Journey Through The Nightmare Realm II

This is one of those classic rogue click shooter and keyboard mover type games. I don't play games generally like this, but recieving it for free gave me some motivation to try it out. In short, not a bad game for those looking for something a little different and slightly retro. Journey Through The Nightmare Realm II (JTTNR)'s [b]gameplay[/b] is simple; make it through each room and find a way to the next stage without dying. The player plays as an eyeball that has the capability to shoot. As the player progresses through the levels they can collect coins to unlock certain rooms for upgrades. Sometimes, there are upgrades available as they play through, such as shields or weapon upgrades. Enemies are varied and sometimes close down on the player and do their best to accurately shoot in the proper direction. Some of the enemies are a little dumber and simply come in contact with the player to deal damage, while others have a little more sophisticated programming associated with them. The game is a little confusing to start, as I found myself pressing C repeatedly thinking it would start the game or enter, but apparently pressing Z starts it (after the card is inserted into the slot). Players can choose their [b]controls[/b] method right at the beginning of the game, that was quite straight forward. Unfortunately ending the game (or taking a break) will result in the player having to redo the game. The player can unlock cards to give them starting abilities, which is a bit of a redeeming quality, but can be annoying when players get decently far into the game.  The [b]visuals and graphics[/b] follow an NES sort of theme, but are a little more elaborate than graphcis in the 90s. There are a few small written text dialogues when the player's character gets hit which is a nice feature. Other little animations within the game are included, which certainly add a little depth to the game. When the player fires at other enemies, or when the player gets hit there are other small animations that occur. Super cool to see for a small game. The [b]sounds and music[/b] are minimal, however everything that should be indicated that an action happened is there.  I will recommend this game as it was made with care, but with caution. This isn't quite a game I would regularly purchase or play, but it does provide a nice break from the regular type games that get pumped out every now and again. The dev seemed to make it with care and really appreciated the small features at the beginning of the game (such as slotting a coin into a machine and choosing a card). Will recommend, however, again - watch some videos to see if this game is for you.  [h1]RATING: 6.0/10[/h1] [table] [tr] [td]Gameplay[/td] [td]C+[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Story / Campaign[/td] [td]C+[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Visuals / User Interface[/td] [td]C+[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Sounds / Music[/td] [td]C[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Replay-ability[/td] [td]C[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Overall [/td] [td]C+[/td] [/tr] [/table]