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Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 6:54 am
by Pedalpowerluigi
23rd place with a level that lacks "quality" :o not bad :awe:

Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 6:54 am
by Bomberman101
I seriously thought I was gonna have a much lower score.. Yay 12th place! That's good enough for me!

Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 8:15 am
by SuperMIC
Wow, I honestly can't believe I placed so high! >w< I mean, I kept saying "place high place high" for the sake of staying confident, but 17+ points? I am ecstatic that I somehow managed to beat Star and MP3, two legendary designers, and I'm fine with losing by a 0.6 margin. :3

EDIT: I LOST BY A 0.06 MARGIN?! BUFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU. omg luigi how cud u do dis to me ur my fav character

That being said, congratulations Buff, you deserve it after being deserted by your two partners. ;)

Now... 2 things. 1) NOW can I know who these people are and 2) Judgings? :3

Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 8:44 am
by lordpat
Ok, just a quick note.

First of all I've got 7th, which is the placing I expected and I'm content with. Even though Madness Garden was good, it doesn't show my style or my LDing skills now. So yeah, 7th is fine.
Also, I guessed almost everything when I made my forecast, although I wasn't expecting Kirby :3
So yeah, congrats to N and your 4th ribbon :p
I can say for Sk and MP3 that I loved their entry more than anybody's else. I would have given SMIC or Buff more points, no doubt, but yours was trying to do something big, different, while Buff made something next to flawless. So you had a 3rd place, but it's much more than that to me ;)
Either way, congrats to Buff and SMIC both for their very high well deserved placing. Well done.
And also, congrats By and your 5th ribbon :P
Great done Kirby too.

This was a very heated, well put together LDC, and I'm very glad I got 7th, because I know (and I hope I'm not the only one) I am much better now, and I think I will do a lot better next LDC, maybe not in position but at least in scores :3

And also:
SuperMIC wrote:
Now... 2 things. 1) NOW can I know who these people are and 2) Judgings? :3


Yeah that.


P.S.: Wanna see the edited version of the tier list.

Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 9:51 am
by MessengerOfDreams
So.

This was the biggest LDC on record, and while it may not have been the best, it most certainly had the most talented top three I've ever seen. Each of these entrants, to me, were at the same quality (despite SK/Amp's being a quarter point below) and are three solid additions to the history of designing as we know it.

I want to show y'all a little list thing.

18 Point LDC Entrants and Above
6th Highest LDC Winner of all time- Shyguy Island by Buffooner, 17.69
Highest Silver Medalist of All Time- The Untold Story by SuperMIC, 17.62

Alignment of Fates- 17.5
Paradox Bridge-17.5
Highest Bronze Medalist of All Time-SMA: Mirror Island by Star king and MP3 Amplifier- 17.375
An Act of Antichesm-17.25
Blablob's Tomb-17.25
Destinations-17.23
Impossible Treasures-17.13
Dimension Infinity-17.04
Arid, Arid Desert-17
Highest Fourth Placer of All Time- Big Boo Rainbow's Road by Nwolf- 16.81
Garden in the Clouds-16.68
Stone Tower Temple-16.58
Frost Glade-16.22
Goomba Valley-16.19
Blackyoshi's Yoshi Mania-16.18
A Leisurely Voyage-16
Disaster Strikes-15.81

Tl;dr, each of the top 5 scored higher than at least two LDC winners, and the top three beat some serious names.

I'm going to call this- the top two of this LDC was by far the most heated in any LDC- if SMIC got a quarter point more or Buff a quarter point less from ANY judge, there would have been a tie. A half point more and a different winner would be in session. Personally I consider both dead even in every aspect and both fantastic aspects of pure platformers and story-driven levels. I'm proud of both of them.

Buffooner has by far the highest score for any basic platformer level ever, beating the current leader, Parallel Spires by Volcove (2nd place in the 16th LDC with 17.19) by .5 points exactly. He also beats the current highest LDC platform winner, Garden in the Clouds (Cryokenetic in the 8th LDC, 16.69) by a full point.

Also, he has the longest rise to victory. His first LDC was the fourth LDC, where he didn't place.
He entered the six LDCs after that,
placing silver in the 5th and 8th LDC
bronze in the 6th LDC
fifth in the 9th and 10th LDCs
and missing placing in the 4th, 7th and 14th.

So 16 LDCs after he first entered and in the ninth LDC he's competed in, Buffooner finally won. That's pretty incredible. He deserves a round of applause just for his perseverance, and for a stellar level of course.

As for SuperMIC, he had a long run to the near-top as well. He started in the 14th LDC, entering every LDC between now and this one except the 19th. He started out having the worst level in the 14th LDC and now has one of the best levels of all time. Not only is Timpani and Blumiere the highest placing silver medalist of all time, it's also the 7th highest LDC entrant of all time and beats fourteen other winners below it. Once he gets the bugs worked out and enters it into WITBLO12, it'll be a fruggin intense showdown to see if either of them can beat Dark. :3 But I loved his level, and as a pioneer of the style, it did me proud.

MP3 and Star king, as prior winners with Antichesm and Dimension Infinity, have actually gotten a higher score here than with both of their winning levels beforehand, with their 17.375 beating Antichesm's 17.25 and Dimension Infinity's 17.04. Once they clear out the bugs and fix the lag then by far they have a huge juggernaut on their hands.

And let's not leave out Nwolf. Sure, he got fourth again but this fourth is by far his personal best and the site's best fourth placer, beating out many winners. Plus it's a great level!

I hereby declare all the levels in the top four will be WITBLO12 entrants! I advise you to work hard on them until then!

Anyway, what you're all waiting for, judging credits! I advise you to look at the vault for the order of levels.

Team Wario:
Suyo operated the main account.
MoD judged the levels between SuperMIC and MushYoshi with Nwolf judging SMA: Mirror Island.
Suyo judged between Cedrico2k and ZealousMark
Blackyoshi judged BrawlerEX and Pedalpowerluigi

Team Luigi:
MP3 Amplifier judged between SMIC and DageTheGood
MoD judged SMA: Mirror Island and everything between Canine and Pedalpowerluigi
Both operated the account; Amp taking over for MoD when his computer

Team Yoshi:
Yoshi Boo 118 judged everything and operated his account. Hooray, medal.


and for Mario


Team Mario:
Doram operated the account and judged most of the levels in a sporadic manner.
Nwolf judged all of the levelseries except for SMA and Whomp's Fortress
LordFalcon judged SMA.

Let's give everyone a round of applause!

I'll update the tier list soon.

Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 10:41 am
by Asterocrat
Third again?

...

I ain't even mad, 'cause I beat Dimension Infinity, thing which was my real prior goal for this LDC. So yeah, no mad ^_^ Or just a little tiny bit

Well, congrats to Buff of course for being first after 9 LDC if I understood well and to SMIC for beating us :> Congrats to N too I see you enjoy your ribbon and to BY, second placing and still 5th in the MOST HEATED LDC.

Also thank you a lot to you, MP3 for all that incredible helping, I wouldn't have placed that high without you, because all the good ideas, all your designing skills and your support. Cheers, Miss Perfect ^_^

Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 10:48 am
by ~MP3 Amplifier~
Wow. :D I'm so happy with third, you guys wouldn't believe how much I wanted bronze this LDC. XD (yeah, sorry Star :3)

I was rather surprised not to see SMIC win, however I think Buff certainly deserved it. His level is the perfect entry that will beat out all story-driven level series', as you can see from this contest. I'm happy for you both. ;)

Sorry Nwolf that you got 4th, and BY that you placed. :3 I was rather shocked Kirb came 6th, although I did have a feeling people were missing him out from their top 6 predictions as I personally thought his entry was pretty good.

As for the whole Luigi thing, yeah guys, I'm good at fooling aren't I. :3 I think I was half backup judge, half proper Luigi, because while I shared the load with MoD I also had access to the account, unlike the other backups.

But congratz everyone! :D And yay for us Star we beat both our past winning entries. And we came third in the most heated and biggest LDC of all time. This feels awesome. XD
Still cringing at how Harm gave me a 15.5 for Antichesm and I probably would've had a higher score than 17.5 in the 19th LDC otherwise :3

Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 11:18 am
by Nwolf
My judgings for Mario and SMA for Wario: show
Super Mario Adventures by MP3/SK
Fun: 8.5+8.75+8.5+8.5+9.5/5 = 8.75/10 Part 1: The level was more basic than the other ones but still pretty fun. Lag is what reduces points here a bit and the Honey Queen also was a bit annoying for me.
Part 2: The level is very fun and has lots of different ideas in it. For my taste though, maybe even a bit too much. The boss was pretty good.
Part 3: I think this actually was the hardest level of all 5. It was still very fun and had great ideas in it. But the wing cap section was damn hard.
Part 4: The level is difficult but also extremely fun. Jumping off Donkey Kong's hands was a bit annoying and some parts were a bit too hard. Sadly it was possible to skip most of Ancient Pokey battle, see Other.
Part 5: I really liked this. The boss battles were all great, the passages were cool too, but it was a little bit too hard
Graphics: 4.75+4.75+5+4.9+5/5 = 4.88 --> 4.9/5 Part 1: The graphics were really good in this level, especially the Honey Queen, but sand cut-off. Why.
Part 2: Great graphics, but sometimes pipe bases are slightly miss-placed. The boss looked very good and similar to original Squizzard.
Part 3: I really liked the tile mix and decoration in this level. The boss looked very awesome as well. Great job.
Part 4: The tile mix was great and it had great decoration. Donkey Kong and Ancient Pokey looked great as well.
Part 5: Awesome graphics. The passages looked great, the bosses looked great and The End looks good too.
Other: 3.75/5 0: Overall, the loading time was a bit too long but the very small amount of lag evened it out.
+0.15: Shifting Desert: Pokey is awesome
+0.5: All bosses are great.
+0.2: Border Lands: Dat ship. Awesome.
+0.1: Hanmeus: Great usage of the extended zoom out when shine sprite collected glitch.
+0.1: That maze was great
-0.05: Shifting Desert: When using the 2nd checkpoint you miss the 9999 seconds switch which allows you to skip jumping on Squizzard's head. Big difference, I know.
-0.1: Hanmeus' Castle: You can see the checkpoint pipe.
-0.15: Hanmeus' Castle: You can leave the boss room of the Ancient Pokey when activating the switch which deactivates the time block wall.
Overall: 17.38 --> 17.25/20
A very good collab level series with awesome levels, awesome bosses and not so awesome loading times. It was still nice to play and I wouldn't be surprised if this placed in the Top 3.

Nostalgia World by Harmless

Fun: 8.5+7.35+7.75+6/4 = 7.4/10 Part 1: It was fun to play, the Dr. Mario part was well made.
Part 2: I didn't enjoy this part as much as the first one, actually. It was a bit too hard and in the 2nd section (probably 6-4, didn't play all levels of SMB3) the fast spinning platforms can throw you at the ground and squash you somehow at the same time, taking away 4 wedges of the health bar.
Part 3: Again, this level was fun to play. The way to the boss fight was well recreated. The first phase was quite fun but the 2nd phase was actually pretty boring.
Part 4: This part was not very interesting. There was no special platforming or something like that and the Wing Cap section was pretty boring too.

Graphics: 3.6+4+2.8+3.2/4 = 3.4/5 Part 1: The graphics in this level were average. There also was cut-off at the top of all 3 Dr. Mario rooms because the background tiles end too early.
Part 2: The graphics in this level looked better in part 1. There was no cut-off this time and the tile mix at the beginning was good.
Part 3: The graphics just looked boring. I know, the graphics looked boring in SMB3 too, but in the non-SMB3 parts the graphics looked pretty boring too.
Part 4: The graphics improved again in this part. It didn't look very interesting again, but it was better than part 3.

Other: 3.46-->3.5/5 +10% (+0.31): Overall there was only a little bit lag and loading time, especially in the last 2 parts. It gets evened out by the first two parts.
+0.25: The concept of the NES system and the warps is nice.
+0.05: Part 4: Falling out of the castle was a kinda good idea.
+0.2: Part 4: The plot twist, that Goombro is evil was good and the fun I sometimes had when reading the text was.... obviously good too.
-0.1: Part 1: You can see the checkpoint pipe when loading the level.
-0.25: Part 3: The time switch glitched and I got pushed above the screen, making it impossible for me to continue the level.

Overall: 14.3/20
This level series was okay. It had interesting moments, but it lacked fun more in the last two parts.

Yoshi Mania by blackyoshi

Fun: 8.75+8.25/2 = 8.5/10 Part 1: This level was very fun. It wasn't too hard, had good challenges and it was fun searching for 20 red coins / 5 Silver Stars which looks like a reference to 20 red coins / 5 Flowers from Yoshi's Island. And even if the platforming is very basic, it still somehow was very fun.
Part 2: This level was fun, just like the first part. It had interesting ideas in it and the maze was great. The mushroom room was great as well. Only problem with this level was that I got a crash warning when entering every transition and after the 10th crash warning it just isn't very fun anymore.

Graphics: 4.75/5 Part 1: Overall, the level looked very good, but some parts looked a bit boring and next to the Shine Sprite there was vine cut-off.
Part 2: The level looked ♥♥♥♥ awesome, but there was cut-off in the 2nd section (maze), always next to the lava.

Other: 3.15 --> 3.2/5 +0.25: Great idea letting the Goombas "climb down" the vine to attack Mario.
+0.1: Yoshi's House looks great.
+0.1: The raft at the beginning is cool. You should somehow use that in SML :P
+0.25: Maze was great
-15% (0.55): Long loading time and lag

Overall: 16.45/20
The levels were very good but the loading times and the lag just reduce the fun a lot.

Whomp's Fortress by cedrico2k

Fun: 3.5/10 This level isn't interesting at all. It is way too short and doesn't really look like it has lots of effort. It also doesn't really look like Whomp's Fortress.

Graphics: 2/5 Like mentioned before, this doesn't really look like Whomp's Fortress and it doesn't feel like it too. It looked pretty boring.

Other: 3.15/5 +15% (0.4): No lag or loading time
-0.25: It doesn't look and feel like Whomp's Fortress

Overall: 8.15/20

Timpani and Blumiere: The Untold Story by SuperMIC

Fun: 9.1+9.25+9.6/3 = 9.3/10 Part 1: The level was pretty fun. The platforming was well balanced. I didn't get bored while playing it and the key system was cool too.
Part 2: The level was fun again. The time switch usage was great and there was very good platforming.
Part 3: A great castle level which reminds me a bit of SM63's Final Castle. Both rooms were very fun to play, so was the final section.

Graphics: 4.9+4.75+4.5/3 = 4.7/5 Part 1: The level looked very good. The tower looked great, the house looked great, whatever the beginning is looked great, the grassland looked great.
Part 2: The graphics weren't as good as in the first part but still very good.
Part 3: In the mainroom the graphics were great, in the left room they were great most of the time, in the right room they were boring. The rooms after the cannon had average graphics.

Other: 4.25/5 +15% (0.55): Almost no lag or loading time
+0.25: Key system is cool.
+0.25: Part 2: Blooper Boss was awesome.
+0.25: Even if I really can't be bothered to read all of it, the story looks great.
+0.1: Part 3: The eyes in the flame tower section
+0.1: Part 3: The passage with the block coming out of the lava and going back in it is cool.
-0.25: Most of the time you get squashed in the passage to the secret shine door.

Overall: 18.25/20


Super Mario Bros. Final by cedrico2k's brother

Fun: 1/10 These levels were not fun at all. Just plain boring or annoying. There never was real platforming and most of the time enemy spam. I hardly saw any effort here.

Graphics: 0.5/5 Cut-off. Cut-off everywhere. And no decoration and boring tiling.

Other: 2.89 --> 2.9/5 +5% (0.14): No loading time but lag caused by enemy spam
-0.25: Enemy spam

Overall: 4.4/20
These levels... they just weren't good at all.

Super Mario Bros. and the Mystery Power by Luinikex

Fun: 4.5+4+7.9+7/4 = 5.85/10 Part 1: The level was not very interesting. Additionally you have to go right first before using the pipe but you should have told the player.
Part 2: Lacks coins and it is very glitchy. It also is way too hard.
Part 3: This surprised me. Unlike the previous two levels it had interesting challenges. Great job with this one!
Part 4: This level was too hard again, but it was easier than part 2. It had good platforming ideas and Bowser actually was made quite good and to be honest, after the first two parts I didn't expect that.

Graphics: 2.4+2.4+3.6+3.15/4 = 2.88 --> 2.9/5 Part 1: The graphics were very basic. There also was cut-off. It lacks decoration.
Part 2: Just like part 1, very basic graphics, cut-off and lack of decoration.
Part 3: This level, unlike the first two, had a good amount of decoration and no cut-off. There was more variations in the tiling too.
Part 4: This level had very basic graphics once again and lack of decoration, but this time no cut-off. Bowser looked kinda good.

Other: 2.6/5 +15% (0.33): Hardly lag or loading time
-0.25: Part 1: When jumping right when activating the first time switch you skip half of the time switch area.
-0.5: Part 2: When standing on the very fast moving blocks they most of the time squash you in the wall. This goes for both, horizontal and vertical moving blocks.

Overall: 11.35/20
This level series wasn't too bad, but also not very good. The 3rd part was the best one out of the 4 parts. You should really work on your graphics and think of some more interesting platforming.

Mario Generations by themagikoopaguy

Fun: 5+4.25+3.75+3/4 = 4/10 Part 1: It was pretty boring, but you can't really do that much when making a SMB 1-1 recreation. This could have easily been avoided though by being not repetitive and recreating another SMB level.
Part 2: Same as first one, just more boring. The platform going over the water was useless, it lacked enemies at the beginning.
Part 3: Just plain boring and I don't want to repeat myself. If you can't work with a level, just choose another one.
Parts 4+5: Also just boring. I don't like Big Bully bosses in LDCs and therefore won't give points for them. They are just boring.

Graphics: 3.75+2.5+0.5/3 = 2.25/5 Part 1: It had a nice amount of decoration and no cut-off. The way to the SMB section looks a bit boring, though.
Part 2: Unlike part 1 the graphics weren't that good. There was sand cut-off and not enough decoration.
Part 3: Cut-off. You can avoid it. You don't have to recreate a level 100%, just make it look good. If you can't, choose another level.

Other: 3.33 --> 3.3/5 +15% (0.43): No loading or lag
-0.1: There are enough SMB 1-1 recreations out there.

Overall: 9.75/20
You made levels better than this.

Inscius Memoriam by BrawlerEX

Fun: 7+8.5/2 = 7.75/10 Part 1: The platforming was, for the most part, great again. It was just plain annoying to get to the time switch, because I had no idea that there was a 2nd platform (going diagonal to its destination) to reach the time switch.
Part 2: The Firy Piranha Plant was awesome and the Thwomps landing on the flames was a great idea. The tree was a nice challenge (even if I missed very obvious stuff sometimes). If 2.2 was a bit bigger it would boost the score of this (probably).

Graphics: 4.75/5 The graphics were great. There was a good amount of decoration and the tile mixing was good too. The piranha plant was awesome.

Other: 1.08 --> 1/5 +15% (0.35): No lag or loading time
-0.15: It missed good hints saying that there is another platform except for the one going straight up to the time switch
-0.25: The end of Part 2.1 is incomplete, the door leads nowhere.
-0.25: Wrong starting point in 2.2
-60% (1.62): Incompleteness

Overall: 13.5/20
It would have been a very good mini level series if completed, but it isn't complete and it has so many bugs that I just can't give you more points. And no, this wasn't your crappiest LDC entry. Your 18th LDC entry was about as incompleted as this and also had about as many bugs :P


Sorry for not using Mario or Wario accent, but I suck at both :3

Oh yeah, SMIC's level was too good to get an overall comment. That means that I was too lazy, yup.

Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 11:35 am
by Yoshi Boo 118
MessengerOfDreams wrote:Team Yoshi:
Yoshi Boo 118 judged everything and operated his account. Hooray, medal.


Boy you best be serious.

But yes I was Yoshi. LIVIN THE DREAM. :mrgreen:

My Judgings: show
SuperMIC- Timpani and Blumiere-The Untold Story
Overall: 17/20
Fun: 8/10
Where to start? While I do think it’s a bit of a bore to have to read so much before playing a simple level, the overall story was told well, and the adventure along the way was fun. The challenges were well executed, and I didn’t find any lag while playing. In Part 2 when I obtained Metal Mario, there was an area I couldn’t access but I need it to progress. The coding shows a platform that’s supposed to be there, but I don’t believe it ever comes…I didn’t take off for that, but I just want you to know. But all in all, this was pretty fun. I also liked the Red Coin challenges you threw in and the music choices as well.
Graphics: 5/5
Excellent! No cutoff, and every tile set looked like it belonged there.
Other: 4/5
+1 For the Blooper Mini-Boss. It was appealing.
Overall, well done! This level looked good and was fun to play.

DarkBlaze- Grey Garden Station
Overall: 13.5/20
Fun: 7 /10
This level was pretty fun. The buildings looked nice and the challenge was just right. It might have seemed a bit linear in some parts, but mostly it was well done. I liked the variation in platforming and the Flame Towers were placed well. Keep up the good work.
Graphics: 4/5
The item placement was fine, yet I felt that in some parts the grass touching the black tiles didn’t look right. That seemed like cutoff in my eyes. The rest did look nice, however.
Other: 2.5/5
-.5 In the later areas there was a little bit of enemy lag.
Overall, a nice level with only a few problems. Fix that enemy lag, and maybe find a different way to mix those 2 tile types together, and this level can easily be improved.

Harmless-Nostalgia World
Overall: 14.5/20
Fun: 7.5/10
The idea and adventure was good. I liked some of the things you did such as the remake of the two SMB3 levels, using the moving platforms for bouncing off. However, some things were weird for me…in Phase 2 of the NES boss, when that thing chasing you…was that supposed to resemble something? I thought it was strange how just some stone blocks were chasing Mario. And those clouds…I know they’re for decoration, but some were in places that just threw me off. But it was still enjoyable.
Graphics: 3/5
In part 3 when the NES consumes Bowser, that area with Signs could have been fixed a bit. They would look nicer just touching the ground slightly so it doesn’t appear to be cutoff. Also the NES in that part is layered over the red tiles, so you can see the whole Turbo Fludd Box. And it part 4, that layering of grass just doesn’t look right as little cliffs. I don’t think it works well with grass tiles. However, the rest looked fine. I know the castle doesn’t need scenery, and the 4th part was well done. The good balanced out with the bad here.
Other:4/5
+.5 I liked the coin blocks.
+.5 The humor was nice too.
Overall, a great experience that people should try out for some nostalgia.

GMDragon11-Coast Travels
Overall: 12/20
Fun: 6.5 /10
This level was okay, but some things seemed to bug me, such as with the Metal Star. What was its purpose? I could crush some underwater blocks to release a platform that wasn’t needed. I could just have avoided it to go on my way. The multiple paths near the end were nice, though. Overall it was okay, but I felt that some things included weren’t needed.
Graphics: 2.5/5
Yikes. Desert and Jungle Tiles don’t go together. If you just let them touch, it looks like there’s cutoff. And I’m not sure if you wanted the coins and items to appear behind the breakable blocks, but I don’t like it when they’re in front, because the blocks become pointless. I also didn’t like some things such as random background tiles behind an underwater pipe. Although I did see you tried putting scenery in places, the cutoff really hurt the score.
Other: 3/5
Nothing I found special.
An okay level that could improve greatly if the graphics were given an overhaul. Don’t just mix tile sets like that.

Star King & MP3 Amplifier- Super Mario Adventure: The Mirror Island
Overall: 17.5/20
Fun: 8.5/10
I love the idea of this mini-series. How the stone recreates memories and you play through past games. The puzzles and challenges were exciting. The one thing that killed me here was the loading time. I’m the guy that sucks at SM63 platforming, and when I have to wait for more than a minute to play again repeatedly, it makes me just want to hurry up and get this level over with. Luckily, it was better in the other parts. Some things really stood out, like the rotating area in Part 4. That was the true Super Mario Bros final castle spirit. I applaud you for the effort you’ve taken to make such a big series.
Graphics: 4.5/5
The graphics were stunning. I didn’t really see any cutoff, and the scenery was shown off well. Only thing was that I felt that parts of Mirror Mount just didn’t look appealing. I didn’t like some of the snow/brick/grass mix. But that’s just my taste.
Other: 4.5/5
+1.5 The bosses and block enemies were cool. Especially some aspects like the Donkey Kong Barrels.
Fantastic job, you two! This is definitely trophy worthy.

Kirby859-Not Tubular
Overall: 14.5 /20
Fun: 7/10
I did see the feeling of Kaizo in this level, and it was enjoyable. I just felt it was a little too simple for my taste. However, the challenges you put were well thought out, and I commend you for that.
Graphics: 4.5/5
For the most part everything looked pretty. The only thing I didn’t like was the touching of the grey brick with the jungle tiles. I just don’t like the way they mix when they are right next to each other. The rest though, good job.
Other: 3/5
Nothing I found that wowed me.
Overall I like it! But maybe people who prefer short challenges will like it even better than myself.

Bomberman101-Mario’s Trip to Runouw
Overall: 14.5/20
Fun:8 /10
This level I enjoyed quite a bit. Having two completely different paths you can take in the level makes it fantastic! I played through the first part twice and had fun going through saving Peach and Daisy. The 2nd part wasn’t as well put together, as I felt it was too simple just going through some blocks with Turbo Fludd. But in total I had fun playing.
Graphics: 4/5
One problem I found was the fact that some water was higher than it should have been. And some signs were cut off from the ground as well. But besides that things didn’t look too bad.
Other: 2.5/5
-.5 A bit of lag when I ran into large crowds of enemies.
A exciting level that will want you to play through twice, with a few errors that need fixing.

Nwolf- Big Boo’s Rainbow Road
Overall: 16/20
Fun: 8/10
This level really brought back some memories. I could remember all the areas I had explored in this level as with in Super Mario 64. A lot of neat stuff packed into a small mansion. I also enjoyed what you did with Rainbow Road as well, with the high gravity tricks implemented. The challenges were to my liking, and you have made a level that is sure to leave people thinking about the original game.
Graphics: 4.5/5
One thing that didn’t make sense to me was the random water placement in Rainbow Road. I mean, I understand for some of it, but other water placements just seemed completely pointless, like the very first ones at the start of Rainbow Road. However, the mansion looked nice, and I could relate it to the original one in SM64. And the colorful blocks on Rainbow Road really stood out.
Other: 3.5/5
+.5 I liked how the piano looked.
A very fun level to explore that will give everyone old and new an appreciation of SM64.

Buffooner- Shyguy’s Island
Overall: 17/20
Fun: 9/10
Hooray! A Yoshi’s Island themed level! But of course I will still judge this while remaining unbiased. Yet, this level was very well executed, and I had a ton of fun playing it. The uplifting sound of that 1st alternate music really set a good mood for this level. I felt this had the perfect balance of difficulty. And I loved that idea of putting the red coins behind normal ones, I could really feel the resemblance. Those jumping trampoline blocks were good too. One thing I should note however, was that in that little area that you got when you exited that first bonus cave with the spinning platform, you can do a triple jump and dive to get through and reach the three coins. However, this was a great level overall!
Graphics: 5/5
Very pretty scenery and it looks just like a real YI level would be set up. Although the ending green brick/jungle tile mix looks weird to me, I understand that’s how the real levels are like.
Other: 3/5
Nothing that I saw that really made me feel that this level deserved to lose or gain extra points.
This level can be enjoyed by everybody, and I’m hope you’ll place in this contest.

Lordpat-Madness Garden Galaxy
Overall: 14.5/20
Fun: 7.5/10
I liked all the options you gave with the 3 paths. There was some enjoyable platforming with all of them. I think you could have added some variety with all those flame towers in the third path, but that’s just my opinion. There was a lot to explore, and I had fun checking out each part.
Graphics: 4/5
One of things that bothered me was right at the beginning: mixing checkered and jungle tiles. When you mix complex tiles like jungle with simple bricks, it looks too weird. Also, in that area with the first shine on the comet, those fences weren’t properly aligned.
Other: 3/5
Nothing special.
This is a good level, and by fixing the graphic problems it can become even better.

Arceus79-Flying amongst Mario 3!
Overall:10.5 /20
Fun: 5/10
I know you tried to make this a fun recreation of the airships in SMB3, but…here, it just felt way too simple for me. All I had to do was jump a few gaps and dodge a few easy Bullet Bills, and I was done. I just don’t like how quickly this level could be done in general.
Graphics: 3/5
I understood you put a good faith effort into recreating those airships, and I like that. Yet I don’t like that steel tile just going into the Jungle tile like that at the very start- it just doesn’t look natural. Also I would have liked more coin placement to make the level look a little nicer, because I know you can’t add much scenery on an airship.
Other: 2.5/5
-.5 You didn’t start Mario at the right place…you put him near the Shine. Maybe test your level to make sure that doesn’t happen?
This level really needs some work. You can make a more challenging airship level and still make it more fun and exciting. And never forget little things like Mario’s start placement!

Blackyoshi-Yoshi Mania
Overall: 16.5/20
Fun: 8.5/10
Another Yoshi-themed level, and it’s also well made as well! I just like the way these two parts were set up. You think you’ve found everything, but then suddenly you find another area to explore. I obtained all Red Coins and Stars in both levels, and getting them was fun as well. I liked the difficulty as well as the creativity with some areas such as that mushroom filled part of the cave. Although there was a bit of loading time as well as a little lag in the main part of the cave, overall this level was great and I hope others try it out as well.
Graphics: 4.5/5
The scenery here was very pretty, and the whole island looked gorgeous . A slight bit of cutoff I found with a vine at the end of Part one. Two pieces were disconnected. But besides that, item placement was great.
Other:3.5/5
+.5 I really did like the Cave’s layout.
Nice job. Keep up the good work, and if you can reduce lag, that helps a lot.

MushYoshi-Bowser’s Lava Lake
Overall: 13 /20
Fun: 6.5/10
This level was fun, but it felt a bit too repetitive in my eyes. Many of the blocks had similar patterns and there weren’t many enemies or challenges in this level. There was also a tiny bit of lag. The lack of variety simply made this too…simple.
Graphics: 3.5/5
While you did add some background objects to certain parts, some areas didn’t have any scenery or coins and looked bland. Much of the area was okay, but nothing really looked amazing in this level.
Other: 3/5
Nothing special here.

An average level that could use some additional item placement and challenge as well as some more creativity.

Cedrico2k-SM64 Whomp’s Fortress Star 2
Overall: 12.5/20
Fun:5.5/10
I could see that you were trying to portray Whomp’s Fortress, but I don’t think you gave it a proper remake. There were many areas to explore in the original, and I found this one lacking in detail. Some areas did create nostalgia here, but I feel that you could have added more.
Graphics: 4/5
Some areas could have used more item placement such as coins. There wasn’t any cutoff, and you can’t add too much scenery to bricks.
Other: 3/5
Nothing special.
Overall, this level should be added on to really show people what the original course was all about. Until then, Whomp’s Fortress will not be given the kudos it deserves.

Cedricko2k (brother)-Super Mario Bros. Final Series
Overall: 5/20
Fun: 1/10
I’m sorry to say that these look like the levels that a moderator would disapprove. Tons of enemy spam, little variety, and a lack of effort in general. And any level that can be disapproved without a second thought is not one that should be entered into a Level Designer Contest.
Graphics: 1/5
The item placement was done very badly…and the cutoff was just plain horrible. You could see other areas right next to each other. There was barely an effort to make this level look good.
Other: 3/5
Nothing bad that I haven’t already said.
You need to practice level making, because these kinds of levels aren’t what anyone finds enjoyable.

Dage the Good-Super Mario Master Quest
Overall: 12.5/20
Fun: 6/10
This level was enjoyable, and the little bits of humor were nice as well. I think you made a mistake when you needed to go from the Shy Guy area (Also it’s not my fault that they’re in Mario’s world, I’m not the police :P) to the Bully Boss, because they’re no way to get up that wall normally. Perhaps you forgot to add a platform or Sling Star? This level also felt a little simple with just some enemies to fight and only a little bit of challenge, but it was okay to play.
Graphics: 3.5/5
There was some cutoff with the signs, but the rest of the area looked fine to me. A bit more of item placement would have helped as well.
Other: 3/5
Nothing special.
A nice level that could use some work. Always remember to test your level to find any big flaws!

Canine-Silver Star Galaxy
Overall: 15/20
Fun: 7.5/10
This was a nice experience. Overall the level looked nice and the challenge was good. I got a little annoyed when I got stuck down the deep hole with a Star and I didn’t have the Rocket Fludd to get me out. Not sure whether or not you intended to trap a person, but if not you should have added a warning sign. However, traversing this area with use of all the Fludds was managed well here, so good job!
Graphics: 4.5/5
Very pretty, and I didn’t find any cutoff. The item placement was also executed well. Only thing I didn’t like was how the castle rooms floated in midair.
Other: 3/5
Nothing that wowed me.
A pretty good level that can improve with a little graphics fix and warning of the gap.

Blazeron1-Bowser’s Castle
Overall: 11/20
Fun: 5/10
This level felt very bland to me. Not much variety in challenge, just some Thwomps and Flames. Also, NEVER make every breakable block a block that gives out tons of coins. That creates a ton of lag, and just aggravates people who play your level. Add more creativity to this with more variety and enemies.
Graphics: 3/5
The graphics didn’t really impress me…some things confused me, like putting the Hover Fludd box on top of a block. It’s too big for that and just stands out. Also try adding single coins instead of spamming coin blocks.
Other: 3/5
Nothing special.
I recommend you work on this level and add some more challenge and coins to really make it stand out.

Luinikex-Super Mario Bros. and the Mystery Power
Overall: 14.5/20
Fun: 7/10
Overall I thought this level was well thought out, for the most part. Going through each of the different types of lands added some variety to it, and there was a nice amount of challenge as well. One part that bothered me: In the first part I went in the pipe first without realizing that you were supposed to go right first and I had to start over. You should have warned me where to go, at least with an arrow. But the story was nice, and I enjoyed playing.
Graphics: 4/5
Some water was higher than it should have been, and you didn’t connect proper tiles correctly when making hills, and it became cutoff. In part two, I didn’t like the desert and cave sets just touching, as that also looked strange.
Other: 4/5
+1 That little Bowser Boss at the end was pretty neat.
I liked this level. Fixed those errors I told you about and this level will become even better.

CrazyMario-Winter Land
Overall: 13.5/20
Fun: 6.5/10
This was a nice, quick little level to play. I wish you would have made a real maze, though. And maybe use an arrow in addition to telling the judges to go right outside of the level. I felt that the caves weren’t really caves, just more ice. Having some variety with your tiles makes it look better and more fun to play.
Graphics: 4/5
You did have some signs randomly floating a bit in the air. You also had the water in the maze going up over the ice. But the scenery was still nice, like the mushroom and the trees.
Other: 3/5
Nothing special.
This is an okay level, but by fixing the cutoff and adding more variety you can really improve the way it looks and feels.

Themagikoopaguy-Mario Generations
Overall:14 /20
Fun: 7/10
I liked how this was based off Sonic Generations while still keeping this in theme. The first level did look a lot like the original, and I liked the choice of tile set. The different worlds to explore were good, yet I found the Bully fights fairly tedious and simple. But in general, I did get a feel for what you were trying to do, and it was enjoyable.
Graphics: 4/5
At the ending castle in part 1, the building didn’t have the border tiles used around it, while others did so it looked weird. Also in the caverns you didn’t bother to add proper tiles on the top, so that’s cutoff right there.
Other: 3/5
Nothing too good or bad.
If you spark up the boss fights, and fix the graphic problems, this mini-series can easily shine.

Spikebot8- Bowser's Giant Castle of Fire
Overall: 8.5/20
Fun: 4/10
I really did not enjoy playing this. Half of it was just running to get from one place to another, with no challenge whatsoever, such as walking over clouds for 2 transitions. No enemies at all. Overall this was just too simple to be considered a good level.
Graphics: 2.5/5
Item placement was terrible here. You could have at the very least added coins to the areas where you just ran without breaking a sweat.
Other: 2/5
-1 The lag really hurt the score as well.
You should really learn to add challenges to your levels. Simplicity may not necessarily be a problem, but when all you do is run, then it does become one.

Discord-Perpetual Testing Initiative
Overall: 9/20
Fun: 4/10
This level had some problems with its simplicity. It was just way too easy, and it only took me 3 minutes to beat it. There just wasn’t much to do, and that just made it boring overall.
Graphics: 2.5/5
I could see the bottom room’s tiles when I went into the pipe, even without zooming out. There should have been more coins and better overall item placement.
Other: 3/5
Nothing special.
You should do a complete redo of this, with more challenge and more scenery. Creativity is what keeps people coming back for more.

Yoshi999-Bowser’s Castle

Overall: /20
Fun: 4.5/10
There wasn’t much to work with here. Just some simple platforming, dodging Flame Towers, and that was it. In addition, the second part isn’t even there. It’s hard to enjoy half of a level, much less an unchallenging one such as this.
Graphics: 2.5/5
Some better item placement instead of just adding 1-ups and blue coins would have been nice.
Other: 3/5
Nothing too good or bad.
I hope you realize that it’s not a good idea to leave a level or series incomplete…and more scenery can help as well as adding more challenges like spinning platforms or more moving blocks.
(Also sorry if I’m not supposed to judge this)

ZealousMark-Snow Cabin
Overall: 13/20
Fun: 6.5/10
This was an okay level, but there were some things that could have been fixed. For one thing, I didn’t even need the Wing Cap. All I had to do was spin repeatedly and I made it to the other side. However I did like the use of the multiple Power-Ups, and the challenges were ok as well. At times it felt a little too simple, but in general this level isn’t half bad.
Graphics: 3/5
The outside snow looked okay, but the inside felt a bit too empty. Some more coins could have made it feel less barren.
Other: 3.5/5
+.5 I liked the little clock contraption.
This level is a good start, but add on to it to make it really stand out among the competition.

BrawlerEX- Inscius Memoriam
Overall: 12.5/20
Fun: 6/10
I must say that you managed to get a good amount of work done for only five days. The first part was very nice with good challenge and platforming. The alternate music helped add to the ambiance. The tree puzzle in part two was well done, too. I only wish that you finished the rest of the parts. Without a complete series I can’t judge this level properly. The Boss Battle could have been something amazing, and I do hope you finish this at some point.
Graphics: 3.5/5
I usually don’t like mixes of tiles, but in this situation it looks nice. When you’re using Grass tiles and trying to make little ledges underneath, I think it looks weird. The only tiles I feel it works with are Jungle tiles.
Other:3/5
Nothing special.
All I can say is that if it was complete, it could be a true masterpiece. But as it stands, it will become a level lost in memory.

Pedalpowerluigi- The Lost Level of Super Mario 63
Overall: 11.5 /20
Fun: 6/10
This level was very confusing to traverse. I simply did not enjoy the way it was laid out. I could remember certain parts of this bearing resemblance to the original course, but in other areas it didn’t look as similar. And the way that it was so barren with barely any enemies didn’t help much either. The Zelda humor was sort of strange…I hope you could fix it to make the level more memorable like the original.
Graphics: 2.5/5
There were several problems here. I found quite a bit of tile cutoff, for one thing. Certain parts could have used more coins or enemies, like in one underwater area I passed. You added some scenery, but you could have added a lot more.
Other: 3/5
Nothing special.
You’re off to a good start, but you should seriously rethink the graphics and the organization of this level, and try to not add random humor…


And as usual you can expect me to not be judging for a long time again. Probably teaming up with SMIC for next LDC so CHEERS :3

Re: 20th Level Designer Contest

PostPosted: August 22nd, 2012, 11:57 am
by ~Luigi
Here's half the judgings!
Wow... I can't believe I managed to hold in the fright I had when seeing some of the...ghosts...in those entries. :?

Spoiler: show
SuperMIC:
with Timpani and Blumiere – The Untold Story


Fun9/10. I BEAT THE FIRST SECTION OF GLOAM FIELDS WITH FULL HEALTH AND IN ONE GO, F*CK YEAH. …Anyway. In the house in Gloam Fields, there was some really tricky but clever platforming. I also loved the water up the sides of the wall. It was there, in plain site, and yet you couldn’t see it unless you jumped into it. I really liked the challenges we had to go through to get to the invisibility cap and metal cap in Gossamer Pond too, that was really fun and interesting. I also liked the slightly hidden locations of the red coins – that was also excellent. Fort Aredites though … that was a disappointment for me. Those first few rooms were lag mania in particular, and look below for some graphic problems I picked out there too. But I did love the cannon, that was very fun and that whole room in particular was pretty well designed. (check Other for a mention of this too)

Graphics4.5/5. Décor is excellent throughout (though some parts do lack, thankfully not too much). I also love that disabled flame at the beginning of Gloam Fields, that was rather inventive. The tiling in general had great shape and structure. I also loved the camp fire and miniature hut set out at the bottom of Gloam Fields. It’s a really good ending, for me personally. I especially liked the algae idea in Gossamer Pond. But there was a bit where the jungle tile shadows underneath the turf weren’t used to make it look more natural, and that was possible. And there were some uneven looking pipes in Fort Aredites – there were gaps between them and they didn’t quite fit together well. In fact, most parts of the first rooms in Fort Aredites looked pretty plain and boring, which was a shame, as it was looking excellent up until then. But in the final rooms, it looked excellent.

Other3/5.

-0.25 – I got very confused at one point in Gloam Fields. It said “press down underneath the bushy tree”. Which bushy tree? I could see lots, and it turns out I had to jump down to bottom section to find it. That really confused me.
+0.5 – The story was really heart-warming. Gotta love it.
Note – In Gossamer Pond, I was unsure how I was to get past the switch blocks. Only by pure curiosity was I able to find where it continued. But curiosity is good, which is why I’m not deducting any points.
-0.75 – There was a part in Gossamer Pond where you had both metal cap and invisibility cap underwater and you went back to reach the door that you needed to get to. But then, out of nowhere, the cage bricks squish you although you have invisibility to be able to get through them. This is a pretty bad bug as you just can’t continue the level without being able to go through it. I’d add a second row of cage bricks if I were you so the space is a little bigger and less of a squeeze for Mario.
-0.25 – Some HTML code issues in a few of the signs towards the end of Gossamer Pond.
+0.5 – However, I loved the cannon tip used in Fort Aredites, that was really inventive.
-0.5 – There is a quick and easy way to skip a room. In Fort Aredites, if you get the invisibility cap first, you can use spin attack through the walls to break the blocks and access the cannon easier. You should’ve considered this.
+0.5 – However, I like the variety of mini-blosses used throughout and the shifty eyes in particular.
+0.25 – I liked the black desert bricks and black background bricks mixed – it was almost like an illusion trying to jump onto them.

Overall – 16.5/20.




DarkBlaze:
with Grey Garden Station


Fun8.25/10. Great platforming throughout, I found most of it really effective. A good use of thwomps and flame towers. It wasn’t too challenging or too easy, which was a nice mix. However there wasn’t anything too new or inventive, and it became quite repetitive as we proceeded through the level. But it was definitely simple, and simplicity isn’t bad.

Graphics4.5/5. The graphics, especially the grass sections, look great. A good amount of décor, although a little bit more in the more man-made looking sections would also be nice, as it begins to look a little plain as you go through. But overall you made a pretty good job of the atmosphere we were entering. Also a little bit of tileset variety would also be nice.

Other2/5.

-0.25 – Lack of coins in areas. It was very tricky to regain back health. And strangely enough, the places where you didn’t really need many coins were the places where there were the most.
-0.5 – Bad lag in areas – I’d cut down on the amount of enemies in the future.
-0.5 – With an easy double jump and spin attack in the second transition, you can skip a whole area of platforming.
+0.25 – The blocks hidden behind the dark stone bricks are really good, and they weren’t noticeable either, which was great.

Overall – 14.75/20.




Harmless:
with Nostalgia World


Fun8.25/10. The platforming was simple, but also very effective in places. But I loved the idea in general of going through different games – it was a lot of fun being warped to these places and it made the player feel like they were part of the computer. Very well done indeed. I think, especially in the boss level, there needed to be more block usage around the level as it began to feel rather predictable in places. I really wanted to have a shock, and your level didn’t deliver. And what really disappointed me was Race to the Finish, because ironically, it wasn’t a race at all. I could’ve taken as much time as I’d liked to get that level done, and still would’ve completed it. You should’ve made it more like a time run, that would’ve suited the name more.

Graphics3.75/5. There could’ve been more tile shape variety, but in general there was no cut-off or messy tiling, and although it was very simple, the décor was also at a nice balance. The references were also good, and you definitely created the perfect atmosphere for them, but they still felt lacking. The best move to make would’ve been to mix the feeling of classic Mario and the level designing of now. While it looked and felt great, some innovation or new/fresh feel mixed within would’ve been great, and also really clever. (this is more relating to the Intro) Although, as opposed to this, you really succeeded with the nostalgia. That was easily the greatest part of these levels, which is what we wanted as that’s what it’s said in the name. There needed to be more décor in the man-made areas, as I couldn’t really see any at all. And perhaps more brick variety too.

Other3.25/5.

+0.25 – The dialogue wasn’t excellent, but humourous in places. You also included ME (Luigi) in it. :D
+0.5 – The references were very good, could’ve been improved still, but look in graphics for that.
-0.25 – Mildly bad but also bearable lag in places.
-0.25 – The signs were far too close to each other in places. Give some more distance between them.
-0.5 – With the switches in the boss battles, it’s difficult to stay still in such lag. And by moving slightly sideways while being pushed up from it, you get pushed off the edge of the level.
+0.25 – But I did like the beginning of Race to the Finish – dropping through that tower at such a high speed became a bit of an illusion, or it looked that way.
+0.25 – The nice touch of hitting the top end of the level in Race to the Finish, through switch. I liked that.

Overall – 15.25/20.




GMDragon11:
with Coast Travels


Fun7.75/10. There wasn’t much platforming-wise – nothing really new or creative – but the level itself and the atmosphere used was really nice. And I enjoyed that in particular. I enjoyed exploring the level more than using platforming to get around, as the level lacked that kind of gameplay. But it was still a simple and fun level.

Graphics4/5. You could see in one area that the pipe was out of place, and it felt untidy for me. But in general I loved the décor and tiling and item usage, it looked great. Although the mix between jungle and desert tiles looked a little messy in places, if they weren’t mixed so obviously together and instead separated more it would look much better. Also the water had cut-off where you could see the edge above the surface – that was also messy.

Other2.25/5.

-0.5 – Rather bad lag in places. More transitions perhaps?
-0.25 – If you fall between some of the really tall pipes, it’s impossible to get back up again.

Overall – 14/20.




Kirby859:
with Not Tubular


Fun8/10. Very interesting gameplay actually, although tricky to get past in places, I found it very entertaining and you definitely shone well here. I didn’t like the beginning to be honest; I had a real tough time trying to get over the bullets and onto the flames and platforms. But I did make it in the end.

Graphics4/5. The décor was fair and in good amounts, but there were a few problems. The jungle tiling was a little too repetitive for my liking, and there also wasn’t much shape in the turf – it looked just very straight and plain. You also told us to zoom out at the end and you could see where you hadn’t filled in the tiles for the jungle. Although I’m going to assume that was the level dimensions themselves and therefore say you couldn’t really do much to improve upon that. But in general the graphics were really good.

Other2.75/5.

Note – The pipes were very tall and you couldn’t even triple jump over them if you got trapped in the middle by two of them. However, this is balanced out because the bullet bills were shooting by so often that you could jump on them to get yourself out.
-0.25 – I think you should’ve made the bullet bills at the beginning shoot by more often, because it was incredibly difficult to get across them and spinning attack backwards to land on the row behind very rarely worked.

Overall – 14.75/20.




Bomberman101:
with Mario’s Trip to Runouw


Fun7/10. Some platforming is quite inventive, but for the main part, very simple. However, there was a huge stomp from the sky to the ground in the Princess Peach route and that wasn’t too good for me personally. I don’t see why it had to take so long for us to reach the ground. When we reach the lake in the second level, it goes on for ages with no blocks to break through, and I think there should’ve been interesting sights and platforming, and it would’ve been a perfect moment to do it too. And the moving/rotating blocks themselves were going way too slow IMO, it was quite an easy battle without Turbo FLUDD. With Turbo FLUDD, there might as well have not been any chasing blocks at all.

Graphics3.25/5. There is not much to see graphics wise at the beginning of the first part. Not much décor at all, and the tiling wasn’t that interesting or inventive. However, there was no cut-off either. But when we reach the ground (after an incredibly un-necessarily long stomp to the ground) it looked much nicer. Still a bit too simple for my liking, but the décor was at a nice balance (however lacked in areas IMO) and although the tiling was simple in shape and tilesets, it was placed fine and didn’t have any major issues. In the second part, I think there could’ve been more décor, especially in the first transition. It looked quite boring, to begin with.

Other2.5/5.

+0.25 – The story is a little cheesy, but without it there wouldn’t really be much to see in the level.
-0.25 – At one point there are two sling stars in the Princess Peach route and they don’t really do anything. It could be a reference that I’ve never seen before in my life, but I think you should have had more use of them.
-0.25 – There were some bridge platforms lying diagonally across grass sections, and if you didn’t jump while going past them, you could fall between the gaps.
-0.5 – To be honest, the checkpoint system was terrible. There were no pipes to lead us to where we needed to go, if you expected us to move the start position to where the signs were then you are basically giving us permission to move the start position wherever we liked in the level. We could move it above the shine sprite if we wanted to. It just looks lazy.
-0.25 – Having a gap between the block maze and the grass turf was not a clever move. Not only did it look quite ugly, but it was also easy to fall down. I might add in this same point that there seemed to be a goomba constantly trapped there, which was very distracting.
Note – Erm … was the level supposed to finish there? There was a sign pointing us in the direction of a lake of some sorts, and I just collected the shine sprite. Was that supposed to happen? o_O Edit: Just loaded up the second level. I understand now.
-0.25 – Kinda bad lag in the lake. But bearable.
+0.75 – Out of all those bad things I’ve picked out, do you know what I loved? The extreme effort and motivation in these levels. Yeah, so they didn’t exactly go to plan for me personally and many things could’ve been improved. But I’m not talking about the LDC vault post that shows this, but the levels themselves. The techniques and quantity really show this, and I think it deserves a boost just for making it clear to me.

Overall – 12.75/20.




Nwolf:
with Big Boo’s Rainbow Road


Fun9/10. Some of the platforming was interesting, and the popular trampoline-like bouncing technique. Unfortunately that section lagged a little, so you couldn’t fully enjoy it. But it was still creative. I finally found a way to get the red coin from underneath mad piano without losing health. Also this level was challenging in some ways, but had a great balance too. Some bits dragged on a bit, but thankfully you knew when and managed to stop it. I have to congratulate you; I think this is the most entertaining level I’ve played so far this LDC.

Graphics4.25/5. Although it was simple and there wasn’t much decoration inside the building, it still looked great, and the tiling was great. You pulled off a really great atmosphere with this. The stone planet and the décor was great there, though. Rainbow Road looked great too, although a little bit of décor used more would’ve really transformed it. Also the blocks were very well used throughout, I can see tons of detail put into this level – therefore I congratulate you, very much.

Other3.75/5.

+0.75 – I’m not altogether sure whether the room is supposed to shake (because I haven’t played the game this is referring to before) but the piano itself is amazing, literally. You used 118 blocks for it too? Lordy lord, it just looks incredible.
+0.25 – The glitch with the flipping platform, haha. We should never trust mysterious voices. But I liked it.
-0.25 – However, deliberately hurting yourself to get some red coins wasn’t nice.
+0.25 – I think the water was low under the surface at times because of a small error in the level designer itself with the water item, however if you walked across it, it gave you a slowing down effect, which was really good.
-0.25 – The mini flame towers can still burn you, although inside the blocks, when you get to them.

Overall – 17/20.




Buffooner:
with Shyguy’s Island


Fun9.25/10. I loved the platforming, it was excellent and yet classic feeling. Although a few of the platforms felt a little out of place (shape-wise) and it was a bit awkward jumping on them, it may be part of the original game, which is why I’ll only deduct a little bit as that affects more my opinion than platforming as a whole. It also had a really complicated structure, which was excellent. Only thing is, it began to feel a little repetitive, and the platforming techniques I really wanted to see repeated, weren’t repeated. The arrow booster blocks, for example. I think they should’ve been used a little more, especially that there was a whole sign and image dedicated to them.

Graphics4.75/5. I really liked the tiling, a good use of tilesets, and it looked neat. But there’s a shadow tile for the jungle tileset that goes under the turf, and sometimes you didn’t use it, and therefore it didn’t feel as natural. But a nice shape was used (although could be a little more interestingly shaped in areas) and I think the décor was good because it was at a nice balance, and I loved in general the coin usage. It looked really pretty, as I’m sure Yoshi’s Island looks. You did an excellent job in remaking it- the atmosphere was great. Congratulations.

Other3.25/5.

+0.25 – I liked the pictures in the signs, that was really good.
+0.25 – This just goes for a mixture of things: such as the red coins hidden behind the yellow coins, and the shine sprite on the green platform.
-0.25 – However, the red coin challenge begins to feel pointless when there is a silver star at the end.

Overall – 17.25/20.




lordpat:
with Madness Garden Galaxy


Fun7.5/10. The platforming wasn’t that interesting, but in general the level was fun, especially the searching for the different shine sprites. The structure wasn’t that complex, but it still felt fresh and new.

Graphics4.75/5. The décor was fantastic, lots of it- it looks fabulous. The tiling could’ve had a little more interesting shape, but I liked the tile mixtures. Especially the checkered bricks – that was really inventive. Item usage was inventive at times, and overall it looked great.

Other3.25/5.

-0.25 – Secret shine wasn’t hidden that well, I managed to find it without zooming out.
+0.25 – Liked some of the block usage.
+0.25 – I also liked the flames over some plants.

Overall – 15.5/20.




Arceus79:
with Flying Amongst Mario 3!


Fun4/10. No interesting platforming or gameplay, and it lacked a lot. The only interesting bit was the red roof tiles, that you could jump through them, but that was it. This was a very average level, I’d like to see a large improvement next time.

Graphics2.25/5. There wasn’t really much to see … there was no décor, no enemies and the tiling looked either messy or plain and boring. Not much else to say here, but it’s below than average.

Other2/5.

-1 – Start position right by the shine sprite. I needed help to find where it actually begins, and that was really annoying.

Overall – 8.25/20.




blackyoshi:
with Yoshi Mania


Fun8.75/10. I liked the overall shape and structure of the level, while it felt simple, it felt like Yoshi’s Island, and you pulled that off very well. The platforming was interesting, but not very inventive, but it was still great to move around on. The second level I loved the second transition, though it lagged and took a while to load, the dimensions and tiling and structure was fabulous.

Graphics4.5/5. I’m sorry, but for me it’s a big meh when it comes to jungle cut-off and desert tiles mixed. Anything cut-off related doesn’t work for me, and therefore that was really disappointing. But the décor was good, and the little block-style boat at the beginning of the first level was great. The house also looks really creative, and the jungle in the next transition was great. The vines look great, and the mass amount of trees hanging from the jungle sections, but it still lacked décor on the bottom. Also the enemies made it lag a fair amount. It needed shadow tiles underneath the jungle tile turf too. I liked the shape and structure of tiles too. I liked the layered cave tiling in the second level too, however the lava right to the cave didn’t look quite right. Some brick tiles separating it from the cave tiles would’ve looked excellent. Décor was excellent though- in both levels.

Other2/5.

-0.75 – The first level had an incredibly long loading time, longer than Border Lands, and you have to wait for two flash player signs in pretty much every transition in the second level. :/
-0.5 – One of the red coins in the house was very difficult to get because of the lag. It took me 10 seconds to get through the door. (to go outside)
+0.25 – It was a great attempt at a variation of the original game. Well done.

Overall – 15.25/20.




MushYoshi:
with Bowser’s Lava Lake


Fun5/10. There were many flaws with the platforming. Overall you had a good concept but let me pick out the most obvious issues- those cage blocks. Again? You’ve used them for your past two LDC entries, and they get far too repetitive. Also over the lava at the beginning they move so slowly above the surface that it’s really difficult to get onto them, especially that they’re synchronised. This brings me onto my next issue- the thwomps and green platforms move far too slowly. The thwomps are so incredibly easy to get past, and the platforms just test my patience. As for everything else, the structure of the level, it was rather simple but I found it enjoyable to get around on.

Graphics3/5. While there’s no cut-off … there’s not much for tile variation. It shows no interest, and very rarely was there décor. It looked very plain and boring, twisted branches would’ve looked great here. Nothing more to say here.

Other2.5/5.

-0.25 – Lack of yellow coins.
-0.25 – Too much repetition throughout.

Overall – 10.5/20.




cedrico2k:
with Whomp’s Fortress


Fun6/10. Well, it was such a short level I didn’t really have enough time to take it in. But I’ll try my best. Firstly, congratulations on making it really similar (but not overly similar) to Whomp’s Fortress – it felt like a familiar face, that was a really good aspect of it. However, the platforming itself was far too basic, I would’ve loved to see innovation there and have it more separated from the original. But for what was there it was actually rather good.

Graphics3/5. There wasn’t any cut-off (but it’s hard to get cut-off with bricks anyway) but there was nowhere near enough décor either. It was pretty basic in general and not an awful amount to judge here, so it’ll just stay at average.

Other2.5/5.

-0.25 – Roofs were a bit too close to the floor – it was a bit of a tight squeeze for Mario throughout this level.
-0.25 – Repetition with the thwomps – the speeds stayed exactly the same, and you had a chance to add more variety there.

Overall – 11.5/20.




cedrico2k’s Brother:
with SMB Final World


Fun2.75/10. The platforming here was not great at all. So many improvements to be made – I was thoroughly disappointed with this. Not only was it mediocre gameplay in general, I found it very boring. I think that’s all that needs to be said here.

Graphics1.25/5. The first level didn’t look so bad – in fact I quite liked the layered jungle tiling. Although it was very plain and boring because there was no décor. Then we get to the second level … it is cut-off mania. The tiling shows no care, no variety of the two types of cave tile underneath the turf. And in general incredibly messy. And then in the third level and onwards we get cut-off mania again.

Other2.5/5.

-0.25 – It was incredibly tricky to die in all the levels. There were no ravines – just constant tiling.
-0.5 – There is so much enemy spam in these levels.
+0.25 – It’s good when the goomba comes into the level from under the pipe.

Overall – 6.5/20.




BrawlerEX:
with Inscius Memoriam


Fun8.25/10. Interesting platforming, even in the first transition of the first level. Not really inventive, but it wasn’t something you saw everyday, however it did have a trademark Brawler feel to it, especially with the green platforms underwater. But the story kind of ruined the fun; in the end I just sort of ignored it, as there wasn’t really much to it and it was very rarely explained in detail. I found that pretty difficult to follow. As for the bit after collecting the invisibility cap and going back to hit the switch, the platforms were difficult to find, you could’ve at least pointed us in the right direction. Look in Other for a bug I found with this. Now on the second level – I think this looks much better. The platforming is far more interesting, and the water sections are very good. However, I noticed you can fall off the tiling in the first transition and the caps you have won’t wear off, but you bypassed that possible bug and Mario could actually spin over to the next bit of tiling. Although to be honest I didn’t quite understand why we needed metal cap and invisibility cap together. And to be honest, I hated the switch and invisibility section. It was so frustrating, because just one fall, and you have to do it all again. I’m sorry but it was very tedious. But for gameplay in general the level really delivered well.

Graphics4/5. First transition looks great, but the transitions afterwards feel a little repetitive as there is not much tiling variation. Also the turf looks a little too straight and plain in places, and that very rarely works for the best. However, the décor is at a nice balance, and I won’t take off any marks for that. Or at least most of the time. In one of the transitions, you said there was no life, I think you could’ve used plants and trees in an unusual way to make it look dead, and that would’ve looked much nicer. Otherwise it just sets a very dull atmosphere. I think some of the sections in the second level were very plain and had hardly any décor – that definitely could’ve been improved upon. But then the section with the cave cut-off … I’m sorry, but I didn’t like that at all.

Other2.5/5.

-0.25 – There’s a mushroom head lying sideways (assuming it’s for decoration) in the first transition of the first level next to a water section with a sling star. It’s by the green platforms. It squishes you if you touch the tip of it.
-0.25 – In the third transition, there is a sign that says underneath the wooden platform there will be your answer. At first I thought you meant the flipping platform, because that’s wooden too. You should’ve made the platform out of metal really, and therefore less chance of confusion.
-0.25 – A sign telling us at the invisibility cap, reminding us that there were cage bricks in previous transitions, would’ve been great. I got there and forgot why I needed it, and I’m sure others thought the same.
-0.25 – When we were trying to get onto the green platforms to get to the switch after taking the invisibility cap, I found that I only needed to take one platform to get up there by taking a risky triple jump. However that seemed very challenging to do so, so taking out a platform would probably make it worse. In order to fix this, you would need to move the platforms closer together so we can see them both in zooming out mode or even closer than that.
+0.25 – It was quite clever to use thwomps the same way you use green platforms, well done.
+0.25 - The slightly new and fresh feel of the level mixed with the hint of the memories is really nice to play in.

Overall – 14.75/20.


(this is MP3 doing the worst job in history trying to act Luigi-like. Have a good day, MoD will probably post up the other half of the judgings soon.)