Score: 9

"Almost as good as can be"

submission: Spewer

date: May 13, 2009

Spewer is by far one of the more original games I have seen for the last few years - and it doesn't squander the opportunity presented by its originality. The game contains enough levels to occupy one's time for a few hours, depending on skill. It is difficult, yet accessible for even those who might be considered newbies. I myself have never advanced far into such games, yet I managed to beat every level in Spewer - the difficulty level was just right.
Some levels seem a bit less inspired than others, but this is balanced by the brilliancy of others. I found that the difficulty level was a bit jumpy as I advanced through the stages, some levels were downright ridiculously easy compared to those preceding them. This could be counted as a flaw or a feature: On one hand, the jumpiness can be a little irritating/perplexing; on the other, some easy levels in between the very difficult ones can provide a much needed breather.
Controls are responsive, excluding some of the more processor-intensive levels. I found that even my relatively high-end laptop (MacBook Pro) struggled a bit with some stages, but restarting the game sometimes helped bring speed back up. Due to this, I detracted one point from my final score. I do not know if such a thing is possible with this game, but an optimized version for lower-end computers would increase playability a lot.
The audio was delightful - from the sucking sounds of spew-swallowing, to the relaxing music that completely failed to get on my nerves, unlike the music found in many other similar games.
All options and configurations I would have expected were in the right place, no complaints there.
Finally, the level editor was a nice touch. It is easy to use ( it would be nice if it were a little easier to browse the different tiles, though ) and the in-editor physics tester is a much appreciated feature.

My final score is 9/10, or 5/5. Although perhaps unavoidable, the slowdown found in some levels brought the score down a little - as the game requires such precise movements in some key areas, the slowdown can render the game unplayable. My only other nit-pick was the somewhat clunky palette in the editor and the sometimes - just enough to bring the score down to nine.

Thanks for the great game! It was very enjoyable and recommended to all who like puzzle-platformers.

Score: 8

"Fantastically Twisted"

submission: The Christmas Special

date: December 28, 2008

Very nice, indeed!
The sick, morbid humor is very nicely executed, the facial expressions were very nice, and the audio was a perfect choice. Many will be offended, and I'm sure the score will suffer because of it, but it doesn't really matter. I won't be surprised if this gem ends up on the front page.

Score: 1

"Worthless."

submission: legion of doom

date: December 24, 2008

This animation needs a seizure warning. This is potentially dangerous to people with epilepsy.
As to the quality of the flash, well, it's pretty bad. Lots of tweens, that crudely drawn character flickering about, and bad music in the background.

I like my animations watchable.

Score: 3

"Sub-par."

submission: Ship Escape

date: December 21, 2008

This game is slightly flawed: In one level, the green portal doesn't work. It's not possible to get a higher score than 500 for this reason. Also, the background was uncomfortable for the eyes, and I could not see any connection to a ship while in-game.
Level passwords belong in the cartridge age, as well.
Until these issues have been worked on, I can only call this a sub-par and incomplete game, with a score of three out of ten.

Score: 10

"Excellence."

submission: The Majesty of Colors

date: December 20, 2008

Truly, this is art. Beautiful, and haunting. The influence from Lovecraft is clear, sadly I do not recognize Benmergui.
I can not say much more. As others have noted, it was just a tad too short, but it is nevertheless complete. I don't like to give out tens, but I felt this was worthy.

Score: 0

"No points."

submission: SimpleSmileyFaceCreater

date: December 19, 2008

This is a good beginner's exercise, but it does not belong on the internet. Before you post something else, think to yourself: "Will anyone actually want to look at this?"

In this case, the answer is a clear no. The graphics are shoddy, options are limited and there's nothing to do after cycling through the handful of graphics.

You've got a long way to go. Hesitate before uploading, even if you are anxious for your Newgrounds glory.

Score: 5

"Could use some work"

submission: Blob Bomber

date: December 19, 2008

The graphics need to be a bit tuned up - the blobs especially; as they are pixelated and stretched, which is a bad combo.
Otherwise, the gameplay was okay, but it seemed a little clunky. Five out of six.