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[C] 5-E - Melons are Fun!

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As the name says, this level's main gimmick is based around the watermelons. You aren't given any eggs throughout the level (the only enemies in the level will be ones that Yoshi can't eat), so you're forced to use melons as your primary means of attacking enemies/hitting winged clouds. (I've also implemented an ASM hack that resets Yoshi's egg counter to zero at the start of the level, and disabled using items from the menu, so the player can't cheat).

The level's layout will be similar to that of 5-Secret from YI GBA; the main path kept extremely short while the main focus is on getting 100% in the level, rather than simply making it to the goal. This level will also feature puzzles utilizing the 3 types of watermelons in order to obtain more points.

Here's a few screenshots of the first area:



Time for a more interesting update since nobody gave a shit about the first post.

Anyway, I started working on the second main area/gimmick of the level. Basically, there are 3 different "climate" variations of the 2nd area: Grass, fire, and ice. There are several melon-bearing trees/plants scattered throughout the level, and the type of melon they give you depends on the climate. (For grass you're given normal watermelons, for fire you're given fire melons, and for ice you're given
ice
melons). You can switch between the 3 different climates at specific points in the level (via doors), which will be required in order to solve some of the puzzles. (Similar to the season changing gimmick in Oracle of Seasons, if you've played that).

Here are some screenshots:


The starting point of the 2nd area in the level.

Based on the climate, lakes of water can turn into solid ice or pools of lava. (I was originally going to give the lava a blue palette to make it "boiling water", but I couldn't find a decent enough palette to convey that, plus it had the side effect of turning other red things in the level blue)

Entering huts allows you to switch between climates. (The melons below the hut indicate what the climate will change to)

Any thoughts are appreciated!
This is a really great idea, especially since you're mixing it up with a no-egg gimmick. It almost feels like it'll be a "hard mode" version of Nimono's level (2-1), which is kind of neat. Cool stuff.
Really clever and interesting idea. I'm looking forward to what kind of puzzles you can come up with. Also neat atmosphere so far.

(jimmy did you actually beat the oracles yet???)
Isn't it possible to bring eggs from other levels?
This may be of notice to you.

Originally posted by Jimmy52905
(I've also implemented an ASM hack that resets Yoshi's egg counter to zero at the start of the level, and disabled using items from the menu, so the player can't cheat)
Time for an update.

I'm still working on the level, so no IPS yet, but here's a video preview: http://youtu.be/eX7XR3A9-zQ
Man, you've really went all-out on the design for this one. Very impressive so far. Two things:

-In the bonus room around 1:00, isn't it possible for the Tap-Taps to get stuck on the non-switch block ledge and not fall down? Seems a bit luck-based.
-The pole at 4:23ish is a bit too excessive to deal with in my opinion.
Originally posted by S.N.N.
-In the bonus room around 1:00, isn't it possible for the Tap-Taps to get stuck on the non-switch block ledge and not fall down? Seems a bit luck-based.

Actually, you're right. It is possible, though they end up on the switch block ledge about 95% of the times I tested it. Probably gonna redesign it so it's impossible for them to get stuck, though.

Originally posted by S.N.N.
-The pole at 4:23ish is a bit too excessive to deal with in my opinion.

Yeah, good point. Guess I got a bit carried away with the difficulty there. :P I'll remove one of the lava drops.

Thanks for the feedback!
General idea and gimmick is pretty rad. Design is fairly solid, too.

Just a side note, but isn't it possible for Yoshi to eat frozen enemies?

Also "Fun with Melons" is pretty general. "Midnight Melon Madness" could be fun. If you ever feel the need to change the name, that is.
Here have some more screenshots:





Originally posted by ZeNewDragon
Just a side note, but isn't it possible for Yoshi to eat frozen enemies?


I wasn't aware of this. I just tested it myself and you're right--though Yoshi doesn't pop out any eggs when he does, so we're good.

Originally posted by ZeNewDragon
Also "Fun with Melons" is pretty general. "Midnight Melon Madness" could be fun. If you ever feel the need to change the name, that is.


Maybe. The name was sort of meant to be a reference to "Items Are Fun" from GBA YI. Here are some other names I've considered:

"Melons are Fun"
"More Fun with Melons"
"Melon Madness"
"More Melon Madness"


If any of those names sound better to you let me know.
Interesting use of all melon types. What about the melon contest minigame, I think it would fit perfectly in a hidden area. Great level.

As for the name, what about "Melons sounds Fun"?
New vid: http://youtu.be/AXDxmZgBMmg
Purposefully missed some stuff to avoid spoiling 100% collectibles.
The level is now more-or-less done. Here is the IPS. Feel free to point out anything you think should be improved upon.
That was really fantastically crafted. At first, the level seems overwhelmingly non-linear like most of your others, but once you break the level into sections, it can be managed fairly easy. I rather liked how the main focus of the level was on the melons and not dodging enemies (though there were a few cases where the enemy dodging proved to be fairly challenging, such as that leftwards slow green platform area in the lava section). I actually don't have any issues with the level design - it was a load of fun and I enjoyed playing through it, despite taking about half an hour to explore everything. It really feels like Items are Fun 2.0, perhaps even more professional.

One minor problem I noticed is at the part where you have to use a watermelon to shoot down a balloon containing a spring ball (top left corner of the level iirc). This balloon typically goes left past the rock and off-screen, making it either a) impossible to reach, or b) possible to hit it and cause the spring to land on the rock, thus messing up the puzzle. I should probably also add that the flower trapped in the sand beyond that can easily be gotten from below by shooting a watermelon upwards, thus basically breaking this entire puzzle. You might want to move the flower to a higher location to prevent this. Aside from those, I actually think the level is excellent as-is.

By the way, I managed to score 90 in the level (missed one flower). Care to share their locations in a spoiler tag or something?
Thanks SNN, I'm glad you enjoyed it. As for the flower trapped in the sand... I'm pretty sure I made it just barely out of reach with the watermelon, but I can probably raise it a bit for good measure. I also wasn't aware of the balloon problem--good catch. I'll post an updated IPS soon.

Originally posted by S.N.N.
By the way, I managed to score 90 in the level (missed one flower). Care to share their locations in a spoiler tag or something?



This one is in a room to the left of the level's starting point.

This one is inside a hidden '?' cloud, revealed by pushing a chomp rock.


This one is located above the frozen lava lake with all the balloons and lava drops. (Just enter the hut one more time once you're in the lava area, then use an ice melon to bounce off of the piranha plant to reach this area)

This one's probably the trickiest to get, despite being in plain sight. This one requires you to solve a puzzle later in the section to build a bridge, and then backtrack so you can use the springball to reach the flower.


Lemme know which one you missed.
The fourth one. No idea how I missed it, but alas...

Looking forward to your final version of the level!
Final IPS posted!

Changes since last post:
- Fixed the glitch with the springboard-carrying balloon.
- Moved the sand-trapped flower higher.
- Removed the layer 3 mist in the fire/lava sections and replaced it with a starry background (some parts of the level felt too empty without the added background, plus the layer 3 mist limited visibility unnecessarily).
- Forgot to disable items in one of the sublevels; fixed now.
Awesome work. Everything seems to be working as expected now. I'm sure this level will give people a bit of a tough time, but it never feels boring, nor does it overstay its welcome.

Looking forward to your other level!
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