Delicious FruitLatest Reviews
Wolfiexe
For: I Wanna Appreciate the Wolf's Enthusiasm
For: I Wanna Appreciate the Wolf's Enthusiasm
Alright, attempting to be as unbiased as I can to review a game that's made more or less "for me", Wolf's Enthuasism is just all-around a very fun 3-stage needle game with a focus on a lot of the regular needle gimmicks with a couple of twists executed nicely.
I find this sort of difficulty to be the difficulty Skull designs his best needle at, finding a great balance between challenging segments and satisfying manoeuvres, making strong use of water3 especially. As a fan of the ever-growing sideways platform cult I was also a big fan of their usage in this, as well as the catharsis spikes in stage 3 which had some very cool segments to pull off.
I sort of have to give an individual shoutout to the stage 3 song which probably took up half of the filesize of the game itself, being a 30 minute long medley of most of zts's Umineko songs. It's good stuff to the point where I had to stall on the final save just to hear it play out.
All-in-all though I'm quite humbled that someone made a tribute game and overall I just had a very fun time with it. It's the kind of needle I enjoy a lot, and it's also cool to see Skull trying new stuff which makes me excited for any future projects he may work on. If you're a needle fan then I'd strongly recommend giving this one a shot!
I find this sort of difficulty to be the difficulty Skull designs his best needle at, finding a great balance between challenging segments and satisfying manoeuvres, making strong use of water3 especially. As a fan of the ever-growing sideways platform cult I was also a big fan of their usage in this, as well as the catharsis spikes in stage 3 which had some very cool segments to pull off.
I sort of have to give an individual shoutout to the stage 3 song which probably took up half of the filesize of the game itself, being a 30 minute long medley of most of zts's Umineko songs. It's good stuff to the point where I had to stall on the final save just to hear it play out.
All-in-all though I'm quite humbled that someone made a tribute game and overall I just had a very fun time with it. It's the kind of needle I enjoy a lot, and it's also cool to see Skull trying new stuff which makes me excited for any future projects he may work on. If you're a needle fan then I'd strongly recommend giving this one a shot!
Tagged as: Needle
[2] Likes
Rating: 8.4 84
Difficulty: 65 65
Oct 2, 2019
Wolfiexe
For: I wanna shoot the arrow
For: I wanna shoot the arrow
Shoot the Arrow is a gimmick game featuring the shooting of the aforementioned arrow into both enemies and walls alike to traverse through your journey. Before going into more detail and assuming you aren't opposed to a small spoiler than will increase your ease and enjoyment of the game, I'd heavily recommend finding the hidden wall secret in the 2nd screen of the game, giving you the instant arrow-shot upgrade which really feels like it should've just been given to you from the beginning of the game.
The game follows a floor-based format which lets you also easily revisit any old floor you've completed should you wish to look for secrets, of which there are a few and some that feel pretty vital early on. Gameplay mainly consists of enemy gauntlets in different screens which is where I felt the strength of the game lied. Unfortunately it gets weighed down by some pretty lengthy needle screens which keep on reusing the same awkward jump whereby you shoot an arrow at the peak of a sideways spike wall to get around. I really wasn't a fan of these screens and they often felt out of place in comparison to the rest of the game's enemy-focused design.
Still, after a few secrets are found the gameplay became a lot more enjoyable for me (and why I'd recommend my earlier spoiler). The variety in enemies remained pretty fun and combat in general felt very satisfying, maybe due to the sound effect being perfect. The bosses in the game are also all pretty fun, sometimes mixing in regular enemies as well to keep you on your toes. I particularly enjoyed when it combined using your wall-arrows to traverse the arena and deal damage.
The game has a true end, of sorts (or it may just well be the only real end), which requires all secrets and some final screens and honestly I'd recommend it. I felt the further into the game I got, the more fun I was having, so it's worth riding it out all the way to the end to truly test your arrow shooting abilities.
It's a unique game with some drawbacks, but so long as you don't limit yourself by not getting a couple of very important secrets and don't mind a couple of lengthy needle segments, you'll probably have a good time.
[0] Likes
The game follows a floor-based format which lets you also easily revisit any old floor you've completed should you wish to look for secrets, of which there are a few and some that feel pretty vital early on. Gameplay mainly consists of enemy gauntlets in different screens which is where I felt the strength of the game lied. Unfortunately it gets weighed down by some pretty lengthy needle screens which keep on reusing the same awkward jump whereby you shoot an arrow at the peak of a sideways spike wall to get around. I really wasn't a fan of these screens and they often felt out of place in comparison to the rest of the game's enemy-focused design.
Still, after a few secrets are found the gameplay became a lot more enjoyable for me (and why I'd recommend my earlier spoiler). The variety in enemies remained pretty fun and combat in general felt very satisfying, maybe due to the sound effect being perfect. The bosses in the game are also all pretty fun, sometimes mixing in regular enemies as well to keep you on your toes. I particularly enjoyed when it combined using your wall-arrows to traverse the arena and deal damage.
The game has a true end, of sorts (or it may just well be the only real end), which requires all secrets and some final screens and honestly I'd recommend it. I felt the further into the game I got, the more fun I was having, so it's worth riding it out all the way to the end to truly test your arrow shooting abilities.
It's a unique game with some drawbacks, but so long as you don't limit yourself by not getting a couple of very important secrets and don't mind a couple of lengthy needle segments, you'll probably have a good time.
Rating: 7.8 78
Difficulty: 65 65
Oct 2, 2019
Wolfiexe
For: I Wanna Go To The Otherside
For: I Wanna Go To The Otherside
Otherside is a needle game consisting of a few stages all with an emphasis on triggers and usually accompanied with a gimmick to liven up the platforming. It has some clear inspiration from the Rukito-style strand of needle with Random's own magic mixed in.
I really like how the platforming feels consistently dynamic, with moving objects or triggers as opposed to just a static screen of platforming. It makes the experience feel a bit more engaging and fun, and the catharsis water stage in particular I found kind of cool. I'd be curious to see it used in a stage where the screens aren't completely flooded, as it would probably lead to interesting trigger manoeuvres. The final stage was also particularly pretty cool in visual design and made for a good finale.
It did feel like sometimes there were triggers that opened up spikes ahead of you which you couldn't have reached yet anyway, making them feel somewhat redundant as it wasn't really changing the platforming or your intended path in any way. Of course this is a minor issue but just something small that I noticed.
The bosses are all pretty bizarre in their accompaniment with the music, although relatively simple in design, with a heavy focus on some RNG-related hijinks. I had fun with all of them, although I'm not so much a fan of refreshing i-frames. A special shoutout to the final boss music too.
I had a good time with this game, and I'd like to see Random make more of this kind of stuff, mixing together some weird themes with nicely designed platforming and a colourful mixture of music. I can certainly always get behind some Sultans of Swing if you're not opposed to re-using music in the future.
[1] Like
I really like how the platforming feels consistently dynamic, with moving objects or triggers as opposed to just a static screen of platforming. It makes the experience feel a bit more engaging and fun, and the catharsis water stage in particular I found kind of cool. I'd be curious to see it used in a stage where the screens aren't completely flooded, as it would probably lead to interesting trigger manoeuvres. The final stage was also particularly pretty cool in visual design and made for a good finale.
It did feel like sometimes there were triggers that opened up spikes ahead of you which you couldn't have reached yet anyway, making them feel somewhat redundant as it wasn't really changing the platforming or your intended path in any way. Of course this is a minor issue but just something small that I noticed.
The bosses are all pretty bizarre in their accompaniment with the music, although relatively simple in design, with a heavy focus on some RNG-related hijinks. I had fun with all of them, although I'm not so much a fan of refreshing i-frames. A special shoutout to the final boss music too.
I had a good time with this game, and I'd like to see Random make more of this kind of stuff, mixing together some weird themes with nicely designed platforming and a colourful mixture of music. I can certainly always get behind some Sultans of Swing if you're not opposed to re-using music in the future.
Rating: 8.1 81
Difficulty: 60 60
Oct 2, 2019
Wolfiexe
For: I wanna be the Sicher Beste 2
For: I wanna be the Sicher Beste 2
Sicher Beste 2 is a game featuring two different paths, one primarily needle-focused and one with a gimmick-focus, with sprinklings of avoidance in-between.
The gimmick path features a teleporting gimmick used to traverse throughout a seemingly giant room full of moving platforms, spinny blades and other hazards. The level design was mostly fun although there were a couple of sore spots where I felt like having an indicator for where you'd teleport to would've been very helpful in easing the flow of the stage. I also suffered from some lag issues where the stage was running at a lower FPS, which was unfortunate. I'm unaware if other people have had this problem.
The needle path had some pretty cool design and in general I had more fun with, although perhaps going back to a stable framerate had a part in that. I particularly liked seeing slopes get used as angled spikes are always memorable for me. The visuals as well felt very nice in this area, with a pretty little spike effect and good contrast.
The avoidance elements of the game I found to be fun and I'm a fan of breaking apart a big platforming stage with small snippets of avoidance-elements. The final boss also takes the HP approach making it a little easier to learn and get through. It was a shame that despite the HP there were still a few one-hit-KO attacks which felt like the sort you'd have to die to once. The final attack also felt like a mess to me, although I think had I chosen a different gap I might've had an easier time, although this wasn't apparent to me when playing.
There's some cool ideas in here such as the mid-stage avoidance snippets and fun level design, and as a fan of variety I'd look forward another game of this style if Genesis ever decides to take another stab at it. Fun stuff!
[0] Likes
The gimmick path features a teleporting gimmick used to traverse throughout a seemingly giant room full of moving platforms, spinny blades and other hazards. The level design was mostly fun although there were a couple of sore spots where I felt like having an indicator for where you'd teleport to would've been very helpful in easing the flow of the stage. I also suffered from some lag issues where the stage was running at a lower FPS, which was unfortunate. I'm unaware if other people have had this problem.
The needle path had some pretty cool design and in general I had more fun with, although perhaps going back to a stable framerate had a part in that. I particularly liked seeing slopes get used as angled spikes are always memorable for me. The visuals as well felt very nice in this area, with a pretty little spike effect and good contrast.
The avoidance elements of the game I found to be fun and I'm a fan of breaking apart a big platforming stage with small snippets of avoidance-elements. The final boss also takes the HP approach making it a little easier to learn and get through. It was a shame that despite the HP there were still a few one-hit-KO attacks which felt like the sort you'd have to die to once. The final attack also felt like a mess to me, although I think had I chosen a different gap I might've had an easier time, although this wasn't apparent to me when playing.
There's some cool ideas in here such as the mid-stage avoidance snippets and fun level design, and as a fan of variety I'd look forward another game of this style if Genesis ever decides to take another stab at it. Fun stuff!
Rating: 7.4 74
Difficulty: 55 55
Oct 2, 2019
Wolfiexe
For: I wanna make the Novelty
For: I wanna make the Novelty
Make the Novelty consists of a variety of stages which can be done in any order you like, each featuring their own little theme and a little boss to round things off.
Some personal highlights for me are the black/white stage which plays on the visual theme pretty well, and I also had a lot of fun with the screenwrap climb which just felt like some very relaxing and enjoyable platforming. The autorun stage is also a standout in both platforming and boss. Some are a little less interesting whether it be the somewhat boring visuals or uninteresting platforming, but nothing ever felt badly designed or unbalanced. I guess the Asahi boss caused me some grief which even had me relying on cherry-align strats, something I can't really recommend to others.
I always enjoy games with variety and getting to experience a range of completely different stages, and whilst not every stage felt overly polished or original, I had a fun time all the way throughout. I'm curious to see how the 2nd Novelty game improves on the concept!
[0] Likes
Some personal highlights for me are the black/white stage which plays on the visual theme pretty well, and I also had a lot of fun with the screenwrap climb which just felt like some very relaxing and enjoyable platforming. The autorun stage is also a standout in both platforming and boss. Some are a little less interesting whether it be the somewhat boring visuals or uninteresting platforming, but nothing ever felt badly designed or unbalanced. I guess the Asahi boss caused me some grief which even had me relying on cherry-align strats, something I can't really recommend to others.
I always enjoy games with variety and getting to experience a range of completely different stages, and whilst not every stage felt overly polished or original, I had a fun time all the way throughout. I'm curious to see how the 2nd Novelty game improves on the concept!
Rating: 7.5 75
Difficulty: 55 55
Oct 2, 2019
Wolfiexe
For: I wanna be the Tenchos pictures 2
For: I wanna be the Tenchos pictures 2
Based on the pictures alone, you can probably get a good idea of the kind of ride you'll be on with this game. Tencho's Pictures 2 takes you through some bosses that look like they're straight out of a fever dream, accompanied with some fun gameplay and very varied stages.
A handful of the parts in the game feel pretty oldschooly which I like, with some more unique and flashy areas later. One of the biggest draws for me was just seeing what wacky boss sprite would appear next, and it certainly didn't disappoint. I suppose one issue for various people (or a selling point for others) would be the legendary quiz boss, testing you on your knowledge of Tencho's community. The final boss is also a noticeable step-up in difficulty with some pretty intense attacks, although you're given health so it's pretty reasonable to learn and adjust yourself to, with my only real complaint being the scrolling background feeling a little intense.
The game has some good humour and memorable elements, and was just overall a fun time. If you want some wackiness with your adventures then you'll certainly find that here.
[1] Like
A handful of the parts in the game feel pretty oldschooly which I like, with some more unique and flashy areas later. One of the biggest draws for me was just seeing what wacky boss sprite would appear next, and it certainly didn't disappoint. I suppose one issue for various people (or a selling point for others) would be the legendary quiz boss, testing you on your knowledge of Tencho's community. The final boss is also a noticeable step-up in difficulty with some pretty intense attacks, although you're given health so it's pretty reasonable to learn and adjust yourself to, with my only real complaint being the scrolling background feeling a little intense.
The game has some good humour and memorable elements, and was just overall a fun time. If you want some wackiness with your adventures then you'll certainly find that here.
Rating: 8.3 83
Difficulty: 63 63
Oct 2, 2019
Wolfiexe
For: I Wanna One Room
For: I Wanna One Room
One Room is an enjoyable needle/gimmick game with the core focus being around each stage having only one room, or at least in terms of the border/shape. The content of the room is rearranged and re-designed every screen making for lots of variety built upon whatever the stage gimmick may be.
There's a handful of gimmicks such as water bubbles and wacky fireballs, and I was a fan of just about all of them. The conveyor stage did have some frustrating parts to it for me but in general I'm not a big fan of that gimmick to begin with, and there will still some cool ideas such as the teleporting-highspeed conveyors.
The production value of the game is very slick, with some pretty fancy tilesets and visual effects to spruce things up. I also enjoyed the assumingly-handdrawn graphics for the jump star, which are also a nice touch for me.
After clearing the game on normal you will unlock hard mode, which buffs or even completely changes every screen in the game. I found this to be surprisingly fun as hard modes are always hit or miss for me depending on how they actually change the gameplay. My only real complaint is that the conveyor stage had a couple of really difficult segments which and in general just felt far longer than all the other stages, although it's more likely just because of me getting stuck there.
Worth a play for sure. I think I was getting a little tired of the same room formats by the end but that is essentially what the game is all about, so if you're not opposed to that then you should enjoy yourself here.
[0] Likes
There's a handful of gimmicks such as water bubbles and wacky fireballs, and I was a fan of just about all of them. The conveyor stage did have some frustrating parts to it for me but in general I'm not a big fan of that gimmick to begin with, and there will still some cool ideas such as the teleporting-highspeed conveyors.
The production value of the game is very slick, with some pretty fancy tilesets and visual effects to spruce things up. I also enjoyed the assumingly-handdrawn graphics for the jump star, which are also a nice touch for me.
After clearing the game on normal you will unlock hard mode, which buffs or even completely changes every screen in the game. I found this to be surprisingly fun as hard modes are always hit or miss for me depending on how they actually change the gameplay. My only real complaint is that the conveyor stage had a couple of really difficult segments which and in general just felt far longer than all the other stages, although it's more likely just because of me getting stuck there.
Worth a play for sure. I think I was getting a little tired of the same room formats by the end but that is essentially what the game is all about, so if you're not opposed to that then you should enjoy yourself here.
Rating: 7.7 77
Difficulty: 55 55
Oct 2, 2019
Wolfiexe
For: I Wanna Decimate The Purple Taisa
For: I Wanna Decimate The Purple Taisa
Decimate the Purple Taisa is a 2-phase avoidance/boss hybrid with a focus on barrage attacks, all under the watchful gaze of everyone's favourite military general, Schwarlitz Longhener.
The first phase is purely avoidance, featuring some attacks with noticeable inspiration from Soulless. I particularly liked the attack where lines come down and bullets go opposing directions, initially feeling pretty spooky but became natural very quickly. The attacks in general all feel well balanced too, although the final attack of the phase never quite clicked.
The second phase features a shooting element and gradually grows in danger as the health bar depletes. It's a fitting climax for the fight and I'm always a sucker for infinite jump dense barrage.
All-in-all a pretty fair and fun little challenge that's worth playing if you need something relatively small but engaging to test your reading abilities with. Would recommend.
[0] Likes
The first phase is purely avoidance, featuring some attacks with noticeable inspiration from Soulless. I particularly liked the attack where lines come down and bullets go opposing directions, initially feeling pretty spooky but became natural very quickly. The attacks in general all feel well balanced too, although the final attack of the phase never quite clicked.
The second phase features a shooting element and gradually grows in danger as the health bar depletes. It's a fitting climax for the fight and I'm always a sucker for infinite jump dense barrage.
All-in-all a pretty fair and fun little challenge that's worth playing if you need something relatively small but engaging to test your reading abilities with. Would recommend.
Rating: 8.0 80
Difficulty: 60 60
Oct 2, 2019
princeoflight612
For: I wanna kill the Lくん
For: I wanna kill the Lくん
Stage platforming consists of basically nothing screens with a few annoying jumps scattered around here and there. The first two bosses are fine but not really all that notable, and the third boss is just extremely bad.
Tagged as: Medley
[0] Likes
Rating: 3.0 30
Difficulty: N/A
Oct 2, 2019
shign
For: I wanna be the Flower frozen
For: I wanna be the Flower frozen
Decent beginner needle game, amazing music btw
[0] Likes
Rating: 6.5 65
Difficulty: 30 30
Oct 2, 2019