Bad-Atom's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[K.O.L.M.]

Stuff like this is why I come to Newgrounds!

5/5

This is a fantastic little game. I'm a big fan of 2-D sidescrollers, puzzle games, and Metroid, in that order. So a game like this is right up my alley.

Graphically, it's deceptively simplistic, and I liked the look. The blurry, confusing opening really drew me in. If I could point out a downside, the game window is very small and some of the larger rooms (and especially the map window) are microscopic. And with no way to make the screen larger, it becomes a strain on the eyes after a while. Otherwise it looks great, particularly the movement of the entire screen as you move - as if you're being watched.

The storyline, at first, is a bit typical of these types of games. But the whole "Mother" element is really unusual and interesting, and worked surprisingly well. The dialogue was well-written, although a sound to indicate new dialogue would have been welcome. And during the final escape, it was difficult to go back and forth from running to reading as Mother kept berating me. But the story and the dialogue worked, it was very clever.

Now, the music really puts it over the top. While it doesn't quite match the cutesy pixelated visuals (a NES Metroid-type score would have been perfectly acceptable if unoriginal), it is so beautiful to listen to that it doesn't even matter. The final escape music fits in perfectly and really adds to the suspense. I could go on about how amazing the music is, but I'll just say go download it like I did! The sound effects match the visuals more closely, nothing too special.

As for challenge and replay value, I didn't find the game excessively difficult in that I beat it twice in 56 minutes. (Once without finding all the letters, then I went back to find the rest and escaped again.) And I got all the achievements without much effort. (The meaning of K.O.L.M. was cute.) I hope if you expand on this or make a sequel, you give players more hidden stuff and a reason to come back again and again.

The controls were smooth and responsive, if a bit slippery, but it gave me no trouble. Customizable controls are always a welcome feature, though.

To sum it up, this is a well-designed, cleverly written and beautiful sounding game. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[REDDER]

Amazing and creative old-school game!

5/5

This is a great old-school game in the style of Metroid. A big open world, lots of exploration and backtracking and a really cool 8-bit visual style. The glitching (which is obviously intentional and part of the game!) is an effectively disconcerting effect that keeps things interesting. The only downsides would be the somewhat slippery control and the disappointing ending. Otherwise, it's a really solid game that I spent way too much time playing!

[This is the Only Level]

Clever, creative, challenging and fun!

5/5

I love these types of games! Very clever and creative. It wasn't overly challenging but the puzzles were pretty interesting and fun to figure out. (I beat the game in 8:44 and died 50 times, but most of those were just for the heck of it.) The only drawback would be the music which gets very repetitive. Otherwise, great game!

[Little Wheel]

That was an amazing game.

5/5

That was an amazing game. It had kind of a "Wall-E" feel to it, and a nice, relaxed atmosphere and pace. Graphically it was flawless, and the music perfectly fit the mood. The game mechanics were simple and easy to understand, maybe a little too easy with the circles pointing everything out.

I'm definitely with the crowd that wishes it was longer and a little more challenging, but the experience was so good that I enjoyed it anyway.

[:the game:]

That was different.

5/5

It wasn't quite a game, and it wasn't quite an animation. I'm still trying to figure out what to make of it. It's probably one of the most unusual experiences I've ever had on NG. It was a unique blend of comedy, political/social satire, with fun little interactive moments and other times where you just sit back, stare and say "What?"

The actual animation was just enough to get the point across. Anything too fancy and it would distract from the comedy and general oddity. Music and sounds were well-chosen, the falling scream being my favorite. The only complaint would be the voice acting bits - they sounded over-processed to me.

The controls were fine, even though the nature of the movie/game was one that didn't tell you what to do or how to do it. You kept it simple, and simple works.

On the comedy/entertainment side, I was very impressed. I enjoyed the variety of references to politics, celebrities, internet memes, and some really random jokes that I'm sure were only intended to be understood by a select few. I think I missed a few levels and I definitely intend to go back and check the whole thing out again.

Excellent work. Very interesting, unique, and most important of all, FUN.

[Doctor A. Tom]

Good concept, easy to play, needs work.

3/5

It's a neat idea for a action puzzle type game with a lot of drawbacks. Plus I'm a sucker for anything atom-related, so it was worth a play. :)

The graphics are good but the screen size should be much bigger and the molecules should be larger as well. I felt like I was l was too far removed from the action. The in-between level screens were nice but the instructions and dialogue were pretty bland and pedestrian. Puzzle games like these need a little something extra to make them stand out.

The music was unobtrusive, which is good when you're trying to concentrate on the game and learning the mechanics, but it could have been more memorable or catchy. The sound effects - well, effect - is kind of dull.

While the learning curve is fairly steady, there are simply too many levels to play before the game rules change. It gets very repetitive. Cut the amount of levels by half, then we're talking.

My biggest complaint is the "reset" button. First of all, it comes on before all the atoms have hit or missed their targets, so you basically know if you've lost the level before you've actually lost the level. It sucks any suspense or excitement out of the play. Second, you have to double-click it before it actually resets the level. It's very irritating. If the menu controls and buttons were actually kept away from the main field of play this wouldn't be necessary.

I won't comment on originality because I personally haven't seen or played a game similar to this one. No complaints there. :) Despite my criticisms this is a good game and worth the time I spent playing it (about 20 mins.) I wouldn't mind seeing an updated version.

[Skywire]

Simple, fun and addictive.

4/5

I haven't played a good game on NG in a long time, so this was a pleasant surprise. It's easy to learn, simple to play, and a great deal of fun. I played much longer than I should have. :)

The graphics are simple, cute and colorful, and the music is very, very catchy and well-done. Just goes to show that you can make a good video game without resorting to fancy graphics and violence and all that stuff. You just need a good concept and you have one here. Great job!

[SHIFT]

Simplicity. Perfection.

5/5

An ingeniously clever concept, simple in design, challenging, fun and even a little humorous at times. The graphics were exactly what they needed to be, the sound fit the tone of the game (or perhaps made the tone just right), and the controls were spot-on. I loved it - I just wish it were longer!

[JJ]

Very simple and cute, maybe too cute...

3/5

This is a nice and original concept for a game. The graphics and art style are really nice and refreshing, and I enjoyed your choice in music. The complete lack of sound effects did bug, however. I wanted to hear the dog barking and running and the squirrels making those squirrel sounds that they make.

Controls were nice and simple, and the game was easy to learn and win. Probably too easy - some difficulty options would have been nice.

I have a feeling that the main complaint of this game will be, "Where's the VIOLENCE???" There's no blood and guts, no squirrel eating, killing or maiming of any kind... so I would expect to hear a lot of that. :)

But overall, a nice little game.