A step up from the first, just not by much
Might I confess; I did play the first one, just never had the chance to review it, which is a shame considering I could have improved this greatly (excuse my ego). Then again, this is an obvious step up from the first but I still cannot find any remotely good points about this game.
My Criticisms:
Graphics - Always the first thing I notice when I view any flash. I realize that my next comment undermines the whole game's concept but please, bear with me: I dislike the fact that letters/characters are the focal graphic. They are plainly colored and I see no reason why you could not substitute the letters for simpler shapes like circles. Also, the middle of the checkered background was lost due to the the bad gradient effect.
Music - Sure the quality of audio is good, but what really annoys me about your choice of music is that is is WAY too high pitched, forcing me to mute the sound. Good to know, however, that there was a mute button. Unfortunately, being forced to mute music makes any game much less enjoyable. Also, before I muted the music, I noticed that it looped awfully, leaving a huge silent pause.
Gameplay - This is one of the most challenging games I have come across; not because of my lack of skill, but because the game is too flawed. It is simply too slow; it gets very boring, very quickly to sit and watch the 'A' close in on the worm, only for it to make a sharp turn in the other direction. Also, only one bullet is allowed on the screen at any given time. Another boring, time consuming element. Finally, there is only ONE life! Genius idea to give players only one life on an already boring game. Mind you, I only replayed it in order to find out what the other bonuses (like the undead and magnet) were, but I never reached a high enough level to unlock those. On a good note, I was extremely pleased to know that I had at least some control over the shooting.
How to Improve:
Concerning Graphics
- Even though this would require a name change, please replace the characters with a more simple graphic. The characters are just too much of an eyesore.
- Redo the background gradient to something darker, like the pause menu, which allows the whole checker pattern to be seen clearly.
Concerning Audio/Music
- Fix up the music looping so that it loops smoothly
- Even though the music suits the game completely (simple and slow), it is way too high pitched
Concerning Gameplay
- Allow more bullets. Perhaps integrate this as a bonus/upgrade.
- More lives.
- Increase speed
Overall
With the lack of proper reviews on Newgrounds, I understand that it can be difficult to obtain valuable criticism. I've realized you've dished out this game relatively quickly, so I would suggest slowing down to achieve perfection.