MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	Abducted Toad, by Friendly Dictator
Review Author	Thunder Dragon
Created	May 29 2015, 10:37 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

Personally, I don't believe there's such a thing as a "perfect" fangame. It is, after all, in the nature of the hobby – when paying homage to somebody else's intellectual property, one is naturally bound by limitations and expectations of what a "proper" tribute needs to be.

Abducted Toad breaks most of these expectations. It is no a mere, half-hearted clone. It's its own beast – and it is truly glorious.

With fangames, one must reassess the definition of "perfection." An imperfect fangame seeks to perfectly replicate the source material without bringing forth any ideas of its own. On the other hand, a truly PERFECT fangame is not so bound by overly self-conscious notions. It is aware of the fact that it is a fangame – aware that it doesn't have to be so exactly like its inspiration. Instead, its inspiration becomes a springboard to a greater, and ultimately more innovative experience.

Let us analyze this fine specimen, shall we?

Pros	+Innovation? In a fangame?! +Creative enemies and bosses +Each stage is unique +Highly replayable +Very challenging
Cons	-Very challenging -Enemy weaknesses aren't always clear (to shock, or to stomp?!) -Occasional collision errors (I swear, I crushed that Goomba!) -A few questionable choices in stage design (see: Windy Tower Area, as discussed in Blutorus's review)

Impressions

Gameplay 9 / 10	In Abducted Toad, Toad has been, well... yeah. Luckily for him, however, this head-sucking alien is of the rare, actually pretty friendly variety. Toad's surprisingly non-malicious abductor, Cappy, bestows upon him the power to emit an electric aura. Yes, you may now zap many of your foes into oblivion if you so desire, but one must not discount the good ol' fashioned "Goomba stomp," which remains in full force here. Toad must take advantage of both of these skills, along with his high jump ability, to conquer the perils wrought by the evil King Purplius, who threatens Cappy's homeworld. In order to succeed, one must learn the individual weaknesses of every unique foe – although this leads to trial-and-error experimentation in earlier areas, it shouldn't pose too much of an issue as the quest continues on. After all, those zany enemies are all fairly distinct and memorable! But get to know them, you must, for Abducted Toad is a very challenging game. One can say that it is a fair challenge, but know that things ramp up quite quickly! Before you know it, you'll be dodging projectiles from every angle and maneuvering around Podoboos in ways you never thought possible. Be ready for "bullet hell" platforming! The creative brilliance on display here far outweighs any misgivings. Every level is a new experience, each with a unique appearance and gimmick. Everywhere you go, you are very much reminded that you are playing a Mario game – however, much of the similarities end with the stomping of Goombas. Don't expect to find "?" blocks or coins, for we aren't in the Mushroom World any more! The absence of such traditional Mario gimmicks actually works in the game's favor, as it allows the originality to shine through.
Graphics 8 / 10	Abducted Toad deserves props for its, um, props. Great effort was put forth to make each stage stand out from the last, and special mention must be made in regards to the enemies. Here we have "alien" versions of familiar faces, mostly comprised of "fusion" enemies. Boos with Wiggler noses? Walruses with the heads of snakes?! It's crazy talk, I tells ya! Actually, fusion enemies go back to this site's early days, when they were quite popular in graphic libraries. However, they were practically never used in actual games, so it's refreshing to finally see such mix-and-match monsters in action. That said, the graphical end of things isn't perfect. For one, there is no true full screen mode – it doesn't get any bigger than 3x pixels with a black border (I got used to it, though). Also, in some areas, particularly the world maps, colors clash like crazy. The level entrance dots are often the same colors as their surroundings, getting lost in a sea of trippy colors. Oddly enough, however, there are a couple of sections where the trippy colors actually WORK – we are on an alien planet, after all!
Sound 10 / 10	Musically, Abducted Toad hits all the right notes. Seriously, it's good enough to excuse that awful cliché of a pun! There are many original songs, coupled with remixed versions of tunes ranging from such sources as Mega Man and Kirby – because each song was arranged exclusively for this game, nothing sounds too out of place, regardless of its origin. It is the original songs that shine the most, however – each one is memorable, and appropriate for the mood of the game. Also, the soundtrack is readily available in the game's folder in .ogg format – just beware: the filenames DO contain spoilers. The sound effects are well implemented, and varied, too. Even Toad's voice doesn't get tiring at all (I love Toad, but yeah, that's an achievement in and off itself), although there is an option to turn it off if you so desire.
Replay 10 / 10	The main quest is six worlds long – short, but incredibly satisfying. Special mention must be made of the game's final scenario, which is downright AMAZING. It begins with more than a few twists, and culminates in a final boss that is INTENSELY satisfying to pummel into space dust. It's so good, that I'm a little sad the game didn't go to greater lengths to hide its own interface spoilers. Speaking of interface spoilers, there is also a seventh world unlocked upon completing the game (hey, what else would that extra teleporter be for?). Its levels come in two flavors: bizarre and creative, and ABSURDLY CHALLENGING. I don't regret spending an entire afternoon just to clear THAT ONE LEVEL. Like absurd challenge? Beating the game also nets you an alternate, harder mode. There aren't any rewards for completing every level in this mode, and that is probably for the better, given its intensity. However, it is still worth a whirl, as it brings about some fun twists and highly amusing easter eggs! Suddenly, the game isn't so "short" any more. And that's not even touching upon the hidden collectibles in each stage. Remember those zany fusion enemies? Well, you can find datafiles with information on each and every one, which just goes to show all the love poured into the crafting of this world. --- Abducted Toad is a world worth revisiting. But is it a "perfect" game? In the purely schematical sense, it no doubt has its flaws. The difficulty might not be for everyone, and there are a few instances of questionable level design. However, the challenge is excused by the smart management of lives (they refill when you leave a stage), coupled with the abundance of 1ups and checkpoints. And the instances of genuinely good level design merrily balance out the not-so-good parts. Generally speaking, Abducted Toad is not a "perfect game," per se. But is it the perfect FANGAME? To answer, one must ask: does it look upon its source material not as a restrictive mold, but as a source of inspiration? Has this inspiration propelled the fan making it beyond the stratosphere of mere imitation? Can it stand on its own, shining brightly in the endless expanse of this Galaxy? Yeeeeeeeeeah, I could go on and on about this game. Point is: I think it's pretty cool, and you should totally play it.

Final Words

This is the kind of fangame that you need to be making.

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Comments

	CornFlakes May 31 2015, 12:40 PM
The Lord Has Spoken.


	Friendly Dictator May 31 2015, 2:16 PM
Thank you so much!

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