Aalasteir's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[#6 - PhotonStorm (Phaser)]

It’s absolutely true that constraints are helpful. Limitations challenge you to think creatively and solve problems. Understanding how the engine works and its limits can lead to interesting results.

Sometimes, you have to remove features you originally planned so the game can run smoothly.

It’s easy to keep adding more and more to a game, but subtracting things is just as important—maybe even more so. Figuring out the main experience and actually finishing the project often depends on what you don’t add.

Thank you so much for the great talk! It really opened my eyes to how many different game engines there are and how much there is to learn. It’s hard to decide what step to take next when there are so many options. I’m also happy to see that HTML5 games work well here, especially fullscreen and with the API.

[Thanksgiving in Tijuana]

You have a great approach to rhythm.

@TeffyD, what's your thought process to structuring your music?

TeffyD responds:

It usually starts with a melody or bass line idea for me, than you layer on top of it, eventually making an intro or bridge and what not

[14-88 H.H. (Hamburgers & Hotdogs 2) Radio club Mix]

Very powerful music.

[Windows XP]

You did a great job capturing the atmosphere.

Rest in peace, Stan LePard.

[cosmos]

Very fun and bouncy beat!

trevor8 responds:

thanks!

[Unbreakable willpower]

Your composition is awesome! And the album cover is awesome!

[STU LIVINGSTON | CREATIVE BLOCK #192]

This was an excellent episode! I learned so much about storyboarding, especially the advice on keeping the viewer's eyes moving. It’s easy to fall into the trap of being afraid to fail, but that’s such an important part of growing. Learning from those failures is how you get better.

Thank you for answering the question about misconceptions around storyboarding—I had no idea storyboards could change so much after they’re made. Now I understand it’s all part of the process of inspiring creativity.

Failure shouldn’t be seen as something bad—it should be seen as something good because that’s how you learn and grow. If you can have fun failing at something, that’s like having a superpower! Most people don’t realize how much failure it takes to create a success they can see. That’s why many people don’t even try at their goals—because they only see the failure and give up after one or two tries. But failure is what helps you grow, and it’s a necessary part of getting better.

Making a cartoon is truly a collaborative effort. Letting your ego get in the way can hold back the quality of the story. It takes a great artist to put their ego aside and let the art serve the story.

[NGADM 2024 - Grand Finals Podcast]

Thank you for making awesome music!

[MKMaffo - Commissions Open #3]

Newgrounds is a great place for commissions. I really like how the "Open for Paid Work" section is set up.

[#3 - Ladies and Gentlemen, the Beer has been Opened]

Haven't heard that voice in a while. I burst out laughing when the sussy guy said, "I’m your worst nightmare." Well, he’s not too far off.

Didn’t know Newgrounds had a resurgence in activity because of Russian bots.

Pico Day should stay Pico Day. Changing the name to appeal to newcomers is a bad idea. If it’s renamed, will it be called something else in the collection or still be Pico Day 2025? It should just stay Pico Day—it’s a celebration of all things Newgrounds. If someone can’t take the time to understand that, you can’t force them to care about Newgrounds.

How do you get people to give a shit?

You give people a reason, and I think we already have plenty of reasons for others to join. The challenge is figuring out how to communicate that. We have a strong community of people who care, and if we could show that to more people, it would make a big difference.

We just need to make this such an awesome place that people can’t ignore it. Trying to force people to join might not be the right approach. Instead, we can focus on making it great and letting that speak for itself. The big question is how to do that. It’s a good place to start.