The-Great-One's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Troll Cannon 2]

First off, besides having troll characters and faces and using troll physics as the goal, there is nothing to this game. It is very simple and mediocre, but will probably garner praise because you used troll faces as a skin and nothing more. Although the presentation of the trolls is nice, the execution of the gameplay is just pitiful. Hit detection is wonky at times and so are shooting the trolls. I didn't understand why I needed to shoot a troll to switch cannons, that just seemed awkward.

Some might think it harsh by me saying that you're using the trolls as nothing more than a skin to garner views and praise. However if you were using them effectively and meant it, you would have at least given us better sound effects. We get some balloon pops and the cannon fire. I don't get why you wouldn't get some funny sounds for when they died or whenever a level was beaten. All we get is them saying OUHC (misspelled of course). I even let the clock run out, since you're timed and it's on a stick of dynamite to see if I would get the classic WTF BOOM! Nope, just a basic explosion that did nothing to the level. The background music was nothing special either, didn't fit the tone of the game.

This is an interesting idea, but it needs a story, it needs fun boss battles, it needs fun sound effects. It needs to be more fun that a half-ass puzzle game with troll faces slapped over it. I haven't played Troll Cannon 1, but judging by this, I don't think I should. What could you have possibly improved on from the first? If you make a Troll Cannon 3, I sincerely hope you put some more effort into it. I urge you to go to the Writing Forum here on Newgrounds and find a writer to write for you.

|| Cheers ||
*Great Presentation
*Good Controls

|| Jeers ||
*Bad Sound
*Bad Music
*Bad Gameplay
*Bad Concept

[Why Am I Dead]

This was an awesome game. First off the presentation is just beautiful, from the look of the hotel, to the different characters. It was also a nice touch that each character moves differently depending on their given character. I also liked the different endings, although the one involving Cricket wasn't exactly explained well enough until you got Lucille's ending, but they were both still pretty awesome. The gameplay I liked the idea of possessing different people to learn information. The controls were simple and easy to understand, there were also alternate controls for other people, which is always a nice touch. The story though is simply amazing and it compliments the gameplay very well. The music and sound effects were amazing as well, I loved hearing the storm outside the hotel. All in all this was absolutely perfect in every way!

|| Cheers ||
*Masterful Presentation
*Masterful Sound
*Masterful Music
*Masterful Controls
*Masterful Gameplay
*Masterful Concept
*Masterful Story
*Perfect Score

|| Jeers ||
(none)

[The Guardian]

Oh Look - Another Art Game

I wouldn't necessarily call this a game, and that's what I hate about most art games. If you want a game to tell a message or have a meaning, then fine, but at least have some gameplay behind it. The gameplay speaking of which was dismal. Just boring and bland way to progress the story. A game is supposed to be interactive entertainment, you could have found more creative ways to expand the story in this game rather than just having short platforming parts and lackluster fetch quest missions. The controls are fluent enough, I did have trouble at two points.

The music was great, but it just stops at times instead of appropriate loops. Which I understand if a game needs a quiet moment, but when I got to play as the giant, I heard this awesome track... then silence before I even get to the village. It just baffles me. Also, why are there no sound effects? You think that would be perfect in a game like this, but alas none.

The presentation is beautiful not only on the giant, but on the village and mountains as well. However I hated that I had to play as this small pixel and the villagers were all just pixels as well. I get what you were going for though, to the giant we look like ants, but I think you missed some opportunities and fleshing out not only the villagers, but making a really cool giant in the process.

Speaking of which I got to the point of where I was playing as the giant and coming across the village and as I destroyed it, I was just walking. The what I assume credits came up and I just kept walking, I didn't unlock any medals, I was just walking. I have enough patience, but it was already dwindling due to the gameplay.

The story I must say is a good one, but it is also one we have heard time and time again and you have not brought anything new to the table in terms of telling it. This is just another pretentious art game and nothing more.

When I saw this up on the front page, I thought I might get to play as a giant throughout the whole thing and be a guardian. If you decide to make another game like this, I insist you make a prequel to tell the story of The Guardian, because other than the title we know nothing about this giant. Why was he chained up? Why do you call him The Guardian, but the boy nor the villagers call him a guardian? There are so many holes in this story, that all we're left with is a cliche, some dismal gameplay, and a beautiful backdrop.

|| Cheers ||
*Superb Presentation
*Superb Music
*Great Controls
*Good Story
*Good Controls

|| Jeers ||
*Bad Gameplay
*Bad Concept
*No Sound

[Howmonica]

Redundant, Frustrating, and Boring

First off the presentation is cute, but everything is just so small and it can be straining to the eyes. You don't need everything to be this small for the design of the stages, a lot of them are made simply so you have stuff to avoid. It was so small that I didn't even know what my character was until I read your description and I have to say, that does not look like a bunny. The gameplay is a neat idea and I liked the use of the blocks, but after a while it just turns from a gravity based platformer to an avoiding game in avoiding spikes. It is important to learn that objects like spikes are meant to be obstacles to challenge the player, you don't make an entire room or multiple stages with them as barriers, if you want barriers then have walls. There was a lot of creativity into this idea, but the level design just doesn't support it... it just makes the game annoying. Also for 50 levels the presentation certainly doesn't change up enough. The game just comes off as entirely bland. The music choice and sound effects were pretty good. Controlling my character was easy enough, but without the proper level design there's really no point. The concept is great, but the gameplay and presentation suffer. Not bad, but not good either.

|| Cheers ||
*Okay Presentation
*Great Sound
*Superb Music
*Superb Controls
*Okay Gameplay
*Great Concept

|| Jeers ||
*Presentation - Too Small
*Gameplay - Level Design

TheSpydog responds:

Interestingly, you're the first person to point out on here about the small graphics. Doesn't seem to be a major concern with most people! Fair enough, though, I can see where you're coming from there.

As for figuring out what your character was...I'm surprised that it wasn't immediately obvious. It's the only thing on-screen that's not text, a background, or a block. And it's bouncing up and down. I guess if you were having trouble seeing the images, then the subtle bouncing would be hard to notice. One of my friends said the character looked like a cupcake, another one thought it looked like a bunny. So I combined them, and so it is officially a "Cupcake Color Bunny".

I personally think that the game is more interesting with spike mazes. Walls would be dull! Every object in the game affects gameplay - spikes provide a challenge, blocks are for coloring and for a temporary respite from gravity acrobatics. Walls that just serve as a barrier do not fit in this game.

Thanks for playing and going to the trouble of writing an extensive review, though. Wish you had enjoyed it more.

[NEW Snowman Game **BETA**]

Not too bad for a beta, next time upload your beta to your Dumping Grounds and post it in the Video Games Forum and/or Programming Forum for feedback, since you have uploaded this here I have to give it the fair shake. The game is not too bad for a beta, I like the idea of melting the snowman into a puddle to avoid obstacles, I was hoping for some attacks. Like a broom to whack enemies and snowballs to throw. There is no death animation, just a teleport, which I don't like to see in games. At one point when I died, I re-spawned underneath the starting area about two or three times before I re-spawned properly. The controls worked well, I didn't have trouble moving my snowman and getting him to where he needed to go, the hit boxes on those spikes though are a bit confusing with the absence of a death animation. There are no sound effects and no music either. We have the Audio Portal here on Newgrounds with tons of music to choose from, it's all free to download as long as you give credit to the creator. You've got a good idea, but execution is everything.

|| Good Points ||
*Good Artwork
*Good Animation
*Great Controls
*Good Gameplay

|| Bad Points ||
*No Sound
*No Music
*Glitch - Re-Spawning Under Start Point

[A small talk]

Wow, now this was a damn good game! You never disappoint scriptwelder. I loved the presentation you gave it and the different mysteries the game had to offer. One thing that does turn me off about text games is the lack of understanding of words or phrases you try to give the game, and I'll admit even this had it's troubles in that department. However if you use your brain you can figure out the solutions pretty quickly. I believe a prequel would do this game fine. Speaking of which, the story is absolutely brilliant, I loved it and sadly I can't say much about what I liked without spoiling the game. All in all this was a very good game.

|| Cheers ||
*Great Artwork
*Great Animation
*Great Sound
*Superb Music
*Masterful Story
*Great Controls
*Great Gameplay

|| Jeers ||
(none)

[Jump Over Danger]

The artwork and animation are very simplistic, in this set-up I say they're par for the course. The music was one of my bigger gripes, because it is just so bland and unimaginative. We have an Audio Portal here on Newgrounds filled to the brim with fun music to use in games, I highly suggest you check that out. The gameplay is difficult, but not really in a rewarding sense like Meat Boy or Tower of Heaven. I will say that I like the concept of this challenging game style, but it could be executed better. The controls handle well, but I didn't know I could make a jump from mid-air, so better instructions would have been nice.

|| Cheers ||
*Great Artwork
*Great Animation
*Good Sound
*Good Gameplay
*Great Concept
*Great Controls

|| Jeers ||
*Bad Music

[Hit the Troll PP]

The look of this game is nothing special, with the different troll faces taken and used here, not much has been done here. The animation on the troll faces are nice though. The gameplay I have seen before in games such as Red Remover and Super Stacker, however you don't really bring much new to the table other than the use of different balls and only some are allowed to you while others are not. The music is a nice song, but it doesn't fit this game with the concept presented here.

Which that's what I want to talk about. The game is called Hit the Troll, but it is a lackluster puzzle game with troll faces. The troll faces serve only one purpose as far as I see and that is to get people to play your game. If you're going to use something from the Internet, a meme of some sort, then implement it more creatively. Take away the troll faces from this game and you have something suitable for a quick time killer on an iPhone while waiting for and riding on a bus.

|| Cheers ||
*Good Artwork
*Great Animation
*Good Sound
*Good Music
*Great Controls

|| Jeers ||
*Bad Concept
*Bad Gameplay - Unimaginative