01-Aug-2012, 6:33 AM
I played through this set upon its initial release, but somehow didn't get around to giving much feedback. I enjoyed the set and really liked the difficulty curve and variety. Having played JL1 earlier, there was a noticeable amount of repeats, but this is not an issue for newer players. The new levels clearly emphasized a simple and straightforward approach in the design, making the levels play quite elegantly. I recommend the set as a must play for all Chipsters!
My own personal highlights included:
#24 (Start at the End) - a modern take on Nuts and Bolts that comes together very nicely
#31 (Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune) - terrible name but a nice concept to get players thinking about each monster's properties
#40 (Comfort Zone) - a fun mix of puzzle and dodging
#40 (Quad) - this was good before, and still was fun
#53 (Slime Slider) - an interesting study in the life of blobs
#60 (Let's Just Be Friends) - creating something that works as a puzzle and as a picture isn't simple
#61 (A Study in Pink) - a diverse use of one type of monster and clearly a thoughtful design
#69 (Hive Mentality) - sometimes simple ideas make for enjoyable levels, but not all such ideas should be stretched to the whole playing area. This one should.
#75 (Spin Cycle) - a pleasant symmetry goes well with the concept of pushing blocks that are faster than you. Bonus for no slide delay.
#77 (Sisyphus) - a decent way to spend your a little time with a block you love
#99 (Japanese Game Show) - some great original ideas here and great replay value, though I kind of miss the time limit.
The low points for me were
#25 (Modern Art Gallery) - a little too simple and invisible walls are difficult to make fun
#28 (Centipede) - I would actually like this without the centipede. As it is, it's quite chaotic, particularly to optimize.
#41 (Checkpoints) - maybe a decent concept that just didn't work for me
#57 (Politically Correct) - a like item swappers, and good uses of blobs, but this wasn't a nice mix.
#63 (Mirages) - every designer needs to make a fake maze. It doesn't mean we need to like them all.
#87 (Over and Under) - somehow I find this hard to visualize, both for initial solve and then for optimizing.
#91 (Pattern) - at least you didn't start with this again. Hot blocks are so hard to do nicely.
#?? (Run of the Mill) - this level was missing!! Well, I have something to look forward to :-)
The best updates awards go to #50 (Gridlock), #87 (Hodge Dodge), #93 (Crate Packing), and #98 (Crosshairs). All these levels had elements that worked last time, but now are simple better.
Thanks to JB for this set of levels, and am looking forward to the next two!
-Miika
My own personal highlights included:
#24 (Start at the End) - a modern take on Nuts and Bolts that comes together very nicely
#31 (Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune) - terrible name but a nice concept to get players thinking about each monster's properties
#40 (Comfort Zone) - a fun mix of puzzle and dodging
#40 (Quad) - this was good before, and still was fun
#53 (Slime Slider) - an interesting study in the life of blobs
#60 (Let's Just Be Friends) - creating something that works as a puzzle and as a picture isn't simple
#61 (A Study in Pink) - a diverse use of one type of monster and clearly a thoughtful design
#69 (Hive Mentality) - sometimes simple ideas make for enjoyable levels, but not all such ideas should be stretched to the whole playing area. This one should.
#75 (Spin Cycle) - a pleasant symmetry goes well with the concept of pushing blocks that are faster than you. Bonus for no slide delay.
#77 (Sisyphus) - a decent way to spend your a little time with a block you love
#99 (Japanese Game Show) - some great original ideas here and great replay value, though I kind of miss the time limit.
The low points for me were
#25 (Modern Art Gallery) - a little too simple and invisible walls are difficult to make fun
#28 (Centipede) - I would actually like this without the centipede. As it is, it's quite chaotic, particularly to optimize.
#41 (Checkpoints) - maybe a decent concept that just didn't work for me
#57 (Politically Correct) - a like item swappers, and good uses of blobs, but this wasn't a nice mix.
#63 (Mirages) - every designer needs to make a fake maze. It doesn't mean we need to like them all.
#87 (Over and Under) - somehow I find this hard to visualize, both for initial solve and then for optimizing.
#91 (Pattern) - at least you didn't start with this again. Hot blocks are so hard to do nicely.
#?? (Run of the Mill) - this level was missing!! Well, I have something to look forward to :-)
The best updates awards go to #50 (Gridlock), #87 (Hodge Dodge), #93 (Crate Packing), and #98 (Crosshairs). All these levels had elements that worked last time, but now are simple better.
Thanks to JB for this set of levels, and am looking forward to the next two!
-Miika