Found the exit first time by accident and a thought it was a glitch. XD
Reviews for "Handheld Video Game"
Controls feel too loose, but it's still good.
A good challenge for me. It made me try a little harder and I think this game is enjoyable.
(I like how you covered the swear word with the saw, LOL!)
I like the graphic style and the aspect ratio for the game- \unique and visually appealing. The difficulty curve is off the charts,
*SPOILERS! Not going to reveal how to beat the game though, you cheater you! :P
The Good: Great music for the genre. I found the beat fun to listen to and the tune itself wasn't overly repetitive seeing as it's the scenario of a repetitive 8-bit game anyway. The more repetitive the better, as it makes the experience more surreal. The way that the gear covered up the part of the box with the swear made me laugh, and the dialogue in general was entertaining to read. It developed the simplistic mind of the character very well, wondering why the same levels are appearing again and again. I can only imagine what goes through its mind when it turns off its own game. The premise has been done before, where a character becomes aware of its own video game and/or tries to escape, but it's a cliche I don't mind encountering again and again (like the levels!) I figured out the solution on my third try purely by accident, but the sharp-minded gamer can pick up on the hints to find the exit without jumping randomly, so that's a plus as well.
The Bad: The text boxes scrolled by way too fast in my opinion. I'm a fast reader, but I hardly finished reading the first box by the time the next box appeared, and it kind of broke the flow of the experience for me. A way to fix this is to set up triggers in each "room" where the last text box disappears and the next one begins, so that the player can read them at their own pace. It's a nitpick, I know, but it did bug me. The good thing is, that's one of the few problems I saw with this game. The controls and hit detection could use some work, but it didn't even interfere with my enjoyment of the game seeing how short it was. Minus half a star for those two problems. Plus, it was only one "level". Once you beat it, it's done and all you can do is play the same thing again minus the puzzle aspect, since you already know how to beat it. Perhaps include a couple more "levels" with different methods of escaping the game? That would offer some better replay value, and since this game lacks that I'll have to dock you another half star.
The Fatal Problem: None whatsoever! I didn't even encounter any glitches either, which in my book earns a bonus star!
Conclusion: Very good! 5 out of 5, and kudos for making an overused concept enjoyable again, which I haven't seen since the This Is The Only Level series.