Pelemus-McSoy's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Tetris Labs]

Pelo says...

Pros?
~Not bad of a twist.

Cons?
~Random block generation.

Overall?
Not much to say on this one. It has great potential, but the fact the blocks that come down are random each game drastically changes gameplay...and usually for the worst. One level may need squares, but instead I'll get straight pieces that the character can't climb. I'd recommend setting a specific block layout or increase the character's jump height.

~Pelo

[Polygonal Fury]

Pelo says...

Pros?
~Simple.
~Upgrades work well.
~Redistribution of upgrades at will is much appreciated.
~Great music.

Cons?
~Not always hitting the piece you want.
~Sometimes comes down to luck.
~Squares.

Overall?
I have to say, this is by far of the most simple yet amazing games I've encountered. After completing it last year, I was excited to find it again and give it another play through. I was delighted again by the amazing chain reactions and challenging levels. The upgrades are clever and very exciting to see. The ability to upgrade the triangle and your mouse to do more damage is much appreciated in the later levels.

However, I remembered two things that frustrated me both last and this time. Sometimes it came down to pure luck; example being the final level where you hope the super circle does double damage, but there were times when it was standard for maybe 15 clicks. My biggest problem is the square piece. Yes, it works well in a crowd, but you never know where it's going to go. It could be right next to a piece you want dead, but it will go shooting off the screen instead. (I'm well aware that triangles are random too, but at least they do damage). So even with all the upgrades, levels like Insane 1 and 2 are insanely difficult to pass not because your pieces are weak, but because squares don't know where to go.

One thing I also noticed was if there are two polygons on top of each other and you click one, the other may go off instead. Very annoying in the later levels.

On the whole, this is still a great game. I was glad to have played it again. I know I'll play it again soon!

~Pelo

[:The End:]

Pelo says...

Pros?
~Eerie.
~Different from the norm.

Cons?
~Control.

Overall?
Sure it was an eerie look at what happens when the universe ends, but the control of this game was just downright annoying. It was difficult to extend the balls out past barriers without getting hit, and evading the final targeting orb felt damn near impossible at times.

Personally, I think it would have been better if you didn't snap back to the center cross hair, but rather just have the screen move around instead. That was downright frustrating.

Otherwise, interesting concept.

~Pelo

[Treadmillasaurus Rex]

Pelo Says...

Pros?
~Simple.
~Very silly.
~Great song choice.

Cons?
~SPIN TIME IN YOUR FACE

Overall?
It's an interesting take on the traditional run 'n' dodge game. I think the party elements are awesome treats for the players. However, when it's time for the wheel to spin, I think THE WORDS ARE TOO FUCKING DISTRACTING ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE WORDS AND NOT THE MINES ON THE GROUND HELLO?! Sorry. But seriously, the SPIN TIME text is very distracting and blocks the action.

In the end, a silly little game that's good to kill time that'll put a smile on. +1 Hat and Party for you.

~Pelo

[Portal: The Flash Version]

Pelo says,,,

Pros?
~Closing portals.
~Impressive coding.
~Simple, yet powerful.
~Great way to introduce someone (like myself) to how Portal works.

Cons?
~Sharp difficulty curve.
~Difficult to know exactly where a portal where appear.
~Lack of customization for controls (specifically for the portal placements).
~Timing puzzles.

Overall?
I refuse to compare this to Valve's Portal for two reasons. The first is the mediums are completely different. Flash doesn't have the same strength as Source, but they work in their own respective ways. The second is you came out with this before Portal was released, and this is what you assumed the game would be like, so there won't be any "where's GLaDOS" whining I've seen in other reviews.

Anyway.

This is a great way to introduce someone to how Portal works: you see where you go in and come out, where you can and can't shoot, and some of the obstacles you may encounter. Hell, I wish Valve had put in the ability for you willingly close portals at the press of a button (my Y button was feeling very underused). For awhile, it was great!

But then you introduced timing puzzles. I understand that timing is critical in Valve's game, but the ceiling wasn't falling towards you at a million miles a minute in the demo, and with odd controls, the player may panic and send the wrong portal by mistake and fail the test.

The biggest thing for me is not being able to see where exactly I'm going to shoot. Yes, I understand you couldn't make a first person game, but not being able to see where I'm aiming makes gameplay a lot harder and (sadly) takes away from Portal's feeling. I can't tell you how many times I aimed at a wall just opposite a ledge only to find myself shooting the corner, or the wrong wall, or the floor, or anyplace but what I wanted. If there had been a mild lasersight, then it would have been more tolerable.

Don't get me wrong, this is incredibly amazing work you guys did, but it could use some tweaks to make it an even more enjoyable experience.

~Pelo

[Satanorium]

Pelo says...

Pros?
~Creepy aura.
~Some decent puzzles.
~Decent story (except when the doc becomes corny).

Cons?
~A lot of lame puzzles.
~Some items either too small or too camouflaged to be noticed (see also Small Key, Hammer Rod, and light lever).
~Needing to click areas that are overlooked (like the bushes behind the generator room and the boarded up door)...there should have been a clue to send people over there.
~Weak boss fight (the demon is too in your face, and the shattered notes aren't very noticeable).
~Demonic symbol is supposed to be a PENTAGRAM, not the star of David.
~Why not use the scissors to just cut the rope instead of burning it?
~No clues on how to start the generator.
~Why not use the handy cam's night vision to go through the dark tunnel?
~Soft to non-existent audio.

Overall?
This is a disappointment. A major disappointment. I like point and click adventures, but this one (like many others) sadly requires the walkthrough to get some hint on where to go next.

There were also a couple graphical glitches: On the safe, the outer dial seems to come off its axel (or whatever holds it), and when in the dark tunnel, the shadows don't move when you look left or right (it becomes confusing).

Dude, you wanted an upside down PENTAGRAM, not the STAR OF DAVID. Some overly sensitive easily butthurt person is gonna see it and call it Anti-Semitic.

Like many others, I was very excited, but such poor execution made it completely unfun.

~Pelo

[Sushi Cat The Honeymoon]

Pelo says...

Pros?
~First and second power-ups.
~Still cute.
~Still fun.

Cons?
~Third power-up.
~Out of reach sushi and boxes.
~Questionable level layouts.

Overall?
I loved the first one, and this one is still pretty good. The tongue upgrade is great for scooping leftover sushi (though its hit test feels a little off), and the ball of yarn adds some much need/desired control of the cat.

However, the final upgrade feels utterly useless: The only time you can get it is when all the sushi above it has been collected, and pair that with some sushi that are out of reach (see also level 9), it's impossible to get the Earthquake to lift you into the areas you want to go.

It was still fun, but not as good as its predecessor.

~Pelo

[Subject: Mo]

Pelo Says...

Pros?
~Unique experience.
~Side effects.
~Creepy feeling.

Cons?
~Jumping.

Overall?
This is a genuinely interesting game, but the only thing that makes more of a royal pain in the ass instead of a challenge is the jumping...it feels too twitchy, especially when on moving platforms.

Otherwise, the side effects and concept of the game is very well done.

~Pelo

[REDDER]

Pelo says...

Pros:
~Great puzzles.
~Detailed environments.
~Game gets...interesting after collecting some gems.
~Very open ended.
~No scores or time limits.
~Map and warp points.
~Decent length game.
~Hooks audience when they notice something big.
~Replay value.

Cons:
~Easy to get lost.
~Most time spent running around.
~Gets a little too cluttered when collecting final gems.

Overall: (spoiler alert)
At first it seemed like any other puzzle platformer...just run around, solve puzzles, and collect stuff. When I first noticed one or two tiles being out of place, I thought, "Oh, she must have missed a glitch. Whatever. No big deal." However, when more and more tiles started to "glitch", I realized that it was intentional, and I wondered what would happen if I found more gems. Parts of me wondered if it would all get better.

When I collected the 24th gem, it all seemed like it was falling apart, and I became more anxious to find the other three to see what would happen. With only one left, it seemed as if the whole planet was going to destroy itself as its last gem was taken from it. When found, it was as if the game threw itself into safe mode, only using the essential elements of the game. It made the trip back to the ship very creepy.

What I'd like to know is how did you come up with the idea of glitching the game as the player progressed? Did you code and test the game using the basic shapes and colours, and noticed that it would be interesting to play with both detailed and simple graphics? Or did a real glitch give you inspiration?

(end spoiler)

Regardless of how it was done, the game came out great and was fun to play, even a second time.

tl;dr:

Loved the game. It was awesome.

~Pelo

[Time Fcuk]

Interesting little thing here...

This review is broken up into two sections: Its gameplay and plot.

First and most important is the gameplay itself: It was your simple puzzle platformer. The controls were decent and made sense, but sometimes I would confuse a for space (or vice versa), resulting in death from switching dimensions instead of jumping. What exactly did up do? It just raises his arms. Any significance?

The puzzles provided great challenges and were very enjoyable, but on the Explore feature, I got no challenging puzzles at all. Maybe instead of just choosing the same ones over and over (I swear, I got "1" at least five times), it should choose a puzzle based on the ratings it got (like easy in the beginning, average in the middle, hard at the end, things like that).

The reset was a good idea, but it's a little flawed. It takes time for him to kill himself, and when I was stuck in a portal loop later in the game, I couldn't use the reset because he wasn't on the ground. Also, the Skip button at the end of the game doesn't take you back to the menu. It stays on that frame and starts the intro music again.

Switching between dimensions is a good idea, but it took awhile to realize you safely swap dimensions in areas with light backgrounds. That should have been clarified early in the game.

Now on to what I feel the meaning is...or at least how I interpreted this game:

I'm guessing the person who's texting you constantly is not really you. I think it's actually Steven trying to fuck with your mind. I say this for two reasons: The first is some of the things weren't logical, even for a game that doesn't want any of it. "You" text yourself from the past, mention that you're going backwards, ask about Steven in Level 2 and 4, and say that the person in Level 6 says not to trust you. Not once in Levels 2 or 4 was Steven mentioned, and you're never called a liar in Level 6. Also, "you" claim Steven leaves you soon, but he apparently leaves the level you receive the message.

Finally, the ending scenes make me believe your messenger is Steven. Why would you force your past self to get in the box in the first place? Wouldn't one want to avoid a hell like that? But how you end the final level is what gets me: If you commit suicide, "you" leave the box and tell yourself to get in; if you solve the puzzle, the two of you fuse together and form one being, leave the box, and tell yourself to get in. Seems that the player never leaves the box.

Well, I'm probably being overly analytical. I won't bother with trying to explain its deep meaning simply because I didn't figure out its meaning, but because someone already nailed it with the treadmill example.

Regardless, it was a fun game to play with an interesting (and quite mind fnciukg) plot. Sorry for boring any reader with lots of text (and kudos to those who stomach it all).

~Pelo