next »

[bugninja]

I need some honest feedback on my new platform game.  

Friends and family are being very nice reviewers, but it's time to face the real world.

GAME LAST UPDATED 5/24/2012

*** Scorched Monster is FREE for iPhone in the App Store ***

Update 2.0 on the iOS App Store now supports iPad and has an unlockable Survival Mode!  Thanks for everyone's great feedback!

Flash Version on Kongregate!
http://www.kongregate.com/games/bugninja/scorched-monster

NOW ON THE IPHONE!
http://itunes.apple.com/app/id506108640?mt=8
($0.99, no free version, but Android and Flash are free to play)

Android:
http://app.net/scorched-monster
(Not updated for 2.0 just yet. Free with Ads, redirects to Android Market on phones)


ABOUT THE GAME / HOW TO PLAY:

First, it was really intended to be played on Mobile.  The Flash version is OK, but I'd suggest playing on Android if possible.

Think of it like you would Pac-Man.  Each level is a new "arena" to navigate, but your goal is always the same, to scorch enough monsters to get to the next level.  There are a set number of monster-types and hazards, and game-play stays the same, but goals get harder to reach keeping you coming back for more.

Scorch as many monsters as you can before the time runs out by running, jumping, avoiding hazards and using power-ups to your advantage.  Reach the goal-points and you will continue to the next level.  There are 10 levels and 4 difficulty settings.

This is my first platform game, written in Monkey Coder.  I released this game to "introduce" myself as a platform game developer.  I LOVE the genre, am addicted to it, and want to be a part of it by creating my own games in this genre.  I'm fulfilling a 17+ year dream of creating a platformer, even though it's a super-saturated genre.

I'm working on a full-scale platform game separate from this one as well, but it won't be ready for a little while.

So, here it goes, please let me know what you think.

[MarkR]

I've played it (briefly) on flash.

My first impressions are:

- good example of a platformer with all the *right* fun stuff!
- 'easy' doesn't seem that easy but maybe that's coz I need to practice more 
- the jump is not intuitive. I would expect double jump to be hold down key rather than double press
- powerups not clear. Use power up in different place to pics of what they are so I didn't connect them together initially. Maybe explain better?

I'll leave more notes when I've played some more.

Looking forward to iPhone version!!

[Hypnohustla]

I think the graphics need work. The player and the monsters look like they are from different games.

[bugninja]

@MarkR Thank you for trying it out.

I like to say it's easy to play but a challenge to master. The barrier is that you have to play longer to get into it, which has been part of why I don't have that many players yet

I'll think about how to better connect the player with powerups, what they do, and how to use them.  It's a little more obvious in the Android version because the powerup more clearly becomes a button you can press. Flash version is more confusing, very true.

I see what you mean regarding the jump.  Maybe the jump method could even be an option in the future.  ie If you like double tap, you can, if you like to hold it down longer, you can do that too.  I actually have the code written for both ways and ended up using double-tap just because that's what I was used to from other mobile platformers, but it would be cool if it were an option.


@Hypnohustla ... Interesting.  I can see what you mean.  I even have a black outline around the main hero and don't on the monsters.  Maybe if the game had a story it would help lessen that gap.  I like the hero and the monsters, so I'd prefer to find a way to connect them.

[Tuba]

Like Hypnohustla said, it looks like the player, the monsters and the background are from different games, seems to me that you made each of them with a different resolution, stick to one and follow that.

Also, I think it's a little too hard, couldn't get any close to 7000 points in the first level. Maybe I really suck... but my opinion is that the first level in every game should be very easy so the player don't feel intimidated. And, I can understand why the flames are automatic for the mobile version, but on the keyboard it feels weird, you should consider adding a button to fire on the Flash version.

But the idea is nice and overall it's a fun game.

[bugninja]

@Tuba - Stepping back and looking at it, I can see where the hero may need to lose his outline, and the backgrounds almost seem MORE pixelated than the rest of the art.  Is that what you all are seeing too?  I've been starring at these pixels for so long, I'm afraid I won't be able to figure out the problem  

The easy mode is a better place to start, you only have to get 4000 points to move past level 1.

Also, on the Flash version, I wonder if the art problems are being magnified because it's huge compared to mobile.

[Udderdude]

Spikes are hard to see and dissapear completely into the ground, making it easy for them to surprise you.  They should be easier to see and have some mark on the ground where they appear.

Very hard was seemingly impossible because not enough monsters appear to get enough points before time runs out.

The items I picked up and used didn't have any description and didn't appear to have any effect.

[bugninja]

@Udderdude - I once had it where you saw a flashing red triangle below where a spike would appear and decided to remove it but made it so the spikes can't hurt you until they have fully emerged - so the spike itself is kind-of a warning, but since it happens so fast, maybe that was the wrong move.

Very hard is possible, I've completed it myself and I made sure it's mathematically possible.  The real trick is that you have to be near flawless in your movements, and use powerups together with one-another.

For example, if you find a rain-drop powerup, hold on to it until a dynamite powerup appears so that you can use the raindrop right before the dynamite and you kill LOTS of monsters in one move.

Thank you all again for the feedback!

[Udderdude]

Very hard is possible, I've completed it myself and I made sure it's mathematically possible.  The real trick is that you have to be near flawless in your movements, and use powerups together with one-another.

For example, if you find a rain-drop powerup, hold on to it until a dynamite powerup appears so that you can use the raindrop right before the dynamite and you kill LOTS of monsters in one move.

It's nice that there's some strategy at work on Very Hard, however descriptions for the items are not given anywhere in the game (Not even in How To Play) so it makes it close to impossible for players that don't know what they do ahead of time.

Also it seems the powerups appear randomly, and if Very Hard is that tightly tuned, it may be impossible more than half the time.

[bugninja]

@Udderdude

I will definitely have to add something to tell people how the powerups work.  I even have more powerups I want to create, so then it would be even more confusing if I don't come up with something.

How the power-ups, hearts, and clocks show up isn't "completely" random.  There is some rhyme and reason behind the scenes.  But not a lot.

On Very Hard, it is true that some of the levels will require a little luck. I even made the Very Hard button say "Good Luck, You'll Need It"

I'm concerned about getting rid of the luck factor and it becoming too easy.

NOTE: It's really just Very Hard and the last levels of Hard where luck really starts to come into play.

[Noah!]

Beat the game on easy mode, here is my feedback:

Okay, first of all, spikes. They spawn up, without warning, and without any predictable rhythm. Sometimes they even spawn right next to you. And, for some reason, something about their hitboxes seem off. This is cheap, and not particularly fair.

Likewise, because the level restarts upon death, I've found myself meeting the quota, then sitting in one place to let the level time out. Yes, those going for score won't, but it kind of kills the flow...

Similarly to spikes, powerups. After a few levels, I was able to figure out what they mean, but I can't shake the feeling that you're pretty much at the mercy of the randomly-generated powerups (if not for survival then definitely for score). In this game it isn't too bad because there's plenty to go around, but still...

There really isn't much to the game. The gameplay gets repetitive, and the level design isn't doing any favors to compensate for that issue. Like, from beginning to end, nothing changes except for the level design. No new setpieces, no new enemies, no new powerups or monsters or abilities or twists or anything that would keep my attention. Even the music stays the same between levels.

Also, if you're speaking the truth and the only change is the score requirement, why would anyone want to play on the higher levels? Those who just want to complete the game have no incentive to play on anything higher than Easy, and I don't see any reason for score players to play on anything higher either if the quota is only what matters (except maybe for the chance to restart if their run isn't goin' too hot)

Finally, if you're gonna restart the level, don't throw up a loading screen. Unless there's something going on behind the scenes that makes it absolutely unavoidable, I would highly recommend against it. Yes, a minor issue, but it breaks the flow nonetheless.

All in all, it's a pretty good game, and with a few tweaks it could be an even better game. Truth be told, there's a lot you're doing right, but hey, you said to be brutal... ;-)

[Gabriel Verdon]

Here is my honest feedback:

• The game is a mess. I don't understand what the goal is when I begin the game. There are platforms and spikes and enemies going in every direction, I have a score, a time limit, and weapon that I tried to figure out how to use for a couple minutes before giving up.
• I think the idea of the gun automatically triggering when you are near an enemy is very bad. It takes out most of the agency that makes playing videogames fun. I want to feel like I am killing the monsters, not like the game is just masturbating when I get near them.
• The player needs a clear goal, and the level design needs facilitate that in some way. Is my goal to just get as high as possible? To kill all the enemies in a given space?
• The art style is inconsistent. The player has a black outline where as the monsters do not. They could also use some animations.

I hope this is helpful.

[nico]

Didn't run at all on my Ubuntu/Firefox setup (just a black screen).

[PompiPompi]

As noted, the graphics need work.
The spikes spawn with no way to predict when, so you end up jumping right on a spike that just spawned.
I don't get the point of the game, I didn't feel very motivated to gain scores. The monsters are static which is kind of boring(I played normal, maybe it's different on other difficulty levels).
Overall it's an extremly simple game that needs more polish...
I played both on my Android(why do I need network when installing on an Android?) and on the browser.
I couldn't play it on the Android because of the controls, but I think a lot of games are unplayable on touch devices which work fine with a keybpard\gamepad.
Sorry, I can't find many good things to say about this game...

[Udderdude]

I'm concerned about getting rid of the luck factor and it becoming too easy.

NOTE: It's really just Very Hard and the last levels of Hard where luck really starts to come into play.

You may want to remove Very Hard and rework the difficulty system so that you get less life on harder difficulties instead of a higher score goal.

Also, remove as much randomness as possible.  Have the items appear in specific points at specific times on the screen.