The Layer 2 sprite commands have limits. Know them!
NOTICE: The following was found using half-assed research. Please correct me if I screwed up something.
- All Layer 2 Smash and Scroll commands can be used when Layer 2 is a background. In fact, the original game used a Layer 2 Scroll 1 Range=5 command in room 4 of Bowser's Castle.
- If you put a Midway Gate or pipe exit, or if you have a Ghost House with multiple entrances, make sure to have a Layer 2 command at every possible entrance. Otherwise, Layer 2 will do nothing!!!
- Layer 2 Smash 1: Objects on screens 0 and 0x1 smash down every 5 seconds after they reset. Objects on screens 0x2-0x4 do nothing. Objects on screens 0x5-0x7 smash down immediately after they reset and get shifted down about a row from where you place them in Lunar Magic. Objects on screen 0x8 do nothing. Objects on screens 0x9 to the end smash very quickly and get shifted down about five rows from where you place them in Lunar Magic. This is why I don't make many levels that use the Smash 1 setting. X(
- Layer 2 Smash 2: No shifting, thank God, but that says nothing about what you DO have to put up with. Objects on screens 0 through 0x3 hesitate a little, smash, reset, wait 5 seconds, then repeat. Objects on screen 0x4 do nothing. Objects on screens 0x5-0x8 hesitate, smash, reset, and repeat immediately. Screens 0x9 and 0xA are rest zones, and then objects on screens 0xB to the end hesitate and smash very quickly.
- Layer 2 Smash 3: The easiest to use, but also the most boring. Objects on all screens hesitate, move very slowly, then smash.
- Layer 2 Scroll (all of them): The position you put the objects in in Lunar Magic represents the peak of their scroll. Also, the "Range" number on the sprite command represents how many rows they move.
- Layer 2 Scroll 1: If the range is 12, you must click on the door with the 1 on it, go to Layer 1,2 initial position, and select "BG=00". Otherwise, you'll get garbage. Also, everything shifts down 1 row from where you put it.
- Layer 2 Scroll 4: If you use "Smash Range=11", then all you're getting is a glorified Layer 2 Smash 1 command that works for the whole level and doesn't shift anything.
- Layer 2 Falls: Layer 2 horizontal AND vertical scrolling must both be on "none". This command will cause you to get stuck on the first screen, and layer 2 will just fall a bit. I really don't know what use this command would have.
- Layer 2 Scroll Sideways: Can only be used on vertical levels. The level won't scroll horizontally. The Sideways Short command will only scroll things the length of your emulator, but the Sideways Long command will scroll things the entire horizontal length of the level.
- Layer 2 On/Off: Make sure to put an On/Off Switch when you use this!!! Especially if spikes are involved...!
- Layer 2 Sink/Rise (all of them): Will not do anything on Screen 0. There is also a limit to how far everything sinks/rises. The range for Layer 2 Sink Short is about two screens, then a one-screen break, then another four screens, and then they stay sunk. Needless to say, don't expect many Layer 2 Sink levels in my hack. The range for Layer 2 Sink Long is the whole entire length of the level! When you use Layer 2 Rise Up, the place you put objects in with Lunar Magic represents the highest point that they'll rise. They'll be set about 12 rows lower than that when you encounter them in the game. The range for Layer 2 Rise Up is the same as Layer 2 Sink Short. And finally, Layer 2 Give Some is completely useless. It just causes Layer 2 to hesitate a little when you step on it, then reset when you step off.
And there you have it. That's all I know on Layer 2 stuff. Hope you learned something. Now I have to go remake my test level, as it was a normal Layer 1 level that was longer than the 0x10 screen limit that Layer 2 levels have! >_>
EDIT on December 5, 2007: Scroll down, and you'll see that user hebesphenomegacorona has found a use for "Layer 2 Falls". Thanks! ^^