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NeonPlat2 Review

Rating:

Jump, leap, bond over neon platforms (yes) and get the high score with you strange little neon man! Fun, fast, pick it up and put it down platform action. All in a week's work!

Additional Info

DeveloperJayenkai
GenrePlatform, Action
PlatformsWindows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
EngineBlitzmax
Filesize4 MB
Webpagehttp://jayenkai.socoder.net/GameList.php?ShowJust=200

Full Review

I get easily impressed by these game design competitions where maddened, independent game designers and hobbyists produce a complete game in a day or two. That's a feat. But what if you produced a game every week? That sounds more crazy than anything else, but Jayenkai is doing it. Visit his site above if you don't believe me.

One of his more recent products is NeonPlat2. I will assume there is a NeonPlat1.

There are platforms in this game and they are neon. I couldn't help but think of Joust as I drifted through the air and leaped from platform to platform, although there was less flying. Unlike Joust, and many other platform action games, to advance in NeonPlat2 you have to run along the little platforms and "paint" them blue before gaining the next stage. The idea is a nice change from an otherwise drab genre and it works. Keeping you from achieving this feat are strange little block men who run around the stage and try to bump into you. You're not a very normal person either (I believe that's a ? for your head) but nonetheless you must dodge or attack the enemies with the balls that lie around the stage. When you successfully defeat an enemy then turn into green balls which can be collected for points.

Simple but difficult!

The impressive thing about NeonPlat2 is that there are a number of different game modes that vary the classic game style with many cool twists. There is a mode that allows you to jump on your enemies to defeat them (preferable), another with a boss on each stage, and so on. There is a lot of variety should you wish it.

The trouble is that I didn't wish it. NeonPlat2 is an exceptional game, especially to have been produced in a week, it just didn't grab me. Graphically it's a little in-your-face: neon platforms with a strange, gradient background, and weird neon people don't make for a pleasing visual palette. The gameplay has no faults in that it is difficult to go wrong with challenging platform action, there was just little to keep me coming back and trying the different modes. That is kind of the point, though; a game a week doesn't scream "excessive replay value". So NeonPlat2 is just what you expect it to be, and that is fun, simple, popcorn platform action.

Posted by Derek Kamal on June 21, 2010 Comments (0)