The Great 2011 Review Contest [Reviews: 200]

Make games! Discuss those games here.

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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Triangle
---

I really enjoyed this one. Nothing against the author being mocked - I don't know him personally, haven't talked from what I can remember, never had a beef or anything. I was aware of his work, sure, but I never really got into it enough to realize what his triangle character was all about.

I suppose what helped deepen the whole experience was being given logs around the time of this movie's release where another OHR user pretended to be a girl and dated the guy for a bit. It was so funny and bad that I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. But at the same time, to be of the mind to fall for it, it explains the triangle sh it ty adventure series. Why not make the character an ohr icon? Sums up the experience. Why not indeed.

Those logs were so funny I'm going back to look at them again... I can't even copy-paste this stuff! Too funny and cruel. The IRC crowd is the best. Anyways.

The movie comes with a hilarious poster. And the game.exe, something I've come to appreciate more and more.

This was the best ohr movie of the year. It didn't make sense for it to win the contest, so far as it's not what we all hope to see from the engine, but it's what we get as a small group of game making frat boys. I'm ok with that. I'm not afraid to say I loved it, just that, yeah this isn't the thing I'd want to show off to anyone who doesn't know about RMZ or the triangle character. If you don't care about the subject material, most of the weight of this will be lost. But even then, it still holds as a funny foreign noir b-movie. Being artsy to make fun of artsy kind of deal.

Judgment: Definitely check this one out if you-- well, those people probably already have. Still worth a good laugh unless you're a Mr. Triangle fan.

PS This one didn't have any voice acting and it didn't suspend the text box advance. And it worked out better than those that did. Something for designers to chew on.
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Post by charbile »

Virtual School 2
---

You get everything with this one: game.exe, a readme, and the hss file!

From the title I was pleading for a dating sim. Or some kind of sim. Anything. Turns out it's something different.

I remember the first time I played it, I thought the little brother walking backwards to be weird. It happens if you change the order. I later found out he's simply looking up to his bro, can't keep his eyes off him. Pestering him and such. It's neat, but the kid is pestering the player. And there's nothing you can do about it. So to enjoy this, you have to suck it up, disregard all expectations of this being some kind of game you can enjoy playing, and love it for what it is. The dialogue then becomes charming and the defects, endearing.

This was also a 48 hour game, and all 48 hour games require you to know that to fully appreciate them.

It kind of reminds me of my own brothers. Kind of. There's some references to other Giz games. It had me wanting more, but in the 'needs to be fleshed out' way.

Judgment: It's late, I'm still up, I don't know. It's charming but there's not much here.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Weegee
---

<object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Weegee
---

I watched someone play through this on livestream. So I already know enough to know I never needed to know. The art style is retro cool, but not all there. Too many random fights. Full of internet memes, but not any that will put a smile on your face.

I've watched youtube poop before, quite many a time. It's difficult to describe. It's like... uh. Robotnik's pingas. It's amusing to see how bad some cartoons were, the cartoons you wanted to like as a kid but couldn't. It's random so it's entertaining on an attention deficit level. But afterward, you feel cheap and wondering where and how you went astray.

There's a neat gag at the end. Where you travel all this way to end up right back where you started. It's the game in meta. Something right out of that... can't remember the name. TV troupes. I like the idea of weegee the character, didn't know about it before this game. The scripted final fight seemed neat, but it's not worth all the hassle to get there.

Judgment: Youtube poop, but on the ohr and without the chaotic pace.

And now to write an obligatory final summary kind of post...
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

2011 Games Summary
---
These numbers might be off by 1 or so.

54 games total

33 - Games entered into a contest.
21 - Non contest games.

Of those non contest games...

15 - demos
5 - finished
1 - ??? (Harbinger 6EQUJ5, want to see that walkthrough!!)

Of those finished...

Black Heart of Exile (assumption)
Castle on the Night Land (assumption)
Heart of the OHR Tribute (assumption)
Spellshard: The Black Crown of Horgoth (for sure)
Star Quest (assumption)

What a year. I wouldn't take this harshly, but as encouragement: it's not too difficult to stand out. So far as my judgments, the games I can recommend would be:

Armored Devil
- Play if you need a reality check to help see the flaws in your own work.

Arms Race
- Play to see how a multi-staged final boss fight should feel like.

The Black Heart of Exile
- Play if you like floppy disk, very old-school games

Bufanda
- Play if you like doom and gloom text adventures involving ghosts.

Castle on the Night Land
- Best saved for when you are in the mood to play a retro ambient adventure.

Deforestation 3
- Worth a watch if you enjoy OHR celebrity tabloid-type material.

Escape the Wolf OHR
- Worth a play if you are a fan of the ohr.

Grey Star Lives
- Play if you're in the mood for a choose-your-own-adventure story.

Habla no Ingles: The Movie
- Is TheGiz really semi-retired?

Heart of the OHR Tribute
- Worth a look if you enjoyed any of the contest's games.

Labyrinth (RM Sephy)
- Play when the mood strikes for an ohrrpgce dungeon crawler.

Nordomin: Quest of Creole
- Play if you'd like to see the beginnings of a fun rpg and don't mind poor music composition.

Transylvania Girls, No Eat, Raep Dungeon
- Play if you like games for classy adults.

Ruin (25% Demo)
- Definitely worth a play.

Spellshard
- If you want to play an old school RPG, one that can stand up to the classics, Spellshard is it.

The Tower
- A bare-bones RPG dungeon crawler demo.

Triangle
- Definitely check this one out if you-- well, those people probably already have. Still worth a good laugh unless you're a Mr. Triangle fan.

---

Out of 54, I enjoyed 19. Not too bad.

I may or may not have more to say later when I've had some sleep. Was fun!
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Willy Elektrix
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Post by Willy Elektrix »

charbile wrote:1 - ??? (Harbinger 6EQUJ5, want to see that walkthrough!!)
Hey sucka. You can view a walkthrough the bottom of this thread:
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4848

Also, a walkthrough is now included with the text file inside the game.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Willy Elektrix wrote:Ask me questions if any of it doesn't make sense.
What was the game about? What does it all mean?

:???: :???: :???:
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Post by Master K »

@Charbile: The game was about...well, I honestly don't know. Maybe that is was about the Harbringer of 6EQUJ5 (The Wow! Signal). What it all means, however, is verily defined as "42". Do with that what you will.
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Willy Elektrix
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Post by Willy Elektrix »

charbile wrote:
Willy Elektrix wrote:Ask me questions if any of it doesn't make sense.
What was the game about? What does it all mean?

:???: :???: :???:
I like to think it's something like this. You get abducted by aliens and then they send you to this room where they test your patience, logic, and observation skills by making you escape. Most people just quit and get sent back to Earth or jettisoned into space or whatever. But some people solve the puzzle and prove their worth to gain the aliens' vast knowledge and become part of the greater galactic community.

But you could make up a different narrative if you would like. I'm okay with that too. Deciphering any narrative was meant to cryptic, like the puzzle itself.
Last edited by Willy Elektrix on Mon Mar 05, 2012 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Think it would have been a gold record if there was an intro setting up that context.

Either way, your games were extremely refreshing. You were a 2011 all-star. It was like you were running your own contest, entered 4 games, and won it so hard. Nobody else stood a chance.
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Post by Master K »

@Willy: Ah, that makes sense. Kind of makes sense why you named the game after a mysterious signal that supposedly came from space.
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Post by Willy Elektrix »

charbile wrote:Think it would have been a gold record if there was an intro setting up that context.
I must just do that. Let me think about it.
charbile wrote:Either way, your games were extremely refreshing. You were a 2011 all-star. It was like you were running your own contest, entered 4 games, and won it so hard. Nobody else stood a chance.
My heart swells with pride. :D
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Post by Spoonweaver »

I reviewed Master K's Greyscale and Forsaken.


From my count I have 24 games left to review on that list. So I'm going to quickly review all the games I've played and commented on before right here.

Heart of the OHR Tribute

This game was really great and entertaining when it came out. In order to understand this game you have to first understand how big the contest it's based off of was. The HotOHR contest was so over the top that this game almost needed to be made. This game both parodied all the games in the biggest ohr contest ever, and at the same time honored each of them.

The graphics and presentation of this collection of mini games is really impressive. The different styles and methods used to make each of the mini games here are really something. The fact that each game had a hidden ending leading to a bigger hidden ending for the game itself really put this game over the top.

I loved this game then and I love it now. However, this isn't what you'd call a good game. It's basically an inside joke game. If anyone else played this thing they'd be confused and maybe even offended. This game is a very topical thing and lacks any sort of timelessness.

I'd recommend this game if you know about the HotOHR. Otherwise, you won't enjoy it.

SCORE: 2/5



Metal Gear Duck

This ohr film is a lot like JSH's Harry potter ohr films. This one is a bit better though. It's got a lot of length on it and the audio is actually slightly entertaining to listen to.
The film is filled with ripped graphics and the ones that aren't ripped are terrible. It's noticeable that not a lot of work went into this game's visuals.
Overall, I didn't really care for this film. Maybe if I was more familiar with JSH's duck character I would have had more fun with this.

I would recommend this.

SCORE: 1/5


Monster out of Six

The biggest thing wrong with this game in my opinion is the lack of a guide. Once I figured out how everything worked I actually had fun with this game, but playing before figuring out how things work almost made me stop playing altogether.
The graphics are what I'd call basic. Pepsi's style shines through here, as his popular stick style shows through. This game looks like it could easily be made into a Power stick man mini game.
The game's long hall ways take away a bit from this game but overall it's kind of fun. It takes a while to get into, and there's not that much depth, but what does one expect in 48 hours?

I'd recommend giving this one a look, but only if you're not easily frustrated.

Score: 3/5

Princess Flesh Cartoon RPG

This game reminds me of the time when I showed my little 12 year old brother the OHR for the first time. He smashed together some graphics and a basic game of sorts was born. Princess Flesh Cartoon RPG is the definition of a newbie game. There's so many many things wrong with it and yet you can see bits and pieces of original thoughts that might actually grow into something fun.
The graphics and sound and basically everything here is a mess. The best thing this game has going for it is that the graphics are so wildly done that they are actually slightly entertaining to look at. Even if it's in a mocking way.
I really don't have anything against this game, and I think that new developers should be embraced by the community. However, at a certain point they need to be told that their games are just bad. That's what reviews are for I guess. Sorry bro, but it's no good.

I wouldn't recommend this.

Score: 1/5


The HangovOHR

So this film seems to be an OHR parody of sorts of the movie Hangover ( or maybe hangover 2 I'm not exactly sure.) Anyways, the plot follows the movie's plot basically and the developer has through in his own little jokes here and there.
The graphics aren't terrible I guess, but I wouldn't say they're good. The presentation isn't acceptable and the only really glaring flaw this film has is that it's boring.
Nothing entertaining really happens in this film and the whole thing is a huge let down when you consider how full of thing happening the movie hangover was.

I wouldn't recommend this.

SCORE: 1/5


Triangle

This film's graphical style is very amusing. The hand drawn graphics are a welcome change from the pixelated graphics of most ohr games, and it's done in a very artsy way which and to the humor of the film in my opinion.
The offensive nature of this film may turn many people off of this one. I'm not one of those people though and I found it pretty funny. The story is actually pretty deep considering how short and crude this film is, and it even has a meaningful ending.
This film won the contest it entered, and in my eyes it did so deservingly. This film is truly entertaining and might even be entertained by people outside of the community.

I'd recommend this if you are not easily offended.

Score: 3/5

Virtual School 2

This "game" is pretty odd. There doesn't seem to be a way to win and I think that's the point of the game. Giz is a rather odd game designer and this game does not deviate from his crazy formula.
The graphics in this game are very nice. Which is good considering the major thing you'll be doing in this game is walking around and looking at things.
The game is designed to be kind of annoying, and I think it is. I actually started to hate the child in this game as if he were my actually little brother. Strange concept but good execution I guess.

I'd recommend giving this a play through or 2. It won't take long.

Score: 2/5

Weegee

This game is based off an internet meme. I think the youtube video is pretty bad, and this game stays true to the video in that way. There are a couple of things this game does right, but it's mostly a bad game.
First, the game pretends to be a sidescroller. This concept is pretty entertaining and I think it kept me playing honestly. Second the monsters you fight along the way in this game are so crazy that I sought them all out just to see them. The last boss and the ending of this game were actually pretty good.
However, the graphics weren't that great and most of the game was pretty annoying. This isn't what I'd call a good game, but it might entertain someone that's a big fan of the youtube video it's based off of.

I'd only recommend this to you if you already know what it's about.

Score: 1/5


Update: more game reviews of games/films I've played and seen before this review contest started.


Habla no Ingles: The Movie

This thing starts off almost mockingly referencing what some people think is the greatest movie ever made. This film is very far from that however. With character references that I personally didn't get (who's gamon?) and intentionally crude story telling, this could have actually been a lot worse then it was.
What we got with this film is a whimsical telling of a silly little story by our very own giz, in his usual style. Those that have liked giz creations in the past might actually enjoy this one too. I would assume that most viewers would leave this film with a bad taste in their mouth however.
The graphics aren't the worst things ever, but I wouldn't say they were good either. The sound effects are actually pretty good, and at least serve their purpose.
Overall, this film was annoying to me. Even if it was meant to be annoying, that doesn't make it anything other than bad.

I'd only recommend this film if you want to know what it's like to be trolled.

SCORE: 1/5



The Labyrinth

Made for a 48 hour contest this game actually delivers a pretty good experience. The graphics are of pretty good quality, and the dungeons exhibit Master K's usual over abundance of empty space. However, in this game the empty space actually comes into play when trying to avoid the bad guys, so it works more here then in some of his other creations.
The overall concept here is pretty simple. I think given more time it could have been done better, but what's here isn't exactly bad.
I had some fun playing this and concidering the time was made in I think it's a pretty good game. However, that doesn't change the fact that's it's super short, has bad graphics, and is almost too simplistic. For those reason I'd have to say this isn't a good game.

I'd recommend this game if you're wondering what Master K can create in only 48 hours.

SCORE: 2/5


The Tower

This game was based off a flash game that I had never played before. That aside, I think this game actually has a lot of potential. The concept is very strong, however some of the puzzle choices ruin this in my opinion.
The graphics in this game are good. The gameplay is stronger though. This game reminds me a lot of Mogri's [game]Do you want to be a hero?[/game] You have to progress through each level by defeating the non-moving monsters that sit in your way. You can even choose which ones to fight first and which ones to avoid, making the players decision making skills key to winning at this game.
This game is pretty short though, and being so short you can't really get into it as much as you'd need to in order to enjoy it. Not only that but the hidden pathway mazes basically ruined this game for me. I completely hate having to poke around in order to find the right way to go and in this game I wasn't even given a hint that I had to do that. (unless it was hinted in one of the small notes I didn't read, if so I'm slightly sorry)

I'd recommend this game if you liked the game it's based off of.

Score: 3/5


Spellshard: The Black Crown of Horgoth

So this is hands down the best game of the year. I think every OHR member would agree to that. But let's look into why that is. I'd say it's mostly the length and old school feel that this game has that the community members have been craving for so long. But it might also be the good graphics and high level of polish that set this game apart from the other games released this year.
This game is completed. That's rare for an ohr rpg, and of the ohr rpgs that do claim to be complete this might very well be the best one. Not only is it done, but it's long. This game truly grasps the idea of an epically long journey that rpg's so often seek to portray.
The graphics in this game are not only old school-ish styled, but also really well done. Lots of these graphics could appear in any retro commercial seemlessly. (except they might be too good for some.)
My only real complaints about this game are some odd choice here and there. Nothing big enough to really be worth mentioning. Overall, this game is amazing and deserves to be hailed as one of the best OHR games of all times.

I'd recommend this game.

Score: 5/5
Last edited by Spoonweaver on Wed Mar 14, 2012 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Spoonweaver »

More reviews!

I was going to do a Slimesalad review for the rest of the games on the list, but The hall isn't hosted on slime salad, so I guess have have to post it's review here.


The Hall
Image
This game starts off with an mspaint title screen and no sound. Not a great start for any game. The game doesn't really get better from there either. The lack of effort that went into this game is noticeable in every aspect.

The graphics are some of the worst graphics I've ever seen. Not only is the hero a poorly done stick figure. But the npc's are just recolors of the hero. The monsters are really badly done too. It almost looks like it's on purpose. As if this was a troll game or something.

The gameplay is as basic as it can be. Nothing really interesting to do. There's few battles and then the game ends as terribly as it starts. No credits, no fanfare, just an empty marks the completion of the game.

I'd recommend staying away from this game.

SCORE: 0/5





EDIT: I reviewed There is nothing left

That leaves only 10 more games for me to review. It would be nice if the first post of this thread was updated to show my progress.
Last edited by Spoonweaver on Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Spoonweaver »

I guess have have to post this review here.


Star Quest
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The Atari like graphics and all around feel of this game really bring me in. This game does something that many games fail to do. This game gets me to want to explore. Much like some of the intentionally low bit games this year, this game's graphics are much better then they first appear. The interesting characters you come across in this game bring the game world to life, and gets you to want to look around more.

However, the whole experience basically ends there. This game's gameplay is basically non-existent. Perhaps it gets better, but what I experiences in the half hour I played was just a series of long and boring mazes. The only challenge in these mazes being npc's that kill you upon touch. Maybe there's more to the game, I don't know. It got boring quickly so I stopped playing.

Basically this game is flawed in a few ways. It's biggest virtue is being really weird. This makes the player want to figure out what exactly is behind all this weirdness. However, with lackluster graphics and little to do besides explore, this game gets old quickly.


I'd recommend taking a quick look at this game, but don't waste too much time here.

SCORE: 2/5


Spectrum
Image

I really felt like copy and pasting my review of the hall here and calling it a night. Mostly because I think that's basically what the developer did. Except there's actually less to this game then The Hall. The Hall is this developer's better game from what I can tell.
The game's graphics are through together. It's got an MSpaint title screen, and the rest of the graphics are actually so bad, it's like the developer made this ironically.
This game is bad. There's not much here and I felt like I wasted my time when I played it. It all feels very thrown together. There's not much effort put into this game, which makes me not want to put any more effort into this review.

Don't play this.

SCORE: 0/5






Ruin - 25% Demo REVIEW
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum-devo/vi ... 0219#90219

Kim und Jose-Demo REVIEW
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum-devo/vi ... php?t=5012



Since Sh4d0ws clearly states he doesn't want this reviewed, and yet this contest says I need to review it, I'll review Quest Games here rather than make a slime salad official review.

QUEST GAME
Well there's not much here so I'll keep this brief. The graphics are the best thing this game has going for it. They remind me a lot of Motrya's graphics for some reason, but the walkabout's blocky outline seems out of place. I think they should be given another try.
The town in this game seems rather well put together. Though the little hills seem unnecessary and often serve only to get in the way and frustrate the player.
The game is very short so far, but what's here seems pretty solid, and if it was expanded it could become a somewhat impressive game.

I'd recommend this game if it's ever fully released.

Score: 2/5





Mostly Involving Robots (Fight Battle Contest) REVIEW
http://www.slimesalad.com/forum-devo/vi ... php?t=5013
Last edited by Spoonweaver on Fri Mar 16, 2012 3:43 am, edited 5 times in total.
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