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Reviews Explanation

This page will attempt to explain the ratings system being used.
There are 6 parts to the overall rating:

Game Design: 20% Great games are not just made in a day, usually. Lots of design and planning goes into really great games. You can take the most mundane thing about life and create the best game if you implement it correctly. How you play, what is being done, how you advance...all parts of the Grand Design of the game. This is how the game is made so it makes sense that this should hold a lot of weight in the final grade.

Graphics: 20% The graphics are what the user sees when running the game. These might be simple, or they might be flashy. What is important is that the game uses it correctly and makes sense. Just because the game uses the latest 3D graphics doesn't mean anything unless those graphics help the overall game. Since the visual interpretations are important, graphics holds a 20% weight to the overall rating.

PLAY CONTROL: 10% Ever play a game with great story and graphics, utilizing the newest library functions, and then get frustrated cause you couldn't easily control the game? Or had fun with a game that didn't really offer much only because it was easy to play? Play control is important since it is how the user gets to play the game. If the play control is good, the user can spend more time thinking about how to play the game instead of what key to press or how to press it.

SOUND: 5% The sound might be as simple as a beep from the PC speaker, or it might be a full orchestral score. I only give a 5% weight for sound, however, because QBasic programs that try to use sound are not very successful in general. Ever notice the scratchy sounds or how the slightest thing might affect it? Because sound needs to be worked on overall in QBasic, I don't grade too much on that, but a perfect score here shows some great sound, relatively speaking.

CHALLENGE: 15% You just got the most anticipated game in history. Your hands sweat as you get ready to play it. Then you beat it in two hours. Or you get a great game, only to discover that it is impossible to beat without cheats or asking friends for help. The challenge has to be just right for a game.

SATISFACTION/FUN: 30% Is the game fun? THAT is the most important thing. Can I play it and not care that the graphics or sound are stupid? Games are made for fun. Ever notice that when the media tries to report on the video game industry that they always have the least knowledgeable reporter say that what people want in video games is good graphics?
NO!!!!
We want fun games!

Game Design: 20%	Great games are not just made in a day, usually. Lots of design and planning goes into really great games. You can take the most mundane thing about life and create the best game if you implement it correctly. How you play, what is being done, how you advance...all parts of the Grand Design of the game. This is how the game is made so it makes sense that this should hold a lot of weight in the final grade.
Graphics: 20%	The graphics are what the user sees when running the game. These might be simple, or they might be flashy. What is important is that the game uses it correctly and makes sense. Just because the game uses the latest 3D graphics doesn't mean anything unless those graphics help the overall game. Since the visual interpretations are important, graphics holds a 20% weight to the overall rating.
PLAY CONTROL: 10%	Ever play a game with great story and graphics, utilizing the newest library functions, and then get frustrated cause you couldn't easily control the game? Or had fun with a game that didn't really offer much only because it was easy to play? Play control is important since it is how the user gets to play the game. If the play control is good, the user can spend more time thinking about how to play the game instead of what key to press or how to press it.
SOUND: 5%	The sound might be as simple as a beep from the PC speaker, or it might be a full orchestral score. I only give a 5% weight for sound, however, because QBasic programs that try to use sound are not very successful in general. Ever notice the scratchy sounds or how the slightest thing might affect it? Because sound needs to be worked on overall in QBasic, I don't grade too much on that, but a perfect score here shows some great sound, relatively speaking.
CHALLENGE: 15%	You just got the most anticipated game in history. Your hands sweat as you get ready to play it. Then you beat it in two hours. Or you get a great game, only to discover that it is impossible to beat without cheats or asking friends for help. The challenge has to be just right for a game.
SATISFACTION/FUN: 30%	Is the game fun? THAT is the most important thing. Can I play it and not care that the graphics or sound are stupid? Games are made for fun. Ever notice that when the media tries to report on the video game industry that they always have the least knowledgeable reporter say that what people want in video games is good graphics? NO!!!! We want fun games!