REVIEW FAQs
     Alrighty, here’s a quick little F.A.Q. regarding our scoring system and review area in general. If you have a question about our review area that isn’t covered here, contact Ape at psychoapeguy@gmail.com and he’ll get back to you as soon as he can.
Q: How do you score the games you review?
A: On a 10-point scale in increments of 0.5. Basically, the easiest way to see what the numbers mean to us, is by look at the little chart below...
          
10 - No game is perfect, but this one is dang close. This game is/will be a classic, is a definite bust-buy, and a recipient of our coveted ‘Gold Goomba’ award.  
9.5-Almost a 10, but a few minor flaws prevented it from the Gold Goomba. It’s still a must-buy and is the recipient of our ‘Silver Goomba’ award.  
9.0 - A very well-rounded game. It doesn’t quite reach the level of greatness that a game scoring a 9.5 or 10 would, but it’s still very solid. If you’re a fan of the genre this game lies in, it’s still a definite must-buy. It’s also the recipient of our ‘Bronze Goomba’ award.  
8.5-8.0 - If our reviews were a report card, these would be the B’s. They’re still very good games, but they have enough flaws to prevent them from being great.
7.5-7.0 - Your average game. Most games we review fall into this category. Basically, a solid game...But it may only be loved by folks who enjoy the genre the game lies in.
6.5-6.0 - These games do just enough to get by. They’re often bogged down by multiple flaws, but usually have enough fun found within it to make dealing with the problems worthwhile.
5.5-3.5 - The failures. They’re not the worst games ever made, but that doesn’t mean they’re any good. Only the hardest of the hardcore fans of the game’s genre will likely find any fun here. Everyone else should stay away.
3.0-0.0 - The worst of the worst. Any game that receives one of these scores is a game that went horribly, horribly wrong. You’ll likely have more fun cleaning the gunk from between your grandmother’s toes than you would playing these games. They’re given the unenviable honor of receiving our ‘Brown Blooper’ award. 
           
 
Q: Do you score classic games in comparison to the games of today?
A: No. When scoring classic games, we score them in comparison to the games of their time. This is why a game like Pitfall! for the Atari 2600 has the same score as a game like BioShock for the Xbox 360. In comparison today, BioShock is a much deeper game...But for its time, Pitfall! was pretty dang amazing. Though, we will admit, when reviewing older games, if we find that the game is still fun to play 10, 20, 30 years after it was released, it will help boost the score a tad due to its longevity.
 
Q: What do those flags mean?
A: The flags represent the region of the game we reviewed. Some games vary from region to region so, we mark down what region the game we reviewed came from. There are currently four flags we use;     for North America,     for Asia,     for Europe, and     for Australia. The majority of games on this site are reviewed from the North American versions.
 
Q: I see a review score for the game, but not an actual written review. Why not?
A: You will eventually see a written review for every game we have listed on this site. However, this site is a hobby site. We don’t receive any income for working on it. That means, we’ve got jobs outside of the site...So, sometimes we just don’t have time to write up a review right away, which is why we like to at least throw up a score. We’re trying to get reviews up immediately for all new games added to the site, but for all of the games currently up, it could be a little bit of a wait.
 
Q: I read the review for Chrono Cross and Ape gave it a 10 out of 10...But you have the game listed as having a score of 9.75 out of 10 everywhere else. Why?
A: Ape did, indeed, give the score a 10 out of 10. However, we also have another staff member who gave the game a score as well. While he doesn’t have a written review for it, he gave the game a 9.5, which when averaged out turns Ape’s 10 into a 9.75 for the overall score. Ape’s review is still giving the game a 10, however the averaged scores make our site give it the 9.75 that you’re seeing elsewhere.
 
Q: I’d like to submit a review. What do I need to do?
A: Send Ape an e-mail at psychoapeguy@gmail.com and send the review to him. We prefer to have our reviews anywhere from 3-7 paragraphs long (though exceptions can be made under the right circumstances) and the review must be scored on a scale of 0-10 in 0.5 increments. Including screenshots for the game is desired, but not completely necessary. Please note that just because you send in a review, that doesn’t automatically mean it’ll be posted on the website. We have the right to deny any reviews that get submitted. Also, submitting a review to the site will not change the ‘Our Score’ category on the game’s profile page. That score is the score from the website staff.
 
Q: I’d like my score to influence the ‘Our Score’ category. How do I do that?
A: By becoming a member of our little team of joy. If you’re interested, send Ape an e-mail at psychoapeguy@gmail.com and include your name, a sample of writing, info about the kinds of games you like, and anything else you’d like to share with us. Keep in mind, though, that we won’t be accepting everyone who applies. But, if you’re a good writer and passionate and knowledgeable about games, then you’ll likely have nothing to worry about.