The Banana Horde 1.4
Author: RANGERZERO
Players: Author and I recommend single player
Pros:
-nice setpieces and environments.
-secrets!!!!
-boss battle
-challenging
Cons:
-difficulty on some platforming mechanics may frustrate
-Category: Platformer
-Time Completed: 12 minutes
-Prizes?: Yes
-Difficulty: Med to Hard depending on skill level and persitance
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-Gameplay: 8.5 Out of 10 Stars
Ok there is a lot to cover here. i am going to start with a raw first impression and then evolve into my final impression of this level. It took me a number of attempts to finish this level. I was so frustrated at one point that I did not want to finish. It seemed as though the level was built and then it was found to be easy. So in an effort to dial up difficulty, the timing and height of the bounce platforms were tweaked to the point of borderline infuriation. The swing section is just far enough to give you that UNCHARTED "he's gonna fall off the cliff this time" feeling and then later a camera angle is purposefully ambiguous. (this tirade was not meant to bash the level this was meant to be honest and raw FIRST IMPRESSION for the sake of fairness, and I LOVE A GOOD CHALLENGE!! I ONLY MENTION THESE FACTS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THIS TO STOP SOMEONE FROM GETTING THROUGH THE LEVEL)
OK THAT SAID, after playing this over and over I finished it. I then went back to play it again to review it once I had calmed down. The timing in the opening sections is tough. You have to be on it. Play this level enough, and most other levels that embrace this mechanic will seem like cake. This will make you a better player. Once you get the hang of it, the level isnt that hard, its actually quite fun and so is the boss battle at the end. There is a nice digging section that makes good use of the grab function and then the secrets using that function are a nice touch as well. There is also a nice vehicle section that also used the grab controls to give a y axis to navigate through a gas hazard. Not technically spectacular but creative and enjoyable. This level reminds me, however vaguely, of NES games back in the day. Ones that I could never complete because of my short temper and refusal to stay at the plate long enough to figure out how to do something and rather blame the creator. SO, MORAL OF THE GAMEPLAY SECTION. PLAY THIS LEVEL AND BECOME A BETTER PLAYER< MAYBE A BETTER PERSON? lol
I don't know about that last part, but this level is worth getting good at and definitely worth playing!!!!!
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-Graphics: 8 Out of 10 Stars
The sights in this level are simple and easy on the eyes. The enemy bees were a nice looking, hand crafted addition to a green meadow like opening. I can't say that the graphics are mind blowing, but they do represent what they mean too. There are some texture mixtures in the stone sections there that create a nice contrast to each other and make the cave sequences much more fun to look at. Blood stains on a killer wheel were also a nice touch. It never feels empty on screen, if when you are bouncing through the clouds. I have one issue with a camera angle in the middle section where you cannot really see what you are walking on. I am not hitting the score this, its just a pet peeve worth pointing out. I understand the use of camera angles hiding certain things, but when it is fire dangers and I die over and over it gets annoying. In retrospect and on closer exam, you can almost see but you have too look close and slow down, so i am not faulting the score.
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-Sound: 8 Out of 10 Stars
The ambient music is for the most part relaxing, which is good when it comes time to negotiate the more time based jumps. Later in the Boss section it becomes more intense as it nears and offers a good sense of the environment. The sound effects added are few, but the ones that are there help. Overall the sound is used to ease the player through the opening and then builds to the climatic Boss fight.
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-Originality: 8 Out of 10 Stars
There are some setpieces used from the story levels, i.e. bananas and an apple, but other than that everything else is original so far as I could tell. Using grabs to unleash secrets was a nice concept that seemed original to me as well as the grab for digging. I realize these things may not be new to some but they were to me. The story was on the light side but still an original concept. The vehicle section was awesome and original and one of my favorite sections of the level.
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-Final Score: 8.125 Out of 10 Stars
So I went back and played this level again to check my work see if I missed anything and I nearly aced it. Well nearly until that Boss who is so seemingly simple he gets me every time. More importantly, I really enjoyed it. Yes the timing on some things were still tough, yes I swore at the TV a bit, but there is something special about this level. This level should be played and the author should be watched for future works. SO thanks for creating it and I am glad I had the pleasure to review it.
NICE WORK!