Fishhead: Blueprint Reviews

I don't have any issues with the game. Fun, fair checkpoint system.

For what it is, the developer made a faithful retro platformer similar to what you would find in the SNES library. On a side note, the FishHead games started in 1998 so it's cool to see an indie developer going back 20+ years and still making progress, just looking at the games you can see him improving so much in terms of visuals and game logic (sorry I know I sound like an obsessive fan). The game has 4 worlds that are separated into multiple stages and one bonus world, or about 5 hours of content for 100% completion. It also has some traditional platforming progression in a form of unlockable power-ups such as double-jump, wall-jump and swimming power, although I am not sure why the Fish dude could not swim in the first place ;). Oh yea, you can also ride a goose sometimes, too bad you can't do that during regular stages like a certain dinosaur. Visually, I thought the pixel art was very enjoyable, I like the whole 'Fishman vs Tomatoes' premise. Some would say that every great platformer starts with a very unlikely character - you know, plumbers, hedgehogs, 7-up mascots, or a worm in a power suit (at least you got the weirdness down). The game has good platforming controls, I am particularly happy that all the basic moves use the classic inputs like 'up' to grab or just bouncing off walls with no extra buttons - you would be surprised how many people ____ that up. All the compliments aside, I do feel like the game is missing that 'secret ingredient', every game that I love in this genre has something special about it, some gimmick like hitting blocks with your head, spinning into a ball or using your head like a whip. You made a decent game, but it just feels like a tribute instead of being FishHead experience. [h1] Pros: [/h1] + faithful retro aesthetic and soundtrack + decent length with some bonus content + cute characters, riding a goose :) + decent controls, some power-up progression [h1] Feedback: [/h1] [u] General Feedback [/u] - the big thing that I found kinda clunky was the lack of invincibility frames, you have 3 hitpoints but the enemies can get very lucky and hit you 3 times in 1 second (usually in the corner or on the belt). The game has some occasional problems with hidden death pits, there is no way to look down at the time of this review. Additionally, I would like to be able to perform a regular jump while on the ladder. Oh and the boss fights were too short, I know you just making a simple game, but you can beat some of them in 6 seconds, maybe they needed a second phase. [u] Secret Ingredient [/u] - sometimes I find myself attached to a platforming game even without any story, something about the level design that makes it memorable. This game, it's kinda like getting over obstacles, you not taking full advantage of the player's desire to navigate the world, but there are moments where I feel like you had the right idea. So I would just say, double-down on exploration, more secrets, hidden characters, make the currency more relevant, maybe unlockable fish hats, I don't know, just more than just levels that feel like an obstacle. [b] Overall Thoughts: 7/10 [/b] I think the developer and myself are holding on to the past, the developer makes a decent but predictable retro game, then I buy it because it reminds me of something that I played as a kid. So where do we go from here? Maybe next FishHead game could be a Metroidvania? Whatever it is, I just hope that you enjoy what you doing, even if only 3 people play it. [code]Review By: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/ [/code]