| Game Reviewed | Mariovania, by KoBeWi |
| Review Author | Cap'n Coconuts |
| Created | Jul 18 2014, 11:40 PM |
| Pros | + A solid idea that could turn out to be pretty great |
| Cons | - Unsuitable graphics for this kind of setting - Unnecessary sprite clashing - Difficulty of some parts requires grinding - Layout design could use some changes |
Gameplay 7 / 10 |
I see you have a means to change controls. That's good, because SHIFT can cause Sticky Keys pop-ups... except you can't change the key for jumping due to a bug. If you try to change your jump key, the key you select will send you back to the main menu without saving your custom control settings. The gameplay, for the most part, is pretty alright. You've got the non-linearity of the classic Metroidvania down. There's boss fights to be fought and weapons and magic to be found, and it's actually quite fun. The thing is that this fun has some flaws in it. There is some issues with layout design. For starters, to reach the second guide block, you have to make a running jump. Guess what that guide block explains: running jumps! If you didn't know about running increasing the height of your jump beforehand, you could fail that jump and be unable to retry because the room with that jump requires you to make high jumps to get back to where you were. And about those high jumps: often you're expected to perform them in places with little space on the X axis, making it difficult to reach the speed necessary for a high jump. Depending on the situation this could be a bit frustrating! Progress at the start of this game is hard, as there are a number of things that will kill you in very few hits and you are given a very small amount of mercy invincibility. On the flip side, enemies can take many hits to die until you start leveling up. To stand a chance against the first boss, you have to either grind for experience or grind Green Koopas for the Shell item. Speaking of that boss, Boom Boom is rather (unexpectedly) unforgiving for a first boss, as he takes his defensive spike-covered stance without warning and one of his attacks involves moving at a very high speed, making it almost impossible to dodge given his size. It's almost as if the game expects you to grind for that shell, as that weapon turns an unfair boss fight into a joke. |
Graphics 5 / 10 |
I think this is the biggest issue with this game. There's quite a bit of sprite clashing going on between different Mario tilesets and graphics used in the same rooms. Now this is a crossover game, so including graphics from Castlevanias would be a bit more understandable. Even Mario clashes a bit, as his legs seem to be missing some outline. Actually, it would arguably be preferable. Some graphics you've used are way too bright and cheery for this setting. As just about all of the game takes place in Castlevania, the game should be set at night, and you certainly should not have bright SMB3 grass in the garden area. Dracula is the Dark Lord and a vampire, for crying out loud! |
Sound 10 / 10 |
Soundtrack consists of themes from the Castlevania series, which unlike the graphics actually fits the setting. They're all pretty good, too, so I can't really complain here. Sound is top notch as well. |
Replay 3 / 10 |
There doesn't seem to be any bonus content, and it's a demo, so there's not much replay value to be had here. Still, it's a good game despite its faults, so if you want to give it another run, be my guest. |
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Not a bad game by any means, though it has some faults. |
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