Very slick interface. Even the preloader was a nice touch, with the bouncing logos. Kept me busy for the half an hour it took to load. Dial-up sucks.

As for the plot... eh. There wasn't much to it, and the dialogue was pretty standard. I know I wasn't watching it for the story, but I was hoping for something a little more interesting. If the movie had a weak point, this was it. It's not a huge complaint, though, considering the overall quality of the movie.

Overall, it's an incredibly well-done Flash, and it would be a shame if it were the last one. Great job!

Score: 9

"Just about perfect"

submission: You Make Me

date: April 25, 2007

5/5

What a refreshing change of pace! I really enjoyed the animation, it had a definite sense of style and flair. It was funny, perfectly timed and paced, and the music was an excellent choice. And what a great idea behind it, too - congratulations!

Score: 8

"Fun diversion"

submission: Solarsaurs

date: April 19, 2007

4/5

First of all, thanks for using my song! It goes really well with the game. The game itself is very amusing, although it gets old after a while. But it's a fun little diversion, and the idea behind it is off-the-wall, which I like. Great work!

Score: 6

"Great idea behind this, let's see more"

submission: ASCII Animation

date: December 29, 2006

3/5

I really liked the idea behind this. I bet it is time-consuming. :) I hope to see you expand on the concept and improve the animation. You could fashion a creative story around this concept and make it something really special and unique.

A side note: it's not really ASCII code - you're using colors, letters and words to approximate drawings, not just ASCII code.

Score: 8

"Clever concept, well-executed"

submission: Draw-Play 2

date: November 21, 2006

4/5

This game was a pleasant surprise! It's like a cross between a platformer and a building game. It reminded me of Lemmings, which is a good thing in my book. The mouse control was fairly smooth (only a few minor glitches) and the keyboard control was good as well. The learning curve was just right, and the difficulty options and custom level editor give it a lot of replay value.

There were a few drawbacks. First and foremost, I found the graphics very unappealing. While I understand the need for simplicity in a game like this, it really could have used some character and some color. The stick man doesn't cut it. The animation frame rate was nice and smooth, though.

Also, I found it very easy to cheat my way through a lot of the levels by going over the top of all the obstacles. As long as you don't jump over the top of the screen, you can walk to the goal and avoid a lot of the traps/spikes/etc. Maybe this is a feature, not a bug. :)

It would also have been nice to be able to duck. The stick man moves when you hit the down key but he doesn't duck. I don't know if this was something you were planning to implement but didn't - I just noticed, that's all.

The music choices were good as well, although I would have gone for something more catchy and video-gamey. But that's just a matter of personal preference.

This was an excellent game overall, and I would love to see an improved Draw-Play 3.

Score: 7

"2/3 "meh", 1/3 "friggin' hilarious""

submission: Arnie's Adventures (VGDC)

date: September 14, 2006

3/5

As usual, the animation is excellent. No complaints there. The music and sounds were fine as well.

I don't know if I'm a big fan of Arnie himself, it's one of those jokes that could wear thin very quickly. And I didn't find the first two sketches all that funny, to be honest.

But the third one was absolutely perfect. It was self-referential in the best way. I loved how you reused the same music and camera angles. I loved it!

Overall, it all balanced out to a 3 for me. Can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Score: 7

"Great atmosphere"

submission: Scenes From A Memory

date: September 6, 2006

4/5

You created a very nice atmosphere and feeling with your animation. It looked beautiful and the music you chose fit the scene well. My only complaint would be the speed of some of the objects and backgrounds. The stars in the night sky and the rocks on the ground were moving too fast and it took me right out of it. With a few tweaks here and there, this would be a 5. Great work.

Score: 6

"Great game, but very repetitive"

submission: Bloody Blades

date: September 6, 2006

3/5

It's got style, it's got a great look and feel, and the controls are nice and smooth. The music gives the action a nice rhythm, and it's just a good game overall.

Unfortunately, it quickly becomes very repetitive. There's really no end - like it's on a loop. This can be easily fixed. Either break the game down into progressively harder levels, or make the single level harder and faster until you're overwhelmed with enemies and you can't win.

This is a very good game. I hope to see version 2.0!