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

Score: 7

"[x]"

submission: Level Up!

date: November 26, 2009

While I have to admit, this game does have some creative 16-bit style art, animation, and sound had some pretty decent classic quality to it... and the game does a creative job at a flixel styled game... this is far from great. The story is nothing to get excited about... but then again... I don't think it was meant to be too gripping... but, there is just too much boring text that just fills in time, that I'd rather not read it anyway, but play the game. The characters are rather lame... the boy doesn't even have a purpose in the game, other than to tell you he's looking for gems... which he forces the girl to find. The control was rediculous... I feel like I'm sliding around every time I try to jump on a platform, and because of the slidy controls... I end up crashing into an enemy. Also, the idea of leveling up as far as jumping, and running are considered... It's complex... and I can't figure out how many jumps or whatever I have to do, to finally be able to reach that one certain platform. The last thing this game kind of chews up is the trophies... I currently have none, even though I collected 800 gems. It's nothing too major... but still. After all that, you probably think I hate this game, but... it isn't too bad. It was actually really fun for a few minutes... and it does look and sound superb. I recommend playing through it at least once... but if you're going to through a second time... then it's your call.

7/10

Score: 6

"C'est Magnifique!"

submission: Telefrancais collab

date: November 23, 2009

I'm surprised that an actual flash parody about Telefrancais was actually produced. Let alone a freaking collab. I don't know why I'm surprised... Telefrancais is one of the most popular french-speaking shows in Canada... so of course a Grade-A comedy collab, produced by Newground's very own, Bobert-Rob is going to be awesome right? Well... let's dive in, and see what this featured collab has to offer. The first thing noticed while watching the collab... was the small references to the show... the rainbow nametags, and appearances of characters like the supercop, and the dancing skeletons are a very nice addition to the submission... but, somehow, I think that's going to wreck the entertainment value... seeing as Telefrancais isn't a popular show... therefore... I don't think a lot of people are going to get the references. The jokes were original, although there were a lot of gay jokes, and probably the only memorable scene was Oney's. and Fawx. The animation and art looked pretty decent... although some of the sound was poor on some of the submissions. But that was about it for the downsides... if you don't count the constant text in the scrapbook. But, for the really good points, the whole animation was pretty linear... and it did look good. For lack of better words... it was consistent. It was funny, it looked good, and I kind of enjoyed the idea of having some scenes play out as a story... it was a pretty smart move. I also enjoyed the idea of the scrapbook... it's a cool concept to keep all the notes about the flash... I just think you should've just animated that... and not made it a list of rambling text... it's monotonous, and starts to annoy me after a while. Overall... the collab wasn't horrible... it definitely was a bit disappointing to see that a highly anticipated flash collab kind of fell flat. It did get a few laughs out of me, and the art is pretty good... but, this collab needs a bit more work before it could make Portal history.

6/10

Score: 8

"Where is your Mother? Where is your Father?"

submission: the ugly

date: November 22, 2009

This... is a very well designed adventure game... that I still can recall playing when I was just a little tyke. There were only a few games on the internet that scared me out of my wits... and this was one of them. If you've never had the fortune of playing this... The Ugly is a generic point-n-click horror game that takes place in your own home. You play as a little girl coming home from school, and finding your place empty, wondering around the empty rooms, looking for your parents. What results is a desperate attempt to find out what happened to your parents, after you realize that there is a demented serial killer lurking around every corner. The gameplay and realism of coming home as young girl, and finding a killer in your house... is terrifying... and the concept is just genius. The art also looks rather good... although the animation is a bit weak in some spots. As far as sound... that's where The Ugly falls flat. The sound isn't at it's highest quality... and the breathing and screams start to sound the same after a while. The Difficulty is also a tad too hard. At times, you're going to find yourself dying more than you should in a point-n-click game, and every time you die, you're greeted by a long start-up screen. There are also bugs.. in which, sometimes I can't enter rooms once I left them. Like the bathroom, I wen't inside, left, and couldn't back in to get the key, so I had to kill myself. Usually... the game just gets so frustrating, you'll eventually get tired of fighting, and will just look at the walkthrough. As far as the good stuff is... the game has a very good story, and it does keep me hooked until I finish, even thought it is quick. And also, the game is unique in a way that I've never seen before. Who would think to make a game about a sick, demented freak, who out of all the people he could have brutally slaughtered, he chose your family... remarkable. Overall... the game is pretty good... sure it has bugs here and there... and the sound isn't much to get excited about... but if you're just looking a creepy point-n-click with decent gameplay, and a compelling story... check out The Ugly. There was also supposed to be a sequel(?), and if that is still in the works... I can't wait to see it.

8/10

Score: 9

"OMFG"

submission: Newgrounds Rumble

date: November 21, 2009

I remember a while ago, that I made a review on this game... saying how characters needed to be added, like the madness guy, or something... Oh, the irony. Yes, it's true that Newgrounds Rumble has had a lot of updates throughout its timeline... but one thing still remains.... this game is still as fun. Playing like a sort-of Smash Bros. clone, Newgrounds Rumble brings all of the loving, and well known characters of Newgrounds... and pits them in a battle to beat the living shit out of each other. The game looks, and feels great... the character models of Pico, Nene, and the rest of the gang look fantastic... and the interactive stages are always a pleasure to look at. The controls are pretty basic... all 12 characters have their own unique attacks, and you can even pull off some pretty beasty combos... it rocks. The Story wasn't really gripping... and unfortunately... didn't keep me interested... but the fighting worked nonetheless. The sound is also impressive. Sure, the music is original NG music, and the sound effects don't offer much... but the depth of the sound is great... I could actually hear how much damage I'm dealing to the enemy when I hit them. The unlockables are decent enough.... but nothing really keeps me connected to the game other than unlocking the now unlockable trophies. Sure, it feels a teeny-bit rewarding knowing I passed Convict's Story mode(that shit is hard), and I unlocked Piconjo... but otherwise... I get tired of this game after a play through. The game is considerably difficult... the AI is presteem... and will almost always get to the items before you do. It'll get tough at moments... so be warned. Overall... I found this game to be a lot of fun. With recent updates, adding new characters and trophies to the lot... it sure keeps you interested... just not as long as you'd expect. Even though you do have a lot of characters... I wouldn't oppose to the idea of continuing the roster... it would reach to a deeper depth of player-character relationships if you just keep bringing characters that everyone knows and loves... but... in a nutshell... this game was a fantastic fighter... and definitely one of Newground's best.

9/10

Score: 8

"brutal."

submission: Gretel and Hansel

date: November 20, 2009

Compared to adventure games nowadays, this game is pretty interesting... especially since point-n-click adventure are seemingly dying now. But does this game have a chance to bring it back to life? Well, let's just say that the game is pretty damn good. The take-on the classic fairy tale of a pair of parents trying to lose their children in the middle of the woods is cleverly brought to life with water-color styled artwork, clean graphics, and smooth animation. The scenes and characters look beautiful... which is good, because doing scenery and art through watercolor is not easy to do. I didn't think that the story was conveyed very well, though. The simple drawings that are suppose to be dialogue, don't really seem clear... and I don't understand why their Mother wants to get rid of them quickly, other than the fact that she's a giant bitch. As far as the gameplay is concerned... it's hit-and-miss. The sound is cute, and the music is original, and clear... especially when you picked stuff up. It was also nice to have a difficulty that's consistent. I know that point-and-clicks are usually hard, but this one seemed to be too hard, yet not hard at all... there were some points in the game that were frustrating, and I even had to glance at the walkthrough... but most of the time, I could figure out what I was suppose to do. What surprised me a lot about this game, was the violence. You're going to find that Gretel and Hansel are brutally killed every other way... and it's so noticeable, that more than half of the trophies are the different ways you die. It's crazy. The absence of rewarding trophies are a bit of a let down... I want to be noticed for something cool, not dying in different ways. There are also so bugs here and there that keep you from walking in certain directions, and clicking certain buttons. Like the flower mini game. I also felt that the last part of the game, the running portion... was a bit unnecessary, and could've done without. One more thing... how was I supposed to know that you needed to drag and drop things into the game, just so Hansel could use them? There wasn't any indicator to let you know about this action... and it just seemed to pass by without mention... it just felt like an important topic to talk about. Overall... Gretel and Hansel has some glitches and minor setbacks here and there... but it's overall, a very good game, and a testament to the point-n-click genre. It's obvious that a second installment is going to be made, and you might feel the need to update anything... But I feel if you just leave it the way it is right now... I think you'll do fine.

8/10

Score: 9

"Hadoken"

submission: Street Fighter Collab

date: November 17, 2009

Taking a sidetrip from my history of flash animations, I decided to take a stab at the biggest achievement to come to Newgrounds this year... The Street Fighter Collab. It is true that this collab took FOREVER to see the light of day, and the idea of making a collab to stand up the MGS collab, is pretty difficult... but luckily, all the hard work, and creation time on this little beauty, was well worth it. The collab is great... from the start-up sequence to the animated credits... it looks, and sounds... great. The art in this collab was nothing cheap... we had some pretty big named artists in this one... Of course you get the NG staff, Stamper, Tom, JohnnyUtah... but we got artists that haven't even starred in major collabs, like Michael Swain, and the incredibly quiet Chakra-X. Bobert-Rob even got in here. So yeah, you know the art and graphic department was incredibly good. However, I don't understand why Mindchamber isn't in this collab... he alone would make everything perfect. I also wasn't in favor of Egoraptor's submissions... I just felt that he could have done way better as far as originality... it was a disappointment. Some of the sound quality on some of the submissions weren't too well either... but otherwise... the collab looks shiny, and sounds more than decent. The humor is also a huge surprise... seeing as how the humor isn't necessarily all dick-jokes. Sure, there are sexual references here and there... and some things we could've done without... but the overall humor was original... and quite frankly... hilarious. As far as Stamper's submission is concerned... I can't say anything there. Finally... I found the trophies idea, very smart. It's good to have a flash animation with trophies that also include the viewer to look for easter eggs and hidden videos throughout the collab... it does get a bit annoying, because instead of enjoying the collab, I just bother myself with looking for hidden objects. But, it is overall, a cool idea. Overall... the Street Fighter collab did not suck... it may not be perfect... but it did has a high quality of entertainment to it... and it does look rather beautiful. It's fun, cool, and all-around awesome... if you haven't seen it yet... you better check it out.

9/10

Score: 10

"it's a selecta."

submission: Super Mario Blitz

date: November 14, 2009

Going through my history of Newgrounds..... we come across this little number here. I remember watching this(vaguely) a long time ago... and not wondering how much crack I smoked... but thinking... "This video isn't so bad." Today... I watch it... and I am honestly surprised. I find this as one of the best sprite animations on Newgrounds to date. The sound was pretty solid... I mean, the song was definitely memorable... and it was... overall.. a pretty demented, yet likeable remix of the beloved theme song. The video, corresponds perfectly with the music itself. Just take a look at it... look at the different movements, how fast they move, and how quickly the movements react to the song. It's amazing. Look how fluid the animation moves... there are no chinks in the armor what-so-ever. Granted, the random picture of the boy is terrifying... and the part with Lou Albano might have been a bit unnecessary... but, it's still got visuals, and audio, that is a true testament to our favorite plumber. And to think... this was made in 2003... that is truly impressive. If you have no medal to give this animation besides Daily 2nd... then I'll give you my utmost appreciation. Check this out... it's bad ass.

10/10