Delicious FruitElCochran90's Profile
Send a PMJoined on: Aug 25, 2018
Bio:
About time I updated this bio.
Name: Edgar Cochran
Country: Mexico
Currently living in: Mexico City
-God's servant and one of his blessed sons (John 1:12; John 3:16).
-Lover of the entire animal and plant creation.
-Film lover and reviewer for Letterboxd.com (https://letterboxd.com/elcochran90).
-Adjunct professor and personal tutor of Statistical Inference, Business Forecasting, Marketing Research and Portfolio Theory.
Fangaming experience began in August 2018, so only modest achievements here. However, I'll describe some relevant FAQs here made to me during my stay here since 2018:
Q: Are videogames art?
A: Yes
Q: Are fangames videogames?
A: Yes
Q: Why are your reviews long and unconventional?
A: I am a film reviewer; in a way, I sort of unconsciously dragged my style of film reviewing to the world of fangames. I often involve personal experiences in my writing. Expect that structure; I'm not planning to change it.
Q: How are you rating games? Do you compare fangames as normal games that your ratings are lower than all other people ratings or are you just a critical person?
A: My ratings are not lower than people's ratings all of the time regarding fangames, but they are most of the time. However, this is not my intention. I am rating them as normal games, as in, I don't have a different spectrum for rating "normal", "official" games than fangames. They are in the same scale, because they are all videogames. I don't like to think myself as a critical person; ratings are just subjective numbers. However, I have realized that I rate games more harshly than I rate films/short films, which I do more often.
Q: What are your favorite fangames?
A: I have not played enough fangames to make a comprehensive and representative list, but this can be answered by going to my Favorites list. Anything getting 6.7 or higher will be considered immediately as a favorite.
I've submitted:
380 Ratings!
380 Reviews!
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380 Games
380 Reviews
ElCochran90
For: I wanna be the knight in shining armor
For: I wanna be the knight in shining armor
MattinJ has a remarkable talent for making adventure RPGs with exciting worlds, a consistent gameplay, great bosses (this game lacked a few) and a grinding system that brings the best of what fangames can offer. Soundtrack is excellent and shows he knows about the videogame genre (never was a fan of Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, but I always admired its soundtrack).
This was made for the Shortventure contest of 2017, and I think that is it's greatest drawback. It's not a short adventure, but one you can see was limited in the extent of its possibilities in order to comply with a set of standard contest rules for a contest. These experiences demand to be at least as diverse as Reach the Moon, another one of the best adventure fangames.
Do not doubt for a second. With enough humor, adventure and action, this should bring along a great pair of hours.
[0] Likes
This was made for the Shortventure contest of 2017, and I think that is it's greatest drawback. It's not a short adventure, but one you can see was limited in the extent of its possibilities in order to comply with a set of standard contest rules for a contest. These experiences demand to be at least as diverse as Reach the Moon, another one of the best adventure fangames.
Do not doubt for a second. With enough humor, adventure and action, this should bring along a great pair of hours.
Rating: 7.0 70
Difficulty: 45 45
May 7, 2020
ElCochran90
For: I wanna be The Cat
For: I wanna be The Cat
Rating based on completing Medium Mode, Hard Mode, Magic Tower and Impossible Mode. Difficulty rating based on completing Hard Mode (which is required for unlocking Magic Tower), and Magic Tower.
Consider a Difficulty Rating of 35 for Medium Mode, 50 for Hard Mode, 65 for Magic Tower and 60 for Impossible Mode (which is an improper name for the challenge it actually offers).
An event. A big one. Nemega spends time, effort and invests resources to build a fantastic fangame with a splendorous production value that is matched by its entertainment capabilities and audiovisual universe. Not afraid of being a direct inspiration from the original I Wanna Be The Guy like other fangames are afraid of admitting it, featuring an original soundtrack and also countless references to other popular fangames such as Boshy, Timemachine and Kamilia, this adventure fangame has enough content to keep one satisfied whether for single players or online communities.
This was an obvious blind buy, and there is nothing to regret: the price is right and Nemega deserves retribution for his work. Platforming is mostly fantastic and replayability is high. Although some boss fights are quite unfair and feature guaranteed hits, all of them are much more than cat puns: they are creative to play through, learn and beat. Escalating the difficulty modes is highly recommended for acquiring experience and familiarity with the stages and fights, and for finally playing the difficulty mode I assume was intended for the game: Hard Mode. This unlocks the Magic Tower Mode which wasn't released originally with the game, but was in the plans, and it shows.
The Magic Tower mode has another notorious source of inspiration: Tower of the Sorcerer, which also inspired Not Another Magic Tower game. The game here acts more like a regular fangame and functions more as an adventure RPG, featuring screens to conquer, where each screen represents a floor. Constant exploration and backtracking is required to obtain all items, keys, and powerups for attack and defense. It's a boss rush, where you fight the main bosses once and then The Cat. It is important to repeat that the bosses are fun and quite original despite being obvious pun inspirations, but it is a misunderstanding that this game allows you to fight their Impossible Mode forms: you actually fight HARDER versions of them, and the final form of Nyanko got me cheering up to a degree I was FORCED to upload a screenshot. I was surprised and laughed at the same time. Her variety of attacks are quite the challenge!
When a game manages to be challenging and fun, you can be proud of actually achieving something significant, and this game does so. Add to that a soundtrack I will never forget and a feeling of reward few games will grant you after conquering it, without including a big smile.
And so, everything seems positive up to this point, and I yet give it this rating, and that is why I get trolled by the community including Stonk in his streams with a dab. "It's an amazing fangame: 7.5/10".
Well, here's the issue. A monumental issue. An issue that I haven't still been able to understand from this community. I first became somewhat popular in this site because of my Qoqoqo 2 review after going through an event that substracted probably around 1.5 points from the overall rating, scarring me for life, and it happens here once again.
SOFTLOCK
Why must the "Magic Tower" concept in this community must necessarily equal to the possibility of softlocking yourself?
WHY???
Softlock is a concept that should never exist in any rational game. It is a conscious decision from the maker to actually punish you and erase your entire effort for a single bad decision, and the payment is starting all over again. This cancels out entirely the feeling of freely exploring the game. Metroid and The Legend of Zelda, both released in 1986, got the exploration concept right: you get stuck in an area for not making an intended order, and the challenge there is to push yourself to find secrets or a correct route to keep progressing in the adventure. However, you never get softlocked. You are advised that something is missing, and part of an adventure game is freedom in your exploration. Conditioning it is killing the concept of the game. The Metroid (1986) complaints are valid, though: it is too cryptic. It is. For me, it worked splendidly as an Alien/Aliens (1979/1986) tribute of being stuck in a strange planet with lethal lifeforms and no map system, because the planet is unexplored. Environment construction there is gorgeous, but I digress. My point is that I would infinitely prefer a cryptic game than a softlockable game, because the latter pushes you away. It kills your mood to do everything again because I think no one in their sane judgment would accept the nullification of hours of effort as an acceptable punishment.
I got softlocked four times. The third time was particularly painful because, having one-hit HP against Alucat, I used a blessing for getting past him. Too bad you don't know you're supposed to use all blessings for a better shot at the final boss or you're screwed.
I really don't consider using a guide for this type of games as a cheat, because the game is screaming for it. The fourth floor would be an ok design for all floors, since there are mirrors and multiple keyholes: one can figure out an optimal route, but not when you're meant to backtrack constantly. You cannot have clear calculations because you have no idea what lies ahead.
It is true that you can back your game, but you can only do one backup. Why not many, like a memory card? Why just one? And again, you're not even sure if you're backing at a secure point because you might have progressed through an "obvious" route until it turns out you don't. So you might backup an already softlocked state.
I cannot tell you precisely how many points I substracted for that mode being ruined because I never had a free-exploring experience. You can estimate, however, between 8 and 15 points probably, which would place it above my current favorite fangame.
Anyway, it is a very special game. It united the community more. It reminded us of the original GOOD game. It was a throwback to other community classics. It is a brave project that reflects self-confidence in its production value because there is a solid platforming behind it, an adorable protagonist, amazing bosses, good levels, a high replay value due to every experience being unique, and races in yearly marathons. I applaud projects like this.
Spread the word, buy it and play my recommended order (well, not that YOU HAVE TO, but this is how I loved it the most):
-Medium Mode
-Hard Mode
-Magic Tower with a guide (this mode has the most complete experience in the Bosses department)
-Impossible Mode, which you will already be prepared for given your experience with Magic Tower
Let the catventure begin!
[4] Likes
Consider a Difficulty Rating of 35 for Medium Mode, 50 for Hard Mode, 65 for Magic Tower and 60 for Impossible Mode (which is an improper name for the challenge it actually offers).
An event. A big one. Nemega spends time, effort and invests resources to build a fantastic fangame with a splendorous production value that is matched by its entertainment capabilities and audiovisual universe. Not afraid of being a direct inspiration from the original I Wanna Be The Guy like other fangames are afraid of admitting it, featuring an original soundtrack and also countless references to other popular fangames such as Boshy, Timemachine and Kamilia, this adventure fangame has enough content to keep one satisfied whether for single players or online communities.
This was an obvious blind buy, and there is nothing to regret: the price is right and Nemega deserves retribution for his work. Platforming is mostly fantastic and replayability is high. Although some boss fights are quite unfair and feature guaranteed hits, all of them are much more than cat puns: they are creative to play through, learn and beat. Escalating the difficulty modes is highly recommended for acquiring experience and familiarity with the stages and fights, and for finally playing the difficulty mode I assume was intended for the game: Hard Mode. This unlocks the Magic Tower Mode which wasn't released originally with the game, but was in the plans, and it shows.
The Magic Tower mode has another notorious source of inspiration: Tower of the Sorcerer, which also inspired Not Another Magic Tower game. The game here acts more like a regular fangame and functions more as an adventure RPG, featuring screens to conquer, where each screen represents a floor. Constant exploration and backtracking is required to obtain all items, keys, and powerups for attack and defense. It's a boss rush, where you fight the main bosses once and then The Cat. It is important to repeat that the bosses are fun and quite original despite being obvious pun inspirations, but it is a misunderstanding that this game allows you to fight their Impossible Mode forms: you actually fight HARDER versions of them, and the final form of Nyanko got me cheering up to a degree I was FORCED to upload a screenshot. I was surprised and laughed at the same time. Her variety of attacks are quite the challenge!
When a game manages to be challenging and fun, you can be proud of actually achieving something significant, and this game does so. Add to that a soundtrack I will never forget and a feeling of reward few games will grant you after conquering it, without including a big smile.
And so, everything seems positive up to this point, and I yet give it this rating, and that is why I get trolled by the community including Stonk in his streams with a dab. "It's an amazing fangame: 7.5/10".
Well, here's the issue. A monumental issue. An issue that I haven't still been able to understand from this community. I first became somewhat popular in this site because of my Qoqoqo 2 review after going through an event that substracted probably around 1.5 points from the overall rating, scarring me for life, and it happens here once again.
SOFTLOCK
Why must the "Magic Tower" concept in this community must necessarily equal to the possibility of softlocking yourself?
WHY???
Softlock is a concept that should never exist in any rational game. It is a conscious decision from the maker to actually punish you and erase your entire effort for a single bad decision, and the payment is starting all over again. This cancels out entirely the feeling of freely exploring the game. Metroid and The Legend of Zelda, both released in 1986, got the exploration concept right: you get stuck in an area for not making an intended order, and the challenge there is to push yourself to find secrets or a correct route to keep progressing in the adventure. However, you never get softlocked. You are advised that something is missing, and part of an adventure game is freedom in your exploration. Conditioning it is killing the concept of the game. The Metroid (1986) complaints are valid, though: it is too cryptic. It is. For me, it worked splendidly as an Alien/Aliens (1979/1986) tribute of being stuck in a strange planet with lethal lifeforms and no map system, because the planet is unexplored. Environment construction there is gorgeous, but I digress. My point is that I would infinitely prefer a cryptic game than a softlockable game, because the latter pushes you away. It kills your mood to do everything again because I think no one in their sane judgment would accept the nullification of hours of effort as an acceptable punishment.
I got softlocked four times. The third time was particularly painful because, having one-hit HP against Alucat, I used a blessing for getting past him. Too bad you don't know you're supposed to use all blessings for a better shot at the final boss or you're screwed.
I really don't consider using a guide for this type of games as a cheat, because the game is screaming for it. The fourth floor would be an ok design for all floors, since there are mirrors and multiple keyholes: one can figure out an optimal route, but not when you're meant to backtrack constantly. You cannot have clear calculations because you have no idea what lies ahead.
It is true that you can back your game, but you can only do one backup. Why not many, like a memory card? Why just one? And again, you're not even sure if you're backing at a secure point because you might have progressed through an "obvious" route until it turns out you don't. So you might backup an already softlocked state.
I cannot tell you precisely how many points I substracted for that mode being ruined because I never had a free-exploring experience. You can estimate, however, between 8 and 15 points probably, which would place it above my current favorite fangame.
Anyway, it is a very special game. It united the community more. It reminded us of the original GOOD game. It was a throwback to other community classics. It is a brave project that reflects self-confidence in its production value because there is a solid platforming behind it, an adorable protagonist, amazing bosses, good levels, a high replay value due to every experience being unique, and races in yearly marathons. I applaud projects like this.
Spread the word, buy it and play my recommended order (well, not that YOU HAVE TO, but this is how I loved it the most):
-Medium Mode
-Hard Mode
-Magic Tower with a guide (this mode has the most complete experience in the Bosses department)
-Impossible Mode, which you will already be prepared for given your experience with Magic Tower
Let the catventure begin!
Rating: 7.5 75
Difficulty: 65 65
May 6, 2020
ElCochran90
For: I wanna be the Earth
For: I wanna be the Earth
Green Stage (Shinobu & Zorgo): Great music, many precise and generic jumps but with a rather interesting layout. However, many jumps are forced into being difficult in the least creative way possible just because. However, this is kinda compensated with the saves, which the other two sections lack.
Gray Stage (infern0): The worst, definitely, and also the most difficult. The lack of saves kill the pace a huge deal and the fact that you require specific aligns throughout, not to mention that the first screen is the hardest, is definitely not a good welcome for the player. It's a waste, because design is nice. It mostly resorts to generic 16X16 spaces but it would work better with two saves per screen plus less precise jumps.
Blue Stage (Ef): My personal favorite. Ef wouldn't disappoint me. It's basically the blue version of Destroy the Mercury and Destroy the Pluto, and slightly more difficult than Destroy the Pluto. Entertaining playthrough featuring definitely not his best screens ever, but fun, twisty saves with unexpected jumps and routes which definitely justifies the save-per-screen gimmick as a personal challenge: just exactly what you would expect from him.
Overall, you can tell it's basically a homework where everyone did their part separately and, when put together, is kind of messy, but it's good practice. The fangame doesn't feel like Earth at all; the colors are merely symbolic. I ironically felt in another planet, but I wholly prefer this over another unfinished Guy Rock fangame with IWBTG tilesets for "Earth". Also, why gray? Is the gray stage supposed to be white, and is the white supposed to be snow? Puzzled and kinda out of place.
Still, recommended for needle fans.
Gray Stage (infern0): The worst, definitely, and also the most difficult. The lack of saves kill the pace a huge deal and the fact that you require specific aligns throughout, not to mention that the first screen is the hardest, is definitely not a good welcome for the player. It's a waste, because design is nice. It mostly resorts to generic 16X16 spaces but it would work better with two saves per screen plus less precise jumps.
Blue Stage (Ef): My personal favorite. Ef wouldn't disappoint me. It's basically the blue version of Destroy the Mercury and Destroy the Pluto, and slightly more difficult than Destroy the Pluto. Entertaining playthrough featuring definitely not his best screens ever, but fun, twisty saves with unexpected jumps and routes which definitely justifies the save-per-screen gimmick as a personal challenge: just exactly what you would expect from him.
Overall, you can tell it's basically a homework where everyone did their part separately and, when put together, is kind of messy, but it's good practice. The fangame doesn't feel like Earth at all; the colors are merely symbolic. I ironically felt in another planet, but I wholly prefer this over another unfinished Guy Rock fangame with IWBTG tilesets for "Earth". Also, why gray? Is the gray stage supposed to be white, and is the white supposed to be snow? Puzzled and kinda out of place.
Still, recommended for needle fans.
Tagged as: Needle
Solar_system_series
[0] Likes
Rating: 4.4 44
Difficulty: 65 65
Mar 26, 2020
ElCochran90
For: I wanna be the Chair
For: I wanna be the Chair
I wouldn't exaggerate as much as the ending credits do (whether if they were sarcasm or not), but this game gave me lots of personal issues with the bosses. Sprites are fine and it is better than your average, underdone fangame done by users bent on flooding the wiki with AIDS, and this being from 2012, it must receive some credit on the production value. Laser stage was fun. That's it. The difficulty curve is a gigantic mess and some jumps are too precise for enjoyment. The second phase of the first boss peaks difficulty too much and it is frustrating to repeat all boss phases again and again when they suck. I only found some inspiration with Donkey Kong, but the final phase has RNG trash that can put you in an inescapable situation more times than one would be willing to accept. Finally, the final boss is boring to repeat several times as the first two phases are very mundane and uneventful, and a bad copy-paste of the most obvious fangame final boss you could imagine.
Not that taking inspiration is bad. Influka also did it with Timemachine 1 but making it with a distinguishable style. Here, the experience is not fun at all, and the title turned out to be false advertisement.
It gets love from hardcore classic lovers, so I am no one to stop recommending it. This is the kind of games Piece loved to make during his initial stages of development, so that's not bad.
[2] Likes
Not that taking inspiration is bad. Influka also did it with Timemachine 1 but making it with a distinguishable style. Here, the experience is not fun at all, and the title turned out to be false advertisement.
It gets love from hardcore classic lovers, so I am no one to stop recommending it. This is the kind of games Piece loved to make during his initial stages of development, so that's not bad.
Rating: 3.1 31
Difficulty: 65 65
Mar 23, 2020
ElCochran90
For: I wanna Grow Up
For: I wanna Grow Up
The fact that this almost reaches Megaman 4 in quality in my books (they have the same rating/10) and surpasses 5, 6 and 7 is something worth of reflection. The magical duo of Sephalos and Zanto promise something immediately: a great, audiovisually pleasing retro throwback.
I won't stop applauding the creativity and diversity of fangames, let alone experimental works that dare to go beyond, but I find extremely necessary to play these fangames that remind us of how we initially started to play them... and probably why we keep doing so.
For bonus, the intro had me in tears as I wasn't expecting that kind of story. Thanks for the laughs. I'm a depressed man (not literally, allow me to exaggerate) that doesn't laugh easily at all, and this is kind of a curse. This game broke that for a moment. Also, the name of one of the Robot Masters is pure genius.
[0] Likes
I won't stop applauding the creativity and diversity of fangames, let alone experimental works that dare to go beyond, but I find extremely necessary to play these fangames that remind us of how we initially started to play them... and probably why we keep doing so.
For bonus, the intro had me in tears as I wasn't expecting that kind of story. Thanks for the laughs. I'm a depressed man (not literally, allow me to exaggerate) that doesn't laugh easily at all, and this is kind of a curse. This game broke that for a moment. Also, the name of one of the Robot Masters is pure genius.
Rating: 5.0 50
Difficulty: 45 45
Mar 23, 2020
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