Silver Star Shiver! - Karyete
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RATING: 11.5/20
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FUN: 5.75/10
"Generic" summarizes this in a word. Simply revolving around collecting silver stars for a seemingly random shine in a generic snow environment with nothing remarkable, it is difficult to get any significant amount of enjoyment from it. It got slightly more interesting in the second part with the differing style of jumps and enemies, but it turned out to be only a mild improvement.
The only couple challenges that came up may have been overly so, since the penguin barrier is unfamiliar and the tiny falling logs are rather unforgiving. In either case, making a mistake will result in a full level restart, which becomes more of a drag given the generic style behind it.
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GRAPHICS: 2.5/5
Although there are a couple minor gems here and there, most of the terrain is just bland and predictable, largely consisting of giant blocks of snow (although it is nice to see some rotation here), wooden cabin or ice blocks. There is also little in the way of doodads when they'd fit, and some of the features (floating pillars) don't make any sense either.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 3.25/5
- Fits the theme of the contest, albeit in a basic way. +1
- If you end up missing one of the silver stars in the first section before entering the pipe, you're basically screwed, since it becomes impossible to complete the level, and considering how many stars one needs is a complete unknown, this is a very likely outcome. The pipe could have very easily been two way to amend this. -0.5
- Spell checker is your friend. It doesn't take much effort to make signs legible. -0.25
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It seems like this entry was whipped up in a matter of minutes, and the score largely reflects this.
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Up the Mountain - Kirby859
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RATING: 13.75/20
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FUN: 6.5/10
Despite being quite simple in nature, it comes with a certain charm that makes it a bit more likable than other levels of its kind. At the very least, it adds a couple aspects here and there in the platforming that stand out more than its closest competitors, and although the effects are minor, they is still present. There are a couple questionable aspects here and there that are more trouble than they should be, but it still plays out in an acceptable manner.
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GRAPHICS: 3.25/5
Graphically, it is rather basic, but like the fun aspect, it has a simplistic charm associated with it. At the very least, it has some minor variety with what is provided, and it fits well enough in a Mario universe (aside from a couple portions of tile usage that don't flow well).
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 4/5
Fits the theme of the contest. +1
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Simple indeed, but although unremarkable, it works in a strange way. At least the lack of any significant issues grants it an average score.
Unfortunately, I feel that it can be summarized rather easily, which makes for brief commenting.
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Snow Cone - Yoshi999
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RATING: 13.5/20
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FUN: 6.5/10
Simple summarizes it nicely, and while it offers little that is worthwhile or unique, it offers a three-pronged path that gives the player the option of choosing their path. Alas, it would have been nice if it had more meaning or strategy behind it, but at least it is an aspect that makes it stand out a little bit more compared to its counterparts. After all, the typical mesh of basic platforming is all the same, along with the obligatory ice mazes and lack of engaging gameplay. The minor secrets and 1-ups helped a bit, but not enough to make a noticeable difference.
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GRAPHICS: 3/5
Although the graphics aren't bad, they're still a bit too generic for my liking. The snowy sections look decent, but it still lacks the genuine feeling that other top levels have, and the overused and aesthetically displeasing ice block mazes only make things worse. It just doesn't have a proper platformer vibe to it, and is too basic to be properly engaging. At the very least, though, it doesn't possess any significant flaws to drag the score down.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 4/5
- Fits the theme of the contest. +1
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Simple indeed. The three path concept is intriguing, but like I said above, it would have been nice if it had been a greater focus with more depth besides 'choose at random and deal with whatever you get'.
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FrostBitten! - GMDragon11
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RATING: 11.75/20
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FUN: 6/10
In terms of enjoyment, it wasn't horrible, but it was rather bland and uninspired. Although there were a couple interesting maze-ish obstacles here and there, most of the present obstacles were basic and crude, and any difficulty the level might have possessed was basically removed through the fludds granted early on. The silver star hunting is a bit interesting although some are too easy to overlook. The second section in particular had a significant amount of lag attached to it, probably due to being expansive and consisting of an unnecessary large number of items. Many areas suffered from an excessive number of enemies stacked upon each other (as well as some poorly used enemies in general; bullies are a primary culprit here).
To summarize the above quickly, it isn't the worst I've seen, but it is still rather flawed, proving that it needs a lot of improvement before it can truly be enjoyable.
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GRAPHICS: 3/5
For the most part, the graphical level is about average. When the terrain is set up right, it feels very genuine, and the doodad use is balanced for the most part.
However, the constant repetition of the same solid snow tiles is quite obvious, when they should be checkered. Additionally, there are occasional areas of cutoff (sideways water, breakable ice cubes). Finally, the level relies rather heavily on unnaturally floating obstacles and such, which deviate from the theme and atmosphere somewhat.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 2.75/5
- Fits the theme of the contest without any issues. +1
- "Drag the two silver stars and mario here"? Really? If you're going to use a checkpoint system, make it a functional one instead of forcing the player to do the work for you. -0.5
- There are too many issues with border blindness. To provide a couple examples in the second section, one area features a collapsing bridge you can barely see (due to being too close to the bottom of the level) can easily kill the player without any warning, and in another area, a rock is too close to the level's upper barrier and can easily trap the player to death due to a lack of room. -0.5
- The sign text largely consists unnecessarily crude chatspeak, which is never appealing. Directly insulting the player doesn't help either. -0.25
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I suppose the level is decent, but it has a fair distance to go before it can be competitive with other levels.
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Frost Glade - DarkBlaze
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RATING: 16.75/20
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FUN: 8.25/10
The level carries with it a basic platformer vibe, and while it doesn't offer anything truly amazing or revolutionary, the simplicity of it seems to be what makes it work so well. It is a genuine exploration experience with balanced features and a good assortment of well placed obstacles that lead toward a simple (maybe too simple) goal, and it is easy to get into and enjoy as a result. The fact that it is challenging (yet not unreasonably difficult) is a bonus as well, since it means you can't just breeze through it without effort. There was occasional lag to deal with, but even then it was relatively minor and easy to shrug off.
Unfortunately, some of the jumps required have little leeway and become frustrating as a result, and it probably could have used a checkpoint considering the length and difficulty. It would have been easy to do, anyways.
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GRAPHICS: 4.5/5
The graphics really do exude a DKC2 feel, now that I think of it. The fallen trees are what stand out the most, and it really does give off the vibe of a dying forest grove rather perfectly. It is done in a very unique manner that, though simple, is still genuine, and it is quite commendable as a result. The constant repetition of the solid snow tiles is a bit tiresome, though, and some of the floating obstacles used don't really fit either, but they are relatively minor issues.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 4/5
- Fits the theme of the contest. +1
- Although the fallen grassy trees are a nice touch, their interaction with the snow is problematic. If you end up sliding into the crevice, it kills you instantly (and I really mean instantly, as your life gauge just drops straight to 0). The terrain could have been altered here to get around this, even if it isn't likely to come up. -0.25
- Having the floating platforms atop tiny moving blocks is something I haven't seen before, and it makes for a surprisingly interesting obstacle. The one weakness, though, is that there is apparently a possibility of the platform falling off said moving block, and depending on where it happens, it might render the level impossible to complete. +0.25
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The level does have a nice, pure platformer to it, and it will likely do well in the contest. Very nice.
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Snow Bliss - AzErOtH
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RATING: 13/20
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FUN: 6.5/10
Being generic is a vibe that surrounds most of the level, as it really doesn't try anything interesting or notable. It isn't bad, but it also lacks the engaging factor to draw in the player like some of the better entries do. It is just a typical, balanced red coin hunt, and little more. The area to the left of the main playing area (with the sling stars) stands out a little more, but actually reaching it counteracts this (see other). The inside of the cabin could have offered something more interesting as well, at least on the same tier as the main level (and doesn't need a redundant warning sign either). Finally, the ice maze penguins mostly just stalled unnecessarily, since they are irritating to get around without any room to maneuver.
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GRAPHICS: 3/5
As a whole, graphics are mostly average. It offers basic snowy terrain (with the same solid snow tile repetition that other entries suffer from to create a bland look) with the unnecessarily obligatory floating ice blocks and such, and while it OK, it is also uninspired and too predictable. The outside of the cabin with the smoky chimney is a decent touch, at least.
The inside of the cabin is probably the most notable flaw in this regard. The fact that the entire supposed inside is somehow open to the outside is a major non-sequitur, and placing random windows in the wall just shows that it is a crude effort to make a proper cabin. As such, it just didn't work for me.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 3.5/5
- Fits the theme of the contest. +1
- Apparently there is a secret pipe that is supposed to lead you to the first sling shine barely visible at the corner of the screen (which can thankfully be reached with a long jump, albeit narrowly). How is the player supposed to know of the existence of said pipe? There is, to my knowledge, no in-game indication of its existence, and there's no reason the player should be expected to hit down in such a random location. -0.25
- What is the point of a bully spam when there are no actual pits or anything? They don't pose a threat, yet you can't get rid of them either. There's no reason they should be used in such a case -0.25
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For one of the first levels, it is a decent start, but 'decent' is all it can get in its current stage.
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Roaming Celsius Luminary - MessengerOfDreams
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RATING: 16.25/20
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FUN: 8/10
My, you do like your galaxy levels, don't you?
For such a mission, it plays out reasonably well, and the hunt overall covers a number of areas and obstacles, yet don't really get frustrating because the overall level set up is reasonably intuitive. It is a bit slow at times, and the introductory castle scene is unnecessarily lengthy at times, and the difficulty level is somewhat a bit too easy for my liking. Despite all this, though, it still remains quite interesting, and the fact that it picks up once you collect all of the silver stars makes it most worthwhile. The level ends on a nice note as well, and leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment after all of it.
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GRAPHICS: 4/5
Graphics are a mixed bag of sorts, as they usually are. The snowy landscape has an expansive, vast feel to it, and it is set up well, but at the same time, some of the slopes aren't connected well and have minor cutoff. The undersnow castle's interaction in particular is on the poor side.
The frozen hills and ice within the snow, however, counteracted this somewhat, as it is very unique and imaginative.
For the castle, the outside areas often just look wrong with misplaced shadowing and ledges that make it appear too haphazard. The inside is better, although there is too little difference between the walls and backgrounds at times.
Finally, although technically blocky, the final ice area still felt... right, in a way. It uses a suitable variety of blocks to achieve the right look (reminds me of the DKC ice level in particular), and the shining within adds a unique touch as well (although the latter could have been done better; see other).
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 4.25/5
- Although it has a reasonable association with the winter theme, it places unnecessary emphasis on being in space, especially since it isn't really necessary to make it work. +0.75
- The overall story with the penguins starts out a bit weak and dreary (although the 4th wall breaking made me smile), but it picked up both during the level (colorful and helpful dialogue, plus the hints helped with the silver star collecting) and especially during the final obstacles within the ice. I was pleasantly surprised when they ended up falling with you as a group, along with the chaos that ensued. +0.5
- Unfortunately, it isn't clear where you can go through the level transition and where you can't, as many of the walls are suspect to border blindness. It really should be clearer, since it gets confusing and irritating as it stands. -0.25
- It was a neat gimmick at first (to have shines continually revealed within the ice as you go), but it got tiresome after a while. Just disabling some shines would have created the same effect without breaking the flow. -0.25
- The trick of having the penguin bring you up the elevator directly is a neat addition. +0.25
- So is the digging for the star minigame of sorts. It probably could have been more varied and less predictable, though. +0.25
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The level certainly fits your style, and while it isn't as strong as your previous LDC entrant, it is still quite respectable, and should place without much trouble. Good job.
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Journey to the Arctic - SuperMIC & ~MP3 Amplifier~
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RATING: 17.25/20
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FUN: 8.25/10
Part I - A strong start, it offers a solid basis for the level along with a variety of challenges to overcome along the process, and it is very enjoyable as a result (plus has an accept amount of difficulty attached to it, which makes it more engaging). Alas, some areas were suspect to unpleasant flaws (some platforms move too quickly, some awkward interactions with caged areas while invisible), but the checkpoint system alleviated this enough that it didn't end up being much of a bother.
I especially like the ending, what with obtaining the means to explore the world just as the level ends, which naturally leads to the next section. Well done with that.
Part II - It is clear that it is meant to be simple for the most part, and although it feels like it could have been expanded upon a bit more (along with being more linear traveling; Europe to South America doesn't feel right). The house visits don't really fit either (see other), and it would have been better off relating more to each location in general. The ending was on an interesting note, at least.
With the knowledge that the other two parts have checkpoint systems, I'm rather surprised that this one does not, especially considering it is a bit longer. It would have been nice, especially with that defense system portion (see other).
Part III - The level clearly returns to a style similar to the first, with snowy platforming that is indeed interesting, and the little Easter eggs and such mixed in make it more interesting. However, it ends somewhat poorly with Santa's house, though, as what happened just didn't fit at all, and it ended on a rather odd note.
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GRAPHICS: 4.5/5
You two have outdone yourselves this time around, for things look quite nice overall. Between each area being expressed in a proper area, the many interesting gimmicks within the wintry areas (with proper snow tile rotation, gasp) and numerous decorations in multiple areas as you go along, it all really looks quite appropriate and cheerful. Alas, a couple areas here and there are a bit weaker in quality, and a few floating obstacles and such still stand out and break the flow somewhat.
On a side note, personally, I would have went with grass tiles for the world rather than cave. Landmasses are typically portrayed as green, after all, not black.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 4.5/5
- Certainly fits the theme for the contest. +1
- Using mushrooms for sustenance offers a nice basis for the secondary objective, which is nice (along with the hunt itself). +0.5
- The block/pipe based flashbacks are also a nice touch, although it would have been nice if they were a more prominent theme within the level. +0.25
- Although disguising the underwater gauge as warmth is a nice gimmick, it doesn't really play out well when you're just telling the player to believe something that simply isn't true. It doesn't impact the level negatively, but at the same time, just going with the normal water effect would have worked fine. +0
- There are a couple signs that are too long, and thus cut off rather abruptly. -0.25
- The guiding fish is a nice touch, but the fact that the eye clearly desyncs from the body at the end kind of ruins it. +0.25 & -0.25
- Hah, portal reference. Gimmicky, but amusing. +0.25
- The 2nd part's overall 'traveling the world' section, along with the convenient maps, are quite the unique addition. +0.5
- However, the runouw-esque concept behind it is too much of a non-sequitur and simply doesn't belong, especially given the level's context. -0.25
- Likewise, the ADT security system really should have been tested better, as it is rather prone to being susceptible to bugs and issues. It is possible to get squished below the rising platform, plus the movement lockers have more permanent problems that interfere with scrolling and the like. -0.25
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Although a bit goofy and light-hearted, it still does quite a good job, and will likely place well as a result. Well done, you two.
It could have used a bit more bug testing, though; it would have scored higher had those issues been revealed before submission.
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Nwinter - Nworlds
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RATING: 13.25/20
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FUN: 7.75/10
Oddly enough, I was pleasantly surprised by such an excursion, as it offered a large number of obstacles and challenges that simply aren't traditional. The difficulty level is pretty reasonable as well (aside from the lava secret, but that's covered below), and has a couple interesting puzzle aspects to the level as well. The checkpoint placed where necessary and the lag of lag or loading problems all improve its standing as well. Some areas don't play out quite as well, of course, and a couple areas are less forgiving than I would have liked, but even so, considering the other levels I've been judging, this is a breath of fresh air in comparison. At least it tries something different.
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GRAPHICS: 2.5/5
Unfortunately, the graphical aspects are a significant weakness, and serve to drag things down from the high pedestal it initially started on. There are far too many areas of cutoff than there should be, too many areas with generic ice block mazes and a high dependance on sharp slopes, and they're rather unappealing. Fortunately, there are some more interesting areas that are worth noting (the hook bridges, for example), but they aren't enough to remedy the situation entirely.
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OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 3/5
- The focus of the theme seems to be on other aspects, but it follows the them for the most part. +0.75
- Despite that you warn about it elsewhere, there is no actual in-game notice in regard to the fact that the clouds don't serve as platforms. It is still too easy to get tricked by their presence. -0.35
- The moving blocks within the ice mazes really should have been adjusted to not drag the player into walls and the like. It results in bizarre warping within the maze (once it ended up dragging Mario above it, for some reason), and gives a glitchy, unprofessional appearance. -0.4
- The story and dialogue overall just left me confused and bewildered. I'm probably missing something with the continuous self-references, but it just seems excessive. -0.25
- The secret area and obstacle course would have been a nice touch, but the fact that it is both unnecessarily difficult and untested remains a problem. It really would have been nice if the lava section in particular was actually realistic to complete, as it gets incredibly infuriating to try (and inevitably fail) to pass over a lava pit guided only by small blocks darting about at lightning speed, making timing or strategy nearly impossible.
Likewise, the rising ice block section is prone to a rather serious problem as well: if you get dragged into a section of wall too thick, you will be forced below the rising platform, which will make it impossible to proceed. +0.5 -0.25 -0.25
- I don't know why, but the colored block section in particular seems rather interesting. I suppose the combination of tiles that all do different effects (slippery, coin, possible platform) makes for a nice obstacle. It would have been better had it been elaborated further, though. +0.25
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If only for the platforming itself, the level is indeed quite remarkable, but the plethora of other issues are what serve to drag it down to a less notable scoring in the end.
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Unfortunately for these last three Volcove was unable to fully write judgings for, as he found himself incredibly busy.
Snow Road - MushYoshi
RATING: 13.75/20
FUN: 6.5/10
GRAPHICS: 2.75/5
OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 4.5/5
Ebenezer Mario - skjung2034
RATING: 13.5/20
FUN: 6/10
GRAPHICS: 3.25/5
OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 4.25/5
Holiday Island! - KevinOC
RATING: 11/20
FUN: 6.5/10
GRAPHICS: 2/5
OTHER TOUCHES/BUG REPORT: 2/5