MFGG - Mario Fan Games Galaxy

Review Information

Game Reviewed	Bob-Ball, by Q-Nova
Review Author	Cruise Elroy
Created	Apr 19 2015, 9:28 PM

General Commentary and Game Overview

(Oh man, how ironic that I'm reviewing the only other entry in the Super Competition)

In Bob-Ball, a Breakout clone submitted for a minigame competition, your objective is to score as many points as possible within 5 minutes with the help of some power-ups randomly found in bricks while taking a paddle joyride in the sky. As it was submitted for a minigame competition, the game isn't too complex, but it's not complex enough, either.

Pros	+The timer, a unique gimmick I haven't really seen before in a Breakout clone +Mostly useful power-ups +Very few glitches
Cons	-Getting the same brick formations over, and over, and over... -Seemed to overstay its welcome but I felt as though 5 minutes (and more with 1-Up Mushrooms) made the game last longer than it should've -A few questionable power-ups -...and over, and over, and over...

Impressions

Gameplay 7 / 10	The controls are tight, quick, and responsive, perfect for a Breakout clone. The Bob-Ball, as noted before, doesn't bounce off the paddle perfectly, something surprisingly common in Breakout clones. You break bricks by bouncing the Bob-Ball from the paddle, but after doing so, a "new" set of bricks form. Actually, it really isn't new because it's the same layout. I know this was made for a minigame competition and everything, but there could've at least been more variety among the layouts. Not everything is the same, though, as you'll find some power-ups in some of the bricks. Some of the power-ups' purposes are nailed down perfectly. The Super Mushroom makes your paddle grow for a while, the Fire Flower lets you tear through bricks like a Podoboo through butter, the 1-Up gives you more time to rack in more points, and the Boomerang Flower destroys most of the bricks on screen. These power-ups all have a use that's clear and needs little to no improvement. I do, however, find some power-ups to be a little...odd. The carrot makes your Bob-Ball grow bunny ears and hover down slowly, but I felt that it was too slow for it to be useful. It didn't help me when my Bob-Ball was about to fall down a pit, but instead slowed down the action. Slowing down the action can be a risky move to take, especially when you're pressed for time. Another item that was a head scratcher for me was the Ice Flower. Once collected, a row of ice blocks appear below your paddle, letting your Bob-Ball get back to safety if it falls. What I found strange about it is that the ice is actually in individual segments and that it only lasts for a short time. I found that, while some players may be glad to see it here, it didn't last long enough to me to be any use (assuming if I fell down the pit to begin with because of the same layout). Enough about the power-ups, and on to what I see is the game's shining point, but also its biggest flaw - the timer. Like the brick layout and the aforementioned power-ups, it's something that has a hidden use that could be executed better if known what it's best use could be for. Whew! All in all, the gimmicks are there and have potential be fun, but they just need to be a little more polished.
Graphics 8 / 10	All the graphics blend together well and, while I do like the style, does have room for improvement. Since you take place flying in the sky, it can be difficult to make out the details of certain items or see what's going on. I would suggest that outlines be placed on objects that you can interact with so you can understand what you see better.
Sound 6 / 10	The sound effects really aren't anything special to mention (they're all ripped from Super Mario World). I will say however that I found the music sort of annoying. Some of the notes in the main songs are off, and the Game Over music only has 6 notes. I get it that you couldn't compose music, especially since, again, this was made for a competition that requires one piece of original music to be accepted, but you could always ask anyone willing to compose music for some help.
Replay 6 / 10	There's really only one game you can play (since all the brick layouts are the same), as there's nothing left for the game to offer once you've cleared it once and beaten your high score. I may play this once in a while, but it's really only for when you're looking for something to kill time.

Final Words

In my opinion, this game has potential to become a clever and fun Breakout clone, but as for now, it's really something to play on a slow day with not much else to do.

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Comments

	Q-Nova Apr 19 2015, 11:27 PM
Thanks for the review! I noticed that this is the second time in a row that someone reviewed this, and it's his/her first submission. Though, if I ever make an expansion to this (I was planning to make one someday, might not happen, but who knows?), I'll be sure to extend the time of the ice blocks, and I'll try to find a way to make the Carrot to become more useful (or just remove it).


	Cruise Elroy Apr 19 2015, 11:49 PM
Quote (Q-Nova on Apr 19 2015, 6:27 PM) Thanks for the review! I noticed that this is the second time in a row that someone reviewed this, and it's his/her first submission. Though, if I ever make an expansion to this (I was planning to make one someday, might not happen, but who knows?), I'll be sure to extend the time of the ice blocks, and I'll try to find a way to make the Carrot to become more useful (or just remove it). If I might suggest something, you could perhaps add a button that could make the Bob-Ball hover when you want it to while it has the carrot power-up. Like I said, the spark was there, but it needed more.

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