johnsoma's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[K.O.L.M.]

It's been about 10 years since I first played this and even though I didn't remember the name until now, the experience still stuck with me. It's basically a Metroidvania taken to the logical conclusion. You start off with literally nothing, not even working eyes, and by the end you become literally invincible. The story might be a little predictable, but it's told in a fun way. Definitely an underrated gem.

The-EXP responds:

Thanks for the lovely words!

[Newgrounds Rushdown Rivals]

Redoing my review because a ton of new content has come out since RR first launched. It was already an incredible game, and now it's even better. There is a staggering amount of content here now, and all of it is polished to a sheen. RR really has become one of the all-time greats of Newgrounds.

It also doesn't take 15 minutes to load anymore, and is a lot more optimized in general. That's just the cherry on top, really.

[Auto Necrochess]

Redoing my review because an in-depth guide has been added to the game, fixing my biggest problem with it. Since making my old review, I have beaten this game 3 times, and used different strategies for each clear. I still say this game is very hard, but it's also charming and addicting enough to make me want to come back again and again.

EDIT: I found a secret ending :)

[Emergency Monster Team: Chapter 1]

Honestly, I thought this project had been abandoned. I'm happy it wasn't. This is a great world with a lot of potential. The game is slow-paced, and clicking on everything is essential. I like that sort of thing, but not everyone will. Also, this time I was able to complete everything and didn't find any glitches or other problems! The worst I found was just some typos.

EDIT: I forgot to note: You can skip every major fight in this game by exploring, finding the right items, and saying the right things. That is a really cool addition! Especially since you gain levels in this game from completing quests anyway.

shadoboxxer responds:

Thanks for taking the time to play again!
Yeah it's taken quite some time to draw all the new art, and write out all the different text paths in the game I added. Each time somebody plays through, they could have a different outcome in game depending on who's in their party, or what missions they did first. That was always one of my fav things about some RPGs that paid attentions to the players.

I'll be sure to go back and try and fix up all the typos, it's tough doing this solo with being dyslexic, but i managed to get this far! :D

I have a lot more planned for the game, and now that I'm getting more feedback on it, I can see my efforts have worked really well. I do intend to finish the game, as long as I can keep getting feedback, funding, and reviews.

Thanks again for playing and I sure hope you found all the hidden stuff and even the extended drinking hours with Director Lanoir if you have the Bottle of Rum.

[Mario-Combat]

I knew you made the Armed with Wings games, but I never realized you made Power Star too! This game feels a lot like AwW 3, though obviously not quite as refined. It's still a lot of fun!

[Orderless: New Skies]

For a demo, it's solid! It clearly tells you what you need to do, everything works as expected, and it's just intriguing enough to make me curious what is going on.

This might just be me, but this feels more like a pitch than a demo. Technically the same thing, but while a demo is clearly part of a bigger game, this is more like 'here's all the mechanics we want to have in our game'. Feels a little disconnected right now. It's not a bad thing, just an observation.

[ITAZURA MADNESS]

A punch-out roguelike. That's a new one. It's simple, but addicting and charming. Absolutely needs a mouse to play, though. Trackpad and touchscreen are not doable. There is a ridiculous amount of content in this game, you just have to win multiple times on higher difficulties to find it.

[Peter the Ant Clicker]

Easiest medal sweep of my life. Decently fun too.

[LinQuest]

Competent, but kinda boring. Lacks a central 'hook'.

[Mini Arrows]

Interesting idea. But a little basic for a puzzle game. Only got truly complex at the final level. Music has no business going that hard, though.