Score: 7
"I like the idea"
date: February 21, 2009
I think the idea is solid- a super-hard platform game that's a little more forgiving than others in the genre. There's definite room for improvement, but this is a good start, and the level design shows a real understanding of what makes platform games fun at their most fundamental level.
Here are some things I'd like to see:
-Better production. The music got old after the first 3 or 4 minutes. Why not hit the Audio Portal and get more tracks? The graphics were also pretty messy. Simple graphics can work, but it takes some skill to keep them from looking amateur. I'd suggest using pixel art, like in the old NES games- it's kind of played out, but it's a good system to make balanced, unified graphics, especially if you're not a graphics guy.
-More attention to the physics. When you step on the elevator platform near the end of level 1, the character kind of "jumps" as the elevator rises. When you fall a long way, the character falls through the floor for a few frames before coming back up to stand on the ground. These details can really effect the feel of the game, it feels much more responsive when the character seems solidly attached to the floor.
-A more distinct game world. It doesn't have to be graphically detailed or have a story, it just needs personality. Fancy Pants Adventures and Shift are great examples of this. If you were to look at my monitor while I was playing Fancy Pants Adventures, you'd know what game I was playing without having to read the game title. That kind of distinction will set your game apart from the other super-hard platformers out there.
I thought the gameplay was excellent, and I really liked that rotating white block halfway through stage 1- it was a surprise and a challenge.
