SAGE ‘08: Fangame Review Slew #3
Ryan Bloom, Editor | August 24, 2008
Five more game demos reviewed for the last day of SAGE.
As the Sonic Amateur Games Expo 2008 winds down to a closure, I offer this piece of advice to you, my dear readers: Though I may have been tough on a lot of the games here at the show, I meant only to be constructive to those who have created the games. While many of the games I have reviewed over the course of the last five days have had their own fair share of problems and design issues, a majority of them are, infact, worth downloading. Afterall, we’re talking about free games here - problems or not, the only thing you have to lose when you play the games I have reviewed is maybe 15 minutes of your time. If you’ve been holding off on downloading games because of what I’ve said, use today to go nuts and download as much as you can - who knows, you may find something you like.
Sonic: Time Twisted
Not many fangames choose to replicate Sonic CD, and that sort of puzzles me. For all the talk about how Sonic CD is “the best of the 2D Sonic games”, most fangamers are content with creating their own sequel to the other games in the franchise. Perhaps it’s the work that puts them off - Sonic CD requires you to make four versions of each stage (Past, Present, Good Future and Bad Future). That didn’t stop Overbound, the game’s creator, though. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems I have with Time Twisted is regarding its level design. Some of it just doesn’t feel as natural as it could, and though the game’s time travel mechanic is implemented the same as Sonic CD’s, it feels like it takes a lot longer to execute - you have to keep running at top speed way too long, and the physics engine doesn’t support the methods you could use in Sonic CD to cheat and time travel, but the game didn’t REALLY frustrate me until Majestic Mine Zone, where the level design whips out plenty of cheap hits - including enemies you don’t notice until they’ve already hit you. I took so many cheap hits, I never even got to finish the level at all.
Tales of the Past
Providing not one, but two demos (each one for a different character), Tales of the Past reads like some forgotten fangaming relic, what with the usage of “Dr. Ivo Robotnik”, a curious blend of classic Sonic mixed in with SatAM Sonic lore, and a silly fan character named “Risa Prower”, who is simply a recolored sprite edit of Tails wearing clothes. Continuing this trend, the demo comes in, of all things, a Multimedia Fusion installer (remember kids: having to install a five minute demo is not good!). Unsurprisingly, the game is made with Diablohead’s now antiquated Sonic engine for Multimedia Fusion 1.5, and the title for the game spells it as “Tails of the Past”. Honestly, it feels a bit like I’ve stepped back in time. Risa’s bomb laying gameplay is boring as it takes too long for bombs to detonate and the maze-like gameplay is just really dull. I expect this is probably somebody’s first fangame, but this could be a lot better.
Cosmic Rush
Hey! A flash game. You don’t get many of those at SAGE. Given the music used, I’m going to assume this is a Tails-themed take on Sonic & The Secret Rings, and, despite my intial skepticism about the concept, it… actually comes off fairly well. Sure, it’s about as simple as you can get, and maybe my view is being skewed thanks to the fact it’s done in flash and loads through Newgrounds.com, but there’s a fast sort of… old school arcade feeling to the game. The addition of “cutscene” animations while you play (showing Tails launch off of a spring, going around loops, jumping to the track below) are actually a fairly nice touch, too. I didn’t expect to enjoy a simple game like this as much as I did, but in the end, its simplicity and frenetic pace ends up working very well in the game’s favor. And while the game’s difficulty doesn’t pull any punches, it never really feels cheap, either. This gets a thumbs up from me.
Sonic Zenith
I’m struggling to find anything to say about this game, to be honest. The graphics are more or less sound, as are the controls (which is to be expected from a game made in Sonic Worlds), but the level is extremely short (the creator lists his fastest time as 12 seconds) and extremely featureless, with only one type of enemy. The only part of the level that is unique is the ball you must roll to destroy a certain type of wall. I don’t even like the music very much - while competantly composed, it sounds far too laid back for a Sonic level, and even crosses over in to elevator music territory. There’s nothing wrong with the game mechanically, I guess, or graphically, it’s just everything else that seems to be… sort of phoned in, I guess. When I’m struggling to say anything about your game, that’s… probably not a good sign.
Everlasting Song
The second game from BlueFrenzy, creator of Sonic Frenzy Adventure, is not a Sonic fangame - rather, it’s an original, side-scrolling action RPG. Visually, I’m not entirely sure what all in this game is ripped and what all is made up of original graphics (in fact, all of it may be original graphics), but the point is that it looks good. Very good, in fact. This shouldn’t be surprising, as every level in Sonic Frenzy Adventure did look pretty good - even if the level design wasn’t as polished as it could have been. In Everlasting Song, however, the level design proves to be much, much better. Combat is standard side-scrolling action RPG fare, and it works very well. The menu for selecting equips and things could be a little more intuitive, though, as I found myself fumbling with what button did what while selecting new spells and items. There are also a few enemies that seemed like maybe their movements were a little too erratic - but that’s a minor complaint at best in the face of a game that I actually ended up enjoying much more than I did Sonic Frenzy Adventure. Everlasting Song (which I keep writing as Everlasting Sonic) ends up being a much more polished, forgiving, and balanced game compared to SFA, and I look forward to the game’s final release.
Filed Under Fan Flash, Homebrew Slew, Review Slew, SAGE 2008, Sega, Sonic Fan Flash
A good review, should look at the good and the bad. That’s the nature of a review you look at Everything, and you do not just say what’s wrong with the game you say somethings that are right too.
Here is an overview of the review IGN did on a game called Batman Dark Tomorrow which is one of the worst games in history:
Presentation
The cut-scenes, story, and gadgets are great. It certainly seems like a Batman game. But no options outside of “play the game” is pretty lame.
5.0 Graphics
Too dark, choppy, and incredibly uninspired. Great cut-scenes despite the artificating problems.
5.0 Sound
Yawn. Good voice acting, terrible sound effects, but the terrible gameplay makes this stuff appear at least passable. And only in stereo? Get with the times!
2.0 Gameplay
Ugh. Not filled with bugs, but plagued with a horrendous camera, lame fighting, terrible design, and horrible control.
1.0 Lasting Appeal
Anyone who plays this for more than 15 minutes has my condolences. I promise, it’s not worth investing 10 hours to finish, as the final half isn’t any better than the first.
You will note even they could find something positive to say about that game. This is a professional review even.
You can look at the full review here with all the good and bad things said about this game here: http://xbox.ign.com/articles/390/390599p1.html
Needless to say you can tell Blaze is not being objective at all.
Also let it be known I would like this review taken down.
Overbound is whining over an opinion piece.
A reviewer doesn’t not need to be objective - its their own “review” / “opinion” of the game.
let it be known I would like this review kept up.
Also, I loved Time Twisted.
I enjoyed Time Twisted too. But having the game’s programmer pop up and pull a Denis Dyack is the fastest way to turn people off.
I’ve just never seen a real review not even mention graphics or sound. All this does is point out a few bugs and that he didn’t like the level design. Its more of a comment about the game then anything else. I just wish they did not play everyone like it was some sort of review.
At anyrate I do not understand why everyone has this in your face attitude and people won’t just respect my wish to have this review removed.
Huepow00 you’ve probably been the most negative person during this whole thing. With the name calling, and such you fan the flames. I honestly expected more of you, I thought you were a decent guy, guess I was wrong.
I’m not in your face at all. The simple fact is, a review is a review, man. Which do you think is worse: Me saying “The level design needs work and the difficulty got too cheap” or you coming in here and posting 5 comments basically flipping out over one guy’s opinion? A guy who, might I add, has been universally hard on everybody at SAGE this year.
Settle down and get over it, man. It’s not the end of the world, here. After what I said about ETCF and Sonic Frenzy Adventure, What did you expect, anyway? The concerns I had with your game are legitimate concerns and it’s not as though I am unfairly singling you out - you’re singling yourself out.
Sorry I didn’t like your game. I feel bad that you’re acting so crazy over my negative review, but I explained why I was negative - and just because I don’t follow the text book review standard doesn’t negate the fact it is a review.
I think you just need to go and cool off somewhere.
If you feel so bad, then why not just take it down like I ask?
Seriously I can take criticism look at Time Twisted thread in the Sage forum, and if this had been posted there, I would not be having issues with it. I’d actually probably thank you for posting. But my point is this isn’t even really a review heres why:
“Not many fangames choose to replicate Sonic CD, and that sort of puzzles me. For all the talk about how Sonic CD is “the best of the 2D Sonic games”, most fangamers are content with creating their own sequel to the other games in the franchise. Perhaps it’s the work that puts them off - Sonic CD requires you to make four versions of each stage (Past, Present, Good Future and Bad Future).”
OK here’s a sort of small introduction that explains how Sonic CD works, Which is fine but it really doesn’t say a lot about my game. Its actually a bit missleading as my game only has 2 time zones
“That didn’t stop Overbound, the game’s creator, though. Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems I have with Time Twisted is regarding its level design. Some of it just doesn’t feel as natural as it could, and though the game’s time travel mechanic is implemented the same as Sonic CD’s, it feels like it takes a lot longer to execute - you have to keep running at top speed way too long, and the physics engine doesn’t support the methods you could use in Sonic CD to cheat and time travel,”
Here you say the that the level design isn’t that great well and the time travel takes a bit too long. So basicly you’ve just listed one bug, and a generic negative comment about level design.
“but the game didn’t REALLY frustrate me until Majestic Mine Zone, where the level design whips out plenty of cheap hits - including enemies you don’t notice until they’ve already hit you. I took so many cheap hits, I never even got to finish the level at all.”
Little bit more on level design here and you did not like the badniks ok.
So if you take this “review” remove all the filler talk it says this:
The level design isn’t that great. The time Jump takes too long and sometimes badniks take cheap shots at you.
That’s no review its a paragraph about everything negative on my game with a bunch of small talk for filler. As I said its a fine comment in the forums. But on the front Page of TSSZ (Probably the biggest Sonic News Site around) claiming to be a review, not so much.
Ugh…STOP.
Please, stop fighting! It’s Mr. Bloom’s opinion, and like he said “A review is a review”. You shouldn’t let it get to you, and I’m the last person to say something like this.
Everyone has there own opinion on things. There are those who thought Sonic ‘06 was a worthless piece of trash that put Sonic to shame, and there are those who thought the game was a worthwhile experience, and it put Sonic on the right track for the Next-Gen consoles. Even after it was rated the “Second Worst Xbox 360 Game Of All Time” there are still people who love it.
Mr. Bloom? How about you put Number Rating? That might help with reviews.
Tell me what you think!
Well i totally disagree on sonic time twisted. It was a great game and i think people should pick it up. You can tell it is good because it feels like a sonic game. You bounce off the enemies and he accelerates at a good speed.
Sonic time twisted is a great game compared to some other ones if you think about it.
Ok it isn’t perfect but it is still really fun.
I agree that the flash game was good though.
[...] TSSZ News editor Ryan Bloom handed down his review of the Sonic: Time Twisted demo from this year’s Sonic Amateur Games Expo, it didn’t go [...]