rubikks's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[ControlCraft]

nothing new my arse.

I'm the first person to shut off a game because its just a ripoff of something else (Galcon in this case) but you really took it above and beyond here. The fact that the soldiers have to take preset routes and can be upgraded in a variety of ways really adds a tactical improvment to a very simple concept. The graphics were fantastic as well, and the voice acting and music were pretty decent as well.
My one big complaint is that the game lacks a multiplayer component. Online combat would've been fantastic, or even a local versus mode, where one player uses the keyboard to control his towers and the other player uses the mouse.

[Crystal Crisis]

decent

I liked it quite a bit, graphics were good, tight controls, and fast action were all there. Even still, it feels like its missing something, anything that motivates me to keep playing. I would suggest emphasizing the achievment system more, and perhaps adding an upgrade system. Besides that, my only complaint is that the looping soundtrack got real old real fast.

[[RESPAWN]]

so promisisng...

but two serious flaws made me dislike this game.
1: controls were a bit uncomfortable. Maybe it's just me being clumsy, but I found it a little difficult to actually throw the respawn platform in the direction I wanted to. I always found myself pressing all the wrong buttons, resulting in a lot of annoying "papercuts."
2: buggy save feature. I was at level 10 and having a bit of frustration with the controls, so I went back to the main menu to see if there were some options for the control scheme. When I clicked on "continue game" the game would only let me go up to lvl 4. I refreshed the page, and all of my progress was restored. This isn't as major as I thought it was in the beginning, but it should still be fixed.
Besides that, the rest of the game is really great. I enjoyed the concept and the execution, despite a somewhat underwhelming soundtarck. Keep up the good work, man.

[K.O.L.M.]

this does not play like metroid.

It plays better than metroid. If nintendo made games half as good as this, people would be buying the wii more than the 360. Your gameplay, map design, graphics, story, soundtrack, and overall experience was breathtakingly fantastic. I hope to see more from you in the future.

[Ray Ardent: Science Ninja]

let's discuss some flaws.

Okay, this review is gonna sound really harsh, but it's just because this game already has enough well deserved praise.
Firstly, navigating menus was somewhat redundant. After finishing a level, pressing the "next" button merely brought you to the level menu. In my opinion, it should go directly to the upgrade menu for the next level. You should also add an option to just press <space> to advance instead of having to take your hand off the keyboard.
Another issue I noticed in the menu was swapping upgrades. For the large slot, I would like to be able to instantly switch abilities by clicking on the ability I want. I didn't like that I had to deactivate the ability first and THEN put in the ability I want. For the small upgrade slots, a drag and drop system might work well to instantly swap between powers as opposed to the current system.
Next, the text dialogue was poorly implemented. This is a game about speed and thinking fast, so you can't afford to take your eyes off the screen and read some text. I would suggest giving some voice acting to go beside the text, or pausing the game automatically until the player indicates that he has read the text.
My final problem lies within killing dinosaurs. The small dinosaurs required far too much precision to take down. From my understanding, you can only kill them using the dive ability. If I'm wrong, that's because I never had a chance to read otherwise due to the previous issue. If I'm right, then the dive ability is a bit tough to control, and it's near impossible to land it perfectly onto such a small target. EDIT: I just tried it, and diving isn't the only way. Jumping alone is equally challenging, though, and I would strongly recommend making the tiny dinos a bit bigger.

Just to prove I'm not a total jackass, I'll leave you with one little compliment - the voice acting was absolutely brilliant. I'm just a sucker for goofy one-liners such as "SCIENCE-TASTIC" Never failed to make me laugh.

[Doodle Devil]

fantastic sequel

Just as good as the first, and you did a fantastic job creating the demonic atmosphere.

[Ukigumo]

trippy

I'm not familiar with the original animation, and I'm too lazy to go watch it, but this is still quite nice. I'm started you with a 10 for incredible amounts of polish and a good soundtrack. I took off the first star for lack of originality, and the second for lack of interactivity. Other than that, fantastic job.

[Cave systems]

pretty nice...

...although I'm having a few issues with the controls. I'm able to move the character with ease, but for some reason digging and resetting the level won't work. It's a damn shame, because those features would really put a BIG boost on this game. I would enjoy it if you could fight the enemies somehow, and if the map was considerably larger(expanding past the view of one screen) allowing for some sense of exploration. This is a fantastic concept, and I'd love to see it improved.
***Btw, can someone please confirm the control glitch or let me know if its only my computer?

[Running Ink]

smooooth...

When it comes to a parkour game, tight, easy controls make all the difference. You sir, got it juuuust right. I had a lot of fun with this game, but I have to take off a point or two for slightly sub-par hit detection. Some collisions with walls and things are a bit wonky at times, but it doesn't really damage the gameplay too much. Liked the soundtrack quite a bit, too.

[Lucky Tower]

the voice acting alone made this game worthwhile

"slashy slashy!" Certainly one of the most memorable lines in videogaming history. Absolutley loved this game.