Rabid-Animals's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Miami Shark]

Action Packed!

As I was about to write this review, the genre of the game caught my eye: "Action- Other." I thought to myself "You know, there really is nothing like this game (minus the sequel)." I can't compare it to anything I've ever played before, and after being on Newgrounds for five years, it's a real treat to see something that provides such a unique spin on an incredibly expansive genre.

The game itself is gripping. Constantly, distressed people are flying out of boats and into the shark's mouth. I down helicopters with my mighty jaws, and watch the intense fireworks and satisfying explosions that result. All told, the bright, entertaining graphics are one of the game's biggest assets. Aside from that, I managed to bring a 747 down with just some button pressing, so massive points have been earned.

I think the game's soundtrack is superb; it compliments the action and humor of the game without being anything more than a background. After all, the player needs to focus on eating delicious humans!

Though scarce, the game does have its drawbacks. I think it's over too quickly, but the replayability more than makes up for this. There was only one instance where I've ever had this game lag, but that kind of error takes away a lot from such a fast-paced game. It could have been on my end, so I'm not docking you for it.

Sincerely, I commend you for creating such an amazing game, something I've never seen before, and something without any precedent to compare to. Now, however, I can compare games to Miami Shark.

[Easy Joe]

Stylish and Intriguing.

This primarily two-tone game surprised me in more ways than one. I went in expecting another hackneyed puzzler, some rip-off of a rip-off, or some reskinned puzzle submitted tons of times before. I'm very happy to say that this wasn't the case.

What I ended up playing was a carefree, relaxing interactive puzzle. Something that told just a tiny bit of a great story with a very simple premise. So much possibility is contained in the phrase "Joe wants to see the world," and we do get to experience a different kind of world in this very unique game.

The game's rather simple playing mechanics were made much more tolerable, and even more appropriate by the excellent animations and sounds. Quite often, whatever was going on in the game would give me a smile. The puzzles are very satisfying, and at the same time puzzling, exactly how they should be.

Yeah, the game isn't incredibly deep, nor is it anything that's going to win programming awards. What's okay is that the game isn't geared for that kind of achievement. It works very well as it is, and I played through the game twice, just to make sure I didn't miss any of the little nuances that make it so endearing.

[Red Remover Player Pack]

A Worthwhile Addition.

I may be getting all teary-eyed and nostalgic, but I remember playing Red Remover when it came out. Blue, green, red- triangles, squares, circles- it all seemed so novel! Now, in the "new" iteration of the game, I think players will still find the same thrills, but it's no secret that a little bit of the novelty has worn off.

However, it's just that: a little bit. The game is still a masterpiece. You've done a heck of a lot with such a self-imposed visual limit. Nothing ever seems cluttered, and the game never chokes on itself. If there's one thing that makes a game unplayable for me, it's lag. Keeping the game clean and streamlined works wonders in your favor.

The gameplay is still novel. I think this kind of Jenga-inspired game really has a niche in the casual gaming community. The little bits that were added to the game attest to that. It's pulled an amount of longevity that most authors would be quick to envy.

I especially enjoy the game's sound effects. The crisp popping when you remove a block is incredibly satisfying, and the "Yeah!" byte that plays upon success is adorable and encouraging.

All in all, I think this is a decent expansion of a fantastic game. I can't give it 10 stars, simply because I don't think there's enough new material or features, but this definitely earns a respectable score in my book.

TheGameHomepage responds:

Thanks Rabid-Animals. That was a really great review :)

[How draw a circle]

Not funny, creative, or even well done.

Spongebob Squarepants is a cultural phenomenon. Some 11 years ago, he first appeared on television, causing controversy, deep-thought, and loads of laughs. To rip off Spongebob is a slap in the face to the creators, your audience, and anybody that tries to put together something creative.

The substance of this Flash is essentially three frames, each featuring a picture you did not make, and a joke that you did not write. In that, I cannot award you any points. Secondly, this joke could have been the basis for a cartoon. You could have redone the scene with an honest animation as a tribute. Instead, we get something close to a slideshow, devoid of any animation and only limited interactivity.

The only thing you actually made for this production was the text. I mean typing it in. The words themselves are almost verbatim from the show. To me, the Flash screams "cop out." Look at it; there is no background, the text seems to be in a default font, and the music isn't fitting.

It's difficult to make it as an artist. That being said, one has to try. In the real world, you really have to take some risks, make something of your own. Stephen Hillenburg didn't create Spongebob so somebody could pad their Flash count. He didn't create it to make obscene amounts of cash. He created it to provide the world with an interesting spin on life, to give children and adults alike something to laugh at. When you have the integrity to make something like that, something original, you will warrant a positive score.

Until then, no stars.

Xenondwarf responds:

Well now, how does it feel to make a 4 paragraph review when I can easily disregard it and move on with my life.

You must've spent a fair amount of time typing that while frankly I don't give a shit.

This reference was simply to get a laugh out of the users who can get the joke and laugh about it. If you're too much of a douchebag to understand this simple bit of logic, take a look at the reviews below you.

Thank you and have a wonderful day.

[Mahjong Ready]

Fun.

I like Mah-Jong, so I went into this submission with good things in mind. I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed. Though the game is simple, the execution was pretty good. The graphics, a major component of games like this, were pleasing, which added to the overall appeal quite heavily.

The only thing that I can criticize is a lack of features. You8 need music. Badly. That can kill a game. Also, maybe introduce modes: easy, medium, hard, etc. Like one with unlimited hints or one with no hints, along those lines.

So, it was good.

P.S. This submission is categorized incorrectly. You may want to classify it as a puzzle.

[Beat up Modhesh]

Alright.

There was a lot I didn't understand about this game. The main feature of interaction (the options) seemed minimized. They should be prominently featured when it's time to deal with them.

The art wasn't top-notch either. The background could have used some more work and the animation could have been better.

I have to admit that it was a funny concept and there were high points in the game, it just needs better execution next time.

[A Christmas Story SB]

Definitely good.

This soundboard absolutely surprised me. I wasn't expecting much, but after taking a couple minutes looking at it and listening to the sounds, it's safe to say you came out with a good product.

I noticed the filesize, which can tend to be a problem with soundboards, and I thought almost 9 megs might be because of poor audio optimization. I'm happy to say that this was not the case. The sounds were incredibly clear, and your large filesize was wholly warranted.

Another thing I liked about this was the color-coding. I can't recall ever seeing that in a soundboard, and I think it's quite helpful. Even if it's not, it's still a nice touch. It means you spent a little extra time working on it.

The only problems I found were aesthetic. Some of the text was a little big for the buttons, and I found that if you move your mouse over a button where text isn't, the button won't respond. That's quite easy to fix, and I'll leave you to it.

So, all considered, this was a very good attempt with room for small improvements (more sounds, smaller size, etc.).

Frenzy responds:

Thanks for the great review!

~ Z

[Whack Your Boss]

I think I won.

The first thing I noticed about this game was the color scheme. Gray and white... and red. I think it worked very well; it drew my attention to the animation and sound effects.

That, I think, was this game's strong point. The animation was fluid and the sound effects were expertly synced. The small bit of voice acting used was very good. I didn't even hear any technical glitches, like the mic turning off.

On the downside, there are only six options, and you've exhausted your abilities after you've seen them all. Obviously, I understand that this game is almost five years old, but for today's standards, I think more is expected.

[Jamie Tut Fixed]

Needs a lot of work.

I had no idea what to expect opening this Flash. Your title could mean anything and your description didn't help. This didn't hurt the Flash, but you should be aware of it for next time.

Anyway, I had a couple problems with this, I'm sorry to say. The music really assaults you and I had a glitch where it started a couple times, making it so bad I had to restart the tutorial. Definitely fix that. Also add a button to stop the music. People can turn their speakers off, but it looks much better to supply a button for that yourself. It looks like you put more time into the Flash, though the button only takes a couple seconds of work.

There were no back buttons during the drawing tutorial which is not good for something where people will likely be making a lot of mistakes and need to look back. The steps at some times seemed very uneven, either showing too much or too little progression. Think about the natural steps when drawing the character, and try to translate that.

Some information was cut out of frame. This can be fixed by going into the properties of your Flash and selecting the "Match: Contents" option.

Fix the errors and you'll definitely get a higher score.

[the NG Calculator]

Wow.

I'm trying to avoid giving this a high score because of the obscene amount I'm worth (over $100), but rather the quality of the gadget. The dilemma is that it's quite good and warrants a high score.

The music didn't bother me too much, but it's incredibly repetitive. I can't imagine that being a problem, though, as this isn't something you'd spend too much time at once with.

Anyway, it's ingenious. I didn't even try to figure out how everything's calculated, but I can imagine it took a while to code. Serious points for that.

That being said, with Newgrounds evolving at such a quick rate, there's obvious room for expansion.