Review: Netbots

For games like this that aren't especially deep or interesting, I am going to forgo the full-length review. There just really isn't that much to say other than that first little paragraph. So without further ado I present the review of:

Netbots

Developer: Maik Haider

Genre: Puzzle

This is literally the whole game over and over again in different configurations

Total Score: 2 out of 5 (Okay)

Netbots is basically just tangrams with weird robot heads and a nonsensical storyline about attaching these robot heads to various machines (not featured) to make them run better. The puzzles, while of the appropriate difficulty curve, lack variety and depth; there is literally nothing more than adding the same 7 or so shapes onto the screen in different configurations. For puzzle lovers maybe you'll get through the whole thing, but for the rest of us you'll play 5 levels and give up. In any case, you won't really feel accomplished after you are done.


The score


System: 4
I really like the user interface of this game. It is very clean and simple -- elegant even. The game requires only very little nudging to get you to learn what to do; solving the puzzles is pretty intuitive once you understand how to form the blocks. The only hindrance to my puzzle solving was the difficulty of the puzzle itself, and that's really all I can ask for of a system in a game like this. That said, it would have been nice to see more features, such as being able to remove a created block by clicking on it.


Atmosphere: 1
The theme here is that you are assembling these Netbots onto a network, but nothing about the game gives that impression as you play. All there is are these very simplistic robot heads and a hex-based grid behind them. Not even the cutscenes have much depth or creativity. The music is so unbelievably repetitive I had to turn off my sound while I was writing this review because its looping was driving me insane.

Storytelling: 2
I really admire that there are movies (if you could call them that) to break up the puzzle playing experience. The storyline, however, is so simplistic I almost felt slighted when I actually earned one. And really the entire storyline really doesn't appear in any way shape or form in the game except in the movies, so you might as well play the game and watch a Youtube video every so often. It would have the same effect (maybe even better).


Replayability: 1
I almost challenge someone who doesn't otherwise love puzzles to sit through this whole game. I didn't, though I got farther than I would have for the sake of this review. There aren't even that many levels for those who really do enjoy this type of game, and the levels that they do have feature such little variety that you might as well play the same level over and over again.


Fun Factor: 3
I want to be fair to this game. It is fun... just not for very long. Its entertaining to exercise the logic part of your brain, and when you do solve a level based on pure logic it really is rewarding. Unfortunately, most (if not all) of the game can be solved with only a bit of guess and check. It's too easy to resort to that (or to rely on the hint button) when the answer isn't immediately obvious, so you won't really ever get the sense of accomplishment from this game that you might from other puzzle games.

Review: Burrito Bison Revenge

Burrito Bison Revenge
Developer: Juicy Beast
Genre: Flight

Ruining gummy bears' lives has never been so fun.

Total Score: 4 out of 5 (Great)

This sequel has even more gummy madness than the original Burrito Bison. Every part of the game has been added on to, and you will be immediately sucked into the absurd style of the game. It is super easy and super fun to rocket-smash into poor gummies, although some parts of the game can be confusing to keep straight. There really isn't much storyline, but that's really par for the course in flight games, and it excels at most of the other aspects.

The score

System: 4
With a clean layout and a single-button control scheme, picking up this game knowing what to do is super simple and easy to do. My only gripe is can be difficult to remember what to do to get the most out of each type of gummy you hit.

Atmosphere: 4
The visuals are awesome; the expressiveness of the characters and the design of the environments really pulls you into the absurdity of the game. The sounds are kinda meh, but they don't distract and the music is decent.

Storytelling: 2
All you get is a few comic-book style pages that you scroll through to get the story, and there isn't really much integration with story and the gameplay. The concept would have been more exciting if there was more substance.

Replayability: 4
With the number of achievements and upgrades this game has to offer, you could be playing it for a good week before you've accomplished everything. This is, of course, it you don't get bored of the games one-dimensional play style, but it really is a well-made single dimension.

Fun Factor: 5
For some reason, it is extremely satisfying to watch a luchadore beating the crap out of a gummy civilization. Some people complain that there isn't much influence the player can have on the game, but I simply don't agree here; when you click will have a profound impact on your score.

The Review

Burrito Bison Revenge is the sequel to the original Burrito Bison. When I say sequel, I mean its more like an expansion; it takes the original scaffold of the game and improves upon it by adding more of everything. In the original Burrito Bison, you are a luchadore minding his own business at the supermarket who is kidnapped by the Gummie King and brought to Candy Land to fight in their arena like a lion. Or something. After smashing your way to freedom in the first game, this sequel has our hero returning to Candy Land after realizing that the gummies still have his wallet and can't pay for his groceries until he pries it out of their cold, dead hands. I would have liked a more thorough presentation of this wacky storyline, but alas, all we get is a few panels of a comic book.

The gameplay mechanics in Burrito Bison Revenge are almost identical to the original, and that is a very good thing. The single button control and clean interface are extremely easy to pick up and play, and you'll find that there isn't much of a learning curve in figuring out how to effectively use your signature rocket smash. This time around there are significantly more special gummies that require the proper completion of their micro game to use effectively. There are enough that I was hesitant to unlock the appearance of the last gummy because I was having trouble remember what to do for each of the others already.

The games style and aesthetic are very appealing, with a sort of scooby-doo style scrolling background that is very creatively constructed for your return visit to Candy Land -- you really messed things up on your original escape. The sprites are very well made for this style of game; there is a lot of variety and expressiveness in the characters that can be sorely lacking from flight games.

This game is quite fun for what it is. The feeling that you get as you smash into a fleeing gummy is quite satisfying, and there is enough game to hold your attention that you won't really get too bored. There is always that top-yourself motivation to keep playing, and the consistent upgrade progression will ensure that you keep going farther and farther. This time around there is even an endless "survival" mode that will keep that feeling going for as long as you are still interested. For me, that was quite a long time for a flash game.


So while this game is really single-dimensional with its single button control and repetitive go-farther attitude, it is extremely fun to click and smash. Whether you will have fun for 5 minutes, 5 hours, or 5 days really depends on how long the upgrade progression and achievement collection holds your interest. But if you enjoy flight games at all, you will have fun.

How I rate games - The rubric

Now that I have explained to you why I want to review flash games, I think that it's time that I tell you how I will be rating them. The most important thing to a reviewing site is consistency, so that the audience (you) can reliably understand what a particular score might mean in context to other scores and other reviews. Here I will be providing a rubric for my reviews -- one that I will keep in mind during the review process of every game. Obviously you needn't refer back to this rubric before reading each review, but I think that giving it a glance once-over will help you understand the method to my madness.

The rating process

Most ratings systems are tired and old. They don't really provide much relevance to the average gamer. Topics like sound don't need their own score, and so I am inventing my own broad categories to integrate each aspect of the game into relevant scores that you can use to objectively decide whether any particular game is for you.

Each game will be scored 1 to 5 in these categories:

1. System - Basically the skeleton of the game and how well it supports the other categories. This category will be influenced by aspects in the game such as the controls, the flow of the menus, and the layout of the user interface. A game that is intuitive to play and just makes sense is the goal in this category.
2. Atmosphere - How immersive the game is. This category will be primarily scored on the audio and visual effects and how well the game utilizes these to heighten your suspension of disbelief. It doesn't matter if the game is deep or a parody or what, as long it uses effects to convince you that it is the most of whatever its trying to be.
3. Storytelling - Almost every game has a story, even if it is a very shallow story or a very short game. There are two ways to score highly in this category; have a very provocative storyline, and tell your story in a unique or interesting way. Using storytelling to influence other aspects of the game (such as a tutorial) will be a major bonus here.
4. Replayability - The whole point of playing flash games is to waste time, right? Thus, I am giving how much time you will waste enjoyably with this game its own score. Replayability describes how long the mechanics of the game will hold up before they become stale. Sometimes its several run-throughs, sometimes (for longer games) you'll be bored before you even beat the game once. Games that have variety or very addictive mechanics will score highly here.
5. Fun Factor - Sometimes a game is complete crap in every objective way, but it still incredibly fun for some unknown reason. Maybe one small part of the game is so addictive that you end up playing it for a long time even though the graphics are terrible, or maybe it just makes you laugh for 10 minutes straight and that's all its supposed to do. This is kind of a catchall for all the parts of the game that aren't included in other categories.

 Finally, the game will be given a "final score" that is a weighted averaging of the five categories. The weight will change from game to game depending on how I think each of the categories "should" have scored compared to what rating that they actually received. A RPG with poor storytelling will suffer more than a tower defense game with poor storytelling, for example. A game's final score will be highly dependent on the how it compares to other games in its genre.

Why I like flash games

So I've decided to start a blog in order to provide a positive activity to my mild obsession, flash games! I like flash games. A lot. And I'll tell you why:

1. They are short.
2. They are addictive.
3. They are independently developed.
4. They are numerous.
5. They are free.

They are short

With a full time job as a molecular biologist and my other hobbies taking up a majority of my free time, I don't really have much time to sit down with a long game and play it through as much as I would like. Even when I do have a bunch of free time, I get distracted easily. That said, most flash games are short enough to hold my attention span.

Flash games are the science fiction short stories of the gaming world. They almost always have a single driving focus that they are completely based around (e.g. a game mechanic or storytelling style). By the time that I become bored with that focus, the game is over and I can move on with my life -- and on to the next game! That brings me to my next point.

They are addictive

Because of their short length, flash games often rely on replay value to keep players engaged. And it works. If you've ever played an upgrade-style flash game or a good strategy game, you'd know what I'm talking about. There is always something to keep you going back to that one simple focus, whether it be a high score, multiple endings, alternate play styles etc. Often I will find myself having played the same otherwise "boring" game for hours simply because of some simple aspect that varies the game over time.

They are independently developed

Flash games are almost always made by one person, or a very small group of people (read: less than 5). Designers don't generally develop flash games for profit or for a specific audience, so they really have no obligations when designing their games. This allows them complete creative control over their game. Like indie rock bands, flash developers are truly free to explore the medium and try things that would otherwise be... I don't know, unmarketable?

Case in point: The Majesty of Colors. During this entire game, you are a sea monster who peers up into the world from its watery abode. The only control you have in the game is one of the monster's long tentacles, which you use throughout the game to either help or hurt random humans who venture out above you. EA would never try to make this game. Sony would never try to make this game. It isn't going to make a million dollars, and yet it leaves you with a great empathy for the creature through the story's great narrative.

They are numerous

This isn't really an argument for any one flash game, but rather its the reason that flash games in general are my go-to for entertainment. If you find yourself bored with a flash game, stop and play another one. There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of flash games that have been developed since Macromedia (now Adobe) originally developed flash actionscript. And there are dozens of websites whose sole purpose is to host these games (at some point I will list and rate these sites).

They are free

One might ask why I play flash games instead of smartphone apps, which are very similarly designed and executed. My answer to these people is that flash games are free, and designed to be such. It is true that I do play smartphone apps, but its obvious that those developers want you to pay for the paid version of their game even if they provide a free version. Conversely, flash games are designed to be free from the get go without limiting gameplay. Many popular apps were actually originally free flash games or based directly on free flash games (Plants vs. Zombies, Alien Hominid, and Castle Crashers are examples).


I will be posting reviews of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) flash games on a regular basis. I will also be posting articles about my views on the flash game market as a whole. I should post more regularly as I get into the swing of things and as I play games that I think are really exceptional or interesting.

If you have a flash game that you would like me to take a look at, shoot me an e-mail and I'll be glad to play it and review it.