Re: ~The Fourth 25quared Contest~
Posted: May 28th, 2015, 12:33 pmby Harmless
Erm, Raiyuuni's level isn't on the spreadsheet...
judgings: show
Nwolf - Everything Moves!
Gameplay: 5.25/10
I dunno how I feel about this. It's nice that there's difficulty in the concept and there's a neat gimmick with everything moving around, but I think this is one of those concepts that works better on paper than it does on practice. I'll be completely honest, overall I didn't really enjoy the level. There's very little platform space to work with, especially when everything has the size of a 1-2 width moving platform. As a result, a lot of the jumps are ridiculously precise, and having us make very precise jumps with very little time to think/react is not a good combo.
Easily the worst part was the triangles. If they didn't force me to go into a ducking position (which meant instant death), they would constantly throw off my jumping trajectory as well as force me to keep jumping with absolute precision. There's nearly no room for error in the level, which ends up being frustrating. Other platforms like the moving blocks were also fairly annoying, considering that there's only three moving blocks taking up a quarter of the level. They're all really small as well, move fast and unpredictably, and are quite difficult to platform on.
I really felt like there should've been more platforms on the bottom, or at least not restricting one type of platform for one quadrant of the level. Mixing up/adding more platforms would offer more room for error (and would also make the gameplay a little less straightforward).
Scenery: 3/5
The graphical work was pretty good. Unfortunately, due to the concept of the level I was missing out on front-layer decoration of tiles and decoration, and as a result the level was just... extremely bare. The background tiling was really well woven and diverse, but with nothing on the front layer it was still a bit barebones.
Miscellaneous: 2.75/5
+ music is guuud. No really, it sets the pace of the level real nice. (+0.5)
+ For a level that has everything moving, it was actually pretty creative and had a clear, unique theme to it. (+0.25)
- Silver Star locations are genuinely evil... especially that bottom-right one. Having one right above a bottomless pit with no platform except an off-camera clock to guide you? And with all the triangles around it?? (-0.75)
- For a level that has everything moving, the beginning of the level always has me moving right. Trying to go left, up, or down is just impractical (especially left with the moving block being fast and hard to catch). The level itself just seems kinda restrictive in how to move throughout it. (-0.25)
Total: 11/20
Yeah, sorry. I dunno, it was just a bit sloppy. Polishing up the gameplay and making the platforms not as precise as they need to be would shapen the level a lot more.
MP3 Amplifier - Trapped
Gameplay: 7.25/10
The platforming was executed well with what little space you have. All the challenges were varied and played well... for the most part. There was a bit of the problem I had with the gameplay. For example, the rooms to the left and right of the spawn were a bit pointless and costed the momentum of the level. The invisible tile area of the level (topmost part) was a bit glitchy at times, where Mario would either not go up or down, or would go up and down on his own accord (without me doing anything, not because of platforms or blocks). It was also rather confusing. But other than that, the level was enjoyable.
Despite the challenges feeling cramped, it was fun. They were still challenges, and well executed/playtested ones at that.
Scenery: 5/5
why is it that you always blow away our minds when it comes to graphics
I can't really see any real flaws in the graphical work, tiling and decoratively speaking. Tiling has variety and is woven together well, and the decoration supports the tiling and overall atmosphere. There's nothing much more to say, really, other than you set the atmosphere REALLY well.
Miscellaneous: 2.5/5
+ That was some pretty cool moving block design. As if the challenge itself wasn't creative compared to the others, the moving enemies themselves looked like something completely out of this world, and I like it. (+0.5)
- The level is very unforgiving if you miss just one silver star, as the coins do not respawn, making the level nearly incompleteable. (-0.5)
- The small room straight to the left of the spawn squishes you if you move right (towards the wooden boards). (-0.25)
- When transitioning from room to room, it takes a few seconds for me to gather my surroundings, as the pattern of where I move to next is inconsistent and scrambled. (-0.25)
= The split channels from the in-game sound hurts with headphones on. Because you're moving from left to right constantly, I couldn't stand wearing headphones when playing the level, which is why I eventually muted the in-game sound and used Youtube music instead. It's not your fault or anyone else's since not everyone uses headphones for Super Mario 63, but you should probably consider for those that do next time. (+0)
Total: 14.75/20
Obviously not your best work, but it's something. There's just a small list of bugs that irritate me, and make the level less enjoyable than it could have been.
Star King - Shutdown.
Gameplay: 7.25/10
Wow, what an interesting concept. I never thought you could take 25x25 and make it seem like a 100x100 level (unless you're Suyo a contest or two ago). The concept in general had me interested in seeing what changes you would implement next.
Needless to say I was a bit disappointed with the 2nd pass, but less so with the 3rd.
The changes between the three passes was fairly minimal. There weren't any major changes in the obstacles other than one elevator being removed and a ton of one-hit kill 'shines' being added. Don't get me wrong, it's fine to add challenge to the level as you go along, and I thought it was pretty genius scaling the difficulty with every switch you pressed. But having a bunch of one-hit kill shines is too much. It took me quite a long time getting past that, mostly because I had to restart my progress every time I failed. And trust me, I'm not saying I'm the absolute worst at the game, but I failed pretty bad at the third attempt, taking at least 10 or more retries to get past it.
The large rotating platform was also pretty annoying, and was the bane of my existance in the third pass. That thing requires some rather precise timing, leaving very little room for error due to how fast it's moving. Having to work against that thing is pretty difficult, and I'd suggest toning it down.
The platforming in general was also a bit repetitive with all the moving and rotating platforms. It would be better to incorporate more elements and tiles into the passes, like more solid tiles, circular green platforms, moving blocks, power caps, etc. But otherwise, I still had fun, as it was pretty unique. The jump distances were all playtested exceptionally well, and it showed.
Scenery: 4/5
The level as a whole looked pretty neat. The tiling was varied well, but I was expecting more metal/conductable-looking materials as opposed to lots of wood and brick. Same goes for the decoration, though the mushroom bodies, sling star, and flamethrower looked rather cool.
Miscellaneous: 3/5
+ Music is alright, but got rather repetitive. Unfortunately I can't say it felt like it fitted the urgent meltdown of an electronic system. (+0.1)
- The arrow near the shine could've been higher to signal me to go down. I actually completely missed it because I was too focused on moving left. Just a minor detail. (-0.1)
= It would've been better to swap the switch and sign with the shine's location so people don't accidentally hit the switch on the third pass. It's obviously a very minor detail, but it nearly screwed me up all the same. (+0)
Total: 14.25/20
It's good, but the difficult ramps up a lot on the third pass. There were also a few minor details that would be better off fixed, but other than that it's pretty solid.
Karyete - Coal Pit
Gameplay: 4.75/10
Oh, I just realized this was not even finished. Well, to be fair, from what I saw, the platforming was playtested well. It's still rather basic though, and there's not much to do other than jump from here to there, and gather a few silver stars. Another sign of the level being incredibly straightforward is the near exclusive use of clouds and flamethrowers. You used a lot of both, for platforms and hazards, and almost nothing else. Sure you had some warp pipes to shoot flamethrowers out, but that's about it.
The switch and its activated blocks threw in some differences in the gameplay though, so at least it wasn't entirely straightforward. The level was really easy and simple otherwise.
Scenery: 4.25/5
The tiling variation was really neat, and using half-tiles really gave it a coal-mine feel. The decoration was also rather good, and the warp pipes felt in place. The clouds were kinda out of place though. There's not much else to say other than, it's fitting.
Miscellaneous: 3/5
+ I like the jumping animation at the start. (+0.25)
- You should probably add something that restores health, like coins. Flamethrowers come out rather fast, so some damage is likely to be taken while playing the level. It's always good to have some health-restoration in a flamethrower filled level. (-0.25)
= Don't leave half-tiles exposed to where Mario can walk into them! Remember that if Mario is crushed between a half-tiles worth of space, he'll get stuck and instantly die. Thankfully you didn't leave any major spaces open, but make sure for the future you don't leave any open! (+0)
Total: 12/20
If this was finished, I'm sure it would've placed in the Top 6. I think you had something pretty good here, even if the level was short and very simple in the gameplay department. But both cases you can fix with some editing.
FrozenFire - PULSE
Gameplay: 6.75/10
WELL GEE, KINDA HARD TO DO THAT WHEN THE SWITCH IS RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE PASSAGEWAY YOU NEED TO PROCEED THROUGH
In all seriousness, that did bug me a lot, and I accidentally pressed it. Twice. I'd recommend fixing it by making a passageway that goes up or something.
Regarding the rest of the level, though, I did feel that the puzzle was pretty linear. I was hoping for more branching paths and thinking other than just 'move through the only passageway currently open to you'. However, on the other hand, it was a very interesting concept, and if you gave us more of a puzzle feel as opposed to a linear sequence, I feel this level would've stood out a lot more. The level is fully tested otherwise, there's some really good distance in the jumps and the pathways were, overall, well thought out. The Rocket Fludd didn't really have much of a use, other than grabbing the silver star though.
Scenery: 5/5
Well, on the bright side, this level looked beyond fantastic. The tiling was phenomenal - pairing orange along with the black and white tiles really gave it a vibrant color scheme, and the decoration was on point. Absolutely spectacular, really.
Miscellaneous: 3.5/5
+ God I love that music, it's very fitting for the level too <333 (+0.75)
+ Very crafty 1-up and wooden platform placement (+0.5)
- You know how much I hate bullies that are just placed there with no way to get rid of them. (-0.5)
- The bone platform near the Rocket Fludd would be better off a little longer, as falling into that Pit is pretty devasting. It makes me Hades the level a bit more, and Uprises my negative emotions. Naturally, it reflects the Dark side of mysel- *shot* (-0.25)
Total: 15.25/20
It's definitely a contender given how beautiful and playtested the level was, though I can't say I agree it's a puzzle level when it's that linear.
Supershroom - Boolord's Mini Quest
Gameplay: 5.75/10
It actually took me a little while to understand the concept, and at first I thought the level was incompleteable. I will say your descriptions for the level are a bit confusing.
But when I did understand it, I actually liked it. The challenges were pretty creative compared to your standard platformer, and the gameplay was, for the most part, smooth. Normally what I dislike about vertical levels is the tendancy to lose a ton of progress by falling. Not quite the case here, as your tiling prevented the player from losing a whole lot of progress if they slipped up, which I really like. The normal difficulty is balanced too, as it wasn't too hard or easy.
And now, for all the things I really don't like about the level.
First off, I really do not like how you acknowledge the level is incompleteable if you go into the doors and lose your power. Worst off, you do nothing about it, and don't offer any way to retry the challenge. Second, the pipe to retry the normal mode shouldn't have been hidden. In fact, you should've had an in-game sign tell the player what the doors and pipes do. Any player going in blind without reading your designers notes (as confusing as they are anyway) would've been lost and confused halfway in. Remember to think about the player experience as if they don't know about everything that was placed in the designer.
Finally, you have a ton of reworking to do on the challenge mode. The fact that you covered the switch-activated blocks with grey rocks made me extremely confused when transitioning from normal to challenge mode. It was nearly impossible to adjust to the grey rocks being solid, the bone platforms being relevant and camouflaged at that, the wooden tiles no longer being solid, etc. If anything, you should've had the disabled rocks behind the switch-activated blocks so I could actually identify which blocks were solid. Even in the normal challenge I was surprised at some of the objects being disabled when I couldn't have known just by looking at it. Clarity is a major issue in this level.
Scenery: 3.25/5
The background tiling is neat. All the different tiles blend in well. But it's pretty chaotic and jumbled, and doesn't really have much appeal. I'm not asking for strict structural design though, don't get me wrong. I just feel the background would be better off if you had a bit more structure in it (like is the background going horizontally most of the time, or vertically?). As of now, it doesn't have a direction.
The decoration and front-layer tiling is alright, but nothing too outstanding.
Miscellaneous: 2.5/5
- The moving platforms that stay out for long periods of time shake way too violently. This threw off my jump trajectory and prevented me from proceeding in the level. (-0.25)
- Why'd you select the Boss Music 2 and keep it as the in-game track? It's just so out of place for the level, and it gives an unpleasant starting note whenever I start the level. (-0.25)
Total: 11.5/20
As much as I like the concept, I can't say it was executed well. The lack of clarity in the level severely harmed the gameplay, which is unfortunate.
NanTheDark - The Koopa Boy and the Shy Girl
Gameplay: 5.5/10
You've done plenty of storytelling levels to understand the risk of sacrificing gameplay for in-game signs, right? I know it's a 25x25 level, but we're still looking for gameplay all the same. That being said, on a raw gameplay factor, I'd say the platforming was okay. There were some parts of the level that had the player do more than two inputs, but otherwise it was very, very basic and straightforward.
On the plus side, the story kept me hooked and had me looking forward to what happened next, so I can't call it a total bore. In fact, the story was really neat. I'd say it was a successful, yet short story. But because there isn't much platforming involved and it's focused on the story, there isn't much else to say.
Scenery: 3.5/5
The rectangular grey rocks were placed nicely and served well for the background. The background choice was quite fitting, though the tiling was a little too straightforward and could've used more variation. The item decoration is nicely done, though I swear you're catching Yurimaster fever. There's way too many trees in that level.
Miscellaneous: 3.25/5
+ You don't see very many well-done tragedies in SM63, let alone storytelling in general. I think it was a tragedy anyway... but even if it wasn't, the item symbolism is strong in this level. I really liked that. (+0.5)
- If I had to be honest, I wasn't a fan of the music choice. Midna's Lament in general is... eh. Piano's very repetitive, and there's hardly any dynamics in the piece (by that I mean it seems to be medium in volume for the entire thing and has no dynamic change, which is crucial for a piece expressing emotion or tragedy). There's quite a few tracks I could name off the top of my head that would suit the level better, but eh. (-0.25)
Total: 12.25/20
Maybe if this were a larger level with more gameplay it would've placed significantly higher. But it's okay, you done what you could in a 25x25 level, and the story itself is nicely written. All that being said, we're still looking for gameplay in SM63 levels. After all, it is a platformer.
SuperMIC - Great Leaf Galaxy
Gameplay: 6.25/10
... Yikes. There's a sizeable amount of problems in the level that prevented me from enjoying it.
Regarding the Top-Left area, those metal blocks just don't come out far enough, let alone in an order that allows Mario to scale up them. In other words, unless you time a triple jump near perfectly, it's impossible to get up. The bully in the quadrant doesn't help in the slightest, as the low ceiling prevent any height gain to pass by it. There's also that part where it was unclear I had to get squished to proceed.
As for the Top-Right area, again, there's the low ceiling that makes for frustrating maneuvers. The rotating platform with the two green platforms is quite cool-looking and very appreciated, but trying to get onto the rotating platform that's cut out of the level is rather frustrating. I succeeded about 1 in 20 times trying to get onto the thing. The rest of the area isn't too bad though.
In the Bottom-Right area, there's not much to say about it. It's straightforward, fast, fun, and isn't really too bad. It's rather short though.
In the Bottom-Left area, the moving blocks provide a nice challenge, but that stalactite and 1-up mushroom have some pretty evil placements. It definitely caused a few deaths here and there, and I swear getting that mushroom and living is downright impossible. The actual platforming itself was neat and well timed though.
In general, I urge you to give us more space and less low ceilings if possible. It's quite cramped and hard to bypass the four areas as a result. The gameplay in general is not as bad as I make it seem here, the four quadrants just have their own personal problems that need some addressing.
Scenery: 3.75/5
The tiling is diverse and the four quadrants really stand out in their own fields. Though because there's so much diversity the name 'Great Leaf' is a little unfitting. I mean, you have volcano and lava tiles on a galaxy entitled 'Great Leaf'...?
The item decoration is great, but again, the lava area just doesn't fit.
Miscellaneous: 4/5
+ The overall concept of having four differently themed quadrants is quite nice. Each one having their own little challenge was a neat touch. (+0.5)
+ BUOY BAAASSSSEEEEEEEEE <3333 (+0.5)
Total: 14/20
Eh, maybe you're just rusty. Who knows. It definitely could've been better, but it wasn't too bad either. You definitely had something good here, execution was just not quite up to standard.
Kimonio - Galifrey Reimagined
Gameplay: 4.75/10
Alright, I'll be honest, the gameplay's pretty sloppy. The platforming's really basic and there's several details that irk me;
- The metal plaform near the bottom left is completely out of camera view, and is positioned pretty roughly. More times I have fallen through the sides than I have landed on it.
- The invisible blocks were just cheap. How was the player supposed to know about them?
- The bullet bills move very fast and have an impressive fire rate, tone both problems down please.
- The right transition is very glitchy. More times I have automatically died going through it than I have come out the other end.
- Some of the tiling/islands in the middle of the level took up a bit too much space, making it hard to navigate around the level.
With all these issues and the platforming in general being quite basic, I can't say I enjoyed the level.
Scenery: 3.5/5
The graphics were pretty good, and the tiling was on point. However, item decoration was sparse, and what was there wasn't enough to support the atmosphere of the level. I couldn't really tell if you had a specific theme in mind or just did whatever you could. There's not much to say otherwise, other than the building on the clouds looked pretty neat.
Miscellaneous: 2.25/5
- The Shy Guys were clumped together, making it hard to bypass them without taking damage. I'd suggest spreading them. (-0.25)
- The signs in general were... meh. Nothing too interesting that changed any expression. Some of them felt pointless even. (-0.25)
- I dunno how I feel about spawning us on top of a switch, and then placing signs alongside the path to the switch-activated blocks. The signs eat up the player's time to get to the switch-activated blocks. The sign and switch placement in general was pretty sloppy as a result. (-0.25)
Total: 10.5/20
I dunno how many SM63 levels you've made, but even if this wasn't your first, you might've just had an off day or something. If it was, well... everyone starts somewhere I guess. I'm not saying you're a total noob, I just have no idea how much experience you have, looking at the level or not... I'll just shut up now.
Yurimaster - Uncharted Grounds
Gameplay: 6.75/10
I liked the concept with the open-ended exploration and moving around the level. The gameplay was pretty smoth, and the platforming was well executed. The puzzles implemented for the silver stars were neatly done, and even if they were small puzzles, it took some thinking to bypass them, which I liked.
But now that the good news has been told, here's the bad news;
Decoration is quite bountiful, but way, way too bountiful. The massive amounts of decoration hampered the gameplay and interfered with my position, as well as confusing me and camouflaging the platforms. As a result, I mostly stumbled along the level. It was pretty hard to navigate the level, essentially.
I also spent a very long time trying to get the Fludd by grabbing the invisibility star and trying to backtrack. What I didn't know was that there was a concealed orange switch beneath the reset star pipe. If you ask me, that switch was way too concealed to even be noticed. Heck, I didn't even notice there was a platform supporting the switch until I got a closer look in the LDer.
The shell and using it to bounce back up was a crafty idea, but it was a bit too difficult to keep up with, let alone get the shell up the water in the first place.
Scenery: 4/5
Well, at least you gave something quite neatly woven. With all the decoration placed, it connected well and provided a neat scenery. Though because there was so much it also felt a little cluttered (which I guess was what you were aiming for, but because it was so cluttered it felt like an eyesore at times). The tiling was good (if not a little odd here and there) and varied well, and the color choice was fitting. The background was a bit stale though.
Miscellaneous: 2.5/5
+ Music is fitting, and also pretty good. (+0.25)
- There's a spot where you can get infinitely crushed. It's not too far off the main path either, and I actually fell for it when trying to figure out how to get the third silver star. (-0.5)
- The reset star sign was not clear on its purpose, it took me a good 5 minutes to figure out what its purpose was. (-0.25)
Total: 13.25/20
I wouldn't say this was better than its prequel. The prequel also had a bit more room to maneuver around, and wasn't quite as cluttered with the decoration all over the place. I mean sure, the prequel also had some decoration that felt cluttered, but this level had more decoration that even camouflaged platforms at times.
MoD - Form
Gameplay: 7/10
The gameplay is interesting and the concept is fresh, that's for certain. But even then, there are some problems with the level that I didn't catch when I viewed this level in the level portal (though to be fair, some of the problems were also some of the edits you made).
The green rotating platform to the right is very hard to predict and jump onto, mostly because it's off-camera. But also because it moves really slow, and has a very small radius. There's also the metal platform under the middle silver star/invisibility star being too high to allow room to jump off of. I'd also recommend putting the invisibility star's duration in the tenths so it doesn't stay on long enough to have Mario fall through. That or just replace it with a wing/metal cap.
The flamethrowers were still a little bothersome, moreso the one to the left of the level (the one that covers the silver star in its entirety). The fact that they sent you straight up was either a blessing or a curse, depending on the location. In the case where you had one of the flamethrowers covering the silver star, it was a bit annoying to handle (even with the invisibility star). The flamethrowers to the far left of the level were a blessing on the other hand, as they allowed the player to jump straight up to the silver star without batting an eyelid.
Though the reason they were bothersome was primarily because there were very little sources to regenerate health. Flamethrowers come out very quick and without warning, making them hard to predict and avoid. It'd be better off if the level had something to heal your damage with.
Regarding the two metal blocks moving up and down (around the middle of the level), the rightmost one could've been a bit lower. But that's it, no other bothersome details otherwise. The level was still fairly fun, and wasn't as frustrating as the last version I played in the portal.
Scenery: 4.5/5
The graphical work is pretty solid. The tiling is smooth and there's no cutoff that the eye can see, and the decoration is pretty good, if not a little basic. Having the graphics improve over time was also a really interesting touch, and I can say I was a fan.
Miscellaneous: 2.75/5
+ Music is interesting and the ambiance provides the necessary atmosphere of a morphing level. I like it. (+0.5)
- ughughug that bully's location ended up being even worse than the portal's original location. you really should just remove that thing as a whole (-0.5)
- I missed this the last time I looked at your level (sorryyyy), but there's this angled mossy log in the level that constantly teleports me up, breaking my momentum at times. (-0.25)
Total: 14.25/20
The level was still a bit spotty with regards to small details and the platforming to some extent, but it was still pretty fun otherwise.
Jumbo101 - Galactic Jewl Rush
Gameplay: 7.5/10
Well, it was an interesting play at least. The gameplay was pretty fast in general, and I enjoyed how I could've taken any set path I wanted. Though I will say, it would've been better if you gave us a few more tiles and split pathways in the middle of the level (a bit above the start position, where all the metal platforms are). Since there were a lot of red coins clumped together in the center, the level became a bit too short and easy.
Some of the red coins didn't always require bullet bills to reach them (as some could've been reached with a very precise triple jump), but it was much more convenient to use bullet bills. If your intention was to use bullet bills, I would highly recommend turning their speeds up to 4, as they take a long time to get to the player at speed 3. Due to their slow speed, they were also hardly a threat. But despite the easiness, I can say I had a fun time. The level design otherwise was pretty spot-on.
Scenery: 3.75/5
The atmosphere of the level was greatly supported by the tiling and decoration. The tiling was well done and varied, but there's a lack of tiles in the middle, slightly above the start position. The decoration was pretty good, though there's not much else to say about it.
Miscellaneous: 3/5
+ It's not everyday you see someone take the 100-coin concept and execute it fairly well. Props to you for taking on such a risky concept. (+0.5)
- Having only one total platform on the green rotating platform was a pretty bad move. It takes ages to wait for that thing. (-0.25)
- Several of the red coins are mis-aligned on the top of the level. It just looks a little sloppy, no big deal otherwise. (-0.15)
- I like Gusty Garden, but... if you wanted the feel for a 'Jewl Rush', you probably should've put in 'Chase the Bunnies' as the music instead. Much more upbeat and fitting. (-0.1)
Total: 15.25/20
Well hey, it was a really neat level. It was pretty well executed and had a good, constant pace. There were a few small details, but they're only a few and should be easily fixed. You're definitely placing in my book.
KABOOM - Star Factory
Gameplay: 8.25/10
The gameplay was actually quite phenomenal here, not to mention pretty creative. The flamethrower still being a hazard after collecting the invisibility star and the staircase with the moving blocks were all quite different, and still provided some challenge without being too difficult. Speaking of flamethrowers, I might sound incredibly drunk here, but I really liked the blocks that had flamethrowers shooting out of the sides. Normally I don't like flamethrowers for their unpredictability, but with the blocks shooting the flamethrowers in order (and because they had predictable wait times), I was able to predict them for once, and cheap damage was avoided. And even then, I still took damage due to my own accord. It was challenging, and the right kind of challenging - difficulty that's not overly frustrating.
Admittedly, the level is without its flaws, as the moving blocks that were used as platforms in a vertical space (near the top of the level) could've been a bit bigger. It was a little hard to jump onto them. As for the large moving blocks that tried to crush you, it would've been better if there were more 'safe space' before the first one. There's hardly any room to catch a breath on before you're in danger of getting crushed.
There's also the skellegoonies inside the tight corridors, which is a pretty bad idea both on paper and practice, since they can only be defeated through stomping on them. The overall gameplay and varying platform methods definitely made the level stand out, though.
Scenery: 4.5/5
Wow, that atmosphere is really intense and creepy. LIKE VERY CREEPY. I would even compare the creepiness to some of the very morbid, twisted ideas I eventually scrapped for SM63 (fun fact: you collaborated on one of them). The tiling was rather well done, but the background blends in too well with the front-layered tiles in some cases, making it a little hard to navigate here and there. The decoration was also quite different from what you conventionally see, with all the skulls and everything (though some different items could've been used like the stumps of trees and maybe some sprouts leaking through the walls). Overall, it was a very fitting atmosphere for the level.
Miscellaneous: 3.75/5
+ Music improved the atmosphere by a lot. (+0.5)
+ Very good fundamental placement of coins and other platforms. (+0.5)
+ Them flamethrowers on the inside of the factory were quite impressive looking. (+0.25)
Total: 17/20
Dude, you got something really good here. I like it. Maybe just make a few small adjustments and you'd be good to go.
Megar - Sky Deck
Gameplay: ?/?
Oh. It's unfinished. aw.
Well, there's not much to say about it then. Moving straight to the right was a little misleading though, as it looked like it was impossible to get up on the upper tile strip until I triple jumped around the corner. Oh, and there's a ton of bullies that kinda ruined the already ruined level. But other than that, yeah... not much else to say.
Scenery: ?/?
It's vastly unfinished, so I shouldn't really have much, if anything at all, to say here.
Miscellaneous: ?/?
+ at least the music was really good and fitting (+0.5)
- not enough doritos or mtn dew (-1337)
total: durr
Yeah... The reason I don't really want to give it a score or anything is because it's not complete enough to pass a good judgement. Sorry.
Raiyuuni - Astrocluster
Gameplay: 4/10
It was very unclear where to go in the level, or what to even do. I wandered around for a while trying to figure out where to go in the level until I saw the sign and the silver star. As for the overall gameplay, it's... eehhh. The silver star with a red coin near it was pretty much impossible to get (why a red coin there? defeats the purpose of having more than one silver star). No really, trying to get that with the wing cap in such a cramped space is ridiculously hard to do, especially since you can't crash into one thing. You just go too fast on the wing cap, no matter if you triple jump, dive, or whatever. Oh, and then there's the problem of trying to turn around and land on a solid surface.
The gameplay aside from that one silver star was pretty straightforward otherwise, though there were some small details that bugged me a bit. Some of the items were completely pointless, especially some of the moving platforms. For example, one of them near the bullet-bill formation doesn't do anything at all, and the one in the cage at the top of the level serves no purpose other than moving a koopa shell that had no bearing on the level. There's a lot of other small details that would be better explained/categorized in the Miscellaneous level.
Scenery: 2.5/5
The graphics were very crazy, and there's some things that really stuck out to me and surprised me (in a good connotation). The futuristic arrow, clouds, and bullet bill formation stuck out to me the most, with a few other minor details like some of the tiling in the center of the level. However, there were also things that did not appeal to me. The stacked doors looked pretty funny and served no purpose in the level, the water is completely disconnected and not smooth, and the flamethrowers weren't even attached to anything.
There were some item decoration that was a bit clumped together though, like the vines in the bottom-left corner of the level. You could've distributed some of those elsewhere.
Miscellaneous: 2.5/5
+ Music is pretty good, sets the atmosphere really well. (+0.5)
- ... Did that starting position really just lead me straight into a flamethrower?? (-0.75)
- The metal, wing, and invisibility caps might as well be set to 9999 duration. It makes no sense to limit them other than to frustrate the player into backtracking after they wear off. But more importantly, there's several stars that remove their effects near the spawn. So why limit them? (-0.25)
Total: 9/20
The level as a whole was pretty sloppy unfortunately. It just needs a lot more work on the execution and fixing smaller details, like the starting position momentum leading me straight into a flamethrower.
Vendai - Starlight Lament
Gameplay: 6.75/10
... I honestly can't think of much to say about the gameplay, which is a first for me. The platforming is alright, no real flaws, but no real outstanding points either. It's also rather straightforward and basic, which is not a bad thing, but it could've been a bit better. Like you said, it's primarily a work of art with a story inside. Unfortunately, having the signs with the story slow the pace of the level, so there's that tradeoff to keep in mind.
But even with the slowed pace, I still had fun with it. The story kept me engaged, and so did *some* of the platforming. I will admit, the first silver star was a bit of a doozy, as I didn't quite realize I had to duck on my first try. I dunno, it looked like I could've made it without ducking, but apparently not.
Scenery: 5/5
That tile work... my god, it's beautiful. If I could give you more than 5 points I totally would. The decoration is also really well done, and helps support the varying landscapes around the house (which was really well done btw). The entire level seems spotless and without cutoff.
Miscellaneous: 3.4/5
+ ; n ; i cri, story was really neat (+0.5)
+ Having Mario fly off to the distance (where the shine was) was a really neat touch and worked very well with the story. (+0.25)
- Blatantly hidden stuff is not fun. I had no idea how to get those 2nd and 3rd silver stars until I looked at the level from the level designer. (-0.25)
- It's a minor detail, but you might as well not limit the duration on the wing cap, as I actually missed the shine and ended up having to go all the way back around the house. (-0.1)
Total: 15.15/20
For a storytelling level, it was actually really neat, and I believe the risk paid off well.
Doram - Powerup Complete
Gameplay: 6.25/10
Well, okay, the gameplay's unfortunately spotty. I wasn't aware that the mushrooms were platforms when I started playing the level. I was also a little skeptical on jumping on the cave walls to get to the wing cap. Clarity > being fancy and hiding platforms.
But nonetheless, after the wing cap the level was pretty fun. Sure, it was very straightforward, but it was pretty fun otherwise.
But then I got so caught up in the level I missed the red coin/silver star.
I dunno, the lava passage with the metal cap didn't seem like on the main road at all, and I completely missed it because my eyes were on the Hover Fludd at the time. Backtracking also happens to be impossible a few feet after getting the invisibility Cap, so personally the invisibility cap was rather poorly placed.
Scenery: 3.25/5
The graphical work was... meh. I dunno, the tiling was good bit very basic (which is fine, but as a result it's not particularly outstanding). The decoration was alright, but also quite sparse. Needs more than mushroom bodies, cave plants, and a few cave trees.
On the bright side, there's no real noticeable cutoff.
Miscellaneous: 3/5
+ Concept was pretty neat, though the level felt cramped as a result. (+0.1)
- The sign near the Rocket Fludd was tricky to read without falling down the pit. I'd advise moving it to the left. (-0.25)
= Considering SM63 has split channels in the in-game music, I didn't use it as a result. Especially since you were on the left side the entire time. No music points for you
*sniped*
Alright, fine, have some small points for fitting music. (+0.15)
Total: 12.5/20
doram don't kil me pls
It could've been the concept that brought down the level's chances in the end, or maybe it was just lack of clarity in the platforms and where the player was supposed to go. Overall, it's alright, but it could've been a lot better.
Emkay - Archetypal Environs
Gameplay: 7.75/10
The gameplay was rather neat on this one. It was varied well with simple differences, and each area had their own unique gimmick/challenge. Even if it felt a bit straightforward at times, it was executed very well, and was a little bit challenging without being overly difficult.
There were a few spots that irked me slightly though, like the top-left red coin. Because there were very few logs (and since the logs were angled away from Mario), it was a bit difficult trying to get up to the red coin. The logs were also not stable, further adding to the difficult trying to get it. The water near the sand also had a red coin that was very easy to get, but otherwise there aren't any other spots that seemed troublesome or too easy. Obviously this wasn't the hardest thing in the world, but it didn't have to be. The difficult is below average, but it's a balanced kind of below average, which I enjoy.
Scenery: 2.75/5
The tiling was pretty solid and spot on, and the diversity was everywhere. It was kinda strange that you put the sand on the right side of the level instead of the bottom though. The decoration was good, but sparse. It was especially lacking in the sand and cave areas. The level needed more item decoration to support the variety in landscapes.
Miscellaneous: 3.15/5
+ The 9 red coins were distributed evenly around the level, and had me exploring everywhere. Call me a fan of the concept, really. (+0.25)
+ I liked the shine placement and having the player land on the rock. Just felt different than having Mario fall down to a set of tiles or something. That, and it looked pretty cool. (+0.15)
- The clouds were angled kinda funny. It slightly interfered with both gameplay and graphics. (-0.15)
- The rotating block being clear next to the pyramid scheme bugged me the tiniest bit... but it still bugs me all the same. I dunno, you could've made it something instead of clear at the very least. (-0.1)
Total: 13.65/20
It's a small, short, and fun level. But I think working only an hour on the level was a pretty bad move (then again, you might've had no choice but to work for only an hour). A few more hours could've bought you time to improve the graphics and fix smaller details in the level.
Gameplay: 5.25/10
I dunno how I feel about this. It's nice that there's difficulty in the concept and there's a neat gimmick with everything moving around, but I think this is one of those concepts that works better on paper than it does on practice. I'll be completely honest, overall I didn't really enjoy the level. There's very little platform space to work with, especially when everything has the size of a 1-2 width moving platform. As a result, a lot of the jumps are ridiculously precise, and having us make very precise jumps with very little time to think/react is not a good combo.
Easily the worst part was the triangles. If they didn't force me to go into a ducking position (which meant instant death), they would constantly throw off my jumping trajectory as well as force me to keep jumping with absolute precision. There's nearly no room for error in the level, which ends up being frustrating. Other platforms like the moving blocks were also fairly annoying, considering that there's only three moving blocks taking up a quarter of the level. They're all really small as well, move fast and unpredictably, and are quite difficult to platform on.
I really felt like there should've been more platforms on the bottom, or at least not restricting one type of platform for one quadrant of the level. Mixing up/adding more platforms would offer more room for error (and would also make the gameplay a little less straightforward).
Scenery: 3/5
The graphical work was pretty good. Unfortunately, due to the concept of the level I was missing out on front-layer decoration of tiles and decoration, and as a result the level was just... extremely bare. The background tiling was really well woven and diverse, but with nothing on the front layer it was still a bit barebones.
Miscellaneous: 2.75/5
+ music is guuud. No really, it sets the pace of the level real nice. (+0.5)
+ For a level that has everything moving, it was actually pretty creative and had a clear, unique theme to it. (+0.25)
- Silver Star locations are genuinely evil... especially that bottom-right one. Having one right above a bottomless pit with no platform except an off-camera clock to guide you? And with all the triangles around it?? (-0.75)
- For a level that has everything moving, the beginning of the level always has me moving right. Trying to go left, up, or down is just impractical (especially left with the moving block being fast and hard to catch). The level itself just seems kinda restrictive in how to move throughout it. (-0.25)
Total: 11/20
Yeah, sorry. I dunno, it was just a bit sloppy. Polishing up the gameplay and making the platforms not as precise as they need to be would shapen the level a lot more.
MP3 Amplifier - Trapped
Gameplay: 7.25/10
The platforming was executed well with what little space you have. All the challenges were varied and played well... for the most part. There was a bit of the problem I had with the gameplay. For example, the rooms to the left and right of the spawn were a bit pointless and costed the momentum of the level. The invisible tile area of the level (topmost part) was a bit glitchy at times, where Mario would either not go up or down, or would go up and down on his own accord (without me doing anything, not because of platforms or blocks). It was also rather confusing. But other than that, the level was enjoyable.
Despite the challenges feeling cramped, it was fun. They were still challenges, and well executed/playtested ones at that.
Scenery: 5/5
why is it that you always blow away our minds when it comes to graphics
I can't really see any real flaws in the graphical work, tiling and decoratively speaking. Tiling has variety and is woven together well, and the decoration supports the tiling and overall atmosphere. There's nothing much more to say, really, other than you set the atmosphere REALLY well.
Miscellaneous: 2.5/5
+ That was some pretty cool moving block design. As if the challenge itself wasn't creative compared to the others, the moving enemies themselves looked like something completely out of this world, and I like it. (+0.5)
- The level is very unforgiving if you miss just one silver star, as the coins do not respawn, making the level nearly incompleteable. (-0.5)
- The small room straight to the left of the spawn squishes you if you move right (towards the wooden boards). (-0.25)
- When transitioning from room to room, it takes a few seconds for me to gather my surroundings, as the pattern of where I move to next is inconsistent and scrambled. (-0.25)
= The split channels from the in-game sound hurts with headphones on. Because you're moving from left to right constantly, I couldn't stand wearing headphones when playing the level, which is why I eventually muted the in-game sound and used Youtube music instead. It's not your fault or anyone else's since not everyone uses headphones for Super Mario 63, but you should probably consider for those that do next time. (+0)
Total: 14.75/20
Obviously not your best work, but it's something. There's just a small list of bugs that irritate me, and make the level less enjoyable than it could have been.
Star King - Shutdown.
Gameplay: 7.25/10
Wow, what an interesting concept. I never thought you could take 25x25 and make it seem like a 100x100 level (unless you're Suyo a contest or two ago). The concept in general had me interested in seeing what changes you would implement next.
Needless to say I was a bit disappointed with the 2nd pass, but less so with the 3rd.
The changes between the three passes was fairly minimal. There weren't any major changes in the obstacles other than one elevator being removed and a ton of one-hit kill 'shines' being added. Don't get me wrong, it's fine to add challenge to the level as you go along, and I thought it was pretty genius scaling the difficulty with every switch you pressed. But having a bunch of one-hit kill shines is too much. It took me quite a long time getting past that, mostly because I had to restart my progress every time I failed. And trust me, I'm not saying I'm the absolute worst at the game, but I failed pretty bad at the third attempt, taking at least 10 or more retries to get past it.
The large rotating platform was also pretty annoying, and was the bane of my existance in the third pass. That thing requires some rather precise timing, leaving very little room for error due to how fast it's moving. Having to work against that thing is pretty difficult, and I'd suggest toning it down.
The platforming in general was also a bit repetitive with all the moving and rotating platforms. It would be better to incorporate more elements and tiles into the passes, like more solid tiles, circular green platforms, moving blocks, power caps, etc. But otherwise, I still had fun, as it was pretty unique. The jump distances were all playtested exceptionally well, and it showed.
Scenery: 4/5
The level as a whole looked pretty neat. The tiling was varied well, but I was expecting more metal/conductable-looking materials as opposed to lots of wood and brick. Same goes for the decoration, though the mushroom bodies, sling star, and flamethrower looked rather cool.
Miscellaneous: 3/5
+ Music is alright, but got rather repetitive. Unfortunately I can't say it felt like it fitted the urgent meltdown of an electronic system. (+0.1)
- The arrow near the shine could've been higher to signal me to go down. I actually completely missed it because I was too focused on moving left. Just a minor detail. (-0.1)
= It would've been better to swap the switch and sign with the shine's location so people don't accidentally hit the switch on the third pass. It's obviously a very minor detail, but it nearly screwed me up all the same. (+0)
Total: 14.25/20
It's good, but the difficult ramps up a lot on the third pass. There were also a few minor details that would be better off fixed, but other than that it's pretty solid.
Karyete - Coal Pit
Gameplay: 4.75/10
Oh, I just realized this was not even finished. Well, to be fair, from what I saw, the platforming was playtested well. It's still rather basic though, and there's not much to do other than jump from here to there, and gather a few silver stars. Another sign of the level being incredibly straightforward is the near exclusive use of clouds and flamethrowers. You used a lot of both, for platforms and hazards, and almost nothing else. Sure you had some warp pipes to shoot flamethrowers out, but that's about it.
The switch and its activated blocks threw in some differences in the gameplay though, so at least it wasn't entirely straightforward. The level was really easy and simple otherwise.
Scenery: 4.25/5
The tiling variation was really neat, and using half-tiles really gave it a coal-mine feel. The decoration was also rather good, and the warp pipes felt in place. The clouds were kinda out of place though. There's not much else to say other than, it's fitting.
Miscellaneous: 3/5
+ I like the jumping animation at the start. (+0.25)
- You should probably add something that restores health, like coins. Flamethrowers come out rather fast, so some damage is likely to be taken while playing the level. It's always good to have some health-restoration in a flamethrower filled level. (-0.25)
= Don't leave half-tiles exposed to where Mario can walk into them! Remember that if Mario is crushed between a half-tiles worth of space, he'll get stuck and instantly die. Thankfully you didn't leave any major spaces open, but make sure for the future you don't leave any open! (+0)
Total: 12/20
If this was finished, I'm sure it would've placed in the Top 6. I think you had something pretty good here, even if the level was short and very simple in the gameplay department. But both cases you can fix with some editing.
FrozenFire - PULSE
Gameplay: 6.75/10
FrozenFire wrote:After you press the switch in the Silver Star area, DO NOT press the other switch, or else you'll have to do everything again.
WELL GEE, KINDA HARD TO DO THAT WHEN THE SWITCH IS RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE PASSAGEWAY YOU NEED TO PROCEED THROUGH
In all seriousness, that did bug me a lot, and I accidentally pressed it. Twice. I'd recommend fixing it by making a passageway that goes up or something.
Regarding the rest of the level, though, I did feel that the puzzle was pretty linear. I was hoping for more branching paths and thinking other than just 'move through the only passageway currently open to you'. However, on the other hand, it was a very interesting concept, and if you gave us more of a puzzle feel as opposed to a linear sequence, I feel this level would've stood out a lot more. The level is fully tested otherwise, there's some really good distance in the jumps and the pathways were, overall, well thought out. The Rocket Fludd didn't really have much of a use, other than grabbing the silver star though.
Scenery: 5/5
Well, on the bright side, this level looked beyond fantastic. The tiling was phenomenal - pairing orange along with the black and white tiles really gave it a vibrant color scheme, and the decoration was on point. Absolutely spectacular, really.
Miscellaneous: 3.5/5
+ God I love that music, it's very fitting for the level too <333 (+0.75)
+ Very crafty 1-up and wooden platform placement (+0.5)
- You know how much I hate bullies that are just placed there with no way to get rid of them. (-0.5)
- The bone platform near the Rocket Fludd would be better off a little longer, as falling into that Pit is pretty devasting. It makes me Hades the level a bit more, and Uprises my negative emotions. Naturally, it reflects the Dark side of mysel- *shot* (-0.25)
Total: 15.25/20
It's definitely a contender given how beautiful and playtested the level was, though I can't say I agree it's a puzzle level when it's that linear.
Supershroom - Boolord's Mini Quest
Gameplay: 5.75/10
It actually took me a little while to understand the concept, and at first I thought the level was incompleteable. I will say your descriptions for the level are a bit confusing.
But when I did understand it, I actually liked it. The challenges were pretty creative compared to your standard platformer, and the gameplay was, for the most part, smooth. Normally what I dislike about vertical levels is the tendancy to lose a ton of progress by falling. Not quite the case here, as your tiling prevented the player from losing a whole lot of progress if they slipped up, which I really like. The normal difficulty is balanced too, as it wasn't too hard or easy.
And now, for all the things I really don't like about the level.
First off, I really do not like how you acknowledge the level is incompleteable if you go into the doors and lose your power. Worst off, you do nothing about it, and don't offer any way to retry the challenge. Second, the pipe to retry the normal mode shouldn't have been hidden. In fact, you should've had an in-game sign tell the player what the doors and pipes do. Any player going in blind without reading your designers notes (as confusing as they are anyway) would've been lost and confused halfway in. Remember to think about the player experience as if they don't know about everything that was placed in the designer.
Finally, you have a ton of reworking to do on the challenge mode. The fact that you covered the switch-activated blocks with grey rocks made me extremely confused when transitioning from normal to challenge mode. It was nearly impossible to adjust to the grey rocks being solid, the bone platforms being relevant and camouflaged at that, the wooden tiles no longer being solid, etc. If anything, you should've had the disabled rocks behind the switch-activated blocks so I could actually identify which blocks were solid. Even in the normal challenge I was surprised at some of the objects being disabled when I couldn't have known just by looking at it. Clarity is a major issue in this level.
Scenery: 3.25/5
The background tiling is neat. All the different tiles blend in well. But it's pretty chaotic and jumbled, and doesn't really have much appeal. I'm not asking for strict structural design though, don't get me wrong. I just feel the background would be better off if you had a bit more structure in it (like is the background going horizontally most of the time, or vertically?). As of now, it doesn't have a direction.
The decoration and front-layer tiling is alright, but nothing too outstanding.
Miscellaneous: 2.5/5
- The moving platforms that stay out for long periods of time shake way too violently. This threw off my jump trajectory and prevented me from proceeding in the level. (-0.25)
- Why'd you select the Boss Music 2 and keep it as the in-game track? It's just so out of place for the level, and it gives an unpleasant starting note whenever I start the level. (-0.25)
Total: 11.5/20
As much as I like the concept, I can't say it was executed well. The lack of clarity in the level severely harmed the gameplay, which is unfortunate.
NanTheDark - The Koopa Boy and the Shy Girl
Gameplay: 5.5/10
You've done plenty of storytelling levels to understand the risk of sacrificing gameplay for in-game signs, right? I know it's a 25x25 level, but we're still looking for gameplay all the same. That being said, on a raw gameplay factor, I'd say the platforming was okay. There were some parts of the level that had the player do more than two inputs, but otherwise it was very, very basic and straightforward.
On the plus side, the story kept me hooked and had me looking forward to what happened next, so I can't call it a total bore. In fact, the story was really neat. I'd say it was a successful, yet short story. But because there isn't much platforming involved and it's focused on the story, there isn't much else to say.
Scenery: 3.5/5
The rectangular grey rocks were placed nicely and served well for the background. The background choice was quite fitting, though the tiling was a little too straightforward and could've used more variation. The item decoration is nicely done, though I swear you're catching Yurimaster fever. There's way too many trees in that level.
Miscellaneous: 3.25/5
+ You don't see very many well-done tragedies in SM63, let alone storytelling in general. I think it was a tragedy anyway... but even if it wasn't, the item symbolism is strong in this level. I really liked that. (+0.5)
- If I had to be honest, I wasn't a fan of the music choice. Midna's Lament in general is... eh. Piano's very repetitive, and there's hardly any dynamics in the piece (by that I mean it seems to be medium in volume for the entire thing and has no dynamic change, which is crucial for a piece expressing emotion or tragedy). There's quite a few tracks I could name off the top of my head that would suit the level better, but eh. (-0.25)
Total: 12.25/20
Maybe if this were a larger level with more gameplay it would've placed significantly higher. But it's okay, you done what you could in a 25x25 level, and the story itself is nicely written. All that being said, we're still looking for gameplay in SM63 levels. After all, it is a platformer.
SuperMIC - Great Leaf Galaxy
Gameplay: 6.25/10
... Yikes. There's a sizeable amount of problems in the level that prevented me from enjoying it.
Regarding the Top-Left area, those metal blocks just don't come out far enough, let alone in an order that allows Mario to scale up them. In other words, unless you time a triple jump near perfectly, it's impossible to get up. The bully in the quadrant doesn't help in the slightest, as the low ceiling prevent any height gain to pass by it. There's also that part where it was unclear I had to get squished to proceed.
As for the Top-Right area, again, there's the low ceiling that makes for frustrating maneuvers. The rotating platform with the two green platforms is quite cool-looking and very appreciated, but trying to get onto the rotating platform that's cut out of the level is rather frustrating. I succeeded about 1 in 20 times trying to get onto the thing. The rest of the area isn't too bad though.
In the Bottom-Right area, there's not much to say about it. It's straightforward, fast, fun, and isn't really too bad. It's rather short though.
In the Bottom-Left area, the moving blocks provide a nice challenge, but that stalactite and 1-up mushroom have some pretty evil placements. It definitely caused a few deaths here and there, and I swear getting that mushroom and living is downright impossible. The actual platforming itself was neat and well timed though.
In general, I urge you to give us more space and less low ceilings if possible. It's quite cramped and hard to bypass the four areas as a result. The gameplay in general is not as bad as I make it seem here, the four quadrants just have their own personal problems that need some addressing.
Scenery: 3.75/5
The tiling is diverse and the four quadrants really stand out in their own fields. Though because there's so much diversity the name 'Great Leaf' is a little unfitting. I mean, you have volcano and lava tiles on a galaxy entitled 'Great Leaf'...?
The item decoration is great, but again, the lava area just doesn't fit.
Miscellaneous: 4/5
+ The overall concept of having four differently themed quadrants is quite nice. Each one having their own little challenge was a neat touch. (+0.5)
+ BUOY BAAASSSSEEEEEEEEE <3333 (+0.5)
Total: 14/20
Eh, maybe you're just rusty. Who knows. It definitely could've been better, but it wasn't too bad either. You definitely had something good here, execution was just not quite up to standard.
Kimonio - Galifrey Reimagined
Gameplay: 4.75/10
Alright, I'll be honest, the gameplay's pretty sloppy. The platforming's really basic and there's several details that irk me;
- The metal plaform near the bottom left is completely out of camera view, and is positioned pretty roughly. More times I have fallen through the sides than I have landed on it.
- The invisible blocks were just cheap. How was the player supposed to know about them?
- The bullet bills move very fast and have an impressive fire rate, tone both problems down please.
- The right transition is very glitchy. More times I have automatically died going through it than I have come out the other end.
- Some of the tiling/islands in the middle of the level took up a bit too much space, making it hard to navigate around the level.
With all these issues and the platforming in general being quite basic, I can't say I enjoyed the level.
Scenery: 3.5/5
The graphics were pretty good, and the tiling was on point. However, item decoration was sparse, and what was there wasn't enough to support the atmosphere of the level. I couldn't really tell if you had a specific theme in mind or just did whatever you could. There's not much to say otherwise, other than the building on the clouds looked pretty neat.
Miscellaneous: 2.25/5
- The Shy Guys were clumped together, making it hard to bypass them without taking damage. I'd suggest spreading them. (-0.25)
- The signs in general were... meh. Nothing too interesting that changed any expression. Some of them felt pointless even. (-0.25)
- I dunno how I feel about spawning us on top of a switch, and then placing signs alongside the path to the switch-activated blocks. The signs eat up the player's time to get to the switch-activated blocks. The sign and switch placement in general was pretty sloppy as a result. (-0.25)
Total: 10.5/20
I dunno how many SM63 levels you've made, but even if this wasn't your first, you might've just had an off day or something. If it was, well... everyone starts somewhere I guess. I'm not saying you're a total noob, I just have no idea how much experience you have, looking at the level or not... I'll just shut up now.
Yurimaster - Uncharted Grounds
Gameplay: 6.75/10
I liked the concept with the open-ended exploration and moving around the level. The gameplay was pretty smoth, and the platforming was well executed. The puzzles implemented for the silver stars were neatly done, and even if they were small puzzles, it took some thinking to bypass them, which I liked.
But now that the good news has been told, here's the bad news;
Decoration is quite bountiful, but way, way too bountiful. The massive amounts of decoration hampered the gameplay and interfered with my position, as well as confusing me and camouflaging the platforms. As a result, I mostly stumbled along the level. It was pretty hard to navigate the level, essentially.
I also spent a very long time trying to get the Fludd by grabbing the invisibility star and trying to backtrack. What I didn't know was that there was a concealed orange switch beneath the reset star pipe. If you ask me, that switch was way too concealed to even be noticed. Heck, I didn't even notice there was a platform supporting the switch until I got a closer look in the LDer.
The shell and using it to bounce back up was a crafty idea, but it was a bit too difficult to keep up with, let alone get the shell up the water in the first place.
Scenery: 4/5
Well, at least you gave something quite neatly woven. With all the decoration placed, it connected well and provided a neat scenery. Though because there was so much it also felt a little cluttered (which I guess was what you were aiming for, but because it was so cluttered it felt like an eyesore at times). The tiling was good (if not a little odd here and there) and varied well, and the color choice was fitting. The background was a bit stale though.
Miscellaneous: 2.5/5
+ Music is fitting, and also pretty good. (+0.25)
- There's a spot where you can get infinitely crushed. It's not too far off the main path either, and I actually fell for it when trying to figure out how to get the third silver star. (-0.5)
- The reset star sign was not clear on its purpose, it took me a good 5 minutes to figure out what its purpose was. (-0.25)
Total: 13.25/20
I wouldn't say this was better than its prequel. The prequel also had a bit more room to maneuver around, and wasn't quite as cluttered with the decoration all over the place. I mean sure, the prequel also had some decoration that felt cluttered, but this level had more decoration that even camouflaged platforms at times.
MoD - Form
Gameplay: 7/10
The gameplay is interesting and the concept is fresh, that's for certain. But even then, there are some problems with the level that I didn't catch when I viewed this level in the level portal (though to be fair, some of the problems were also some of the edits you made).
The green rotating platform to the right is very hard to predict and jump onto, mostly because it's off-camera. But also because it moves really slow, and has a very small radius. There's also the metal platform under the middle silver star/invisibility star being too high to allow room to jump off of. I'd also recommend putting the invisibility star's duration in the tenths so it doesn't stay on long enough to have Mario fall through. That or just replace it with a wing/metal cap.
The flamethrowers were still a little bothersome, moreso the one to the left of the level (the one that covers the silver star in its entirety). The fact that they sent you straight up was either a blessing or a curse, depending on the location. In the case where you had one of the flamethrowers covering the silver star, it was a bit annoying to handle (even with the invisibility star). The flamethrowers to the far left of the level were a blessing on the other hand, as they allowed the player to jump straight up to the silver star without batting an eyelid.
Though the reason they were bothersome was primarily because there were very little sources to regenerate health. Flamethrowers come out very quick and without warning, making them hard to predict and avoid. It'd be better off if the level had something to heal your damage with.
Regarding the two metal blocks moving up and down (around the middle of the level), the rightmost one could've been a bit lower. But that's it, no other bothersome details otherwise. The level was still fairly fun, and wasn't as frustrating as the last version I played in the portal.
Scenery: 4.5/5
The graphical work is pretty solid. The tiling is smooth and there's no cutoff that the eye can see, and the decoration is pretty good, if not a little basic. Having the graphics improve over time was also a really interesting touch, and I can say I was a fan.
Miscellaneous: 2.75/5
+ Music is interesting and the ambiance provides the necessary atmosphere of a morphing level. I like it. (+0.5)
- ughughug that bully's location ended up being even worse than the portal's original location. you really should just remove that thing as a whole (-0.5)
- I missed this the last time I looked at your level (sorryyyy), but there's this angled mossy log in the level that constantly teleports me up, breaking my momentum at times. (-0.25)
Total: 14.25/20
The level was still a bit spotty with regards to small details and the platforming to some extent, but it was still pretty fun otherwise.
Jumbo101 - Galactic Jewl Rush
Gameplay: 7.5/10
Well, it was an interesting play at least. The gameplay was pretty fast in general, and I enjoyed how I could've taken any set path I wanted. Though I will say, it would've been better if you gave us a few more tiles and split pathways in the middle of the level (a bit above the start position, where all the metal platforms are). Since there were a lot of red coins clumped together in the center, the level became a bit too short and easy.
Some of the red coins didn't always require bullet bills to reach them (as some could've been reached with a very precise triple jump), but it was much more convenient to use bullet bills. If your intention was to use bullet bills, I would highly recommend turning their speeds up to 4, as they take a long time to get to the player at speed 3. Due to their slow speed, they were also hardly a threat. But despite the easiness, I can say I had a fun time. The level design otherwise was pretty spot-on.
Scenery: 3.75/5
The atmosphere of the level was greatly supported by the tiling and decoration. The tiling was well done and varied, but there's a lack of tiles in the middle, slightly above the start position. The decoration was pretty good, though there's not much else to say about it.
Miscellaneous: 3/5
+ It's not everyday you see someone take the 100-coin concept and execute it fairly well. Props to you for taking on such a risky concept. (+0.5)
- Having only one total platform on the green rotating platform was a pretty bad move. It takes ages to wait for that thing. (-0.25)
- Several of the red coins are mis-aligned on the top of the level. It just looks a little sloppy, no big deal otherwise. (-0.15)
- I like Gusty Garden, but... if you wanted the feel for a 'Jewl Rush', you probably should've put in 'Chase the Bunnies' as the music instead. Much more upbeat and fitting. (-0.1)
Total: 15.25/20
Well hey, it was a really neat level. It was pretty well executed and had a good, constant pace. There were a few small details, but they're only a few and should be easily fixed. You're definitely placing in my book.
KABOOM - Star Factory
Gameplay: 8.25/10
The gameplay was actually quite phenomenal here, not to mention pretty creative. The flamethrower still being a hazard after collecting the invisibility star and the staircase with the moving blocks were all quite different, and still provided some challenge without being too difficult. Speaking of flamethrowers, I might sound incredibly drunk here, but I really liked the blocks that had flamethrowers shooting out of the sides. Normally I don't like flamethrowers for their unpredictability, but with the blocks shooting the flamethrowers in order (and because they had predictable wait times), I was able to predict them for once, and cheap damage was avoided. And even then, I still took damage due to my own accord. It was challenging, and the right kind of challenging - difficulty that's not overly frustrating.
Admittedly, the level is without its flaws, as the moving blocks that were used as platforms in a vertical space (near the top of the level) could've been a bit bigger. It was a little hard to jump onto them. As for the large moving blocks that tried to crush you, it would've been better if there were more 'safe space' before the first one. There's hardly any room to catch a breath on before you're in danger of getting crushed.
There's also the skellegoonies inside the tight corridors, which is a pretty bad idea both on paper and practice, since they can only be defeated through stomping on them. The overall gameplay and varying platform methods definitely made the level stand out, though.
Scenery: 4.5/5
Wow, that atmosphere is really intense and creepy. LIKE VERY CREEPY. I would even compare the creepiness to some of the very morbid, twisted ideas I eventually scrapped for SM63 (fun fact: you collaborated on one of them). The tiling was rather well done, but the background blends in too well with the front-layered tiles in some cases, making it a little hard to navigate here and there. The decoration was also quite different from what you conventionally see, with all the skulls and everything (though some different items could've been used like the stumps of trees and maybe some sprouts leaking through the walls). Overall, it was a very fitting atmosphere for the level.
Miscellaneous: 3.75/5
+ Music improved the atmosphere by a lot. (+0.5)
+ Very good fundamental placement of coins and other platforms. (+0.5)
+ Them flamethrowers on the inside of the factory were quite impressive looking. (+0.25)
Total: 17/20
Dude, you got something really good here. I like it. Maybe just make a few small adjustments and you'd be good to go.
Megar - Sky Deck
Gameplay: ?/?
Oh. It's unfinished. aw.
Well, there's not much to say about it then. Moving straight to the right was a little misleading though, as it looked like it was impossible to get up on the upper tile strip until I triple jumped around the corner. Oh, and there's a ton of bullies that kinda ruined the already ruined level. But other than that, yeah... not much else to say.
Scenery: ?/?
It's vastly unfinished, so I shouldn't really have much, if anything at all, to say here.
Miscellaneous: ?/?
+ at least the music was really good and fitting (+0.5)
- not enough doritos or mtn dew (-1337)
total: durr
Yeah... The reason I don't really want to give it a score or anything is because it's not complete enough to pass a good judgement. Sorry.
Raiyuuni - Astrocluster
Gameplay: 4/10
It was very unclear where to go in the level, or what to even do. I wandered around for a while trying to figure out where to go in the level until I saw the sign and the silver star. As for the overall gameplay, it's... eehhh. The silver star with a red coin near it was pretty much impossible to get (why a red coin there? defeats the purpose of having more than one silver star). No really, trying to get that with the wing cap in such a cramped space is ridiculously hard to do, especially since you can't crash into one thing. You just go too fast on the wing cap, no matter if you triple jump, dive, or whatever. Oh, and then there's the problem of trying to turn around and land on a solid surface.
The gameplay aside from that one silver star was pretty straightforward otherwise, though there were some small details that bugged me a bit. Some of the items were completely pointless, especially some of the moving platforms. For example, one of them near the bullet-bill formation doesn't do anything at all, and the one in the cage at the top of the level serves no purpose other than moving a koopa shell that had no bearing on the level. There's a lot of other small details that would be better explained/categorized in the Miscellaneous level.
Scenery: 2.5/5
The graphics were very crazy, and there's some things that really stuck out to me and surprised me (in a good connotation). The futuristic arrow, clouds, and bullet bill formation stuck out to me the most, with a few other minor details like some of the tiling in the center of the level. However, there were also things that did not appeal to me. The stacked doors looked pretty funny and served no purpose in the level, the water is completely disconnected and not smooth, and the flamethrowers weren't even attached to anything.
There were some item decoration that was a bit clumped together though, like the vines in the bottom-left corner of the level. You could've distributed some of those elsewhere.
Miscellaneous: 2.5/5
+ Music is pretty good, sets the atmosphere really well. (+0.5)
- ... Did that starting position really just lead me straight into a flamethrower?? (-0.75)
- The metal, wing, and invisibility caps might as well be set to 9999 duration. It makes no sense to limit them other than to frustrate the player into backtracking after they wear off. But more importantly, there's several stars that remove their effects near the spawn. So why limit them? (-0.25)
Total: 9/20
The level as a whole was pretty sloppy unfortunately. It just needs a lot more work on the execution and fixing smaller details, like the starting position momentum leading me straight into a flamethrower.
Vendai - Starlight Lament
Gameplay: 6.75/10
... I honestly can't think of much to say about the gameplay, which is a first for me. The platforming is alright, no real flaws, but no real outstanding points either. It's also rather straightforward and basic, which is not a bad thing, but it could've been a bit better. Like you said, it's primarily a work of art with a story inside. Unfortunately, having the signs with the story slow the pace of the level, so there's that tradeoff to keep in mind.
But even with the slowed pace, I still had fun with it. The story kept me engaged, and so did *some* of the platforming. I will admit, the first silver star was a bit of a doozy, as I didn't quite realize I had to duck on my first try. I dunno, it looked like I could've made it without ducking, but apparently not.
Scenery: 5/5
That tile work... my god, it's beautiful. If I could give you more than 5 points I totally would. The decoration is also really well done, and helps support the varying landscapes around the house (which was really well done btw). The entire level seems spotless and without cutoff.
Miscellaneous: 3.4/5
+ ; n ; i cri, story was really neat (+0.5)
+ Having Mario fly off to the distance (where the shine was) was a really neat touch and worked very well with the story. (+0.25)
- Blatantly hidden stuff is not fun. I had no idea how to get those 2nd and 3rd silver stars until I looked at the level from the level designer. (-0.25)
- It's a minor detail, but you might as well not limit the duration on the wing cap, as I actually missed the shine and ended up having to go all the way back around the house. (-0.1)
Total: 15.15/20
For a storytelling level, it was actually really neat, and I believe the risk paid off well.
Doram - Powerup Complete
Gameplay: 6.25/10
Well, okay, the gameplay's unfortunately spotty. I wasn't aware that the mushrooms were platforms when I started playing the level. I was also a little skeptical on jumping on the cave walls to get to the wing cap. Clarity > being fancy and hiding platforms.
But nonetheless, after the wing cap the level was pretty fun. Sure, it was very straightforward, but it was pretty fun otherwise.
But then I got so caught up in the level I missed the red coin/silver star.
I dunno, the lava passage with the metal cap didn't seem like on the main road at all, and I completely missed it because my eyes were on the Hover Fludd at the time. Backtracking also happens to be impossible a few feet after getting the invisibility Cap, so personally the invisibility cap was rather poorly placed.
Scenery: 3.25/5
The graphical work was... meh. I dunno, the tiling was good bit very basic (which is fine, but as a result it's not particularly outstanding). The decoration was alright, but also quite sparse. Needs more than mushroom bodies, cave plants, and a few cave trees.
On the bright side, there's no real noticeable cutoff.
Miscellaneous: 3/5
+ Concept was pretty neat, though the level felt cramped as a result. (+0.1)
- The sign near the Rocket Fludd was tricky to read without falling down the pit. I'd advise moving it to the left. (-0.25)
= Considering SM63 has split channels in the in-game music, I didn't use it as a result. Especially since you were on the left side the entire time. No music points for you
*sniped*Alright, fine, have some small points for fitting music. (+0.15)
Total: 12.5/20
doram don't kil me pls
It could've been the concept that brought down the level's chances in the end, or maybe it was just lack of clarity in the platforms and where the player was supposed to go. Overall, it's alright, but it could've been a lot better.
Emkay - Archetypal Environs
Gameplay: 7.75/10
The gameplay was rather neat on this one. It was varied well with simple differences, and each area had their own unique gimmick/challenge. Even if it felt a bit straightforward at times, it was executed very well, and was a little bit challenging without being overly difficult.
There were a few spots that irked me slightly though, like the top-left red coin. Because there were very few logs (and since the logs were angled away from Mario), it was a bit difficult trying to get up to the red coin. The logs were also not stable, further adding to the difficult trying to get it. The water near the sand also had a red coin that was very easy to get, but otherwise there aren't any other spots that seemed troublesome or too easy. Obviously this wasn't the hardest thing in the world, but it didn't have to be. The difficult is below average, but it's a balanced kind of below average, which I enjoy.
Scenery: 2.75/5
The tiling was pretty solid and spot on, and the diversity was everywhere. It was kinda strange that you put the sand on the right side of the level instead of the bottom though. The decoration was good, but sparse. It was especially lacking in the sand and cave areas. The level needed more item decoration to support the variety in landscapes.
Miscellaneous: 3.15/5
+ The 9 red coins were distributed evenly around the level, and had me exploring everywhere. Call me a fan of the concept, really. (+0.25)
+ I liked the shine placement and having the player land on the rock. Just felt different than having Mario fall down to a set of tiles or something. That, and it looked pretty cool. (+0.15)
- The clouds were angled kinda funny. It slightly interfered with both gameplay and graphics. (-0.15)
- The rotating block being clear next to the pyramid scheme bugged me the tiniest bit... but it still bugs me all the same. I dunno, you could've made it something instead of clear at the very least. (-0.1)
Total: 13.65/20
It's a small, short, and fun level. But I think working only an hour on the level was a pretty bad move (then again, you might've had no choice but to work for only an hour). A few more hours could've bought you time to improve the graphics and fix smaller details in the level.
Overall placings:: show
1st: KABOOM (17/20)
2nd: Jumbo101 (15.25/20)
2nd: FrozenFire (15.25/20)
3rd: Vendai (15.15/20)
4th: MP3 Amplifier (14.75/20)
5th: MoD (14.25/20)
5th: Star King (14.25/20)
6th: Smic (14/20)
7th: Emkay (13.65/20)
8th: Yurimaster (13.25/20)
9th: Doram (12.5/20)
10th: NanTheDark (12.25/20)
11th: Karyete (12/20)
12th: Supershroom (11.5/20)
13th: Nwolf (11/20)
14th: Kimonio (10.5/20)
15th: Raiyuuni (9/20)
2nd: Jumbo101 (15.25/20)
2nd: FrozenFire (15.25/20)
3rd: Vendai (15.15/20)
4th: MP3 Amplifier (14.75/20)
5th: MoD (14.25/20)
5th: Star King (14.25/20)
6th: Smic (14/20)
7th: Emkay (13.65/20)
8th: Yurimaster (13.25/20)
9th: Doram (12.5/20)
10th: NanTheDark (12.25/20)
11th: Karyete (12/20)
12th: Supershroom (11.5/20)
13th: Nwolf (11/20)
14th: Kimonio (10.5/20)
15th: Raiyuuni (9/20)
