Ok, I finally fully played it, and I gotta say: you got a great little gem here! It's a simple game, has some quirks to it, like the password system, or the fact the only attack you can do in your base form uses up limited ammo... and I think these quirks contribute to this game's unique vibe! It's a game that does give the vibe of something you would've seen back in the 90s, maybe even a homebrew or a first game made by a starting company!
That's best seen in things like the graphics, where all assets are either super simple or going for that pixelated realism, which couples well with Kekcroc's general look, a simple character design that tries to look 3D in the levels yet has cartoony outlines and movement; but above all, they're a mishmash of various styles and sprites, some even from different games. It brings that homebrew/rom hack vibe to it, and it has such a unique charm to it.
The music also helps things, with all tracks being bangers, some being original and some from somewhere else. I really appreciate the addition of a sound test menu. Speaking of which, the Extras menu was also a really neat addition, including some prototype levels and everything! Even allowing you to change the title screen, just an extra layer of care put into this game really.
Now onto gameplay, while it is simple, it's enjoyable, and the game ain't that long anyways. The really high jumps from springs can sometimes be a bit tough to land, but that honestly reminds me of old 90s game jank lol. I will say tho, the second level of the mountain stage has a part where you ride a lift across a huge gap, and I kinda wish there were more obstacles through the ride, some more blocks to jump over or enemies to hit/avoid, because much of it was just me standing there and wanting really.
Also, the second level of the Croc Tower, I think there's a bug with one of the lifts, the leftmost I think, where it just... keeps riding upwards sometimes? And if we fall, there's no way to get back up.
Anyways, back on track, the enemy variety was functionally and visually pretty decent too! They're also simple, but they pair well with Kekcroc's 1 hit kill nature, 2 if you find a power up that gives you limbs, making you faster and allowing you to attack with a plunger, which has short range and does the same damage as a single rock. It's pretty pitiful against bosses, but useful if you wanna preserve rocks when tackling regular enemies, except the Spinnies, who are immune to it.
I also really appreciate two things: the fact Crocodollars actually work as currency to get lives, continues and rocks, it was a pretty good safety net early on; and the hidden bonus stages a-la S3&K's Special Stages. They're pretty challenging but fair, and I appreciate that the reward gets progressively greater the further ahead you go. In fact, I really appreciate the way you first reveal them to us on Reptile Island 1-2: by having one of the Klutzcroc enemies walk into the invisible wall, honestly pretty brilliant piece of level design!
In terms of bosses, as far as 2D platformer bosses go, I'd say you actually got a pretty neat line up here! Redcroc was pretty simple but he's the first boss, so he's fine; the fourth boss might've been my favorite actually; and the final boss was a bit on the simple side, but it's a cool set piece nonetheless. Kinda wish he had some more direct attacks tho, some projectile or anything. The bosses of worlds 6 and 7 (maybe 4?) were noticeably sprites of enemies from other games, I actually recognized the one of world 6 (he was probably my least favorite boss too, its pattern was really simple, the world 7 boss was pretty cool tho). While the dissonance in art styles is consistent with the whole game, I would be lying if I said I didn't appreciate the unique-looking bosses a bit more 😅 but hey, they do make up the majority, so it's perfectly fine! Would've been cool to see the Toaster-Drone 3000 tho.
And... yeah! That's basically it! I was wondering if the game was gonna have any secret endings or if it had anything to do with any of the "creepier" parts of the copypasta, but I honestly appreciate the straightforwardness. It's a fun little game, and that's all I could ask for! Well done, all of you blokes did a great job here, this is where gaming will be peaking!
Oh, btw, I think I fully cracked the password system, and now know what each number means, hehehe... tho passwords with the first number as 3 (meaning they'll have the boss level of that world unlocked) never work, and instead have me only with the second level unlocked. The password even starts with the number 2 instead of 3.