MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	Mario's Dumb Holliday, by Sharb
Review Author	Vitiman
Created	Dec 29 2015, 4:59 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

Seeing the SMB2 Mario & Luigi in the screenshot immediately drew me to this short little holiday tech demo. You don't really see them get much use in fangames, do you? I suppose that's for the best, seeing as if they were as overused as SMB3 Mario & Luigi they probably wouldn't be nearly as nifty to see.

Dumb Holliday (yes, with two 'l's, apparently!) is a one-level demonstration of Renhoek's Dumb Jump engine. For the most part, it succeeds at showing off what the engine is capable of, but there are a few minor quirks that I'll get out of the way once we jump ahead of Pros & Cons. Speaking of...

Pros	Graphics are from various sources, but for the most part don't clash Well made engine, feels as solid as you'd expect it to be Many unique (and satisfying) ways to get rid of enemies Fairly decently made level
Cons	Ultimately too short to really keep in one's interests Engine is still a little rough around the edges with certain interactions Run speed is very underwhelming Music loop can get repetitive quickly

Impressions

Gameplay 8 / 10	Define a well-made engine: solid control, solid collisions, and solid movement. These are the cornerstones of a game's foundation and keep the handle tight and acceptable. For the most part (more on that in a moment), Dumb Holliday delivers this tight handle all in a nice custom engine package. However, there are some quirks: first of all, and perhaps the most glaring mistake, you can hit multiple blocks at once. At the very least, it doesn't hinder one's experience, but it is something that really shouldn't happen if you ask me. A more annoying issue is the throw length with the Shy-Guys - there's barely any throw! Even when you're running, you hardly drop those little buggers, which can get frustrating in trying to get rid of the other enemies if you want to have a little fun and throw things around. Any unique elements present here? Actually, one! An incredibly bizarre power-up and/or enemy: the Hammer Shy-Guy. Hidden within a secret cavern at the tip of a mountain early on in the level, this little guy throws hammers constantly as long as you're holding him. It was also probably the most fun I've ever had in a fangame, but it'd have to be a sparse power-up to maintain that sort of interest in the long term. Regardless, I have to appreciate the uniqueness of this one! Caught me by surprise, if nothing else.
Graphics 7 / 10	Although the graphics are from various sources, and as such you would expect it to clash pretty badly... it really isn't all that bad. The only thing that sticks out among the graphics are the SMB3 elements, like the Koopas and the Piranhas. Another thing that I felt didn't fit too well were the green pipes. What makes them any different from the blue pipes aside from the colour, you may ask? Well, nothing much, it's just something about how the green pipes are shaded VS the blue pipes that makes it... less fitting? I guess that's the best word to use.
Sound 4 / 10	Overall, a bit underwhelming. The sounds are okay, but nothing anyone hasn't heard before a million times over. Probably the worst aspect of the game is the repetitive music heard throughout the single level: it's not that it's BAD, it's just a shorter loop than you'd expect, and eventually managed to get on my nerves a tad.
Replay 4 / 10	As a tech demo for an engine, it doesn't have a lot of replay value. There's a Luigi mode if you want to play as the green bean, as well as a Multiplayer mode (although I didn't really try that one out). I'd say... the Replay value is there, but not really very present. Maybe the Dumb Jump engine can make something more extravagant and lengthy? We'll never know for sure... I guess I'll just say "Stay Tuned" on Ren's behalf!

Final Words

With a solid engine, Christmas-y theme, and a nifty little unique enemy/power-up hybrid, Mario's Dumb Holliday at least delivers a memorable, solid one level experience.

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