MatthewSmith's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[e7]

Relaxing, Perplexing and Poignant

I thoroughly enjoyed e7. It's not what you'd call an exciting game; it's got a very laid-back feel to it, and the gently undulating landscapes and soothing music add to the tranquil atmosphere. It is, however, tremendously compelling, and you find yourself becoming quite attached to your little blobby robot - you want him to succeed, and whenever he gets blown up it just strengthens your resolve to best the obstacle that defeated you. The planet, too, gradually reveals itself to be a likable character - as Wutzibu perceptively noted, it feels like it's on your side and keen to help you get rid of the bad robots and the bomb, which makes the emotive ending all the more powerful. Lovely work, although the levels where you have to hop from side to side up narrow channels can be frustrating; the momentum with which you ping off the surface doesn't always feel quite right, making it hard to judge jumps.

[Don't Look Back]

Strange, Spooky and Splendid

This is a lot of fun, and it's got a wonderfully mysterious, strangely sinister atmosphere - considering how (purposefully) simple the graphics are, they do a great job of adding to the absorbing oddness of the whole thing. Clever use of sound to add tension to various scenes, too. My only criticism would be that the difficulty curve is slightly off. The journey out of the underworld is actually easier than the journey in - because you can no longer move to the right, you immediately know that every screen has to be completable using only left, jump and fire, rendering the more puzzley sections less head-scratching and limiting the monsters that can make an appearance. Otherwise, this is brill.

[Reincarnation: ROA]

More Demonic Groovesomeness

As ever, it looks terrific, the sound's great and it's fun and rewarding to play. The air vent maze can be a bit of a drag, though.

[Reincarnation: ADDO]

Consistent quality

It's impressive to note that the Reincarnation series started out in fine style with this cunning and amusingly twisted adventure, and has only got better with each subsequent game. It's great fun, and congrats are in order to everyone involved for maintaining such a high standard of quality.

[Reincarnation: TCOU]

Short and sweet

It might not be a lengthy game, but it's super-slick, funny and inventive, and completely entertaining. A couple of the puzzles tend towards the obscure, but the satisfaction of finally getting things right largely makes up for that.

[Lifeguard Larry Deluxe]

Does its job pretty much perfectly

Given that this is intended to be a simple, fun little comedy game, the least you'd expect is for it to be funny - and it really is. The spaceship bit in particular made me laugh out loud, and the bloke-making-noises-into-the-micropho ne noises are a great touch; it's like something out of the Whose Line is it Anyway? sound effects game. A cheery little diversion all round, though the music does get a teeny bit annoying if you're playing it repeatedly trying to ferret out all the secrets.