The Daily Click

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Author:	Radix
Added:	09/07/2004
Overall:
Average:	5.5/10

I rarely download anything from TDC anymore, because I'm inevitably disappointed. However, I downloaded Grim's Challenge because the screen caps look pretty, I didn't think Snerlin would disappoint me. Surely he's too nice a lad for that. Surely.

Well, long story short, the game's a dog. Drat.

First of all, the Chester's movement is insane. You jump, then -whoosh-; you find yourself halfway across the screen. It was actually fun to get used to, but it's difficult to aim, I died countless times on what should be simple jumps.

The average death per level system is an interesting idea, but poorly executed. It seems to work out an average based on the total number of levels rather than the number of levels you've played, which makes it pretty much useless for estimating whether or not you can make it to the end with your rating under 3 until you're almost there.

Graphics, as I said, are nice. Nothing special, but in the pretty end of the spectrum.

Level design is abhorrent. It's the kind of thing I used to do when I was a retarded 11-year-old playing with KnP. Nothing lines up properly, as it easily could have, and gameplay consists of aiming your bizarre jumps between spastic path-movement enemies and static spikes. There are also some glaring errors, such as invisible enemies that can kill you when you can't see them (if you're wanting an example, try climbing down the right hand ladder in the first room you find with ladders).

Maybe it gets spectacular later on, but I quit playing on the first level after the witch, at which point you transform from a pig to a little yellow thing that punches. From here on it's monumentally laggy due to clouds in the background, and I felt like I was playing in slow motion. That's why I quit.

Oh, about the witch. I had an average death rating of 0 until I encountered this boss. Then it shot up to 4. Apart from it being nearly impossible to make it past the fireballs to bop her on the head, there are large fireballs that shoot in frequently from the bottom of the screen. When one of these touches you, you die and are immediately transported BACK INTO ITS PATH. So, when one of these fireballs hits you, you're likely to spawn in side it and rack up four or more deaths when there should only be one.

Well, from what I played, the best part of the game is Mind Eater (which is still the slowest, buggiest Tetris clone I've ever played), which I got to by enlarging the font at the bottom of the readme. Oh, there's a Music option on the options screen that doesn't do anything, too.

Uh... not recommended?