ManlyMan97's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Unprepared Adventurer]

There's quite a bit of potential here!

Art worked well. It was easy to distinguish between enemies, and the simple visual cues were effective in teaching the player the rules without words.

Sound was serviceable, though the game would have benefited from a catchy tune playing in the background.

The gameplay was solid, with the combined action/puzzle elements working well together. The learning curve was well paced, and even the challenging levels never felt reliant on cheap tricks, creating a fun experience. If you were to make a sequel (which I'd love to play!), you could try adding new enemies, environmental hazards, and map layouts to make some real fun, head-scratching action.

Overall, it's a solid proof-of-concept that was well executed. Hopefully you'll overcome the burnout and make it into something great!

PeterMX responds:

Thanks a lot! pretty much everything you said about how the next game should be done I agree with.
About the music, I'm really not good in that aspect but I have a friend that has offered to help me out, so after I check what he can do I'll add the soundtrack.

[Overlord's New Mansion]

Frustrating, but in a good way. What sets this game apart is the humor. I loved hearing each new instance of the ghost's teasing and the overlord's responses. It was also the perfect length for what it was- not too long, not too short. Time to enjoy some pizza while wearing some shiny gold armor!

[My Very Own Train Station]

Has the main character considered looking at the train schedule?

Presentation was good, controls for the text were simple and intuitive. But given that the central point of the game is its message, I would have expected the allegory to be a bit stronger. But hey, it didn't take up too much of my time. No harm, no foul.

[Age of Shapes]

I can tell you're a big AOE2 fan. I'll admit I didn't give this game much time, but a couple suggestions that would have improved the game:
- Prevent workers from building on top of mineral deposits and units
- Allow players to set gather points for their buildings, and to queue up multiple units
- Unit variety: Since you're an AOE fan, I'm sure you could have borrowed the rock-paper-scissors design of infantry-cavalry-archers
- Map variety: Making some unpassable obstacles would make make the game more interesting and also let you practice programming AI pathfinding

Best of luck in your future games!

[Mai-Chan's Sweet Buns]

Very creative and addicting puzzle game. Hope this gets lots of attention!

The music and art definitely gives me a Kirby's Adventure vibe. It grabbed my attention long enough to learn the simple mechanics. But this game is simple to learn, difficult to master! I always appreciate when a game jam has depth beyond a simple gimmick, and it's clear you took the time to really develop your concept.

Definitely going to look for more stuff from you in the future!

[Super Responsible Parent]

Another excellent Ludum Dare game that is criminally short! The controls were solid, the music was fun and didn't grow stale over the course of the game's rather short length. The art was rough but suited the game well enough considering the short development time and humorous setting. The voice acting was awful, but it's so bad it's good.

Overall, great work!

[License Plate Game]

Really needs instructions. I know it's an old game and all, but if you miss the tooltip at the beginning of level three like I did, you'll have no idea how to progress.

Brusi responds:

You are absolutely right,
This is one of my first games (not counting game I made in high school), before I realized that nobody reads instructions, and by the time they get to play the main mechanic (of calculating the sum) the instructions are long gone.
I have stats that most players did not make it past level 3.
I learned my lesson :)

[Inventorious]

This is a fun little game that left me wanting more. The sound design was serviceable, if not simple. The sprites for the items were very well done, though I was a tad disappointed that I wasn't able to rebuild the catapult when it was disassembled.

I really hope the three of you make an extended version of this game. There's a ton of potential, and I'm sure you could make some money if you put it on mobile. Best of luck!

Brusi responds:

Hello ManlyMan97, thanks for the review!
We do have intentions to extend this game with more levels and publish to mobile, stay tuned :)

[EVOLUTION]

A bit too preachy in terms of messaging, but the art and audio is very well done. I look forward to seeing more work from you!

[Duke Dashington Remastered]

A quality game. Lovely art style, an engaging gimmick and creative puzzles make this a game that I just had to finish. Whether by good fortune or incredibly competent design, the game's learning curve is implemented excellently. Each temple requires more with and speed than the last, introducing fun new mechanics that the game isn't afraid of stretching to their limit once they're introduced.

In terms of art style, everything is perfectly communicated with colour and flair. Duke Dashington is a charming character that fits the game's mechanics in both personality and aesthetic. Even the simplest stages constructed of tiles and blocks look great and serve the player well in their mad dash for the exit.

Honestly, I keep returning to Newgrounds looking for little gems like this. Fantastic work all-round!