Jefequeso review of 'Yellow Block'

At first I didn’t like ‘Yellow Block’ very much. It seemed like just another one of those “infinite sequence of obstacles” games, where your character runs forward and you’re tasked with jumping over things, and the jumping controls themselves seemed overly floating and exaggerated. It was only after I looked at the clock and found the time I had allotted to play Baldur’s Gate II had mysteriously been spent on this modest little game that I realized that ‘Yellow Block’ is in fact a marvelously addictive and tightly made pick-up-and-play game.
Now, chances are you’ve played something like ‘Yellow Block’ before. Like space shooters, tower defense games, and ‘Click the Clown’ re-skins, “infinite sequence of obstacles” games are a dime a dozen on YYG. In ‘Yellow Block,’ you control the titular yellow block in his…err…quest to escape evil red blocks. By jumping and hovering over them. The game is controlled entirely by the up and down arrow keys. Tap up to jump, hold up to hover, and press down to “ground pound.” Evading the red blocks that populate the top and the bottom of the screen requires mastery of all three moves, and the balance between all of them is near perfection. This is a game that, once you get the hang of it, just feels RIGHT. Successfully hovering over a line of ground-based red blocks with some delicate teasing of the up arrow is strangely compelling, as is frantically slamming back down to earth when their ceiling-dwelling brethren threaten your well-being. It’s a perfect example of a simple and polished concept that is far more addictive than it has any business being. In fact, about the only bad thing you can say about ‘Yellow Block’s gameplay is that it’s so simple. There’s not much in the way of depth or progression.
Like me, you probably know what to expect from the graphics of ‘Yellow Block’ as soon as you heard its name. And the game does not disappoint. It’s made up entirely of solid, brightly colored blocks (red and yellow, and some small white debris effects). The style isn’t too unique, but it’s well-executed, and some little effects such as screen rumble and rudimentary motion blur help to spice things up. Overall, it’s not a fantastic-looking game, but it’s not ugly either.
‘Yellow Block’s’ sound is just as polished and tight as the rest of the game, and just as simple. A few nicely done blips and crunches and “boiiiings” are about all you hear, and about all you NEED to hear from such a small game. The accompanying techno music, composed by Chris Garcia, is fitting and unobtrusive, and I like how much credit is given to the composer (including a link to his site).
Overall, this is a marvelous little pick-up-and-play game that may not overwhelm you with its depth, but certainly knows how to entertain. On the “game over” screen, there’s a button you can press to donate money to the game’s creator, Derek LaRue. Normally, I find this sort of thing to be a fairly crass attempt to gain some unearned cash. But in this case, I think that Mr. LaRue has created a fine little product, and has earned whatever donations he gets. I personally did not donate any money, partially (read: completely) because I don’t have any to donate, but I think that if you have a few extra bucks floating around in your bank account, you could certainly give it to less deserving people. I give Yellow Block a 4/5.

P.S Derek, that donation button isn’t a bad idea at all, btw…
*puts on list of things to add to next Nurf Nerfus game*



TO THE DEVELOPER:
From your point of view, I realize that your game represents more than just one title amid thousands of others. It's the result of real work, effort, problem solving, and creativity, and reading critique--constructive or not--can be painful and frustrating. If you feel I've been unfair in my judgement or want a complaint clarified, don't hesitate to drop me a PM or email me jefequeso@gmail.com.

MY RATING SYSTEM:
I despise having to give out a numerical score, since I feel that it's impossible to accurately reflect the complexities of even the simplest game with a single fraction. But since star ratings are an integrated part of the Yoyogames review template, I'm forced to grit my teeth and try and come up with a number after every review. So here's how I judge:

1/5 - A truly awful game. Broken or borderline unplayable, the majority of gamers will not be able to derive any value at all from this title. This score is reserved only for the dregs of this site.
2/5 - Playable. Unoriginal, shallow, or buggy, but ultimately workable, and possible to enjoy.
3/5 - Good. A solid effort, even if some features may be buggy or the overall game a little underwhelming. This score represents a respectable, average game.
4/5 - Quite good. It may not be perfect, but one or more features make it stand apart from the crowd. This score heralds a game that may not quite be the best out there, but is capable of running with the big dogs.
5/5 - Magnificent. This title is marred only by tiny flaws, if any, and deserves a spot among the elite titles of this site. This score is reserved for only the best of the best.

Should a game exceed the level of 5/5, it will be noted in the review.