umm,
theme would attract me to the game firstly, some themes i wouldn't go near because they are so bad, but in saying that i hate soccer but i really liked world cup soccer 94, game i had. also i played a capcom pool game that absolutely amazed me, but whilest its theme wasnt that attractive the graphic were so if its a bad them it has to do allot more work every where else to make up for it. but a theme is important for sales point imo, games like WOZ theme i wouldnt see me buying even if the game plays good or not, would be a theme i wouldn't own, another would be "Hard bodies", lol
there are certainly themes that would be suicidal to make imo, and some themes you can make average games and sell easy.
sounds i dont really care to much about, unless it is just plain annoying again like "hard bodies" lol, of course nice sound is a bonus.
game layout i find important the most, it also needs to sucker you in straight away, even if it eats your balls straight up. i want to play a game that has that mystery to it, were the ball disappears into a cave or a ramp changes the ball direction, or hides the ball and you wonder how it all works, and all that adds that element of surprise
needs to feel like it has depth to the game.
the game play doesn't matter if its hard or easy but if toys are in the road for wank factor then the game layout is wrong. I like ramps and tunnels and 3d look to a play-fields but i hate cheap looking toys. Thats why i love SOF so much, its very 3d looking and there is no toys. ive played plodders that are very engaging, so speed isnt always an issue, ive also played fast games that are boring.
Speed doesn't make a fun game always but in most cases a fast flowing game is fun, even if it kicks your ass when you play it, you need to have that feature you need to fluke from time to time imo.
I love a game the ball just disappears and reappears at a time you dont expect. and that marvel of wondering where the ball is going to come from.
why these manufacturers now put toys and figurines on the playfield to try and give the game depth is beyond me,
good art and clever layouts that help with the flow of the game rather than something stuck on the playfield that looks pretty but hampers the game just shows lack of effort from the designer.
