Score: 6

"Good implementation, old idea."

submission: The Unfair Platformer

date: February 19, 2008

Reminds me too much of Syobon Action. Doesn't seem like much originality at work here...

Score: 4

"Good effort, but needs a solid programming base."

submission: F2Jam The Music Game v1.0

date: July 26, 2007

I have several big problems with this game (on hard mode at least). First, the timing was bad in nearly every song, especially in Mad World where some notes are left out entirely and some are thrown in inappropriately (I did better when I watched each note go down instead of listening to the music). Second, the programming was flawed. The failure bar rose far too quickly and fell far too slowly, accuracy was extremely biased towards hitting sooner rather than later, and if two notes followed each other and I hit in between, I tended to miss both. Third, I get the feeling that the difficulty ratings corresponded to "easiest to make", not "easiest to play". The Naruto theme consisted entirely of three chords: SJ, DK, and FL. Defcon Zero was actually the hardest, because, as with Mad World, some parts are thrown in haphazardly, and every missed note (especially in the "1 2 3 4 5&6&" parts) contributed to a quickly-rising failure bar that was hard to push down again.

Programming might not be your forte, but if you have a solid script behind the game it would be much more enjoyable. It would also help to spend time making your notecharts more creative, such as having the notes rise and fall with the actual melody of the song (like Guitar Hero and Beatmania does). Make sure to follow only one lead at a time, unless the song changes and another instrument takes the melody.

As a final tip, try not to choose songs that loop or fade out. If they loop, edit them in an audio program and make a fade-out. If they fade out, stop your note chart before the fade. There is nothing more frustrating than continuing to push keys after the music is inaudible.

Score: 9

"Very cool, all around."

submission: Starfire

date: October 21, 2005

I liked the customizability in the Shop area, and the prices were all very fair. My favorite weapons were the Vulcan, Plasma Thrower and Laser Cannon; I didn't find much use for the Spread shot (it just wastes energy) or the Laser (I like to mow down enemies by strafing, not to snipe them one by one or hope I don't miss) Larger engines and energy sources are essential in the game, and both were implemented just right: engines are key to getting those coins left behind, and you simply can't survive in the later levels without a good weapon that's kept fueled. The shields were also nice, but largely unnecessary in the light of below.
My major beef with the game is how many instant-kill attacks there are. I died so many times on the first boss because he moved so quickly and unpredictably. The worms on Level 2 are also instant kill for anything less than maxed shields and armor.
My other issue is the difficulty in picking up coins. Make them perhaps 6 pixels wider, or redo the "collision" code to make it more real-time. I passed through coins many times when my engine was too fast.

The soundtrack was nifty. You did a good job in choosing engaging music from NG Audio (another plus for effort) Most of the sound effects for the weapons were good, but I got a little irritated at the sounds from the larger Spreadfire, the larger Laser Cannon, and the drones.
Also, the jukebox at the end is awesome. I'm totally rocking out at Flames In The Sky :P

Score: 10

"10's across the board."

submission: Mario Sex

date: July 20, 2005

Originality: Duh. It's the only sex-related thing I'd ever heard on the Audio Portal.
Diversity: You certainly used a lot of sound effects, and all in the right places.
Clarity: Dear god, every squeak was crystal clear.
Effort: Only you could think of something this horrible.
Great job again, Psy. You've shown your incredibly guiltless sense of humor, and once again your flair for exaggeration and sex jokes makes me laugh.

Score: 10

"Max 10's, not common from me ;)"

submission: Relax and Chill

date: July 5, 2005

I love this song. I first heard it while playing Cityscape, which is a challenging game itself, but the music playing just entranced me. I wonder why the music is a lot slower in the Flash, because here in the Audio Portal it's nearly twice the tempo.
The opening four seconds are perfect for a Flash movie's intro, and the main beat builds itself up over a nice 40 seconds. The piano work was beautiful, and I liked the flute and chime combination at 50 seconds in. What truly shows the effort on this is the way that almost no part of the song is very repetitive; there is a general mood and a basic tone, but all of the four-bar segments are separated by changes in melody, not always in rhythm or mood as many other songs are prone to do.
For evidence, start the song and clock, and concentrate on the actual notes. The key is always the same, which not only helps the overall harmony of the piece, but also keeping the "relax" mood intact. The piano melody changes at 0:16, 0:22, 0:28, 0:33, 0:39, and at 0:50, where it becomes mostly steady, with the changes now in the choice of instruments and volume for each segment.
Great job on the song. It is truly amazing, and something to listen to over and over. I've actually grown to enjoy this faster version while writing this review.