ShangXian's game Reviews on Newgrounds

[Valentine's Day Art Collab '24]

After so many months I participated to this awesome collab I would like to review this experience. First of all I loved so much the level of creativity this challenge/collab gave to me. I did tried something similar (St. Valentine-related stuff) in the past some years ago in different places but it didn't left me any memory worth mentioning, this one on the other hand is a different story. I enjoyed so much how this collab made me think in a creative way that combined both artistic skills and the linguistic ability to play with the language in order to make catchy puns.

I always wanted to make a St. Valentine's Day card with a scientific pun in it since I love Science and all its aspects. The problem was to choose the scientific topic and subject. I almost opted for Quantum Mechanics since it can create nice Valentine's Day puns, but then I chose my microraptor OC and I used Paleontology for the purpose. It fit perfectly for my purposes. I loved that this collab allowed me to practice on background too. Backgrounds are my weak point and this occasion was perfect to improve a little bit, plus I missed collabs.

I really like the interface of the gallery, the colours, shapes and animation of the falling hearts make it enjoyable to navigate along with the music, relaxing and catchy at the same time. I see many cool artists with many different styles and messages (I loved every message especially the one about loving yourself too because self-care and self-love are equally important as loving others with care and respect). I looked again at the gallery and I enjoyed it with the same energy I had the first time I saw the gallery.

I want to thank StormyDew for making all of this possible, I hope to participate to something similar the next time, even with a different theme^^
Thank you for the music chosen, I loved it and I would listen to it over and over due to its upbeat tunes that give you strength and hope to go on in the quest for a potential partner. CootieGirl did a great job!

I also commend the talent and styles of the many artists who participated, with their presence they showed clearly how Love has different shapes, hues, thoughts and hopes. Amazing collab, thank you again!

BoiledMilkz responds:

I lost you at "linguistic"

[the duck game]

This is a really lovely game with simple nice-looking 2D graphics and catchy music. I enjoyed challenges it gave me especially in last 2-3 levels and the ending was adorable. The only elements I feel to suggest to make it even more interesting is adding new levels, maybe even power-ups to help the duck during the most challenging tasks for example endurance to spikes for 5-7 seconds and/or giving the duck possibility to make higher jumps if catching a specific power-up that is time-constrained (i.e. 10-15 seconds). Even adding secret levels, a plot behind the duck's task that may explain the ending (maybe it's just symbolic of reaching someone's heart by finding the key to make the relationship blossom) and medals might make the game even more enjoyable. As last thing I would suggest to add a button before running the game that tells the player which commands to use (WASD or arrow keys for movements and spacebar for jumping) even if the mechanics of the game are simple to be easily grasped.

Besides these suggestions I liked the game a lot and it has the potential to become something really interesting. I liked chiptunes during levels, they really have a nice upbeat vibe^^
Welcome to NG and keep it up!

[Fetch Quest]

I must say that this is a really cool game that started innocent and lovable to evolve into something more disturbing. I love it but what I liked the most were the challenges at the castle especially starting from "jump of the faith". There it became even more interesting and challenging. I liked a lot the simple 2-D graphic of the platform game but I could also admire details of the background, I loved the shading and texture that gave a nice realistic effect.

Sadly I didn't get the secret ending, and the normal ending was heartbreaking especially after the dog's efforts. I will replay it again because I want to test my skills and unlock the secret ending. I will definitely explore other games of yours because they look intriguing and mix disturbing elements with high artistic creativity. Keep it up!

[Witch's Familiar]

Awwww, I love this game so much. First I like to see this 2-D platform that gives a nice retro vibe with its pixel art, second I like the simple but engaging story and third the music is relaxing and helps to concentrate. I like how well made the pixel art is, the shading, the simple atmosphere that conveys the feeling of being trapped in those tunnels. I liked the puzzles and how stimulating they are. I will definitely replay it again. Too adorable plus I love corvids and seeing them in a positive light brings me joy. Keep it up!

[Sandwich Stacker]

Oh man I remember this game, I used to play it a lot when I was younger and once I tried it I thought "hey, I think to have already played this game" and then after reading other comments my hypothesis was correct. I thank you that you remade this game and made it possible to play it again. I love the graphic, the music so relaxing and tasty ingredients for the sandwich. Now I am hungry and happy.

ElanMakesGames responds:

This review really brightened my day! I'm very glad you liked the game, and thanks so much for checking it out!