auriplane's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Shark Lifting 2]

Haha, this was really fun! I like how it switches up just enough to keep things interesting, and the game is just the right length. I've never been more excited about shark lifting in my life!

I alternated two fingers on my mouse button so my hand never got tired. I don't know if tensing up just one finger to press rapidly helps you to get a higher score than I did, but either way it's fun just playing through the game :-)

[The Drawing Grounds]

I'm a terrible artist, but as with most drawing games, I think that might actually make it more fun.

I'd love a fill function. I'd also love to be able to pick a color from the ones already used in the picture. (Using the color picker changes the palette, so if I change a color I've used, I can't seem to match it exactly anymore.) But I can understand why you'd want to keep the tools simple, so I can't take a point off for that.

More words would be nice. I haven't been playing long, but I've already seen GAMEBOY three times. I won't take a point off for that either, because the latest news says more words are coming.

Excellent choice of music! Overall, a simple but nice drawing game.

Mattster responds:

The function to re-select a color is there (mentioned in the tutorial), click and hold down on a color, and drag onto the stage, then release.

I'm also adding an "eyedrop" button for those who didn't read or didn't understand the tutorial.

Some words seem to show up a lot, so I'll be logging which ones you have used so you'll get more of a variety.

Thanks for the review!

[/ ESCAPE \]

Finally on NG!

I played this back when it appeared on another site, and I was instantly addicted. I sat around playing for hours! It's an excellent (though minimal) game, with great graphics, music, and controls. The simplicity serves it well. I'm glad to see the game is basically the same as I remember.

The small touches are nice, and sometimes amusing. (Try setting off the trip beam, then falling back down for an example.) It's also nice that you can use keys besides ESC to play, as pressing ESC for hours isn't actually that ergonomic for me.

The music is possibly the best part. Although this would still be a fun game without it, I can imagine losing interest a lot more quickly. The music gets the adrenaline flowing, keeps you excited as long as you play, and never gets old.

I can make two bits of criticism, but neither really detracts from the game. First, the game's really tall. I have to use full-screen mode to play it. (Yeah, I know, this is barely "criticism", so I can't take off a point for that.)

Second, as it says in the author comments, you can "[c]ombine jumps to gain speed, but be careful, it's dangerous!" If I do this, the game seems to come down to luck, as I can't see far enough ahead to tell if I'll die. Maybe there's an aspect to it I don't understand, but it seems like power jumping is a bad idea unless you plan to let luck take its course. So for me, this doesn't really add to the game. But it doesn't detract from it either, so I can't take off a point. The score stands at 10/10. Well done, guys!

[Penguins Can Fly!]

Simple, but kind of fun.

I was skeptical about this, because when I saw the title "Penguins Can Fly", I figured it would be a clone of Learn to Fly (or L2F). But it's definitely not that, and it's actually a pleasant little game. It does have a similar "upgrade store between levels" mechanic, but that's common to a lot of games. Also, I can't complain about having more penguin games, because penguins are just adorable.

I do have a little constructive criticism, though. I don't want to have to go through the level select after every stage--I'd rather have a "next level" button. Also, you could have gotten the user name from the NG API and used it as a default, instead of making the player type it in. Level design was good overall, but this game is a bit too easy for me. (Perhaps it'd be perfect for the target audience--I have no way of knowing.) Maybe winning the game could unlock harder levels or something?

Anyway, cute music and graphics. 8/10

meinlogin responds:

Thank you for your review. Yes, the game is casual and very easy for experienced players.

[Air Pressure]

Good but too optimistic

A good metaphor, but not perfect. The "happy" ending is a bit too easy. The damage is done and it'll be a long time before main character can really be happy again, if it happens at all; that may happen on the path your character walks, but it may not. For the metaphor to fit, the path should present the *opportunity* for happiness, not happiness itself.