 |
|
 |
|
| Details for The Tale of Elementia [Demo 2] |
| Hack Name: | The Tale of Elementia [Demo 2]  - 1.5 MB - 14466 downloads.
Added: 2009-04-12 02:12:53 PM |
| Rating: | 0.0 (0) |
| Reviews: | 18 (jump to reviews) |
| Length: | 27 levels |
| Author: | Supertails - Submitted by: Supertails |
| Description: | *NEW* All the graphics from the hack are now available for download! Click here for more information.
Note: this hack will not work correctly with ZSNES 1.4X versions. Please use an earlier or later version. Also, some emulators may make the BG briefly appear after the goal point in some levels.
After over two years of development, The Tale of Elementia - Demo 2 is here at last!
Mario is instructed to guard the castle from intruders while Peach and Toadsworth leave to meet with the Beanbean Kingdom. However, while searching the castle, Mario discovers a strange book...
The hack contains 27 full levels, 20 of which are brand-new, and 7 that return from the previous demo. It contains custom music, new, hand-drawn graphics, and plenty of custom blocks and sprites as well! The three worlds featured in the demo can be accessed in any order.
I hope you enjoy it! Please contact me if you have any questions/feedback! |
|
| Screenshots |
| Loading... (If this doesn't disappear, chances are that you do not have javascript enabled.) |
|
| Review by mivennl | Well... this is my firts review so i better start..
-story-
10/10
While playing, i realy enjoyed the story. I even wanted to check out what happend if i chose the wrong path somewhere(im not going to spoil it for others by telling it completely). The cutscenes are just too great, and i not yet saw a other hack with so much...
-music-
10/10
I enjoyed the game's music. Just great. I also heard quite some zelda songs, are you perhaps a zelda fan?
-gameplay-
8.7/10
Pretty good too! There are not many mario games including levels with puzzles.. this hack does a little. There is no time limit (except at one level), that makes it easly possible to just take it easy.
-bosses-
9/10
I liked the bosses too(except for the earth temple boss.. that one is irritating)
the final boss(for this demo then) was just pretty enjoyable! good job creating them!
-graphics-
9.1/10
Basicly, quality and good graphics are not important to me(the fun is most important to me), but i can say that you realy did your best! and you tried keeping it classic by not changing mario's graphics.
-overall-
46.8/50
This is for now my favourite mario world hack! you put so much effort in it, and i can say no more but that i just only enjoyed it! too bad that there are not so much levels.If there would ever come out a demo 3 (or a full version).There will be a super high chance that i play it!
Good work with Super Mario World: Tale of Elementia Demo 2, SuperTails! | | Posted by: mivennl - 2012-02-25 07:11:43 PM |
|
| Review by Pop-Mario | Alright ive got to say this hack was actually pretty amazing!
~STORY~ 10/10 I really enjoy fantasy stories especially this one i like the fact that its not that old princess story its about freeing spirits and Japanese Kanji! Demo 1 was alright but this one you discover much more i cant wait to see whats next in this Hack!
~GRAPHICS~ 10/10 Im actually working on a hack myself but i doubt that it will be good as yours everything is handrawn! that is just unbeleivable.
~MUSIC~ 10/10 WOW  what great music to listen to (By the way we need more of this and less MW2  ) I couldnt stop listening to the music especially the fishin boo music.
~DIFFUCULTY~ 9/10 Sometimes it gets really easy and hard so i cant really rate this a full big 10 (Dont get me wrong difficulty is great) so a 9/10 is great rating SuperTails!
~OVERALL~10/10 The most amazing hack ive ever played so i hope ill get to play demo 3 and find out about the wind spirit and have a new great adventure!
| | Posted by: Pop-Mario - 2011-07-20 04:25:01 AM |
|
| Review by akacesfan | This hack really was a work of art, it felt fresh and exciting while retaining the feeling of Mario.
Level Design - 9/10 - The ideas incorporated here were great, with several mini-stories of their own throughout the levels. My personal favorite was Solar Station, where you had to guide a train by clearing obstacles in its path.
Overworld - 10/10 - Absolutely beautiful. The visuals were stunning and it was obvious that time and effort were put into it.
Music - 10/10 - The soundtrack not only had wonderful original songs, but it took great songs from many games such as Legend of Zelda, Pac Man World 2, and Super Mario Land. My personal favorite was the song played in the level Giant Oak (B-Doing Woods from Pac-Man World 2.)
Graphics - 10/10 - Absolutely beautiful. I never saw any ugly graphics and if I'm correct, all the graphics were hand drawn, right?
Difficulty - 10/10 - The hack had a perfect difficulty curve that was challenging yet fair.
Fun Factor - 10/10 - This hack was a real gem, probably the best I've ever played. The time and effort that was put into this showed, and it really was a great hack.
Overall - 59/60 = 97.03/100 = 9.7/10 | | Posted by: akacesfan - 2011-06-14 03:55:16 AM |
|
| Review by MegaBound | Wow I did not expect such a great hack!
Level design - 9.5/10 I found the levels very diversive and i rarely saw 2 levels that looked alike.
Graphical design - 10/10 FANTASTIC simple but original. You have forests, deserts, and oceans. I love how much deja vu i felt! Zelda, other mario games, mother just FANTASIC!
Story - 9/10 Its original, its classic, and its like a zelda game. I just wish it had a its own game feel rather than using other games but how its done is fantasic. Nice cutscenes by the way!
OW - 8.5/10 It represented everything it needed to which is great. Nothing really made me go WOW! or MAN THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN IN SMW!
Music - 10/10 Great choice! The music made the levels feel alive rather than an obstical course. It Made the levels distinct and not the same.
Difficulty - 8.5/10 the difficulty was challenging. The only flaw was that the challenge may scare casual gamers off. but its not a THAAAAT hard.
Overall 9.5/10 - One of the Best Hacks HANDS DOWN! Thank you supertails! I can see how much thought and care you put into the game and i respect you for that. The flaws are few and far between and how i put the flaws could seem as an overstatement. If you love mario gameplay, great graphics, beatiful music, and a zelda storyline, Download this now!
If you have anymore questions about this game send me a message and i'll try to get back to you. Thanks again supertails!
| | Posted by: MegaBound - 2011-06-01 07:12:15 PM |
|
| Review by sonic speed | I absolutely loved this hack by far has got to be my most favored out of any hack on smwc. This hack has inspired some parts in my hack that will be coming out in a few years. When I found out this hack was being discontinued I was pretty disappointed but your new hack will be just as good I'm sure.
Plot: 10/10
I thought the plot was really drawn out well, and throughout the whole game I found the plot just kept building, and building, and building upon itself. Great job!
Level Design: 9/10
The level design was great, best I've ever seen. But, when it came to the cut scenes I lost interest because of all the screens fading to black. Most of the time I just skipped the cut scenes because of the fading. Other than that Pretty Good.
Overworld: 7/10
Pretty basic, a four way intersection at the beginning and pretty good palleting choices. My favorite OW was the forest area I liked the different tree graphics that were put in. Also, good music choice!
Graphics: 10/10
The graphics were what made this game in my opinion I loved them, and since they were all hand drawn that was an even more awesome feature. Great job!
Music: 10/10
When I played this game I heard several Legend of Zelda songs. Not a bad song the music choice was excellent for the levels and suited them quite nicely. The OW was great too!
Difficulty: 10/10
This game was difficult enough for me it was a good balance between the puzzles and game play. In the desert area the stone slab on the mountain, that was the only part that frustrated me I never thought to go to that little village of mice thingys. Great work!
Fun Factor: 10/10
The funness of this game was amazing I was honestly surprised when I started playing I couldn't stop. I ended up playing and beating the game in 1 day!
Sprites and Stuff: 10/10
The sprites were excellent all that a game would really need. It could've been improved some maybe, but I don't think that really would've been necessary for this game.
Originality: 20/20
This hack was like none I've ever played before. Nothing on smwc can even compare to this hack, it's just not possible. Superb job!!
Overall: 9.6/10 + .4 for being my favorite hack. so 10/10
---BEST HACK IN THE WORLD--- | | Posted by: sonic speed - 2010-10-07 03:11:02 PM |
|
| Review by Wicked_Juggalo39 | This is one of the funnest hacks I've ever played, even for a demo!
Story: 10/10 I loved the fact that it wasn't the same ol Bowser storyline. It was something brand new and refreshing. I loved the fact that you had to free spirits.
Graphics/Design: 10/10 The levels were designed very well. Something new in every level, and the graphics stood out to me. It was very well put together. I liked the shrooms reference, it made me laugh.
Music: 10/10 I loved the music for every level. They all fit perfectly. I especially loved the music in the caves in the island area. What was that from? It sounded like Donkey Kong Music, but I wasn't sure.
Overworld: 10/10 I loved the fact that you could go to 3 different places to find the 3 spirits, and they were all completely different.
Difficulty: 10/10 The difficulty was never too easy, but never too hard either. It was very fun.
Overall: 10/10 I loved this hack. It was very fun, and I can't wait to either see another chapter, or to see the full version of the game.
Keep up the great work Supertails. =D | | Posted by: Wicked_Juggalo39 - 2010-08-04 10:41:25 PM |
|
| Review by daegda | Ok so i created an account SPECIFICALLY to rate this rom hack ............I LOVED IT and really REALLY would like you to create a part 2, where you have to search for the last spirit and defeat the sorceress. I have a small suggestion ( since i noticed you took a Mario And Luigi Super Star Saga twist on it ) have the sorceress actually be cackletta. but Please make a part two search for the spirit of air. 
STORY - 10/10 OMG i would give this more if i could ( but its **/10 )
This story was so compelling it has an almost RPG'ish kinda of story and i LOVED that. It was also unique as bowser was nowhere to be found. It was the first time that i have EVER stayed up all night playing a mario game JUST cause of the story line. Honestly COMPLETELY BRILLIANT story
DESIGN/GRAPHICS - 19/20 I feel its necessary to combine the graphic and design category together as both are quite intertwined in my opinion. Each new level was a new experience, i found my self blown away by the fact each new level had some kind of different platform to stand on and things i would say out loud "WTF Is That" to a random sprite or block. At the same time every level was different. The reason i gave it 9 instead of ten was, that there where a few times i got glitched into the wall OR, smashed by something that shouldn't have smooshed me. Still though those small glitches were trivial and were well balanced with the ingenuity of the game design.
DIFFICULTY - 10/10 It wasn't difficult at all but it wasn't exactly a walk in the park either, some jumps DID need to be attempted more than once ( but nothing like kiazo ). I hate incredibly difficult games and im definitely less than "average" of a mario player (i suck actually) but for me to be challenged YET also not get SUPER MAD because it was too hard, is perfect balancing. Someone (who has never played the original) can with some effort beat this game. The puzzles and secrets were not always easy to discover thinking for a minute or two yielded the result i wanted. I also liked how there was no time limit (except the dynamite run thingy), the absence of a time limit allowed you to backtrack and figure stuff out. This game is definitely more puzzle oriented and i liked that alot.
MUSIC - 8/10 Not too much of a fan of the music portion of any hack (not something i really tend to notice), but a few of the levels music DID make me smile as ive played M&L SSS on GBA (the desert pipelines was the music too the tee hee valley)love that game.
OVERALL - 10, 19, 8, 10 = 47/50
I Haven't played many rom hacks but this one is by far my favorite. one thing I WOULD personally change is the music in the temples ( im a huge fan of golden sun) and i think the water temple should have the music of aqua rock, earth temple should be venus lighthouse, and fire temple should be magma rock JUST MY PERSONAL opinion
You are dubbed by me at this moment a guru of mario rom hacking massively impressed
| | Posted by: daegda - 2010-02-03 03:05:21 PM |
|
| Review by ancientpower | First of all, The Tale of Elementia is a very good hack in today's standards. It has custom music, custom sprites and blocks, loads of hand-drawn GFX(pretty much the highlight of this hack), and plenty of different ASM hacks to go around. The story is good, puzzles are challenging but fun, and Elementia is an overall good hack, with a feel almost like a whole new game. There's almost nothing from the original SMW in terms of graphics and sprites. There are almost no flaws in this hack. It sits up on the top of my favorite SMW hack list. It's too bad you had to cancel it, as I'd really like to see the ending and more beautiful level design. This is probably the only hack I ever finished, it was that good.
You get a 9/10. | | Posted by: ancientpower - 2009-05-15 07:25:29 PM |
|
| Review by Artsy | This is great work for a demo.
Creativity: Great level design and graphics! The custom bosses were interesting, since they all required the use of throwing items. The use of special powers was interesting as well. Mirage road with it's trickery, and block city with it's colorful atmosphere are the main highlights here 10/10
Difficulty: This was the low point of the hack. There were a few tricky parts here and there like the swift Thwomp boss of the Fire Temple and a few others. Generally, the game wasn't that difficult, and had few sprite blockades that were hard to pass by. Some of the levels had branching paths and tricky parts, so not bad. 8/10
Custom work: I can't decide whether this or the creativity factor is more amazing. The music perfectly fit the themes of most stages, and some of the custom objects required the collecting of items. You did great on this! 10/10
Story: It is a demo of course, so the story is still incomplete, but what is there is very grabbing. I thought that you'd be doing something like finding Peach or Bowser in Elementia. I was wrong, turns out the bad guy (lady) is a sorceress. I really liked what was there. 9/10
Overall: This is a pretty darn good hack. After some thought and a coin toss, the creativity factor with the graphics and level themes just blew me away the most. I have two words to describe this: Epic Win! I can't wait for the polished and finished hack!
9.3/10, 37/40 | | Posted by: Artsy - 2009-05-01 01:55:20 PM |
|
| Review by Kernigh | 10 before penalties
-1, Fishing Boo boss has variable difficulty
-1/2, too many transitional black screens
-1/2, midway gate of Treasure Sea does not save golden doubloons
Rating: 8
Demo 2 of The Tale of Elementia is a special case. Days after the release, the game entered the list of top five hacks at SMWcentral. From those top five hacks, Elementia is also the only game that I have chosen to play. (As I write this review, Elementia (demo 2) ranks 3rd place at the main page of SMWcentral. The other games are Mario's Keytastrophe (version 1.2) at 5th place, The Second Reality Project Reloaded at 4th place, Brutal Mario (demo) at 2nd place, SMW2+3: The Essence Star (demo 1.2) at 1st place.) I do not know whether Elementia deserves this rank.
Because I never played the other four of the top five hacks, I have a different way to rank Elementia. I say that Elementia is the rival of Super Mario TKO (demo 1). I like TKO so much that when I reviewed TKO two months ago, I praised myself for choosing to play TKO before any other hack of Super Mario World. I praised the Save Huts, the Star Points, the switch palaces, the graphics, the music in TKO.
I awarded a rating of 8 points to TKO. I also award a rating of 8 points to Elementia, for similar reasons. Both games use graphics and music to dispose of that vanilla Super Mario World style. (Vanilla hacks like Return to Dinosaur Island can be excellent games, but games like Elementia are different.) TKO is better than Elementia if the player wants to replay levels for Star Points. Elementia is better than TKO if the player wants to enjoy a story.
Other Mario games have a small amount of story in a few brief messages. Elementia has a large quantity of story! This game features many extended story sequences. I found such sequences at the beginning of the game and at the end of the world, but also in the middle of average levels. I read the text in each frame of the sequence, then press B. Also, every sequence gives the option to press Down to skip the sequence. So, if I watch the sequence, then kill Mario and restart the level, then I can skip the sequence unless I want to again watch it.
During the story sequences, after almost every frame, the screen fades to black, and then reappears, though sometimes the graphic is the same and only the text has changed. I would prefer that the graphic remains on screen while the text fades or scrolls. More generally, I want more animation in story sequences. One level, Solar Station, already boasts an animated sequence of a train. I subtract half of one point from the rating because of too many transitional black screens.
The story begins during a financial crisis in the Mushroom Kingdom. Because of the effects of hyperinflation, 1 coin of the Beanbean Kingdom yields more than 534 billion coins of the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach departs her castle to investigate, though I did not understand why Peach had any serious concern. I had believed that the two currencies are identical and that the exchange rates were scams. Mario and Luigi became victims in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga when other characters used the false exchange rate to demand more money or award less money. I might consider that Peach needs to investigate the scam. I might also consider that recent efforts by SMW hackers, to make more levels with coins, actually cause hyperinflation.
The financial crisis soon becomes irrelevant, when the main plot starts. While Mario guards Peach's castle, something sends Mario away to the world called Elementia, and Mario receives a new quest. The story sequence in game reveals all this situation.
Immediately before the first appearance of the world map, Elementia displays an extra and unnecessary message, in the format of a traditional message box from Super Mario World.
The world map in Elementia acts like the world map from SMW, but has some significant changes. When Mario enters a level, Elementia replaces the overused old mosaic effect with a fresh new fading effect. Another change is that the world map begins with four paths open, so that Mario may start at any of four levels. Players who follow the plot know that three paths lead to temples, where Mario would rescue three spirits before going to Starbeam Hill. So Mario can play the three worlds in any order.
Multiple early paths can be trouble. Super Mario Océan had only one path at the start, but had enough early secret exits that I reached ten levels before I found my first save point. Elementia solves this problem by allowing the player to save when the player first clears any level. (Elementia does not allow the player to save when the player again clears any level, unless the level is a ghost house or temple.) Thus Elementia, unlike Océan, has enough save points for a player who explores the early paths in any order.
Elementia removes the timer from most levels, so Mario never needs to rush through. Mario can stop to gaze at the graphics, listen to the music, or think a solution to the puzzle. The lack of a timer distinguishes Elementia from most other Mario platform games. Mario needs to eventually return to Peach's castle, but Mario may explore Elementia with a relaxed schedule.
There are two paths to Water Temple, both through pipes, but this is where the world map has its only significant glitch. When Mario arrives through one pipe to Water Temple, the path to the other pipe looks open but is not open. I subtracted half of one point from rating because of this glitch.
The traditional goal gate from Super Mario World ends most levels of Elementia, so Mario can win Star Points if he cuts the tape. Elementia does not track Star Points, and 100 points do not trigger a bonus, so Mario actually has no reason to cut the tape. Elementia also uses the traditional midway gate, and this is not a problem, except at Treasure Sea. If Mario dies and returns to the midway gate, the game forgets that Mario found the four golden doubloons. If Mario then makes a mistake and needs to return to the room with the midway gate, then the game forces Mario to recollect the four golden doubloons. So I subtracted another half of one point from rating.
Every world contains levels with two exits. Mario can choose to attempt one path, abort the attempt, return to a level with a red dot, and try the other exit and the other path. The full experience is to try every path.
Elementia has the most variety of music if the player can reach every level. Though I can show screenshots in this review, I cannot show music. The manual to Elementia acknowledges, "All the music is from other video games." I sometimes listen to music and cannot identify the original game. Elementia does not credit the original game, but Nintendo started that tradition, by repeatedly remixing the underground theme of Super Mario Bros. but not crediting that game.
Many hacks of Super Mario World fail to drop the original bosses from that game, or the original scenes to destroy each castle. Elementia succeeds. Players of Elementia will not push Iggy Koopa into the lava! Mario never destroys a castle in this game.
Elementia has new bosses, and they are fun to fight, and come with the challenge to learn to defeat each boss. The one exception is that Fishing Boo at the end of Haunted Library. The boss reacts to damage by randomly changing its height. With bad luck, the boss lowers itself, so that Mario cannot duck to avoid damage. I replayed the boss until I had a lucky moment when the boss raised itself, so that Mario was able to survive to defeat the boss. That one boss, the Fishing Boo, is the worst feature of Elementia, so I subtracted one point from rating.
When I rated Super Mario TKO (demo 1), I subtracted one point for the small number of levels. Elementia (demo 2) is not a complete game, but it already has four worlds, so I do not subtract a point.
My final rating of 8 points for Elementia is equal to my rating 8 points for TKO. My way to rank hacks of Super Mario World is to tie Elementia and TKO for 2nd place. Return to Dinosaur Land, with 9 points, has 1st place. I have never awarded more than 7 points to any other SMW hack. | Posted by:  Kernigh - 2009-04-29 05:14:26 PM |
|
| Review by Hailstorm | I remember playing the first demo of the Tale of Elementia for the first time, and really loving it. At the time, I was relatively new to hacking, so I had no idea of what graphical clashes were. Therefore, I liked the graphics, too. As far as the first world, I thought you couldn't get much better. Yet here I am now, surprised that I felt that way. THIS demo is the perfect example of true effort put into a hack. Almost every tileset was hand-drawn, the music was neatly ported, and most of all, each level was unique and memorable. Your first demo was fun, but your second demo is amazing.
Main Attraction (Level Design): 10/10
The graphics and music were great, but what I'll remember most about the Tale of Elementia is the level design. While many hacks have levels that simply follow the sole theme of the world they're placed in, each of the levels in this hack have creative themes and gimmicks that set them all apart from each other. It amazes me how many ideas you could come up with for just a forest, a desert, and an island. In this hack, the player can find themselves traveling back and forth through time, raising the dead, exploring an active oceanside harbor, and even working their way through the innards of a whale. Each level flows together perfectly. The thought and creativity put into the levels of this hack truly shines in its outcome.
OW Design: 8/10
Pretty good. The main map wasn't anything too special, a lot of it seemed to be ocean, when Elementia is supposed to be based around all four elements. However, the submaps made up for it. I really liked the ExGFX in each of them, and the paths seemed to flow nicely. The best thing I liked about the OW was the ability to play through the three worlds in any order. When put together with the four-elements theme, it seems to make sense. Good job here.
Graphics: 10/10
This is my 2nd-favorite part of the Tale of Elementia. The hand-drawn graphics here continue to astound me, especially when compared to the tilesets of the first demo. While the graphics aren't exactly picturesque and lifelike, they definitely fit each of the levels' environments. The screenshots on this page are great examples of the vibrant and detailed visual appeal that Supertails created to further increase the quality of each level. Great job on the graphics!
Music: 8/10
While I liked the music, none of the tracks were exactly memorable. Some of them seemed to be very similar, usually in the way the instruments were used. On the other hand, some of the music tracks were very catchy, such as some of the boss battle tunes. Unfortunately, I've never even heard most of the songs in their actual games, so I can't tell if they were ported accurately or not, but the songs I did recognize certainly seemed identical to the authentic ones. I guess the music was pretty good.
ASM hacks: 10/10
There wasn't a lot of ASM used here, but each ASM hack always fit the theme of the level it was found in. I've seen some hacks (including mine) use custom blocks and sprites just for the sake of having new stuff in their hacks. Supertails, however, used new ASM when it was meant for a level. Bouncy blocks in Mushroom Woods, firebars in the Fire Temple, pushable crates in Sunshine Harbor, everything seamlessly fit, and I commend you for that.
Overall: 92/100
This has to be one of the best hacks I've played. I actually thoroughly enjoyed all of it, and I can barely wait for the final version. If the rest of the design is going to be as good as it was in this hack, then it could very well be one of most enjoyable hacks of all time. Well, at least in my opinion. At the very least, it will be pretty popular. Very well done, Supertails! | | Posted by: Hailstorm - 2009-04-26 12:10:22 PM |
|
| Review by Archimedias | I shall mock spigmike and say WOW, but I have to disagree with the level too non-linear being a bad thing. This is what makes a game great, increased difficulty by jumping from area to area and having to go back and forth to get the the goal is probably the best SMW concept I've ever seen, and Elementia is the first I've played that actually has non-linear gameplay but is still reasonable and consistant. I also must say, I love a good story line, I'm not entirely through the whole thing, but I have to say this, I'm definately looking forward to the finished work. You've got my vote!
Story 10/10 Story line is great, can't say anything against it.
Customization and Graphics 8/10 You could have changed a lot of the sprites a bit, I mean its supposed to be a whole new world of Elemntia, but with the same sprites and such ( Koopas, coins, etc. ) it still feels like Mario's in Mushroom Kingdom. I even think Mario needs a makeover when he hits Elementia, just to go with the theme.
Level Design 12/10 I know thats not possible, but get over it, level difficulty isn't high, but each level is different and challenging, And like I said, non-linear is so much better, at least in my opinion.
Music 10/10 Great music, goes with the theme, nothing idiotic like hardcore metal in a forest, don't ask. Great work here too.
Overall 9.9/10 No ones perfect mate, but you sure pulled this off pretty close, I sware when I see the finished version I'm gonna be sitting in this chair on my lazy butt just to see how it turned out.
I'll be waiting for that next release, make it soon, cause I really can't wait, I could die next week. Cura ut valeas, Take Care | | Posted by: Archimedias - 2009-04-24 10:57:32 PM |
|
| Review by spigmike | WOW. That's the first thing I had to say, even when just looking at your screenshots, Supertails. I already loved the original Tale of Elementia demo, despite its mediocre graphics, but then you created demo 2.
You basically turned the worst element of the first demo -the graphics- into the defining element of the second. Not that you're a graphical genius, but this is one of the few hacks released with a consistently pleasant graphical style.
The graphics themselves are unique from anything else I've seen, a somewhat mix between your original style from the first demo and Broozer's style of graphics. While this style doesn't work everywhere, it is used exceptionally well in Elementia. Each level has a distinct theme. Even beyond the graphics themselves is their palettes. When I entered a level, I immediately understood what the level was attempting to accomplish.
Let's move on from the graphics, so I don't clog this review with comments solely on that. The music is consistently solid, a mix between unique and ported tunes. The water/cave remix of Forest Maze stood out as one of my favorites among the group. While I wouldn't praise the selection of music as far as I would the graphics, it certainly holds its ground.
The story was ingenious as well. The additions to the introduction level - despite 20 or so pages of text for the one area - were great. I literally laughed over the conversion rate of money and how you've protrayed some political themes into a mario hack, and I commend you for that.
Now reviews are meant to be critical, although praise is great there's always some room for constructive criticism. Really, much of my criticism for this hack concerns level design.
For some reason, the level design for this game portrays more of a "hack" mentality than a game mentality. Yes, it is a hack, but by saying this, I'm basically saying that many of the levels feel "built-as-you-go" and although most have cohesive themes, a lot of the areas feel overly disjointed.
Although I could really condemn many hacks about this, Elementia comes off as a major culprit in this area - overuse of transitions (doors, pipes, etc.). When I'm playing Elementia, I really have no sense of progress in levels as the gameplay focuses largely on reaching a door rather than the endpoint of a level.
While it is easy to criticize very linear gameplay, there's also a negative end on the other side of the spectrum. This hack (and a few notable others, like Super Mario T.K.O.) suffers from excessive non-linearity. Building on my last point, it is largely caused by too many disjointed sections and a loss of the feeling of progress. While pipes and doors are great for leading to new sections of a house or bonus areas, they really feel like a burden when they are used to progress through a level. I'd much rather play a linear level than traverse through 16 random rooms in a castle looking for a key to an exit that's four rooms away.
Summary:
To anyone who says production qualities (music, graphics, etc.) aren't one of the strongest elements in a hack needs to look here. This hack thrives due to its great use of graphics and music. Although the levels seem disjointed and difficult to traverse, there are lots of intriguing puzzles and other elements. It has a unique story, which oddly alludes to our current economic crisis.
Elementia is a unique masterpiece that stands out as one of the best uses of graphics and music. It should serve as inspiration to many of our lower users, as this hack thrives despite little use of ASM and other programming or effects.
9/10 | | Posted by: spigmike - 2009-04-20 07:25:45 PM |
|
| Review by GoldenSonic15 | This was a really good hack. I loved the levels, the graphics, and the MUSIC!!! The music was AWESOME, especially since I saw a cave remix of the Forest Song from SMRPG, which is one of the greatest songs of all time. And I like the storyline. My only real problem is that Mt. Sandswipe's temple exit doesn't seem to be possible. I did the button combination that guy told me to do... But, nothing happened. I tried on pause, and it just did what normally happens when you press Start+Select. What the hell? I also played demo 1, which comes with the hack. The changes in world 1 weren't really required, but I love the more storyline shown at the beginning of the game.
Other than the Mt. Sandswipe problem, this is a great hack that gets a 9/10.
Edit: Wait, nevermind about the Sandswipe problem. I just fooled around with the keyboard configuration a bit (YES, I use a keyboard), and it works. | | Posted by: GoldenSonic15 - 2009-04-16 07:28:12 PM |
|
| Review by A-l-e-x-99 | The obvious high point in this hack was the ExGFX. Also, it's nice to see that you kept the Charred Woods, my favorite level from a previous version.
The music in some of the beach levels got annoying, but the forest levels made up for that. I really like the fact that you used Pac-Man World 2's forest theme; the actual GAME may not be all that great, but the music's okay.
I LOL'ed at one of the fire powers being "Burninate". xD I also really liked the mushroom level, in which Mario took a bad mushroom and went on a hallucinogenic high. Seeing Dino-Rhinos as presents and a wooden pole as an Awesome Face was very funny. Unfortunately, that also happened to be one of the levels with the annoying music, cutting into its potential greatness.
Overall, a 9/10.  | | Posted by: A-l-e-x-99 - 2009-04-16 02:19:52 PM |
|
| Review by huhwhatwhere | Sigh...I never liked being the black sheep reviewer, but in my honest opinion...this was an average hack. Getting through the levels seemed somewhat like a chore, especially with the large amount of puzzles, most of which did not require any of my gray matter...rather, they were mostly either obvious or matters of guess and check. It's probably just me since everybody else is lauding applause on to this, but in my opinion, I wouldn't want to play this a second time.
After seeing the great reviews for this hack, I found myself disappointed. I guess I'll still have to wait for a single hack on this site to be better than the original Super Mario World...
Graphics: 10/10 You did a superb job.
Music: 7/10 All the music fit somewhat. Still, the original music, while it obviously displayed proficiency, was all forgettable.
ASM: 10/10 Everything benefitted from this
Overworld 9/10 It's good!
Replay Value 7/10 There were some parts where I even caught myself saying "Boy! I'm glad I'll never have to do THAT again!" I don't know about you, but I think that should be absent from any hack, from any game.
Level Design 7/10 Umm...I didn't really like many of the puzzles. The original SMW had better.
All in all, this is impressive in every way...or at least it would be if you concentrated on pure fun. Still, maybe it's just my tastes, because everybody else is praising this.
Overall: 7/10 | | Posted by: huhwhatwhere - 2009-04-13 09:48:43 PM |
|
| Review by Soul2Limbo | This hack is fun... yes, it's that exciting!
~~GRAPHICS~~ 9/10
First of all, I would like to point out that EVERY level in this hack has a new graphical element in it, and every level contains new and CUSTOM GFX. As a matter of fact, this hack has the most self-made graphics I've seen in a hack, so an excellent job on that. However, I'm taking off one point due to the following facts: The status bar & palette are dull, the rapids level has ground cut-off where the rapids meet a ground corner, the GFX for the elemental crystals looks like crap, & I noticed black patches brighter than the rest of the BG during your cutscenes. That aside, I love your custom GFX & they fit your levels so well. I was especially moved by your GFX work in the Yoshi level (good puzzles too).
~~GAMEPLAY~~ 10/10
It doesn't get much better than this! EVERY freaking level is so totally unique & memorable that you're going to cry. I don't want to ruin the game for people, but I love how you integrated the cutscenes into your level design. Not only that, your levels have some of the best puzzles to go around. Why are your puzzles so great? Well... almost every level contains its own, self-defining puzzle that ALWAYS fits in with the theme of the level... it's crazy. Anything wrong with the actual level design? Nope. All the levels have a good difficulty with no repetitive terrain and best of all... multiple paths! Something that made my eye sparkle is the fact that you are rewarded for finding every exit in the game, that is just money. Good job on those bosses too, especially the final boss after you get everything. Excellent, excellent work on your levels.
~~MUSIC~~ 8/10
Let's see here, I noticed a lot of beats from DKC, Mystical Ninja, Banjo-Kazooie, & a bucket-load of Zelda music. It's not that bad, but I felt like some of the music was kind of rushed (like you choose the same instruments for all your songs that you ported). In the actual levels themselves, the music changed so many times that it began to annoy me, but at least there wasn't any bad music to be found. Some awesome tracks I found in this hack were two of the underground themes, and the Zelda remix in that dead forest level (with the fire) was pretty cool. If anything, refine the music for several of the levels by changing some of the instruments and it'll be in tip-top shape.
~~STORY~~ 10/10
I love how this hack doesn't have a story similar to other hacks. The crystal and element concept actually tied into the story, so that scored this hack huge in this category. Also, the cutscenes really brought the plot of the hack to unparalleled heights of success, so it's fun just to play the hack for the story.
~~DIFFICULTY~~ 9/10
This hack is easier than most hacks I've played, so the difficulty should not turn away any type of player (noob to master). I really enjoyed how I didn't have to rely on any of SMW's ungodly glitches to beat a level. Something I found funny is that the last world you unlock is easier than the other levels in the game. That bothered me a little, so maybe jack up the difficulty in those levels. Nothing else to say here.
~~OVERALL~~ 10/10
Completely over the top CUSTOM GFX & INSANE LEVEL DESIGN make this dime piece probably one of the top ten hacks I've ever played. After averaging your score, you receive a 9.2, but lucky for you I round up so 10/10. I used to think the first demo was just a so-so hack, but this second demo is a work of art. Good work & feed us hungry Mario players more tasty levels! | | Posted by: Soul2Limbo - 2009-04-12 09:37:59 PM |
|
| Review by Foursword4 | Alright, I hope I can say everything that I want to here. First of all, this hack is awesome. No doubt about it. Everyone should give it a go, whether if they are new to SMW hacks, or old...this hack will please just about everyone. Whether it's the unique level design, enchanting worlds, the engaging story, or the symphonic music....this hack has something for everyone.
Story: 9/10
Since this is a demo, I can't help but feel what is in store for Mario on his adventure through Elementia. Quite a bit has changed since demo 1...we learn more about this mysterious world that Mario was transported in, as well as its inhabitants. We are introduced to some new locals, as well as some supernatural beings. We also learn of a mysterious antagonist, who isn't seen, but is mentioned at a few points in the story. Although this story isn't perfect, it is still a demo, and I must congratulate Supertails on a job well done. He really gives out plot details at a good and steady pace, with giving a few clues along the way to help further the players thinking.
Graphics: 10/10
By far, this is what stood out to me the most. In fact, I believe this to be the defining factor in this hack. Although I am a firm believer that level design really helps define a hack, I was awed by the graphics used in this game. I can't believe how much Supertails has improved in his graphical skills, but it is clearly evident that he has spent a great deal of time polishing each and every set he uses. Just about every level uses a fully custom graphic set...whether it's a fiery temple, a moonlit harbor, a murky sewer, or the inside of a whale...each level was literally drawn to perfection.
Design: 10/10
Now comes the meat of every hack. As expected from demo 1, the level design is top notch. Especially in world 3, we are introduced to a slew of new and fresh ideas that I have never before seen in a hack. (On that note, I never would have thought of these things either.) It's easy to say that I was never bored while playing this hack. There was never a time that I wished the hack would hurry up and end. Each level brought something new to the mix, so the player never encountered the same scenario twice.
Difficulty: 9/10
While beta testing this hack with Supertails, I found quite a few difficult parts. I'm happy to say that all of those parts have been reworked and perfected to truly solidify the games difficulty level. There are a few levels that get really tedious unless you use savestates, mostly due to their length. But those levels are few and far between.
Music: 10/10
What really stood out to me from demo 1 was the keen music choice. Building off the tradition, demo 2 goes beyond expectations. Somehow, Supertails was able to find the perfect track for each level he created. It is as if he heard a music track, and then built the level. Each level has a perfect track that goes along with it, which really enhances the overall feel of the level. With the right music choice, any level can breath new life, and help develop a more enchanting experience.
Overall: 10/10
No matter how hard I'll try, I can not find something that takes away from the overall experience this hack delivers. Everything flows perfectly, with no signs of slowdown along the way. The little extra that Supertails included in the end was a pleasant, yet frustrating, surprise. (Don't get me wrong...I love the little secret..especially the last part of it )
Closing Comments:
After playing this, I don't know how long I can wait for the next release. I am really anxious to learn what happens in the next chapter of Elementia. But from what I've seen, we can only imagine great things in the next chapter. There is no doubt that Supertails deserves a pat on the back for this. Anyone that puts this much effort into a hack deserves the praise of his fellow hackers. Congratulations Supertails, you got yourself a real gem here. | | Posted by: Foursword4 - 2009-04-12 05:49:20 PM |
|
| Please log in to review this hack. |
|
|
 |
|
 |
The purpose of this site is not to distribute copyrighted material, but to honor one of our favourite games.
Copyright © 2005 - 2013 - SMW Central
Legal Information - Link To UsTotal queries: 45
|
|
|
|
