29th Level Designing Contest

[MessengerOfDreams]

This post by MessengerOfDreams was thumbed up by:

Karyete (April 30th, 2015, 12:37 pm)

[Harmless]

also yurimaster you didn't include my score for em2kay pls fix

edit: wow wtf I was sitting here quietly spellchecking judges then I get ninja'd by FIVE POSTS in a matter of minutes? Wow guys, calm down.

Judgings: show

Supershroom - Cloudy Temple/Mystery Ruins

Alright, so regarding your designer notes, I understood nothing about what you said regarding the double doors and stuff (other than switch musics while inside/outside). I read them, but I'll still be posting my thoughts on the level, regardless of the notes.

Gameplay: 5.5/10

Cloudy Temple:

Oooh boy, where do I start. I don't know why this always happens when I play your levels, but there's just so many unpolished aspects in your level that it really took the excitement out of playing it. First off - rotating platforms are a dangerous thing to use in levels, especially in close-knit areas or next to tiles/walls. I say this because over three quarters of the rotating platforms you put in your level would often kill, squish mario into the wall/ground, force damage, or be a complete nuisance to get past. Often times it was all of the aforementioned combined.

I'm not just talking about the rotating platforms in the red-block passages. I'm talking about every single rotating platform in the entire level. Please, test your levels for these kinds of things.

The checkpoint halfway into the level is rather misleading - you actually have to press down to the right of the tree. Either move the tree, or flatten the ground around it so the warp pipe can be right below it. However, this was not too big of a deal. What was a big deal was the instructive signs. Yes, the signs of all things were either very pointless, or would kill the excitement of the level. I know you want to avoid BS deaths so the judges don't have to complain about loading time. However, you could've accomplished this as well as make the level exciting and a bit more difficult without giving us signs telling us exactly what to do. It felt like this level was a walkthrough more than an actual platformer.

The platforming itself was pretty good and there weren't quite as many excruciatingly difficult passages as compared to your 27th LDC entrant. Some of the passages that only had small clouds was annoying, however, especially since I did not have the Hover FLUDD with me when I had to tackle them. There was also a low ceiling in some of the moving platform segments that made the challenges much more frustrating than they should've been.

This passage was flat out impossible;



For reference's sake, it's the second to last transition. Yeah, it was impossible to catch up to that platform. Next time make it so it moves a little slower than Mario, as you can't catch up to things that move two times faster than you.

Now regarding the core level design, sometimes 'hidden' 1-ups would have a straying pathway that would lead to them.



Now first off, this wasn't actually 'hidden' as I'm sure you 're aware. In fact, opening up a second pathway would often lead me straight to the 1-ups when I try to ignore them. Second, because of this double pathway being quite long, I would often see the 1-up, collect it (or not), and turn back and take the other pathway. This made the level repetitive and wasn't a very good way to hide the 1-ups.

And finally, the red block passages in general were rather glitchy - sometimes triple jumping actually saved me, other times I wouldn't even be on the red blocks but I would get sucked in anyway. The rotating platforms didn't always suck me in and instead bounced me upwards. They were also fairly misleading - try using only one red block next time, because on my first attempt I thought only half of the red blocks would send me down. And often times, they were very frustrating, with the second red-block passage being the biggest offender. Don't leave it up to chance as to whether or not the block rises when we run out of Fludd water. Move the blocks closer (or do something) so the player has time to react.

Now that being said, I can't say this level was difficult. In fact, it was almost easy, because the sheer amount of coins in the level undid any damage the enemies did to me. Not to mention there weren't even very many enemies in the first place. Yet you somehow made the level frustrating by incorporating untested Speedrun challenges, split pathways, badly positioned rotating platforms, and glitchy sections that would constantly frustrate me.



Mystery Ruins:

As I said regarding Cloudy Temple, those rotating platforms (especially in the beginning) were an absolute pain in the ♥♥♥. Forced damage is NOT something the player should experience within the first two minutes of a platformer. Not to mention they would constantly squish me before I would even attempt to bypass them.

I would also like to request (again) that when you give us moving platform segments, don't give us a low ceiling. The first moving platform segment after the first transition was, well, frustrating. The low ceiling and janky move patterns on the platforms were very difficult to bypass. I'm glad you gave me a warp pipe to retry, but don't expect the players to be on the same caliber as you. Raise the ceiling, please. I know it's passable, I passed it, but not without having that low ceiling dunk me at least 5 times.

The platforming was rather good, and I loved the vertical motion and platforming combined with horizontal movements. The best part was we didn't quite have to suffer long loading times by falling down pits - you allowed us to retry and it was much less frustrating. But then you gave us that god awful bottomless pit right before the checkpoint. Needless to say I fell down the pit and felt a huge surge of frustration from that, after seeing the checkpoint right after. Either move the checkpoint, or remove the pit, as it was a complete slap in the face after the generosity of giving us the warp pipes to retry any segments.

The first wing cap segment had a tall mountain rock in the beginning that I could care less for - in fact, that tall mountain rock killed me on my first attempt, by cancelling my flight and making me dive to my doom. Please move it down or something, that tall mountain rock had the worst position for when I was attempting to just start the segment. The segment as a whole was not too bad though. The 'evil' stars weren't really a challenge. Their pattern was kind of easy and made me feel a little relieved. At the time, I felt comfortable saying the level was not too bad, despite the bottomless pit earlier. After all, the platforming up to that point was pretty engaging, and (again) I liked how you made the winding pathways go vertically and horizontally.

But then the wing cap speedrun at the end of the level ruined your chances. I'm sorry, but that was easily the worst, unpolished thing I saw in your level. First off, it's incompleteable in the sense that there's just not enough time for anyone to open the doors. This is because players have to take a few seconds to land on the blocks and jump out of their flying animation, and you don't allow that time. Second, the first Warp Pipe was very inconveniently placed, and it was actually the cause of several of my slip-ups when attempting it. Third, don't, and I mean DON'T expect us to do it frame-perfect. Allow a little bit of time for a slip-up or two.

In the middle of the speedrun segment was yet another low ceiling and ground leading uphill, preventing any sort of buildup in speed for the cliffs ahead. It was easily the biggest offender in the list of unpolished aspects of this section. Before you start telling me 'did you try double jumping and then diving to get the best speed possible', yes, I've done that every single attempt, and all attempts failed. I even almost got to the door once after doing it frame-perfectly, but had to take a second to get out of my flying animation. Needless to say, the blocks disappeared when I was getting out of my flying animation, and I was cheated.

I don't think I need to say anymore. I strongly, strongly urge you to test your levels more often. You may think you have tested enough, but not until you have checked every nook and cranny for any forced damage, bugs, frustrating passages, or any aspects that need to be cleaned up, will you have ever tested your level enough. If you've done all that, all you need to do is check it twice over. And after that, a third time. Never stop testing your levels. Ever.



Scenery: 3.75/5

Cloudy Temple:

That's a lot of decoration you put all over the level. The structural tiling of the temple/structures were interestingly mixed and laid out, but the background often times blended in too well with the foreground, and it was hard to navigate the area. As a result, it also made the inside portions an eyesore. However, decoration and the gaps in the grassland tilings made up for it, it was well done. Items like fences were often used in unpredictable ways, like vertically - which I commend you for.



Mystery Ruins:

The tiling in the level is kinda uncut and unpolished, in a sense that the multiple layers of grass tend to have cutoff on the bottom. I even saw some decoration peek through the cutoff, and it was not graphically appealing. And again, the background tiles blended in too well with the background itself, making the level a bit confusing at times. I also can't believe I'm saying this, but I really feel like there's way too much decor in this level. You especially went overload on the twisted tree branches, which got repetitive really fast.

However, I do commend you for the rock tiling and formations. Those looked quite nice. The non-rotating blocks covering gaps in the tiles was a good touch too.



Miscellaneous: 2/5 (average)

Cloudy Temple:

+ The landscape and overall level design was very imaginative. In just the first few seconds I was captured easily into your self sense of how the world worked, and needless to say I was hooked at the beginning. (+1)
+ Having us revisit a location after setting up a switch was a nice touch. (+0.5)
+ Good use of sling stars, though some of them pointing downwards were kinda useless. (+0.25)

- I'm sure we've discussed this before, but you have loads of unused space in the level that looks very unprofessional. And the worst part is, you could've easily avoided it by moving the start position some 20-40 tiles upwards, minimizing unused space. Unused space is such a big deal because this creates longer loading/transition time. It also makes the level look unfinished from the LD view, but that's not too much of an issue. The big issue is loading time and how unnecessarily massive the level becomes. (-0.75)
- I really don't think Red Hot Chili Peppers sets the mood of the level, though since it's LDC-only content I'll let it slide. The song is somber, but the level isn't really. Also, I'm sorry but Newer SMB music really isn't that good. The Yoshi's Island music was pretty bad, as the shooka shookas (sorry, don't remember the instrument name) are way too loud. Sure, Sky City was pretty good, but it does not transition well into Yoshi's Island of all themes for the inside portion. (-0.5)
- I really don't think a Cloudy Temple really fits the theme. I know you used a good amount of grass tilings, but... it's not really grasslands. It strongly feels geared towards a Sky/Temple theme. (-0.25)
- Those disabled rocks/pipes actually shocked me when I went right through them. I wasn't even aware that they were disabled. Please make it clear next time or just remove them as a whole. (-0.25)
- Looooong loading/transition times. It doesn't hurt here as much as there's not too many opportune places to miss a jump and die, but it still kinda hurts. (-0.25)



Mystery Ruins:

+ I appreciate how some of the ledges/platforms can be crossed/reached with a single jump. Helps when I don't have time to make a double jump, especially on rotating platforms. (+0.5)

- That first disabled sign actually caused me to spend a good minute trying to read it. :/ (-0.75)
- Music is... meh. I really don't feel like the Newer SMB music really fits. If you were going for a ruins aspect, then you could've found more fitting ruins/temple/subtle music. The forest song gets really repetitive too, and overall it's really not too great. I haven't listened to the alt music though, but considering it's LDC only content I'll also let it slide. (-0.5)
- Though that being said, because it's more focused on ruins than it is on actual grasslands, I can't say it fits the theme. Yes, you used a good amount of grass tiles, but it was completely overshadowed in comparison to all the rocks and cave scenery. (-0.5)
- Again, long loading/transition time, but not due to unused space. Primarily due to an overload in decor and level size. It hurts more in this level due to the cheap bottomless pit. (-0.5)

Total: 11.5/20

Well, it's certainly better than last time. But since there's just so many execution errors paired with poor design choices, I can't say I'm comfortable giving you a higher score. At this point, all I can keep suggesting is to test your levels. You'd be surprised at how many things you could fix and/or measure better with a few more scans and playtesting.

---

Emelia K. Fletcher - Superfluous Landscape

Gameplay: 4.25/10

Well... uh, it's interesting. I'll be honest, the main reason your Gameplay is a 4.25/10 is because there's hardly anything to be said about it. After all, the level was designed to be a story, snapshot followed by snapshot. I'll cover this more in Miscellaneous.

But for now, the only comment I have is - the second sling star was kinda hidden under the planet. Move it up on top of the area as opposed to under it, as I wasn't sure where to go and actually died when trying to reach it (partially because I noticed it while I was falling off the planet/snapshot). NIN DON'T CALL ME BAD PLS

Scenery: 3.75/5

It's a somewhat modest amount of decor - there could've been a bit more. You could've also added disabled enemies to improve the effects of the story, but that's just a personal suggestion. The decor that was there was placed well, though, and the cabin was a nice touch.

... I want to say more, but it's hard to say more about a level that's so short.

Miscellaneous: 5.25/5

+ The introduction had me hooked. The story was a great one, and that message to the right of the transition was really powerful. I loved it all, though there was one small quotation-mark error in one of the last signs. (+1.5)
+ I almost said the level barely fit the theme until I read the message to the right. Yeah, nevermind. It didn't just fit the theme, it almost fit all themes to ever exist. Assuming the tileset was arranged, that is. Regardless, it fit the theme nicely in a very unique way. I'm VERY jelly and impressed at the same time. (+0.75)
+ I wasn't expecting you to pull that sort of snapshot-like story out of nowhere. The execution of the story and all the little snapshots were very nice touches, and although it could've used more decor as said in Scenery, what was there pulled through. (+0.75)
+ Weirdly enough, the negative/empty space in the level actually served a nice purpose - not just for separating the snapshots, but also in giving the vibe that the creator from above really had an impact on the landscape. And I never thought I would say this in my entire life, but your use of empty space actually gave the level a nice feel to it, and really empowered the story. (+0.5)

- It didn't reduce points in Scenery, but it will here. The level was incredibly short. I really wanted more out of it, but oh well. Still felt more like a 25quared entrant to me. (-0.5)
- That name of the peaks was pretty hard to pronounce, and I spent quite some time trying to pronounce it. Maybe an easier name would be better so the reader doesn't have to stop and break the pace of the story. (-0.25)

Total: 13.25/20

No, this won't be winning any awards anytime soon, as it's quite short and there's not much to be said about gameplay. But holy ♥♥♥♥, that story alone and the decoration gave me an experience unlike any other. I really want to say this was on MP3 Amplifier/MoD level of storytelling - it was that great. I want to see what you can do with a bigger level.

---

A Generation of Creators(?) - MoD/Star King

Gameplay: 8/10

Genesis 2009-2010:

Wow. That documentary was AMAZING! The beginning level, Genesis, was a solid introduction. The platforming and the pace at how fast Mario went throughout the level slowly but steadily increased - which was a huge plus for me. Really got me into the platforming segments and was an enjoyable experience.

For example, the hidden Turbo Fludd being a thing for the next half of the level gave me a lot of fun. It supported any platforming I was doing, especially when you raised the ceiling in sections after obtaining the Turbo Fludd, and allowed me to be liberal with it. The bullet bills (especially the invincible ones) were fairly annoying, but also brought some color to the scene and were creatively used to scale the castle. Which I liked a lot.

Unfortunately, that's not to say the level was flawless. Some examples of annoying segments in the platforming included the bridge platforms in the water/dry dock segment to be too close to the base of the dry dock platforms. It was hard to jump around the solid tiles from the bridge platforms, and I'd suggest extending them out a bit so the player can make it back on the tiles. The bully placements throughout the level were fairly inconvenient - often because the player had to jump upwards to reach the platform they were guarding. This would often draw the bullies to the ledge and camp on them, making it rather inconvenient trying to jump towards a higher platform. Also, I'm not sure why you placed a flamethrower right above the shine. Made it all the more annoying attempting to get it.

However, regardless, it was a nice introduction to the levels ahead.



Parables 2011-2012:

I actually wasn't sure where to go on this level. My first instinct told me to go up, not right, and as a result I skipped two signs because of that.

The signs and bullet bills in the first room were a risky implementation - since bullet bills will keep shooting more at you even while reading the signs. The bullet bills in the first room were colorful, but actually made the level lag, which is a minus. They also fired at an impressive rate - I'd recommend lowering their firing speed. They were also kinda annoying gameplay wise, I would've preferred more goombas, shy guys, or koopas instead of those.

Also, I found the warp pipe in the first room on complete accident. Might want to hide that on a larger platform next time, as it being on that isolated tile might lead to more accidental findings on it.

The platforming in general was good, though not quite as driving as the first level. The boss at the end was nice and chaotic - and not too difficult, surprisingly. Most of the easiness factor came from the Rocket Fludd though.



Apotheosis 2013-????:

From start to finish, the platforming was, in general, quite solid. Though it had its issues; the clock to the left of the starting point was quite frustrating, as it would constantly bump me off into the cliff. It was also hard to jump on, and when you have it swinging randomly around alongside a timed invisible star, it's not a good combination.

The silver stars were placed in some very ingenous spots. But the bullies on the airship often would knock me away from where I needed to press down on. The small bully especially would block the corner I needed to go to. I would suggest moving the warp pipe to the center of the platform instead of the corner, makes it less frustrating to reach.

And the final timed challenge at the end... oh god that was amazing. Gave me some serious Neon City vibes, and that last portion did a lot of things right. An example was the Paratroopa bouncing. Normally those kind of shenanigans irritate me and I would not enjoy those sections. But when you have them close to the transition which respawns them when you retry the portion, it actually made the level fun. The distance was calculated with care, and it's something I really appreciated.

And then the ending. The signs leading to that shine sprite gave me memories of playing so many countless levels that did that, except this one went from nearly nothing to something beautiful. I applaud you guys for giving such a memorable ending.



Scenery: 4.25/5

Genesis:

The decoration was pretty spot on, and the tiling was basic, but good. Those trees were quite repetitive though. I'm not sure if that's a reference to Yurimaster's trees or that one level where there's a giant tree made of trees, but it was broken apart in this sense and felt more like spam.

There's not much else to say other than - the level as a whole was quite outstanding in its presentation. The last transition was quite a conversion from grasslands to desert temple, and somehow you pulled it off while keeping me thinking I was playing the same level.



Parables:

Okay, I know the background was intentional. And it was a good choice overall. But I'm not sure how that works when transitioning from Genesis to this level, Parables. More weirdly was the transition from the broken future thing (first transition) to the normal time period. The background doesn't really change, which I know that's a limitation of the designer, but still a strange feeling nonetheless.

The mushroom bodies in the second transition were all misaligned, and looked rather funny. Otherwise the decoration is fairly good, and the tiling is solid.



Apotheosis:

Some of the ends of the trees sticking out of the tiling (more so on the last transition) kinda looked like cut-off. The grass tile layering was also kinda janky and had portions of cutoff here and there. Otherwise, the decoration and tiling was solid (though again, the trees were really repetitive at this point).

The bridge to the right of the spawn position was rather sloppy though, despite the item layering. It just kinda looked... eh. Sloppy and rushed, really.

But other than that, props to SK and MoD for creating such a memorable scenery. The use of castle tiles throughout the levels were rather good, too, and created a color palette unlike any other with the grass tiles. Great job to both of you!



Miscellaneous: 4.5/5

All:

+ As a whole, the level fit the theme pretty well, scenery-wise. The story pretty much enveloped everything though and overshadowed grasslands, and when playing the level I actually forgot the theme was grasslands for a second. On the bright side, it's the mark of a good story. (+0.25)

Genesis:

+ The introduction was quite the reference, heh. Got me hooked into the story too, and was a great choice. (+1)
+ The music was pretty good, and the ambience was fairly fitting. (+0.25)

- The two invincibility stars would've worked better as one star in-between the total distance from eachother (essentially right before the invincible bullet bill transition). Going into the invincible bullet bill section with yellow health was not fun. (-0.5)



Parables:

+ That story regarding Suzy though... almost made me cry, wow. I'm not sure if you derived it from another series or whatnot, but it really set a shining example for what the level focused on. (+0.5)
+ Ambient music was more fitting in this level, especially during the story. (+0.5)

- The flipping platforms were glitchy and got me stuck in one place, as opposed to boosting my jump height. I'm not sure if you tested this or not, but it was pretty annoying to reposition my start point past all of that. (-0.5)



Apotheosis:

+ Thanks for the heads up regarding the signs and there being a restart point at the end. As for the sign at the end before the true ending... Runouw?? What the... that was quite a twist. (+0.25)

- I almost confused one of the warp pipe tops for an actual warp pipe I needed to go through for whatever reason - I suggest distinguishing the warp pipe tops from actual warp pipes you can enter. (-0.25)

Total: 16.75/20

Most of the downfall in this level was how rushed the design seemed, especially towards the end. There were a few design choices I also personally disagreed with, but in the end, it's a fantastic documentary. Some polishing would easily make this become the best level of all time, even better than Dark... well, almost better. I can't say for sure.

It's a fantastic level nonetheless, and a lot of the moves you made in designing this ambitious project paid off.

---

Cosmic Gardens - Yurimaster

Gameplay: 7.25/10

The platforming... wow, I'm torn, Yurimaster. Half of me says that was some of the coolest platforming I've ever stumbled across, and it really reminded me of a fantastic Super Mario Galaxy level. The other half of me wants to strangle you for giving me so many goddamn one-tiled platforms, and platforming segments that annoyed me quite a bit (especially at the beginning).

Don't get me wrong, the fluffy plants bouncing you up was ingenious and I had so much fun just bouncing on them. But maybe you should've made wider fluffy plants here and there... because oh boy, one-tiled platforming segments are not fun. Combine that with force fields you had to break, and it was pretty tedious getting to the invisibility star (not to mention the negative color swap that occurs when you break each and every one).

Now the second half (checkpoint and onwards), was not as bad. But it was still kinda annoying nonetheless, having to restart the entire thing if you mess up once. On the bright side, you calculated distances appropriately and allowed some slight room for error, which I appreciate. It's the mark of a good level - fairly difficult, but not overly frustrating.

That being said, I really want to have played more, and despite it being a little short, it was quite the adventure.



Scenery: 4.5/5

Beautiful decoration, dude. Those intertwining mushroom bodies were very, very well done. Of course, one of them was not fully connected to the ground, but hey. The fluffy plants themselves were cool looking, but if you stared at one for a few seconds it was a bit of an eyesore.

The tiling was alright, but the level needed more/thicker grass tiles. The rightmost part of the level was quite bare too, regarding tilesets. However, the water design and smoothness of the water pools more than made up for it. Bravo, really.



Miscellaneous: 3.25/5

+ Sling stars were really well designed. Really cool flying pattern. (+0.75)
+ I wish you had more really cool smaller details like the thwomp staircase - I honestly did not expect that. (+0.5)

- The thwomps on the rightmost section of the level were not as cool as the ones before the checkpoint. The thwomps that shot you past the bone platforms... you should just remove the platforms, really. If you don't get squished because you thought you were going to take damage, it takes forever for them to come back up. I was actually stuck for a solid minute wondering where I needed to go until I thought 'maybe I need to get squished here'. (-0.75)
- Loading time hurts really badly. I had two flash player warnings because of the loading time, and I think part of the reason was the amount of items you threw outside of the map, plus the huge amount of empty space to the left. Gotta clean up after your toys young man. (-0.75)

Total: 14.75/20

What is it with me playing great levels that have unpolished aspects? Tbh, I don't feel like this level was 100% complete at all. The empty space to the left and items strewn around outside the level speak for itself. And the worst part was you had an ingenous idea too, but it fell short due to execution. Sorry. ; n ;

---

The Forest of Illusions - ChaosYoshi

Gameplay: 8.25/10

Before I say anything, fix your starting location.

Wow, that level was a lot of fun. All of those illusions really presented something unique. And even if the platforming felt basic at points, it was executed well and had a good balance of difficulty. I also love how you immediately set the theme of the level by having us turn back and facing an illusion immediately. Those first few rooms were executed well and set the mood of the level.

... Eh, mostly executed well. I will say those rotating platforms were pretty tricky to get past. And while it's a good puzzle, just getting up to the first platform was a pain, especially when you had to triple jump every single time just to land on the first platform. The spikes in that same room were also pretty devious to get past, didn't realize I could just spin in the air and get past it. Despite being a little annoying it was a cool idea.

Regarding the first few rooms though, I will say that there were some good design choices. The jumps were balanced in difficulty and the level was playtested well in general. I liked how you used the moss rock to ensure that the enemies did not move too far right, especially in the transition with the silver bullet bills.The bully in the early transitions was pretty annoying though. I'd recommend removing it.

Past those first few transitions though, there was that long fall that kept me waiting for a bit, and reduced the pace of the level. I'd probably shorten that, especially when you're staring at nothing but dark purple background for a few seconds. And then, there's the Mansion.

There's a lot of good things about the Mansion, but the first room on the interior was pretty annoying. The Tipping Logs were a little hard to stay on, but the worst part was the clock. Now if you had some platforms around the clock's rotating swing, then maybe it wouldn't have been as bad as I would've had some breathing room when trying to stay on it. But it was quite annoying trying to stay on the thing, with it moving slowly and Mario having no ground to stand on to help himself. Past that, though, the platforming was alright, though the Shy Guys were also a bit of a pain having to deal with when you're on the clock.

On the other hand, the exterior was especially fun to platform my way through, despite being fairly basic and lacking enemies to keep me on my toes. I especially liked the hidden 1-up past the door, and the overall design when trying to get up to the shine was well thought out. But then one of the mansion tiles was not solid on the balcony, preventing me from reaching the shine. But overall, the level was executed well, and the paratroopa bouncing at the end was calculated well, so I didn't quite have many qualms with that. If someone were to mess up, though, you should provide a transition of the sort.



Scenery: 4/5

The items may have seemed basic on first glance, but the scenery was very memorable and unique. In the first few rooms, setting up the decor pattern so it seems like it's the same room every time was a good touch. Past that, the road leading up to the mansion was decorated decently. But then I didn't even realize that I was walking up to a mansion until I saw the door - the disabled transition provided an excellent effect for the mansion just appearing out of nowhere. I will say, you actually scared me.

I will say the jungle tiles under the mansion tiles looked quite janky when viewed from the interior. The mansion itself though... wow, the exterior looked kinda bare, but then the interior was full of life and mansion-like objects, such as spinning books, lights, and all of these items I never thought I would see inside. It was a true sight to behold. Excellent job, really.



Miscellaneous: 4.25/5

+ The music really set the mood. I loved it. (+0.75)
+ I love it when people who create levels have those fun little easter eggs, like signs you can only read from the LDer. That being said, that one sign was pretty funny. (+0.5)
+ The level fit the theme with a creative twist. (+0.5)
+ No lag/loading time. (+0.25)

- You might want to fix this, the door leading to the balcony (which lead to the shine sprite) could've been reached without the invisible star. (-0.25)

Total: 17.5/20

It's a really impressive level. I think since the platforming was almost too basic at times, though, I didn't quite have as much fun with it as I could've. But I loved the concept, and the idea was executed sharply otherwise. You're definitely placing.

---

Marshmallow Meadow/Stratos Lookout - 1018peter

Gameplay: 7/10

Marshmallow Meadow:

That was actually pretty fun. The platforming in general was well executed (mostly), and there are some good things going for you in the level. Enemy distribution was well done, and there are a lot of good aspects I like about the level. The level in general was engaging and kept its pace... until those clouds knocked me into the pit countless times than I can remember. The moving block clouds were a fantastic concept, but not executed well... please reduce the spinning speed on the clouds, as they were already unfair enough due to catching Mario if he was even on the edge of the center block. You essentially gave us moving platforms that had less than one tile's worth of safe landing space.

Also, it took quite a while in the beginning to get back up to the top if you fell down, and as a result some of the pace of the level was broken. Regarding the beginning portion of the level, having cheep cheeps in tight, vertical swimming sections is not fun, and often feels more like forced damage than an actual challenge. There were times where I also felt that the distance between the moving block clouds was a bit too wide, more so to the far left of the level.

But after that beginning area, the level really began to pick back up its pace, and I can safely say I had a good run with the level. Oh, and having that bonus area behind the shine flagpole was really cool, almost like a bonus stage. I love it! The bonus stage itself was kinda evil as you had little time to react and land on the cloud platform, but otherwise was a fun addition.


Stratos Lookout:

And this is where your score started to drop...

Unlike Marshmallow Meadow, Stratos Lookout actually started quite well in the beginning. The platforming was tight and the game was pacing itself well. But then I got to the snowy portion of the level, which had a VERY unforgiving sling star jump. It was an interesting idea, but there was just too low of a window of opportunity to set up the jump in the first place (not to mention the clouds still had a ridiculously fast turning speed, which made that jump all the worse). Also, a randomly patrolling shy guy is not a good combination with the cloud occassionally rising and falling. At least give us a Koopa Troopa or a tipping log platform or something more manageable.

After the first checkpoint, you expanded upon giving us rising/falling clouds and gave four of them. The only issue I have is with the first one, which really doesn't rise up enough to jump through the area. And then I came across to the fortress area.

I will be completely honest, your Bob-omb placement throughout the level was very poor. Having them on tight rocks and platforms you had to jump up to was just not a good idea. Not only do they push you around but that explosion hitbox is HUGE. Be careful with it. Other than the Bob-ombs, though, your second enemy offender was the bullet bills and the bullet bill bouncing. They weren't so difficult as they were very trial and error. Because they are so trial and error, nobody is bound to get them on the first try. So please add solid ground and a warp pipe to retry the section instead of a botttomless pit that screams 'you cannot mess up once'.

And then the boss fight. This was easily the most frustrating part of the level. It was creative and had some good ideas, but I don't feel like you executed this well at all. First things first - check for disjointed hitboxes! Those flamethrowers in the first half of the fight were absolutely annoying as ♥♥♥♥, because their hitbox was so wide, even when they were thin and diagonal. Often they would hit me a tile or two away, and seemed completely unfair. Second, the boss moves very fast, almost allowing no screwing up on anything - getting hit once by a bullet bill or flamethrower meant almost certain death, which was not an enjoyable difficulty spike. Third, the fifth silver star really could've been placed better. I had no time to react after obtaining it to land safely on the lone tile under it, due to the camera moving to the shining 'light'. Either give us wider ground or move it to a more manageable location.

The second half of the fight was much more basic in its platforming and almost felt like enemy spam. Quite frankly, I didn't really care for it. It was an interesting re-use of the homing bullet bills though.

Graphics: 4.25/5

Marshmallow Meadows:

The tiling in the level was pretty janky, especially when you had grass/jungle tiles evenly barred. Eventually I got used to the pattern, but the left and right walls of the tiles were kinda odd and almost felt like cutoff. The decor, on the other hand, was developed nicely, even if the trees got rather repetitive. Although there was plenty of decor on the ground, there was almost none in the sky, and it almost felt barren because of so. I know it's hard to come up with some sort of decor for the sky, but if you can create massive cloud blocks and various other decorations, it can't be that hard, right?

Otherwise it looked nice, and although it was a bit too high in altitude to really resemble any sort of meadows, it was still a clean presentation.



Stratos Lookout:

That boss artwork looks really clean, and the castle/boss areas look really cool. Not to mention they contrast well with the white clouds and present an outstanding presentation. Those shades especially on the boss were neat.

The snowy mountain range was an interesting tile combination, but again the sides kinda stuck out a bit sorely. The decoration in the snowy mountain was interestingly implemented.

Same thing regarding Marshmallow Meadows, though, trees are kinda overused in the first part. Otherwise, this is a very nice looking level.



Miscellaneous:

Marshmallow Meadow: 3.5/5

+ Love the name and the music. The music is just so happy, and the level compliments that with its scenery. (+0.5)
+ For such a large level, there's not much lag/loading time, which I'm impressed. (+0.5)

- I did not like how the warp pipe below the leafy bush sent me backwards. (-0.5)



Stratos Lookout:

+ Your level names are really catchy and fit the level surprisingly well. (+0.5)
+ I love your first two music choices - Apparatus is especially underrated. Though a 10 hour video wasn't quite necessary, as I found a 15 minute one of Candy Mountain with good quality. (+0.5)

- Every single sign in this level were placed really poorly. The first two were very close to cliffs and you could easily slip off of them, the third could've been placed closer to the vertical pathway where you shoot up on so they didn't go right on mistake, and the fourth one in the boss fight wasn't even necessary. Why would you even place a sign during an auto-scroll boss fight?? (-0.75)
- The boss music is pretty anti-climactic, not going to lie. Train whistle/recorder really doesn't sound threatening. (-0.25)

Total: 14.75/20

Yeah, Stratos Lookout was very weak gameplay wise. However, I feel like fixing up problems with the gameplay would've netted you a much higher score, as it is a fun level otherwise.

---

Hunting Season is unfinished, so I'll probably hold off on giving a review. If you want me to review what is there anyway, I'll probably PM you my thoughts instead.

---

butter flies hillz - hamles

gmepl4y: 7.8/10

too much water



scenury: 0/5

did raz fully chek 4 bugs

becus if he did he mised u, magot



misellenus:

+ omg i apreshiet the amont of mtn d3w in dis levl (+1337)

- not enuf doritos, omg hamles we discussd dis lats ldc (-420)

overal: noscope/blazeit

first lern2dr0p it liek its hot, den wel talk

---

Metal Field - Megar

Gameplay: 7.5/10

The platforming was pretty neat, and although a little basic it was quite fun speeding through the level and finding my way around the field. You probably should've found a better platform than the rotating clock, though, waiting for that thing took quite a while. I almost turned back to see if I missed a passage because it took so long and almost broke the pace of the level.

The level is pretty short, but hey. It still provided some entertainment, and I'm so glad you put that blue coin where that platform was, so I had time to react and not fall immediately into the pit. Good execution all around. No real major bugs or any of the sort, though falling into those rotating platforms/gears almost felt like trial and error at first.



Scenery: 4.75/5

Practically flawless scenery. There were a few spots where I felt like the tiling could've been connected as opposed to having a flat grass tile under a ledge tile (as there's a little bit of cutoff), but other than that, the mixing of metal tiles with grass tiles really set something memorable. I felt like the twisted branches and vines were a bit overused, but other than that the decoration and tiling is spot on. Very imaginative use of the clock towers and background too.



Miscellaneous: 4/5

+ Really catchy music, can't go wrong with Xenoblade. Really set the pace of the level (aside from the clock anyhow). (+0.75)
+ I'm not sure how taking away a silver star transmits power to an area powered by the battery, but it looked cool. (+0.25)

- I was hoping to see more bullet bills or goombas, but for the most part the enemy diversity was really strict. (-0.25)

Total: 16/20

It's a small level, but it's a rather neat one at that. Very tight execution and brilliant idea. I will say you caught me off guard with this one. Make it longer with the same execution, and you'll have yourself a very plausible entrant for WITBLOAT.

---

Clockwork Fields - Karyete

yo bread \o

Gameplay: 7.25/10

The platforming and mechanics of this level were very interesting. Every transition kept me on my toes and I wasn't sure what to expect next. From simple pendulums to tipping logs and switchback platforming segments, there wasn't really a time where I felt like the level was repeating itself. And that's a very good thing - really shows that you put a lot of thought into the level, which I highly appreciate.

The difficulty is moderate, but unlike your description I almost felt like it was consistent throughout the entire level. There wasn't much of a change of pace, which is great for a speedrunning level. However, obstacles like flamethrowers would catch me off guard at times when I'm trying to get through the level quickly.

Now despite all that, there are some things that I felt could've been designed better. The clock in the 2nd transition (1st indoors section) was too close to the warp pipe, and would often interrupt my process of entering the warp pipe. In the 4th transition (2nd indoors section), Hover Fludd would allow me to skip the switch entirely. I would suggest placing the Fludd after the transition (where the second Hover Fludd was) instead of before it.

Regarding the 5th (and final) transition, you probably should've put some arrows at the end of the level, as I actually thought there was another transition and fell to my doom as a result. I completely missed the shine sprite as a result.

But I really felt there should've been more things/platforming in the 5th transition, as not only was it a seriously long drop but there was a lot of room for stuff to be put there. I dunno, feels like there was some missed potential in this level. But regardless, it was a fun level, and I enjoyed playing it.



Scenery: 3.5/5

There weren't as many clocks/pendulums/rotating gears as I expected in the level, and instead there were more warp pipes. Kinda defeats the overall idea of your level.

But other than that, decoration was placed nicely, and I'm surprised it went well with the indoor portions of the level. I didn't expect to see so many cave plants, but somehow, despite their quantity I didn't feel like they overshadowed the level. Might be due to their size, but eh. The decoration was overall, alright. Nothing too stunningly memorable or amazing, but it's good.

Tiling was a bit basic as you didn't really mix any of the clock or castle tiles with the grass tiles, which made them feel like standalone areas/levels, but it's good nonetheless.



Miscellaneous: 3.25/5

+ I swear, every time I reply the level I find a new secret. I'm not sure if this is just me, but the secrets were really well hidden. Unfortunately, because they were so well hidden I almost wanted to jump off a cliff just to see if there were any more in the level. (+1)
+ The first music is alright, the second music really hit home and set up a faster pace for the level. (+0.5)

- The 4th transition had a HUGE loading time. Like I'm literally talking about HUGE loading times. Part of the reason for the huge loading times is due to how much unnecessary, empty space is in the level. I felt like if you made the areas a bit more compact in vertical length then you wouldn't have had so much unused space. Alternatively, you could've taken that space and converted it into extra challenges or longer passageways for your level. (-1)
- Towards the end, it almost felt like the theme switched from grasslands to strictly architecture and rotating platforms. Didn't quite feel like grasslands towards the end. (-0.25)

Total: 14/20

So yeah, it wasn't really the best due to smaller details and execution errors here and there. Other than that, I feel like it has a lot of potential. Just keep playing around with it and seeing what works and what doesn't. Ultimately, though, your level suffered the most from a huge amount of unused space that I felt like could've been taken away or converted into something bigger for your level.

---

??? - kevinoc

what on earth did i just play

whatever it was it was beautiful pleasure for my eyes

absolutely stunning, would play again

---

Singerboy41's level - singerboy41

Gameplay: 1/10

Yeah, I'm sorry but there really wasn't much to do in this level other than jump over a few pipes, press down in one of them, and collect the shine. No offense, but you might want to try giving us original work rather than carbon copies of Level 1-1 from Super Mario Bros. As someone who's played the game plenty of times, playing a copy of that level is not exciting.

Having a ton of 30-coin breackable blocks at the castle was kinda pointless, and offered nothing but tons of lag when I broke them.



Scenery: 2/5

If there was one good thing about this level, it was that the bushes and item decoration was placed nicely and there wasn't much cutoff. That is, until you got to the 'castle' and saw that the ground was floating, attached to nothing. This is not visually appealing. The walls and warp-pipes were not connected to the ground either, and overall the top of the level was very disjointed. So how does one gain more vertical room for their level so they don't have to place ground tiles at the top of the level?

First open the designer, then click File. After that, click on Course Menu, and there should be + and - (plus and minus) buttons that will expand/contract the size of your level in a given direction. That way, you can make bigger levels, and you can put ground at the bottom of the level.



Miscellaneous: 2.75/5

- Quite frankly I didn't get why you had a ton of pointless switches encased in the breakable blocks, especially since there were no switch-activated tiles to be found. (-0.25)

Total: 5.75/20

Please submit your own, original work instead of copying a level from Super Mario Bros. It's fine to take inspiration, but when you make a strict copy of a level from Super Mario Bros., then that's where we draw the line.

---

Last Gloom - BY

Gameplay: 7.25/10

Okay, I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of the beginning. The invisibility star felt more like a handicap than something needed to proceed in the level. I would also constantly fall through the vertical moving blocks, which kinda frustrated me. To make matters worse, the background tiling blended in really well with the metal mesh and with some of the pyramid blocks, which actually made me fall down into the pit a few times. But after the invisible star portion, the level really shined. The platforming was then well executed, and had a variety of challenges such as enemies, flame blocks, cannons, and interactive blocks that had better positioning than earlier. Though regarding the enemies, I would space your bob-ombs a little more, as they ended up clumping into the small space between the grass ledge and the rock, which startled me when I went right.

And then just when I thought it couldn't get better, you then suddenly bring in the Hover Fludd, and I found myself with even a bigger range of areas to go to. I really wanted more with what you gave me, and I almost felt like you could've bring back the invisibility star to take advantage of the flame blocks. But oh well. Regardless, I loved the overall gameplay, and I wish you gave me more. ; n ;



Scenery: 4.5/5

The tiling takes the cake without a doubt - the combination of smooth grass tiles with sharp pyramid/metal mesh tiles (and the occasional castle tile) really created a scene like no other. The fencing was good, but was overshadowed by the tiling, and in a lot of places decoration felt bare.

The cannon inbetween two clouds almost looked like cutoff, due to the lack of cloud edges near the cannon. Other than that, everything really looked unique, and almost seemed flawless. The flame blocks also added color variety here and there in the level, which is something I heavily commend you for.



Miscellaneous: 3.75/5

+ The music was pretty good. That and the overall landscape of the level really set the mood for exploration. Almost made me feel like I was playing Myst and was exploring something really out of this world. (+1)
+ Really interesting secret shine location. Except I actually thought I had to go that way. (+0.5)

- I actually didn't know I was supposed to head right from the second switch. The second silver star should've been replaced with the secret shine location, as I honestly thought there wasn't much point in backtracking at a higher altitude. That might've just been the switch misleading me to move left though. (-0.5)
- I'm struggling as to whether or not the level fits the theme, as I have the same issue as I did with Supershroom's level - you used plenty of grass tiles, but the overall focus and mood feels like ruins and architecture as opposed to actual grasslands. (-0.25)

Total: 15.5/20

Well, you've really got something good there. It's short and sweet, and executed (for the most part) rather well. The tiling was especially a huge plus for me. Give me more though, as I would love to see this level a few more tiles bigger. C:

---

Messenger of Kingdoms - FrozenFire/NanTheDark

Gameplay: 7.25/10

Trip 1:

Well, it was an interesting introduction. The beginning in terms of platforming was executed well - the various pathways were almost perfectly balanced in difficulty while still keeping variations on the platforming, well done. Although the section was a little short admittedly, it still offered replayability, and because of that it's a level I would play again.

The bullet bill bouncing, swimming portions, and rotating platform segments were well balanced and kept the pace of the level going smoothly. There's not much to say about it otherwise, except when the bullet bills were homing it was a little annoying.

The level was, unfortunately, very short overall and despite the replayability and unique platforming, it falls short in the gameplay as a result.



Trip 2:

It was a very interesting change in scenery, having to backtrack through a seemingly familiar yet changed landscape. But if I had to be honest, I didn't have quite as much fun as I did the first Trip. There were a few irksome details - like the double rotating platforms over the broken bridge. If I jumped too low it would often result in instant death (sending me down towards the bottomless pit), and at times the timing was very tricky to get ahold of. The bullet bills, both homing and non homing, were quite a pain. The homing bullet bills I felt there were too many (or maybe the stations just fired too fast), and the non-homing bullet bills were a bit tedious since I had to work against them.

The level was quite short, again, so I can't say much regarding gameplay (especially since a lot of the design carried over from Tip 1).



Trip 3:


This was, personally, the worst of the three trips. The light blue bullet bill bouncing in the beginning was very monotinous, and often had to be done several times if you tried taking the lower path. Speaking of which, the lower path leads to a dead end, and more often than not kills you as a result. The level also had a lag spike in the middle of the level, but it's not too serious.

I was not a huge fan of the rotating platforms in the water portion. If it wasn't forced damage, it was cheap damage that was very tricky to avoid. On the other hand, it might be better than having to platform over single-tile-width ice tiles (all while having to break breackable blocks in the process). Because those were an absolute pain in the ♥♥♥ to get through, and was easily where I died the most. I know you want to make it difficult, but there's surely ways to make it difficult without making it frustrating.

Finally, the rotating platform over the broken bridge was not only off-camera but also quite high up, making it hard to bypass. Might want to move it closer or something.

And again, since it's pretty much an even more broken down version of Trip 1 I can't say much else about it, unless if I were to repeat what made the level somewhat enjoyable (which was all explained in Trip 1). And I know it's technically three levels worth of time and platforming length, but it feels way more like three very, very short levels worth of platformin length. The trips were very short... and as a result, it was kinda hard to say I enjoyed it, since it went by so fast. The very low length of the level was, ultimately, the primary reason for your low score.



Scenery: 2.75/5

Trip 1:

As the other two trips are modeled similarly to Trip 1, some stuff in Trip 1 will apply to Trips 2 and 3.

A lot of the items (signs included) don't seem connected to the ground/proper connection points. Examples would be vine bodies not looking to be connected to their respective vines, mushroom bodies looking disjointed and unconnected, etc. The tiling was well done overall, but some of the grass overlaps seemed like cutoff than actual tiling. Other than that, there was a good tile mix and kept the level colorful, despite the bland background.



Trip 2:

The tile formation and scenery change compared to Trip 1 was a rather interesting change that caught me off guard, despite not replacing any tiles. It looked familiar, yet so different at the same time, and that kind of effect was something I really liked about this Trip.

Including lava tiles to show the place burning down due to the mysterious evil was an interesting touch.



Trip 3:

I don't have much to say about it, actually... Everything I said above applies.



Miscellaneous: 3.75/5

Trip 1:

+ That was some very good starting dialogue (and dialogue overall). Really set a normal tone only to have the story take you for a loop later, all while keeping the player interested in what happens next. (+1.25)
+ The Shy Guys in this part were nicely timed with the signs near the entranceway of the opposing kingdom. (+0.75)
+ Music is really fitting in this Trip. (+0.5)

- One of the signs in the Koopa Village was hidden under a castle tile... and took a while to get to. (-0.25)
- Shy Guy king was not properly disabled. In fact, I don't think any of the Koopas were disabled either, and they could hurt you - felt like an oversight. (-0.25)



Trip 2:

+ Having the Shy Guy villagers not hurt you anymore was a really good touch. Shy Guy King was also properly disabled this trip. (+0.5)
+ that plot twist tho (+0.5)
+ Music fits alright still, could've been more urgent or fit better with the situation though (+0.25)



Trip 3:

- I really don't know how I feel about the 'Protagonist' just leaving his wife and belongings behind him without a second thought. Was rather crude and almost didn't fit his character at all. (-0.75)
- Going to the left results in instant death. Major oversight. (-0.5)
- The Music was fitting earlier, but now it just doesn't fit anymore. (-0.5)
- Ending was depressing... and very anticlimactic. Bleh. (-0.5)
- The doors leading to the mountain castle send Mario too high up and force him out of the level. (-0.25)

Total: 13.75/20

There's a lot of good things about the level, and a lot of bad and unnecessary things in the level. Just polish it, really, and make it a bit longer so the player can stay hooked in the series. Otherwise, it's actually a pretty decent entry.

---

Literal Grasslands - superm63creator

Gameplay: 1/10

Wow, the level was incredibly fun! The gameplay was fast and furious, and the pace was very evenly kept, despite some rocks and ledges that Mario got stopped at occasionally. The level felt a little basic in the platforming at times, but overall it was an experience I would never forgeW WAAIT A SECOND

IS THE SHINE SERIOUSLY OUT OF REACH??? WTF WHY WOULD YOU EVER DO THAT?? OMG I SPENT THAT ♥♥♥♥ LONG PLAYING THE LEVEL AND I DON'T EVEN GET TO COLLECT THE SHINE AT THE END?? WHAT KIND OF PERSON WOULD EVEN SUGGEST DOING THIS IN A LEVEL???? SDFDASDFASDFADSFASDF

YOU JUST RUSTLED MY JIMMIES SO MUCH YOU DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE YOUR LEVEL REVIEWED. I'M GIVING YOU 1 IN GAEPLAY, HAVE A NICE DAY [/sarcasm]



okay in all seriousness nice level xd

---

The Secret Meadow - ~MP3 Amplifier~

Gameplay: 6.25/10

So, the platforming. The level, in terms of playing through it strictly and not paying too much attention to the storyline was fairly good, but... There were a few irksome passages (mainly the metal bars, rotating platforms and circle platforms). The metal bars, if you went too far left at times, you would fall right through them. The same thing went for the circle platforms, as they moved quite fast and often I would fall right through the smaller ones. Some of the rotating platforms would squish Mario and cause quick and annoying damage.

There was also a passage where you could get stuck in (and not get out), mainly here;



It does get a little bothersome, especially when you encourage the player to explore. Which, speaking of which, I didn't quite feel like there was much of an exploration factor since the level was linear in platforming and pathways. Maybe some variation or multiple pathways would encourage exploring and spending your time in the imagination. Some of the disabled tiles also kinda surprised me, but it's not too big of a deal.

There was also that spot where I wasn't sure if I was supposed to get squished by the thwomp to proceed. I would just remove the thwomp and platforms personally, as it causes nothing but confusion. Overall, the platforming managed to hold on its own. However, the level was a little short, and the pace was a little slow here and there. Platforming was a little strict too, especially towards the end.



Scenery: 4.75/5

Some plants looked a little weird coming out of seemingly nowhere (i.e. bottomless pits), and the tall blowy tree looked quite odd with all the 'Mega trees' at 0 degrees. But other than that, the tiling was really smooth and varied, and the decoration was nearly flawless and set up the scene perfectly. And I'm not just talking about the imagination - small details like the twisted tree tops under the fast moving thwomp and the hospital decorations were very well done.

Pretty much almost everything in here is fantastically done and executed.



Miscellaneous: 6.5/5

+ What the... I was left completely speechless during the transition to reality/the hospital. Just... dear god. I was completely teared up after reading that story. The transition, the ending, and the overall dialogue was incredibly well written. Please, take all of my bonus points. (+1.5)
+ The music manages to fit both reality and imagination, and even the incredibly sad ending. Perfect music choice. (+0.75)
+ The silver star sound effect with her waking up was a very nice detail. (+0.5)
+ I never thought I would ever see blood in a SM63 level, and the effects at both times where it showed was incredibly and heart wrenching. In a good way, I mean. (+0.5)
+ Oh yeah, and if that wasn't enough, the level fit the theme. (+0.25)

Total: 17.5/20

I tried, I tried, I tried, and no matter how hard I tried I could not find any other flaws in the level, other than the ones aforementioned in Gameplay and Scenery. You just blew away my socks and my mind all the way to last Sunday. The worst part is you've told me a few times you really wanted to see a new and upcoming designer win, but... well, ironically you're probably going to take first in my book.

---

Treasure Hunt - Doram

Gameplay: 7.75/10

If it weren't for the saving grace of having a ridiculously fun scavenger hunt, I would've said the platforming was very mediocre and moved on immediately to Scenery. But that clearly was not the case - the map/level design was ingenious! You had me sent everywhere throughout the level, yet it all felt like one seamless, giant area. Now that being said, the platforming is mediocre and you could've used much more that the level design had to offer, but otherwise I had a rather fun time moving from location to location, backtracking and making note if an enemy dropped a coin or not, and the level kept me very engaged. The well-hidden Rocket Fludd sped up the pace of the level and still had me looking! I kinda wish you made the platforming not quite as demanding of triple jumps and exact distance, though, would've made it easier to get from location to location and continue searching.

There were some enemy placements that the level could've gone without them though, more specifically the Goombas in the cave portions. Some goomba placements, more notably on slanted tiles above you, felt a bit more like cheap damage than an obstacle/source of health. But since you had me exploring new location after new location and kept me on my toes, I can't really complain.

Also, if you're curious, I got 7 Red Coins, 5 Silver Stars, and 5 1-Ups on my first try. In fact, the last red coin I missed I kinda want to count because I missed it on pure stupidity - that is, completely passing it even when it was in plain sight. But on the bright side, I can't say the level was overly difficult or stressful, nor does it require a map (which is good, as I didn't use one on my first try). The map certainly helps reduce backtracking though.



Scenery: 2/5

Well, okay, the overall Scenery leaves much to be desired. Sure, the tiling was for the most part good, but decoration was sparse, especially in the cave and mountain peak locations. The lava also made the cave tiling look like cutoff here and there, and some of the grass tiles overlapping themselves looks like cutoff as well.

I would suggest adding more decoration and maybe some additional tiling in the middle of the big open spaces in the rooms of the level. It's quite bare otherwise.



Miscellaneous: 4.5/5

+ 1-Ups had a very cool mechanic on top of looking for Red Coins/Silver Stars, requiring the Rocket Fludd to obtain most of them. Tests your memory and backtracking to the limit. (+0.75)
+ I love how you could obtain either Red Coins or Silver Stars and still complete the level. Excellent gameplay design. (+0.5)
+ The music actually does kinda fit a fun scavenger hunt. (+0.25)
+ Level fits the theme. (+0.25)

- I would've place more water pools personally - I was using my Rocket Fludd a lot, and often times had to backtrack just to replenish water supplies. (-0.25)

Total: 14.25/20

I LOVE the concept and the ingenious level design. Just needs more professional detail and a few more additions (like making more use of the items for platforming sake). More decor and platforming items could even lead to better item locations for the scavenger hunt. Otherwise, I love this level.

---

The Fiery Mountain Plains - asdfmoviecaleb

Gameplay: 4.75/10

Eeeehhh... I'm not sure how to feel about this level. If we're talking about the platforming in general, I will say it is kinda basic at times. By this I mean it didn't involve much other than; Jump here, use the Rocket Fludd here, jump over here, move this way, jump here, etc... There wasn't really anything new or interesting to keep me on my toes. That is, except for the very cheap lava pool in the beginning (seriously, how were we supposed to know that thing was down there??), and some other frustrating elements in the level that I will make apparent in this review.

Normally I would talk more about the overall scenery in its appropriate section, Scenery. However, the decoration, trees, and twisted tree branches in your level actually heavily interfered with the gameplay - in a very negative way. Since the decoration was so concentrated and overlapped the enemies (as well as Mario himself), it made it impossible to see where Mario or any of the enemies were. As you might've guessed, this caused me to run into enemies and hazards that I wouldn't want to have run into, and made it a pain in navigating areas of the level that had these clustered branches/trees blocking my view.

The flamethrowers had incredibly long reaches and fast spawn times, making it difficult to go through the level without receiving damage from them. Some of the flamethrower placements were especially evil - having a flamethrower shoot up covering a blue coin was just... really cheap. It's something that isn't difficult, it's something that frustrates the player and makes them want to stop playing your level.

The biggest offender was the uprising flamethrower and lava pit right before the geothermal plant (not the flamethrower covering the 30 coin breakable block, the flamethrower above that coming from the lava tiles). The lava tiles alone were very nastily placed - having that gap on the far right side was, again, ridiculously cheap and something I could not have seen coming even if I zoomed out. Even then, the ridiculously long range on the flamethrower made me suffer at most 5 whole pieces of damage, all because of lava tiles I did not see coming at all. I highly suggest you close the gap or find another way to recreate the passage without having the player suffer so much damage.

Now that being said, I actually appreciated the 30 Coin block since I lost so much health, but it would've been better if you just gave us one or two blue coins instead of flooding the tiny passageway with 30 yellow coins. It makes the level lag less because then there are less entities in the camera.

The Geothermal Plant was an interesting place to platform through, though you should put the sign before the metal star. This makes it so the player doesn't have to backtrack to get the metal star to bypass the hazards ahead, just in case if they read the sign with the metal star equipped. It helps save time on the player's end, and they'll feel less frustrated in the end.

Speaking of the end, the end of the level with the 'Silver Hill' and 'Mt. Gold... whatever' locations had the same issue with the beginning of the level - the concentration of twisted tree branches covering the passageways made it an absolute pain just to finish the level. I did NOT appreciate having to look for that silver star - that easily took up more time than even reaching the Silver Hills in the first place. When you have players searching for one silver star for 10+ minutes, you know something's wrong in the level.

In summary; Reduce the concentration of twisted tree branches and overall decoration in the level, so the player can actually see what is going on, and avoid cheap lava pits that the player would easily fall into without a moment's notice. It will make the level a lot more enjoyable.



Scenery: 2.75/5

Some of the decoration, mainly the mushroom bodies connected to non-mushroom entities, felt like cut-off at points because they were connected to various strange objects that didn't fit (like logs). This applies to the vines as well. Because a lot of the decoration was concentrated and not balanced equally throughout the level, some areas looked like a complete eyesore while others looked very bare. I would balance the decoration content throughout the level so it looks visually appealing from start to finish.

The silver and gold hills were not really well designed. Heck, the gold hills didn't even have any gold in it other than that shine sprite. The silver hills had some 'silver rocks' in it, but didn't really look like a hill as much as a physically-impossibly standing rock.

The tiling was pretty well done though, and the volcanic rock mixed in well with the grass tilings. The background didn't make the level feel like mountain plains though. It made it feel like the opposite - like I was on some sort of low-altitude mutated volcano with grass spurts here and there.



Miscellaneous: 3.5/5

+ Pianta Village is pretty underrated music, and I'm glad to see it's getting some love here. It especially fits the level regarding the mood and pace of the level. (+0.5)
+ The level overall fits the theme, despite the background hindering this. (+0.25)

- The hills at the end... I don't see how they work with the main theme of the level. No really, how do they fit with 'Fiery mountain plains'? Because I don't see it. They look like they belong in a cave if anything. (-0.25)

Total: 11/20

There's a lot of the problems with the level, primarily in how you executed the gameplay and level design. The execution is not that great, but fixing the problems above (especially with gameplay) would greatly improve your score in the future.

---

Grasslands Remix - SuperPika999

Gameplay: 6.5/10

I think it was actually a really nice concept to go with a 'remix' of sorts. I say this because this allowed you to use the huge variety of platforms and platforming tricks that the level designer has to offer, which was one of the best things in your level - the level had platforming variety all while keeping the level at a regularly fast pace. Needless to say I enjoyed your level in that regard. Though that being said, there are a few qualms I have with the level.

The first cannon (in the area where you start) has a glitch where, if you turn all the way to the left and fire, you'll teleport up the gras wall. I would suggest creating space to the left of the cannon so that glitches does not happen. There was also a lot of enemy placements I could care less about - the flying enemies were often low enough to hurt Mario, but high enough to avoid spin attacks. Bullies would often camp the edges of cliffs in the level, making it difficult to bypass them. Goombas were also placed on high altitudes, staircases, and locations where I would often run into them without trying.

The water passageway later in the level was one of the 'lesser' areas in your level; It wasn't clear on where I should go at all. I wasn't sure if I had to go down or up to proceed through the giant water section, and after I surfaced, I wasn't sure if I had to go left or right. The overall lack of direction in the middle (before the split pathways) made the level confusing.

Now regarding the split pathways, the left pathway had some pretty good platforming (albeit was a little difficult due to a low ceiling). It was also very unforgiving if you made one slip and fell off the course, but at least it wasn't too difficult to the point where that happened constantly.

The right pathway was completely unfinished - it's not even possible to get to the shine. In fact, once you enter you can go back to the left and fall off the map. There's also these one-tiled platforming segments that I could care less about. Without the Hover Fludd those would've been a pain.

Overall, despite its oversights, I can say I had fun with the level, and it has potential to become something great. There just needs to be more direction on where to go (in the middle of the level), and the right pathway needs to be fixed.



Scenery: 3.75/5

The item decoration in the level was... well, it was okay. But it was very sparse. Lots of areas in the level could've used more decoration, as they looked very bare without it. That being said though, the tiling and the changing in tiling themes was a very nice touch, changing from caves to haunted mansion to jungle, and then looping back to grasslands. It truly is something unique, and the tiling alone gives you huge points in Scenery. But due to the very sparse decoration, I can't say it was entirely fantastic. It could've used more to compliment the tiling.



Miscellaneous: 3.25/5

+ The music (and some tiling) fits the 'remix' aspect while the decoration (and some tiling) fix the 'grasslands' aspect... it really is a very ingenious concept, and I can't get over it. The music fit the level nicely too, being a 'remix' and all. (+0.75)

- Good concepts can only go so far when you don't execute them well though. I actually completely missed over the first warp pipe on mistake, but it wasn't required as part of the level. I could just skip over the first warp pipe completely by jumping down and landing on the tiles/mountain rocks below. (-0.25)
- The second transition (the cave area with the tall breakable wall) did not feel like a separate transition at all. That place was way too short, at least combine it with the starting area (i.e. remove the very first transition). (-0.25)

Total: 13.5/20

Again, it pains me to say that I really loved the concept your level brought. But there are some poor execution errors here and there (especially the unfinished right passageway) that hindered your overall score, especially in gameplay. Lack of direction and some annoying enemy placements were also the cause of your overall total score. But don't worry, by fixing the problems presented above (and by taking the critique into practice for future levels), I can safely say you'll have a much better level in the end.

One thing I would recommend you should do is to test your levels - a lot. Not just two or three times even; For every new thing you add in your level, you should test it at least once or twice. Try thinking in the player's shoes - How would the player react if I put this here? Would this obstacle frustrate the player? Does the player know where they're going? These kinds of questions will help you cater a level that ends up being a very enjoyable experience for the players.

---

Grasslands of Tonrai - Pugplays

Gameplay: 5.5/10

It's an interesting level to say the least. I can't say I was expecting to go in an anti-clockwise fashion around the level, all while collecting silver stars. Though like I've said with SuperPika999's level, good concepts can only go so far if you don't execute them well.

The platforming had some variety in it, going from penguin bouncing, to clouds, to logs and rotating circle platforms, but... it still felt like the platforming was straightfoward and overly basic. I think part of the reason was because when you gave us something like a log platform, you would repeat placing the same item several times and eventually create a long stream of log platforms that have us jumping from log to log. Tapping the jump button from log to log is that exciting, right? Having us do more than just occassionally jumping from log to log until we reach circle platforms is ideal - that way the player will not be bored with any monotinous passages.

On top of that, when I got the Rocket Fludd the level instantly became very, very easy. All I had to do was jump to the left past the logs, activate the Rocket Fludd in mid-air, and bypass half of the level in one jump. I would recommend looking out for possible exploits in the level, as it was probably unintentional to give the player a way to bypass half of the level. Nonetheless, it's still an oversight that hinders your gameplay.

Other than that, the level is very short - you can make it longer by going into 'File' then 'Course Info' and expanding the level size with the '+' and '-' (plus and minus) buttons on the bottom left of the window. That way you have more room in your level to work with. Don't make it too large though, otherwise the game will slow down and it will be hard to play through the level. I would recommend starting with around 100-120 tiles in length, and maybe 30-40 tiles in width.



Scenery: 2.75/5

The decoration and tiling didn't have any real noticeable flaws, though the monotinous platforms made the overall scenery stale at points. There was also a lack of tiles or item decor in the air, which made the skies a bit too bland. I know it's hard to come up with decoration in the air, but plenty of people have done it in the past, so it's not entirely impossible. Just be creative while avoiding cut-off in your decoration/tiling.

The biggest offender was how asymetrical the platforms were - the distances between each and every one looked sloppy and uneven, making it a slight eyesore to look at. It also made the platforming erratic at times, as discussed in Gameplay.



Miscellaneous: 2.25/5

- The cool cool mountain music doesn't really fit the level. This is grasslands, not snowcap themed. (-0.25)
- The lack of grass tiles and grass-related decoration compared to all the open space in the level feels like the level strayed away from the theme, which is Grasslands. (-0.25)
- The first sign of the level (the one closest to the starting position) should be positioned further left. Having a sign that close to the cliff almost made me die just trying to read it. (-0.25)

= Since you are very new to Super Mario 63's Level Designer, I'm not going to punish you on this one. But using Paratroopas as platforms for the main passage of the level is, in general, a bad idea. This is because they are temporary platforms (as they fall after one stomp). I would very well recommend you use them only for secret passageways or platformer segments off the beaten path. Forcing the player to use them for the main road only frustrates the player, because they are so unforgiving if you miss one jump. (0)

Total: 10.5/20

You had an interesting idea, but remember to look out for details such as monotinous platforming. Fixing execution errors such as that can help make your levels more fun. You can also align items much easier by holding down the 'Control' button on your Keyboard when placing items. That way, items will lock in place and it will be much easier to evenly align platforms.

---

A Goomba Tale - Jumbo101

Gameplay: 5.25/10

From a raw perspective on gameplay, I would say your level wasn't quite as good as I was hoping it to be. I'm even halfway tempted to say that it nearly failed in the gameplay department. I had some relatively big issues with the platforming and enemy choice in the level. Now, there's a good reason why I heavily dislike bullies in SM63 - they cannot be killed unless there are pits or lava tiles present. Not only that, but they tend to knock you back even when you successfully hit them. In groups, this can become quite annoying.

So what on earth made you think pairing bullies with tons of pits, platforms with varying altitude, and not a whole lot of room to maneuver around them was a good idea?? You really should've just picked Shy Guys or Koopas as the Goomba's enemy. I did not enjoy having to brute force my way through tons of bullies, especially when the platforms are not very large to begin with. Not only that, though the sign only stated that Bullies invaded the area, I did not expect Boos to suddenly appear and put up resistance halfway through the level.

Because of the lack of enemy diversity, though, it became monotinous and even quite frustrating when trying to push bully after bully after bully into each and every pit. But the bullies weren't the only issue I had with the level. There were segments in the level that contained up/downwards moving platforms that would go into the bottomless pit. Quite frankly, these felt more like trial and error sections, as the first time through I didn't see half of the platforms coming until they passed by me. Because of this I felt like my first death was due to cheap level design as opposed to something that was genuinely difficult.

The platforming in general was very basic in the first half, due to having to deal with so many bullies and having lack of platforming diversity in the first half. It got better as the level went on though, when you started throwing in rotating circle platforms, bullet bills (and their unique formations), rotating platforms, etc. I appreciated the diversity, even if some of the jumps in the second half were a bit too wide. Regardless, I had fun in the end, and it was quite an experience as I transitioned from goomba turf into bully turf.

However, due to all the poor execution choices in the first half, I don't feel comfortable giving you a high score in Gameplay. The first half was quite brutal and did not leave a good impression Gameplay-wise.



Scenery: 5/5

Now the Scenery on the other hand left a very good impression. The decoration was good and made the goomba's turf seem rather full of life, all while some of it is being burned and under attack. It really set the mood for the first half. The biggest plus was having the goombas hide in trees - showing that they care for their nature, and really gave me all the more incentive to rush forward and put down the bullies. Very creative use of scenery - and good execution on the decoration part. I will admit that long mossy rock looked kinda strange and jagged though (jagged in a cutoff sense), but otherwise it wasn't really glaring.

But when transitioning from goomba turf to bully turf, you made decor sparse. Now while I felt it was a bit too sparse, it was still an interesting effect showing how the bullies didn't have nearly as much life as the goombas, reflecting on the bully's aggression. I applaud you for that use of imagery, though again, it did feel a bit more sparse than necessary.

The tiling, especially with the jungle tiles, was well done and didn't seem to have any cutoff. Oh, and let's not forget that beautiful castle, with the tiling, the background walls, and the bully portrait. Man that was amazing to just stare at.



Miscellaneous: 4.25/5

+ I don't even... wow. You, my friend, have just revolutionized intros in SM63 history. I have never seen anything like it - it could be a huge inspiration for cutscenes or even game mechanics in future levels! This huge innovation and very awesome intro deserves ALL of my bonus points. (+2)

- While the intro was very nice and all, there probably should've been a way to skip it. It did slow down the pace of the level whenever I had to restart due to dying. (-0.5)
- I feel like you could've picked happier intro music for the intro scene (or maybe more subtle, tense music to build up for the action in the beginning). Having Bowser Jr.'s Armada play through the entire level got boring quickly. (-0.25)

Total: 14.5/20

Yeah, I was impressed overall, but the gameplay leaves much to be desired. I know revolutionary cinematics and graphics can be the determining factor for a level, but in the end, SM63 is a platformer at heart. So treat it like one and make sure gameplay is executed well.

Overall Placements: show

1st: ChaosYoshi - 17.5/20
1st: MP3 Amplifier - 17.5/20
2nd: MoD/SK - 16.75/20
3rd: Megar - 16/20
4th: BY - 15.5/20
5th: Yurimaster - 14.75/20
5th: 1018peter - 14.75/20
6th: Jumbo101 - 14.5/20
7th: Doram - 14.25/20
8th: Karyete - 14/20
9th: NanTheDark/FrozenFire - 13.75/20
10th: SuperPika999 - 13.5/20
11th: Emelia K. Fletcher - 13.25
12th: Supershroom - 11.5
13th: asdfmoviecaleb - 11/20
14th: Pugplays - 10.5/20
15th: Singerboy41 - 5.75/20

hamles - noscope/blazeit
kevinoc - my eyes, they burn
superm63creator - rustled jimmies

[Harmless]

am late to this, but 10th place? Are you ♥♥♥♥ kidding me? -BY said to me by PM that I would reach 16 points without problems, maybe even 17. And he didn't say that for no reason.

Moral of this: Obviously great effort and skill don't succeed to win, you also need the luck to have the correct judges that don't mark you down for some obscure reasons.

I'm a little late to this, but Triple J, what made you think this was worth thumbing up?

I don't think "glitchy red-block sections and very bad speedrun challenges" are obscure reasons dude.

[Karyete]

Tiling was a bit basic as you didn't really mix any of the clock or castle tiles with the grass tiles, which made them feel like standalone areas/levels, but it's good nonetheless.

I did actually try this at a couple of points, but things started looking hideous and ew so I dropped the idea. I'm sure if I was more skilful I could do something with this though.
And that Hover Fludd skipping the switch section? I thought I fixed that ♥♥♥♥ part, dammit >.<

EDIT: what is it with this ♥♥♥♥ quote thing

[MessengerOfDreams]

I... am pretty sure it's completely outlawed to go over 10/5/5 in a judging... you could just transfer the extra 1.5 points from Amp's Other Section to the fun or graphics section, otherwise that's not ok.

[l.m]

Heh, 5th place is already great, considering the amount of good stuff into this.

We got a medal, Nan!

(also will be posting judgings in a bit)

And yeah, that entry had so much flaws and unpolished stuff. I'm really willing to fix them and turn them into a better thing later.

[Harmless]

I... am pretty sure it's completely outlawed to go over 10/5/5 in a judging... you could just transfer the extra 1.5 points from Amp's Other Section to the fun or graphics section, otherwise that's not ok.

I was completely unaware. I probably would've done that but if we're being honest it's kinda hard to say I wasn't over-the-top impressed by all the small details in amp/emkay's level

[Asterocrat]

Wow, sorry I didn't post earlier. I had a hard time believing what just happened, I read and reread the results again... I mean... We won! It has been 17 freaking contests and I finally did it again. And with an amazing level. I just stopped believing I could win, after seeing MP3 and Yuri grab all the medals, and well, it happened. Just amazing.

Thanks a lot for the ratings everyone. Also I never thought I could laugh my ♥♥♥ off when reading ratings. Then I read nin's. 10/10 pls rate more

also neither MP3, MoD or me got that 4th place

you escape this time 4th place but you just wait

[l.m]

Jesus I was so close of grabbing dat 4th place

CURSE YOU BY XP

[1018peter]

I really need to stop ignoring obvious gameplay bugs. Seriously,I never actually cared for the disjointed lasers' hitboxes.

Anyways,I'll take this lose.