Score: 5

"*pow*"

submission: Sonic Battle: Collab

date: December 29, 2009

I guess we were trying to go with something totally new for this collab, weren't we? Yes, it is true that although there are a million different Sonic flashes that involve epic battles... and this collab is nothing different. Personally... I thought that this was going to somehow be a tribute to the classic Game Boy Advance game, with the same title... I even remember seeing a Gamegear somewhere(maybe I'm just going crazy)... but it turns out it was just another run-of-the-mill collab, with basic anime violence... that has been done in a collab once before. The idea has just been done over and over again... and it's starting to get a bit restless quite honestly. It seems like a game, like, "How many Sonic animations can we make with Dragonball Z sound effects?" Although it is way overdone... I'm not bashing on the collab because of this... I'm just bashing on the fact of the idea of reused Mario vs. Sonic scenarios, and basic Sonic vs. Metal Sonic battles that have been spat out at the viewers for simple pleasure. There was no instance of originality... and the action that I saw just put me to sleep. It also doesn't make sense from a Sonic fan's standpoint. How the hell could Tails pulverize Shadow? It's just impossible. While the action and random violence was a bit of a disappointing detour... the animation was actually done pretty adequately... and if you could get pass the long intro, was timed very precise. I also enjoy the idea of a minigame. Sure, the game was complete crap(I apologize), but the idea of having a game in a flash collab wasn't bad. Overall, Sonic Battles: Collab has some pretty decent animation, but it's all been done before in the past. It isn't horrible... but it's definitely nothing original.

5/10

Score: 7

"classic."

submission: Santa Fu!

date: December 24, 2009

Oh my god... this is incredible. It has come to my attention that nobody has even attempted to remake Kung Fu! in flash form... and then... we get a clever christmas version, to make our holidays even more merrier. I just saw this on the front page, and I knew that I had to play this... how the hell can you pass up a game called Santa Fu!? Well... diving right into it, I had a pretty clear intention that this game wasn't incredibly story-driven.... and I know that most of the characters weren't going to be memorable... but... I realize that the game acknowledges that, and surprisingly... I got a perfect 12-second story, and wonderful, colorful characters that pay tribute to the classic christmas stories... such as A Christmas Story, and even that horrible movie, Jingle All the Way. The graphics look absolutely great, the pixelized power of 8-bits never brought more life to the scenery as they did in this game. The music is a personal choice between christmas classics, and video game theme songs... that could be switched anytime in the game. I personally love the Gyromite theme. Finally... on my list of radness... the trophies. The trophies are pretty decent for the most part... at first I thought they were all going to be as easy as beating each level... which most of the trophies are... but others go as far as beating a level without taking damage... which is brutal.
Although the cute premise and playability is clean, and the features of the classic Kung Fu!(sound effects, character models, etc.) are all present... there are weak points in the game. For one, the controls are chalky, and tedious... usually when I have to kick an elf, and then turn around, duck, and punch one those flying candy canes, I do it in synchronized fashion... yet, Santa still takes too much time to move, and eventually... I lose health anyway. The enemies are harder than the bosses... and I don't understand the idea of three playable characters... if I wanted to just play once, then why don't I just choose Santa? This is Santa fu! Right?
I also think that the battle at the end with Jesus... is a bit too insensitive... It's an epic idea... and creative nontheless... but still... and finally... WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THE GAME OVER SCREEN!? That is just... the most brutal thing ever in a christmas submission... it's just so unnecessary. Overall... Santa Fu! is not perfect... but it's definitely entertaining as hell... and a decent remake of the classic NES game. If you haven't played it yet... check it out.

7/10

Score: 6

"x11"

submission: Obey! The Game

date: December 24, 2009

I'm glad to see that we haven't lost our fait in our little elephant friend since elephant rave... in fact, I'm glad to see more games being produced around this cute little character... it adds a little charm to each game... and gives me the overall impression that, if this game has the elephant in it... it must be good. This one, however... is a wild misconception. It isn't to say that the game is bad... not at all. The art is in the signature jmtb02 style that we've all come to know and love... and the programming was exceptionally well... this game seemed to lack a creative quality... that would bore the average gamer. The animation is exquisite... and the music is absolutely fantastic... but the game itself... is boring. You're continuously awarded with lives... which isn't bad... but it's like the game is trying its hardest to keep you in as long as possible... and with limited(and relatively easy) stages, and unlockable game modes that rehash the same designs... there isn't much to offer. That, and I really think that this game needs medals. There is just too many good opportunities to gain awards all throughout the game... but leave with an empty feeling, like... "That was cool... but I want to gain something from my awesome achievement." When I look at it as a whole... this game really isn't bad... it's worth the play through... and the art and animation are very good. However, there are just so many things that could be improved to ante up the entertainment value. Otherwise... it's more than average... I hope our little elephant friend will be visiting us some time soon.

6/10