PyroWizard's Reviews

[Rise of the MK: Part 4]

Good! I think...

In order to offer the best constructive criticism, I feel the need to be completely honest, to be fair to you and to myself, so please bear with me.

This movie is good, but it's NOTHING compared to what the ROTMK series used to be. It's somewhat reminiscent of the Matrix series... it starts out at the pinnacle of greatness, then steadily begins to decline in quality as it progresses from sequel to sequel. But hey, Matrix Revolutions was still one HELL of a movie, and so was this.

Where to begin? First of all, the graphics. As always, it is nothing short of excellence. The amount of detail that went into this movie is almost intoxicating. It's nigh impossible for your brain to absorb everything at once, and I found myself pausing from time to time and zooming in to get a look at all the good stuff. (no sexual pun intended) The "Easter Eggs" you strung throughout the film were a very nice touch. My personal favorite was the Graveyard scene; from the lanterns giving off its eerie lightings to the leaves softly blowing against the breeze, everything fit together perfectly. It reminded me of the "Boo's Haunt" stage from Mario 64, a personal favorite of mine; both created an absorbing mood and begged to be explored.

The music and sounds were pretty good. Nothing that really stands out from the crowd, (unlike the "Titanic" theme from the Funeral scene in ROTMK1 that still clings to my head like a pervert to a naked woman), but it all fits. The classic Donkey Kong theme/sounds especially were used to phenomenal effect.

Now that we have all the technical stuff out of the way, let's get to the real deal. What I want to know from you Randy, is this; what ever happened to the RISE of the MUSHROOM KINGDOM? No, I'm not referring to the series. Wasn't ROTMK supposed to be about the "Fall of a Hero, and the Rise of a Nation"? This theme was prevalent throughout the first two films, then was inexplicably lost in the latter two movies. What started out as an original plotline gave way to the hopelessly cliched and excruciatingly overdone "Luigi dies, Mario goes to get revenge" story. Yeah, been there and done that. I wanted to see more of the conflicts faced by the Mushroom Kingdom as a whole at the hands of Bowser's and Wart's respective empires, and less of the "lone intruder infiltrating enemy encampment". Unfortunately, the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom got lost somewhere, and the series quickly lost the very element that made it unique in the first place. *SIGH*

ROTMK1 and ROTMK2 were undoubtedly very emotional movies. Especially the former. Luigi's grief and anger at Mario's death can be clearly felt, and I'll admit that it almost brought a tear to my eye. Yet, the emotional scale in ROTMK4 is laughable. (kind of like Trinity's death in Revolutions) Remember that brief moment when Mario has flashbacks of his life with Luigi? Were we supposed to feel something there? Funny, because I almost found myself laughing at that particular segment, which was far from the intended effect it was supposed to have upon viewers I'm sure. "Emotion" has always been the big part of the ROTMK series, not its flashy action sequences and violence. But this movie tends to focus solely on the latter elements, which ultimately makes the whole film a bit bland. I did however, enjoy the final celebration scene very much. Very moving and energetic, an excellent way to end any series.

I won't even get started on the humor. All I can say is this; bathroom and penis jokes are far from being funny. It only makes the author come off as immature, and frankly, takes away from the quality of the movie as a whole.

Don't get me wrong... this movie was great. Not the "sprite movie to end all sprite movies" I was hoping for, but still very good stuff. However, I couldn't help but feel somewhat let down after watching this film. This movie has many terrible flaws, and I just hope you and everyone else recognizes that.

[Pulsatilla (Teaser)]

Speechless...

I usually avoid these types of animations, but this one just blew me away. Totally. I honestly don't think I've ever seen a another feature on Newgrounds that's capable of evoking such powerful emotion. No high words of mine can truly do this movie justice. I don't know how you managed to pull this off, but EXCELLENT work! ^_^

Your animating skills are well-refined... admittedly, there is always room for improvement, but your style is unparalleled anywhere else. Gorgeous graphics and scenery combined with an equally beautiful and soothing melody put forth such a strong melancholic mood that it almost drove me to tears. I especially liked the scenery; it had a surreal, dream-like feel that was very captivating. I found myself lost in this ethereal world that you so perfectly fabricated.

Amazing stuff. You, my friend, have potential. Lots of it. This goes straight to the top of my list of movies to look forward to next year. In fact, I think I'm looking more forward to this then even ROTMK4! :D

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Pulsatilla (Teaser)

"No words of mine can truly express the sheer emotional impact this movie had on me. Definately one of THE movies to look forward to next year!"

~PyroWizard~

[Super Luigi World Part 2]

Excellent Flash!

This is one of the closest Mario flashes I have seen to the ROTMK series in terms of potential. If your flash was a little bit more refined, then this could be a real winner. The main problem is that you lack a "Play" button, which probably put off a lot of people who didn't know how to Right Click -> Play. That's probably the reason why your score sits at a 3.15 at the time of this review, which is a very indecent score for this very decent piece of flash. :)

I really like how you play with your camera angles all throughout the movie, which is a very refreshing change from the simple side scrolling angle you see in most sprite movies. I liked your choice of music too.. it's very catchy and sets the mood for your movie quite nicely; however, I don't know if it was intentional or not, but the music starts to overlap as the movie advances to the final castle scene... you might want to look into that.

The plot was interesting, but the classic "Luigi gets tired of Mario getting all the attention and decides to go on a rampage" plot has been done to death. However, it's not that big of a deal, as you make up for it in other ways.

Overall, good stuff! I HIGHLY recommend you fix the major bugs (especially the PLAY button) and re-submit your movie... a mediocre score for this excellent piece of Flash is something you shouldn't stand for. Give this movie a chance to receive the attention it rightfully deserves. ;)

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Super Luigi World Part 2

"Excellent Mario flash, definately one of the better ones on Newgrounds. If only the author had taken the time to add a "Play" button!"

~PyroWizard~

[Stickman Madness]

Succeeds where Xiao Xiao 4 failed!

Everything was going reasonably smoothly until I approached the final hallway, at which point enemies started swarming up close, blocking off my field of vision and shielding the men firing from the back. It ultimately took me 4 tries to beat this game, and even then with a single health bar left. It's difficult, but far from impossible, which is just the right amount of challenge needed to keep this game interesting.

For those who are having difficulties completing the game, keep at it! Once you get to the poster with the ugly looking man, victory is just around the corner.

There will inevitably be comparisons to Xiao Xiao 4, but in my honest opinion, this is a far superior stickmen shoot-em-up. I know that a credible story is pretty much an after-thought with these interactive games, but I found the premise of this "mission" oddily interesting. The fact that it's a heroine seeking to rescue a loved one makes it that much more personal.

Kudos on a job well done! This is the only game on NG that has successfully grabbed my interest for quite a while now. Here's hoping for a sequel. ^^

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Stickman Madness

"Xiao Xiao 4 as it should have been."