Game Review

Graphics (n.) The use of animation and visual effects to stimulate the senses	vv (Average)	The first thing that stands out when playing The Coin is that the game's graphics and sound effects are all original material. This usually leaves a good impression on the V Planet game review system, but in the case of Jim Theodoropoylo's game, there needs to be a better balance between the use of graphics and sound. Color choices in The Coin is probably what keeps the graphics score at the average range. The color of fonts clash with the game's backgrounds, and the game comes across as too bright and vibrant to be soothing to the eyes. From a technical aspect, The Coin is better received. The ramps tilt effectively on a throughly-colored background without a hint of flicker, and the coin isn't completely flicker-free but it's more than good enough.
Sound/Music (n.) The smooth blend of atmospheric sounds and original harmonies	v (Poor)	There is a sound engine built into The Coin, but there aren't a lot of sound effects in the game that take advantage of it. The most common sound is the sound the coin makes when it shatters, and the game does remark "Escaped" whenever a level is completed. The homemade quality to it is nice, but some music would have helped to make the game's sound more atmospheric.
Gameplay (n.) The precision of control and involvement of character within its universe	vv (Average)	The Coin is a fairly straightforward puzzle game. The goal is to navigate the coin to the hole on the bottom of each level before time runs out. To manipulate the coin, the ramps in each level can be tilted in each direction as the coin touches them. Pressing left and right will tilt the ramp in the desired direction, which in turn influences the trajectory of the coin. Tilt the ramps too far and the coin will travel in the wrong direction and break. Tilt the ramps too slightly and the time will run out before the coin reaches the bottom. Thus the game is born. The most pleasing part of The Coin's gameplay is a nearly-perfect physics engine, that takes into account gravity as well as the level of tilt placed onto the ramp. That means there's no excuses when the coin falls off and splits into pieces, because there aren't any enemies on-screen, and the only two forces against the player are gravity and time.
Story (n.) The creativity and presentation of the game's critical plot	vv (Average)	Average. Packed with demos, pictures, and dialog, Jim Theodoropoylos makes a very decent attempt at establishing a game story that fits well with the format of the game. Some grammar mistakes and some better color choices during the story demo would have helped to push the story score further, but at least the story right now doesn't disrupt from the gameplay.
Replay Value (n.) The timelessness of the gamer's delight, such that the experience can be repeated again and again	vv (Average)	There's no password or save feature, but whenever a game has a good physics engine, it makes the game quite replayable because it's predictable. Another bonus going for The Coin is it's unique gameplay, taking a different approach from QB puzzle games made before it.
Challenge (v.) To strike the mental nerve in such a way as to stimulate human thought and reflexes	vvv (Good)	With thirty-six levels and gradually increasing difficulty, The Coin should be able to test puzzle gamers pretty thoroughly, especially if the gamer's lacking in patience. The secret is good time management. While becoming too patient is costly, the levels are almost always designed to reward the player who speeds up the coin at the top of the ramp and slows it down just as it exits the ramp. Once this timing is broken down into a science, getting through the levels gets a lot easier, but it does take quite a bit of practice to perfect this balancing act.
Fun Factor (n.) The overall entertainment value as maintained throughout the adventure	vv (Average)	An almost average game from beginning to end, I would recommend The Coin to any puzzle gamer simply because it almost doesn't do anything wrong. The game is a departure from the usual top-down Bubble Bobble or Tetris-like QB puzzle game, and thanks to some good physics the game has enough merits to stand on it's own without having a big musical soundtrack or some flashy graphics. The only annoying thing about The Coin is the increased challenge as the magnetic fields intensify, but that kind of annoyance is acceptable for a puzzle game. The Coin Reviewed by Vance Velez
Players	1 player	Genre: Puzzle Game
Rating		To solve: 3-4 hours Final Rating: 14/35

Download

To download The Coin (262KB), click here. wThe Coin requires that you have a 100% Sound Blaster-compatible soundcard. wTo play The Coin, unzip the file and run "COINTRO.EXE".

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The Highs: Original gameplay backed up by a very slick physics engine.
The Lows: Graphics could use some polishing before it could get bumped above being an average game.

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