Timzilla's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Auto Necrochess]

After however many attempts I finally beat it!

Absolutly fantastic game, everything from the art to the music to the actual game play is great. Would love to see it expanded into a sequel with more units and scenarios.

Amazing job!

[Portal Defenders: Tower Defense]

I feel like this review is going to come across as overly negative (And probably overly long as well, sorry) so let me start out with what I liked.

I love that io 2022 we have a sequel to Portal Defenders. I remember obsessively playing the first one back in the day, trying to beat it for the first time, so this was like a nice hit of nostalgia. As with the first game, I love the theme-ing of this project, portal defenders makes sense as a tower defense game. And with that, I love the art style and music as well. I see a lot of potential for this game, or maybe even a sequel with all the shit Im about to suggest.

I'll transition into my negative portion by saying this. This kind of feels like a game that would have won Pico Day in like 2012. I feel like as a tower defense game its alright, but it feels al little dated and there's a lot to be desired in terms of features. The tldr of this section is Im just going to point at Kingdom Rush and say "Do that" as its probably the best flash Tower defense game Ive played. And I feel like a lot of its features could be borrowed to improve this game.

For example, I hate that I don't know which path the next wave is coming from. Its really only an annoyance in the first wave, and in all actuality its kind of a minor one, but its something that happens on every level. I start the mission, instantly click the whistle just to see what lane they are coming from, then back out to the map screen and restart the mission to properly build my first few towers. Those first few steps could be avoided if there was just an arrow or some indication as to the spawning point. Also in relation to this, some way to restart without backing out to the world map would help save a few seconds as well.

I also feel like the game isn't balanced all that well. For the most part i found it way too easy. The hardest part of any level is maybe the first two waves, when you're not sure what's coming. After that its usually a cake walk, with a few exceptions. After you establish a few towers, you're almost never in any parrel. I never felt like I was hurting for grounds gold, and I was able to call most waves in early. For some stages, I didn't even need to call in the Mr. Snips power. Or use all the build zones for some stages. I think I 5 starred each level on my first or second attempt. Its a far cry from the first portal defenders, where it felt like a challenge.

The tower selection itself seems very limited as well. I didn't really have to think all that much about upgrading, just pour money into one of the stats until you max out. And the laser turret is probably the most over powered one, especially when maxed out. They shred through most enemies, to the point where I don't even really need the area of effect canons, notably in the final few levels when the vans come out. The cannons are far to slow to be effective against them unless they stop, Which they do so sporadically you might as well not even bother. And since they tear through you soldiers, the best strategy is just build nothing but laser towers and max them out, which gets pretty boring.

All in all, the vans kind of kill the last few levels for me. The only time I lost was when they just show up, tear through my defenses and bomb the shit out of me, in a way that feels a little cheap. And like I said, they make 2 of the 3 tower types basically useless. Its also kind of annoying that they can heal from the med bags the blimps drop.

But in general the enemy variation isn't that great either. I never felt like I needed to adapt to anything besides building more towers. It seems like they are all just fast a weak or slow and take more damage. This could be solved by adding more specialized enemies that are weaker against certain kinds of towers, and upgrade paths for the towers that make them better at taking out certain kinds of enemies.

Also, unrelated to anything Ive said, and as much as i love the dulcet tones of Johnny Utah, the tankmen quotes get old after a couple of stages.

Again, I apologize for the length and nitpickyness of the this review. But I see a lot of potential fora great game. I know its easy for me as an outsider to bitch and complain, even when its better than anything I could create myself. Im a fan of anything newgrounds, and i hope this isnt the last we see of portal defenders!

BoMToons responds:

Thanks for the long review, I agree with everything you pointed out. And it's great to hear you're a long-time fan/follower of Portal Defenders.

For a game jam, with a deadline, decisions had to be made and we had to be careful with the initial scope and long-term scope-creep. We decided early on to just do 3 tower types, and to do the simplified upgrade scheme in the way we did. Even adding the "final form" special look and feel states was debated, but I'm glad we at least got that in. Doing a more involved set of towers, tower upgrade paths, and enemy types, would have made this game take 3x as long to make, and we were already pulling all-nighters just to meet the deadline as it is.

The power of Flash games, IMO, is about rapid prototyping and testing the waters with concepts. The fact you want more, and even have a clear vision of what "more" would look like is, I believe, a testament that we did things right. While Kingdom Rush was obviously a huge influence for the base mechanics of this game, I'm glad we experimented with some different stuff like the replenishing health blimps, the tank-like vans that drop enemies mid-path, the meat re-building health mechanic, and, most of all, variety in bosses/boss battles that felt more grand/planned/rule-breaking/unique. By the time we had the base engine solid, we were only beginning to explore lots of great ideas and had to leave many of them on the "editor's floor."

You can't really have a web game these days on the level of Kingdom Rush because there's no market for it, but this was, I think, a nice callback to a certain era of games with some fresh things to offer. I know it's frustrating to see all the potential and not have it fully-realized, but again, that's really the best we can hope for when making a free game in our spare time with a game jam deadline. So, believe me, I feel you, and I hope this doesn't come off as making a bunch of excuses, I really do agree 100%!

[NG: Zero Hour Demo]

Good foundation for a game! I just have a couple problems with it.
The Dash is a little hard to get used to. It always seems just a little shorter than you think it is. Maybe a second or to of invincibility after the dash could help?
Also, the pizza is border line useless. With it just on the ground like that, it is really easy to use it when you don't need/want to. Some times I need to land on it when avoiding an attack, but there were several times during the Hanzo fight that I was knocked back into a slice or two when I took damage from one of his attacks. I'd think it would work better as something to pick up keep with you, like a L4D med kit.
Also, fuck Hanzos last form of attack.
Cant wait to see the full game!

[Soul Redeemer]

Good game, but...

There is this one glitch that bothered me when playing. When you are shooting, your gun doesn't move with you. So if your firing in on corner, and move your recital to another, you guns don't follow the recital. You'll still be shooting in that direction, but you'll be facing the first. This wasn't a deal breaker though. This is still a pretty coll game.

[Fatherly Bonds Da Game]

So disapionted

This game is so disappointing. When I saw this on the front page I got so exsided, because Fatherly Bonds was my favorite submission of last pico day. And when I saw the game on the front page I thought I was going to get what I wanted: A final fight style game with a choice of either Tom or Dad. So I started up the game, and of course, the art is great, but the game play is terrible. Theres only one attack button ( the special attack doesn't count), 2 enemy types, and WHERE THE FLIPPING FLOUNDER IS TOM? I'm sad to say it but this game sucks. But I would like to see a sequal where you can do everything I just said. That would be a great game, but this alone, as I said is just a disappointment.

[Prince of Persia]

No originality.

I know this game was just made to promote the forgotten sands, but there's no excuse for just ripping off someone elses game. Canbalt is the game in question, and honestly it is way better than this knock off. Canbalt was original, and had challenge. But this has no challenge. The sands are what hold this game back. I don't know if there is a limit on how many times you can use the sands to rewind time before you death, but if there was, I didn't hit it. Even without the sands, the game would be piss easy because you never fall. You can just climb up every wall you hit. The boss' where also pretty easy because all the battles came down staying away from the boss while the sands to charge up and use them to hit the boss once. I don't get why you just can't hit the boss with the sword. I also came across two glitchs for the first and second boss fight, the first which made the first boss just keep ramming himself into the same wall over and over, and the second which made the boss hit me if I was even near the bosses mace, or even on the other side of the boss.

So in other words this game is fail, but it make me want to buy the actual game, so this did do its job. And thats why it gets a 4/10.

[Madness 3D Combat]

It's not 3D

We'll, it's not terrible, it's just bad. All you do is shoot people. That maybe what actual madness is, but in actual madness, there's a verity of weapon types. In this, its just the .44 or whatever it was. Added to that, that one weapon has ridiculous kick back (which sent me into enemies behind me several times). And nothing ever changes ever. The same background, enemies, and weapon through the whole thing. Throw in an upgrade once and a while. Also, different levels, some sort of story, and level bosses or something to change it up once in a while, and then you'd get a 10 from me, but now its just a 5.

[ImmorTall]

I liked it.

I love these kind of games where there isen't really a central goal, like Air Pressure or The Majesty of Color. Pus this game kind'a sort'a has a message, of the damage that war causes and how its always the innocent that get caught in the cross fire.The graphics and music also played a big part in giving the game a depressing atmosphere. Great job all around.

[Parkour Parkour Brooklyn]

It's okay

It's pretty good i guess. The only parts that threw off a ten was the running animation could be better and i would have liked more missions. What pulled it up from a 7 was the ending left me feeling really badass. Great job.

[Toss the Turtle]

great game

This is a really fun and addictive game. I've seen games like this befor, but this is the best of them i've ever played. It's just fun trying to beat your best score, getting better gear and finding the next funny little thing you can hit.

GREAT JOB!