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[FAN JUDGE] ECS' Fan Judging Experience!

Welp, it's finally here! Took a while again...
I wanted to post 3 reviews this time, as 2 of them are re-reviews, but i ended up taking a while with it because i had to re-re-review one of them xD
But here they are!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
Will it be before the deadline?

Yep, it's right here!

Originally posted by IronFoxGaming
Would you want to try my entry Industrial Desert? I'd like to see what you think of it.

just so you know i wont have time to fix it before the deadline so ehhh

Originally posted by Dan Drigues
Can you give my level a try?
I really dont know what score i should be expecting.

Ok guys! You 2 are next! I don't know if i'll have the time to post it before the deadline is up though (and even if i do, i don't think there will be time to make any further updates in the levels =P)

Originally posted by Emerald Shell
Can you please play my... existing level? I'm proud of aesthetics, but they're not everything. Level design and creativity can get me a lot more points than that. I made sure to come up with an unusual idea and I settled on a theme that's not common (sky), athletics with chainsaws and platforms, and bubbles. And I'm still wondering if it has too much variety of gimmicks at once. Working on something like this wasn't really easy and I can't tell if all this work paid off or not.

Originally posted by Minuy600
All I wanna know is that if this won't finish extremely lowly.

I'll be coming to these after i finish the previous 2! (again, pretty sure this isn't gonna happen before the deadline, but if you're just looking for feedback, i'm here!)

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Now, for the reviews!

General Trotyl by Galaer



Design: 34/60

Well, this level is very interesting!
It has a pretty unique kind of gameplay, and it’s designed quite well around it!
It’s hard to define a flow to it, as it’s heavily based on doing the setups correctly, but it does flow pretty well when you play everything correctly!

I like the difficulty curve in this one! It starts pretty easy with simple setups, and then gets more and more complex as we go on! The intro room also does a good job with teaching the gimmick! I like how it reuses the level entrance!

The execution of the gimmick was nicely done! I like the way you use bouncing on enemies to keep the momentum going! Also like how you made it so we don’t die if we fail the setup, as there’s safe ground and every setup has reset pipes!
Also, it’s nice how you use different coin guides for holding and releasing jump! And the letter guides are good as well.
The only thing i don’t think i understand are the blue exclamation marks… I played through the level multiple times and still don’t know what those are indicating.

Also, i love the way you hide Yoshi Coins! Each of them is in a cleverly hidden spot, and is reachable by a pretty cool variation on the intended setup of the level!

There are however a few issues:
- The execution can be pretty janky! That’s not exactly your fault, as it’s in this gimmick’s nature. Basically, we have to hold the button for the exact amount of time, otherwise we miss the target. This usually isn’t a big deal, but the problem is when we’re a bit lower than intended, we run directly into an enemy, which usually means death! (Except when we have the Mushroom from the Midway Gate)
I’d say you could have provided a Mushroom in each room, so we can collect it when we reset the room. This way, running into something wouldn’t be instant death!
You could also have used Note Blocks to bounce in some setups, so if we’re too low we’d just hit the block and fall, instead of getting hit!
- The second setup with spikes feels particularly punishing, and it’s so tight that we’re forced to take a hit when Big!
- This ledge is too close to the Piranhas, so we always hit it, killing our momentum. We can still go into it by holding forward, but the intended setup doesn’t work…
- The vertical screen scroll is pretty weird, sometimes the screen stays in a fixed position when we’re launched, and other times it follows Mario’s height.

Overall, this level is a really interesting level, and works in a very unique way in regards to gameplay!

Creativity: 26/30

This level has a really clever gimmick! It’s not only a unique idea, but it makes for a unique type of gameplay as well! Having to keep our launching momentum is a very interesting way to play a Mario level!
This level has a lot of really clever setups! Most of them are very unique and memorable! My favorites are the intro room, which reuses the level entrance, the Midway room, which uses Note Blocks to bounce us back, and the ones that use spin jump, especially when there are Piranhas and Koopas combined!

Aesthetics: 6/10

This level has some pretty cool aesthetics!
I like the way the FG was made, with the castle blocks and the little lava bits here and there!
The palettes are also pretty good! I like the use of the ‘fiery’ palettes in the level!
The BG looks pretty good as well, it’s pretty simple, but it’s good! The only thing i don’t like is the red color used in the castle blocks in the BG, it stands out way too much, and should be made darker and less saturated!
The song is really cool! It really fits the fast paced nature of the level!
I didn’t find any noticeable aesthetic issues. The only thing i’d say looks weird is the random red water used a bit before the Midway room.

Total: 66/100

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Oh That’s Hot by Mad Lad



Design: 53/60

Oh my… This is absolutely incredible! The execution and design are superb!
I can see this level has improved quite a lot! And i’m glad my feedback was helpful to you!

This level is just incredibly fun! The flow is awesome and it’s really engaging!
It’s actually flowing even better than last time! It manages to keep the action going in the same pace as the Skull Platform quite naturally! Even with the use of Skull Platforms, there isn’t any place that feels like a waiting game!

The gimmick was brilliantly executed! Every single setup feels incredibly interesting! The Skull Platforms were used in extremely clever ways! I especially love how you use them from the second section onwards! You really managed to use the gimmick to its full potential!
And the addition of a third section contributed even more to this! That section has a lot of really unique setups! I love how not only you used some of the ideas i suggested, but you went even further! You really made a great use of setups and ideas that were previously underused! And i have to mention the extremely clever use of tile 1F0 in the end!
And you even added one more gimmick to the mix, which was integrated really well into the level! You really managed to find a good use for this new gimmick, making a great addition to the ideas already shown in the level!

Also, the use of sprites is awesome! It really contributes to the fast paced nature of the level! You show even more clever setups with this update! I really like the way you used Timed Lifts in the third section! As well as the return of the Spring setup and the really clever use of Winged Blocks! Of course, the Swoopers and Bowser Flames also appear here, being as nice as always!

The difficulty curve is just as good as last time! The difficulty does pick up a bit in the third section, but that’s exactly what’s expected from an advanced section!

Also, love the clever ways you found to fix the issues i mentioned in my previous review! The use of a Climbing Net to naturally slow Mario down in the first section and the use of tile 1F0 to make the last jump of the second section easier were really clever!

I still managed to find a few things that could be improved:
- This jump is pretty tight with the Swoopers! It’s quite hard to make that gap as Big Mario!
But the biggest problem isn’t even making the gap. The problem is, if we bounce on top of a Swooper, like i did in the screenshot, we don’t have enough time to get back to the Timed Lift!
- Not exactly an issue, but i think you could have used two Falling Platforms here instead of one, as the Skull Platform takes a bit to fall.

Well, you did it you Mad man! You’ve created a masterpiece!
This level is incredible! It’s an absolute blast to play!

Creativity: 30/30

Well, once again, you’ve impressed me! The execution of the gimmicks is superb! Everything you introduced in this level has been used to its full potential!
You even created an entire new section with an entirely new gimmick, and still managed to integrate that gimmick really well to the level!

There are so many clever setups in this level that i don’t even know where to start! The ones i mentioned in my previous review are still as creative as before! As for this version, my favorites have to be the setups using tile 1F0! That last one is brilliant! Also really love the use of Timed Lifts in the third section! As well as the use of the Climbing Net and the Winged Blocks! And of course, can’t forget about the little Skull Platform with a single skull!

Well, you have exceeded my expectations! With an entirely new gimmick and so many clever setups, you have just earned this score!

Aesthetics: 7/10

Well, not much has changed aesthetically.
The use of graphics is still great! Palettes are as beautiful as before! And the song choice is still as perfect as it could be!
As for aesthetic issues, there are just some minor ones, such as vine cutoff and some tile 1F0 cutoff. Also, the Skull blocks look a bit weird since they have no end, but i don’t think there’s much you can do about it due to the contest’s rules.

Total: 90/100 (Favorited!)

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King of the Mountain by MarkVD100



Design: 27/60

Well, i see this level has some solid improvements! Thanks for listening to my feedback!

The level is overall a lot more enjoyable now, and the execution seems to have improved a lot in some sections!
There are still some issues that i could mention, and things that could be improved.

The level pretty much maintained the things i liked, there are still some pretty cool ideas, and it has some nice platforming in some parts, with a great use of the terrain!

Again, i’ll be going through each section separately:











The level can still feel pretty long, though i guess with the secret passage we can complete it faster…
Overall, it has improved a lot! Good job on that!

Creativity: 15/30

Not much has changed here. The ideas and gimmicks are still the same.
However, the execution is in fact a lot better now! You came up with some quite interesting segments, and the sections fit a bit better now! Also, the Layer 2 segment certainly had more thought into it!

Aesthetics: 5/10

Not much has changed aesthetically as well.
The graphics are still the same. The ones used in the outside area are still cool, while the ones used in the cave areas still look a bit weird. The last area looks pretty good as well, one thing i liked in the last area is how you make the platform formations, like this.
The enemy reskins are mostly the same, though we now have the addition of the Pokey-Thwimps. Personally, i’m kinda neutral about them, nothing to complain about. The Puntin’ Chucks’ Footballs have a better palette, but still look quite weird graphically.
The songs are still the same, and still pretty cool!
As for aesthetic issues, there seems to be some more cutoffs in the level now, especially in the last area.

Total: 47/100
My Youtube Channel
Originally posted by ECS.98
(again, pretty sure this isn't gonna happen before the deadline, but if you're just looking for feedback, i'm here!)
Welp, I wish I'd finished my level earlier than that. Well, maybe I'll get some suggestions on what can be improved before the deadline from someone else.

If I don't, I'll accept just feedback and learn from it for the next contest.
I have a Discord server as well! (by joining, you agree to the rules)
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Basically, I believe in peace and bashing two bricks together.

I'm fine with feedback only. I wasn't planning on changing it anymore despite it needing a redesign.
Quote
This Shell Kicker still isn’t in a nice spot. It spawns above the screen, so it can pretty often hit us while we try to get rid of the Chuck. I’d recommend you place the Shell Kicker in the platform to the right, where the Ninji is. That way, it’ll be clearly visible when we get there!


For the first Shell Kicker, I have a saying. "It's better than nothing for the enemy in terms of threat to the player." In my VLDCX level, I apparently had problems of Fan Judges saying enemies having absolutely no purpose and have any threat to the player what-so-ever. That was the safest spot, but still threat-like to the player, this also forces them to stay low and have those two trees actually have a purpose. I take the bad with the good. Never mind, I thought you meant the Ninji at the far back.

For the below Thwimp, you should pay attention to the ! coins, it should be enough indication, and besides, I need every enemy at least have a threat purpose and not make that same VLDCX mistake.

For the On/Off Blocks, what if it ends up harder to reach for Small Mario? You do have a point for all that, except the last part, that would ruin the safe spots from Blarggs.

That tight ? block is Small Mario exclusive, because there's also a catch that it would be too tight to get a Fire Flower. I done that for reasons like that, and you can't place blocks outside of grid unlike in Geometry Dash Level Editor for example.

For the Diggin' Chucks, Cement blocks indicated as unsafe spots from the !s. Besides, I want them to be that big of a threat, but that's also why I added cement blocks just for more reaction time and less artificial difficulty. Still, not best observation I see because you could see the rocks from below fine, so that's not justified by small margin, but just making a point.

For the moon, why is that so forgettable to me? (I could've sworn I already made it so you couldn't die according to the redness in Lunar Magic.)

For the fall, I didn't encounter that problem myself apparently so shouldn't be too big a problem for most people.

For the Shell Kicker near the star block, the R is significant enough in my opinion, so shouldn't be too big of a problem either.

The gap below the pea spring, nothing I can do about it, would otherwise make the moon impossible, I'm sure most people will do the ducking part better anyway, otherwise the puzzle will end up being breakable.

About more cut-off, that's not cut-off, there are lines, unless you are talking about the platforms, again, nothing I can do about it thanks to the rules.

The secret area, you take that route with serious caution, because that's how much you pay for choosing that, that part uses a different logic in level design, so shouldn't take much judgement into account, because of how optional it is and excused.

Things disagreed/not justified = 2.

EDIT: The full, final version is now available with all fixable issues removed!
100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

VLDC9 Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtiP5de_-e6q0hSVrY37RB-.


Originally posted by Emerald Shell
Welp, I wish I'd finished my level earlier than that. Well, maybe I'll get some suggestions on what can be improved before the deadline from someone else.

If I don't, I'll accept just feedback and learn from it for the next contest.

Well, with the deadline extension, i might now be able to finish your review in time for you to update it!

Originally posted by Minuy600
I'm fine with feedback only. I wasn't planning on changing it anymore despite it needing a redesign.

Well, same as above. With the new deadline, i think i'll be able to finish your review before the deadline this time.

Originally posted by IronFoxGaming
Would you want to try my entry Industrial Desert? I'd like to see what you think of it.

just so you know i wont have time to fix it before the deadline so ehhh

Well, deadline is extended, so i'll do my review as soon as i can, maybe now you'll have time to improve it?

Originally posted by MarkVD100
Never mind, I thought you meant the Ninji at the far back.

Well, yea, it's the only Ninji on screen on the picture i posted.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
For the below Thwimp, you should pay attention to the ! coins, it should be enough indication, and besides, I need every enemy at least have a threat purpose and not make that same VLDCX mistake.

Well, a simple '!' doesn't exactly tell what's coming to us, it only says to pay attention. So it still doesn't say something like "hey, a Thwimp is coming from below!"
Also, i'd say to be really careful with the definition of "being a threat".
Honestly, being a "threat" and a "surprise" are entirely different things! In fact, often they're actually opposite things! A surprise isn't often a threat. This Thwimp for example isn't exactly a "threat", it is something that surprises us when we find it for the first time, but after that, when we know it's coming, it's really easy to avoid it! It poses no threat when we know it'll come!
On the other hand, an actual "threat" is something that, even when we know it's there, can still be dangerous. The Puntin' Chucks are an example, we always have to pay attention to them, despite knowing where they are. This Thwimp is also an example. It's placed in a way that we always have to be careful with it when coming from the Yoshi path, even after knowing it's there!

Knowing the difference between a "threat" and a "surprise" is important when you're trying to make a challenging level, as it's a factor that can change a level from "hard" to "unfair". You generally want to avoid surprise elements, as they don't add to the difficulty, most of the time all they do is cause one unfair death.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
For the On/Off Blocks, what if it ends up harder to reach for Small Mario? You do have a point for all that, except the last part, that would ruin the safe spots from Blarggs.

Don't worry about that, Mario can jump 5 tiles high, so unless your block is 6 tiles from the ground, it'll not be harder to hit as Small Mario!
And generally, you'll want to place your blocks at a minimum of 3 tiles from the ground (being 3 and 4 tiles the best placements for blocks), to allow Big Mario to actually jump for them and have space to move.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
That tight ? block is Small Mario exclusive, because there's also a catch that it would be too tight to get a Fire Flower. I done that for reasons like that, and you can't place blocks outside of grid unlike in Geometry Dash Level Editor for example.

Well, that block isn't really Small Mario only, Big Mario can duck slide to hit it, it'll just be more annoying.
Also, for giving space to get the Fire Flower, couldn't you just raise the ceiling by 1 tile?

Originally posted by MarkVD100
For the Diggin' Chucks, Cement blocks indicated as unsafe spots from the !s. Besides, I want them to be that big of a threat, but that's also why I added cement blocks just for more reaction time and less artificial difficulty. Still, not best observation I see because you could see the rocks from below fine, so that's not justified by small margin, but just making a point.

Cement blocks are indicated as unsafe spots? I don't remember seeing anything that could lead to that conclusion...
Also, again, the thing about being a thread. Enemies falling from the top of the screen can be considered more as an unfair surprise than actually a threat, even though they are dangerous, it's for the wrong reasons. The player should be able to easily tell where the danger is coming from.
Also, i couldn't see the Rocks from below because the Rock that hit me was the first Rock he spawned, and that's certainly something that can happen!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
For the fall, I didn't encounter that problem myself apparently so shouldn't be too big a problem for most people.

Again, you shouldn't be using yourself as a parameter when testing your own level.
That is something that can happen pretty easily, as long as you have any horizontal movement while falling there. I'd say you should give some leeway for the player to fall there, after all he will need to move forward while falling to be able to land on the Sinking Platform below.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
For the Shell Kicker near the star block, the R is significant enough in my opinion, so shouldn't be too big of a problem either.

Well, the 'R' is indicating a Reset Door, but there's nothing saying that if you stand where the door is a shell will be coming at you!
Switching the placement of the block and the door should be enough to fix that!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
The gap below the pea spring, nothing I can do about it, would otherwise make the moon impossible, I'm sure most people will do the ducking part better anyway, otherwise the puzzle will end up being breakable.

Uh, i don't see how making that gap to the right bigger would make the Moon impossible. After all, the Moon is on the left wall.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
About more cut-off, that's not cut-off, there are lines, unless you are talking about the platforms, again, nothing I can do about it thanks to the rules.

Yea, i know the lines aren't cutoff, in fact, i mentioned that i liked the way you used lines with those platforms! The cutoffs i mentioned are on the platforms that are placed on top of the dirt. I know graphical rules restrict some of the fixing, but you should try to be careful with how you place objects, to try to avoid it whenever possible.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
The secret area, you take that route with serious caution, because that's how much you pay for choosing that, that part uses a different logic in level design, so shouldn't take much judgement into account, because of how optional it is and excused.

Well, being an optional part isn't an excuse to have so many enemies falling from the top in my opinion. A secret path should still maintain the quality of level design shown in the overall level.
I really didn't take that part that much into account while judging, because i just preferred to play the whole level, i just mentioned what i found relevant about it.
My Youtube Channel
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you liked my level. After my epic fail at VLDCX my biggest concern was to avoid Worst 10. I hope I will manage to do that, but competition this year is much stronger than 2 years ago.

Originally posted by ECS.98
The only thing i don’t think i understand are the blue exclamation marks… I played through the level multiple times and still don’t know what those are indicating.


The first exclamation mark is to warn player to stop momentum and get into pipe instead falling down. Second "!" is about blue coins. It's the first release jump button during jumping segment, so I wanted to warn player. Third "!" is about

Originally posted by ECS.98
This ledge is too close to the Piranhas, so we always hit it, killing our momentum. We can still go into it by holding forward, but the intended setup doesn’t work…


Yeah, this is the intended setup. I guess it didn't work very well in the end.

Originally posted by ECS.98
The second setup with spikes feels particularly punishing, and it’s so tight that we’re forced to take a hit when Big!


Well, to tell you the truth, player starts as small Mario and there is no powerups. The level is intended to play as small Mario, so I didn't thought about player replaying level as big Mario. Midpoint messed a little with the level - I needed to change one part of the second half for big Mario to pass it. As for lack of Mushrooms, because of the nature of the gimmick, there is really no place to put any powerup.

Originally posted by ECS.98
Also, i love the way you hide Yoshi Coins!


OMG, you found dragon coins. I hid them on purpose to not interrupt the flow of the level for normal players. I also didn't indicate that they exist. Also when player would find dragon coins, I wanted him to have "There are dragon coins in this level? What?!..." feeling. I wonder, did you legitly found them or noticed them in Lunar Magic.

Originally posted by ECS.98
The vertical screen scroll is pretty weird, sometimes the screen stays in a fixed position when we’re launched, and other times it follows Mario’s height.


This is "Vertical Scroll at Will". When Mario is in the air, camera doesn't move. But when he will touch ground, camera will move to get Mario at the center. Only because of that this whole setup is possible. If I would disable vertical scroll and put enemies, they would be low enough for player to cheese it by going to the end and simple koopa/piranha jump upward. To prevent this would be needed bottomless pit instead of ground. But this gimmick is rare, so it wouldn't be very fun. Other way would be putting enemies higher, but then jumps would happen offscreen. That's also not good. Another way is to get Mario shot start at higher level, so enemies could be placed low. But then ground at the bottom doesn't appear and change into bottomless pit. So the only way for this gimmick to work was to use this "weird" scrolling.

Originally posted by ECS.98
The only thing i don’t like is the red color used in the castle blocks in the BG, it stands out way too much, and should be made darker and less saturated!


Originally posted by ECS.98
The only thing i’d say looks weird is the random red water used a bit before the Midway room.


Thanks for critique. Aesthetics was another big concern. I'm really terrible in aesthetics and my taste is pretty weird. Thanks a lot. I will try to improve the level.
I wouldn't call those surprises, because you don't have to be precise against them and you have plenty enough time to react. That's also why I added that extra ladder between those two, because standing on cement blocks was a pain. It should be impossible for a rock to completely miss a cement block, because that can't be right. I can't just rely on your opinion. I don't know how long you played SMW compared to say like SomeGuy712x or any usual Mario-Expert.
100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

VLDC9 Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtiP5de_-e6q0hSVrY37RB-.


Ok, here we are! It took a little longer than i planned... I had a few real life stuff to do.
With the dealine extension, at least i'll be able to cover the requests before the contest ends!

Industrial Desert by IronFoxGaming



Design: 23/60

This is a pretty nice level!
It has a nice flow, and is designed quite nice at parts.
However, i have some mixed feelings about it, as each parts plays pretty differently!

The first section works pretty well! It has a nice platforming, with some exploration elements here and there! It makes a nice use of the terrain to make it engaging, and the enemies are mostly used pretty well.
I also like the little exploration bits for Yoshi Coins!

The night sections on the other hand don’t really work well. Basically, the aesthetics really start to get in the way in these sections.
It’s hard to know what’s solid and what isn’t, and the palettes don’t help at all! While in the day section we can clearly tell everything apart due to their palettes, in the night section everything uses pretty much the same palette! The most notable example is the “fluidous sand”, which uses the exact same palette as “normal sand” in the night area. And this is particularly problematic because the “fluidous sand” actually isn’t solid in the night! I died a few times because i thought i was going to land on ground, but instead i fell through it!
Also, the “light areas” don’t help at all, everything in a light radius uses a white palette instead of a dark one, but the same problems persist. Telling stuff apart when everything is white is just as hard as doing it when everything is dark. Also, the “normal sand”, when white, becomes a solid white square, and they don’t really look like solid tiles!
As for the “Pitch-Black” section, it wasn’t that intuitive at first. I know you used a Message Box to say going “out of the light” meant death, but that Message Box was so early in the level that it isn’t that clear which section it’s referring to (especially because the indoors sections also turns “pitch-black”). I’d say you could’ve put the Message Box closer to this section to make it clear. Other than that, the same problems mentioned before still persist, it’s hard to tell what’s solid or not.

As for the Indoors sections, they have a pretty nice idea, but the execution is a bit lacking as well. One of the main problems in it is simply the way Layer 2 On/Off works. Basically, Layer 2 will only rise until its top position, which means the higher it is, the less time it’ll stay rising. And having the light only turn on when it’s rising means that the higher the Layer 2 is when you press the Switch, the less time you’ll have to play with the lights on! This can easily make that section work differently than intended, and pretty often i had to play through it completely dark, or wait the Layer 2 to fall until the bottom so i’d have more light time.
Also, not really a fan of the way you use enemies to activate the Switches in a few segments, having lights on is pretty much essential to complete this segment, and having enemies control whether the light is on or not isn’t a nice move in my opinion, i’d like to have the control over it myself.
And this also makes it so the player’s pace can change what happens in the level. The Yoshi Coin bonus room is an example, the first Shell Kicker turns the lights on, and if we go fast enough, we reach the second Shell Kicker when the lights are still on, so he’ll turn it off instead! And then we have to come back to the pipe with the lights off!
As for the design of this section, i’m not a fan of the use of Shell kickers as a threat to the player. Some of them can be quite a surprise.
Also, the last Indoors section feels like a filler segment, it just has a lot of Shell Kickers and Wall Triangles, and some Ball and Chains rotating on On/Off Blocks.

Also, for a few more specific issues:
- This Question Block is a Feather block, which means if we come to it when big, we can get one. And, since the level exit is in the same sublevel as the start, we can literally fly over the ‘Pyramid’ and finish the level!
- The Yoshi Coin Bonus room doesn’t work properly. As soon as we enter, the Yellow Shelless Koopa on the left gets killed by the shell, and the Shell Kicker on the right kicks the shell, but doesn’t activate the On/Off Switch because it’s in the border of the screen. In order to make it work, we have to move right immediately after entering to scroll the screen before the Shell Kicker kicks the shell. This is another problem with using enemies to activate the Switches. Again, i’d like to have control over it.
- This Thwomp isn’t really nice! It’s hidden in the Black foreground above, and only appears when we jump!
- The Pokey up there is a problem as well! We normally can’t see it’s there since it’s above the screen (i had to scroll the screen by getting P-Speed to get this screenshot) and, since we have to spin jump on the Thwomp to get up there, the screen doesn’t scroll until we land!
- I don’t get the end of the level, we literally get shoot out of a Diagonal Pipe directly into two Pokeys! This really isn’t a nice move!

Overall, this level has some nice parts, and some nice ideas, but the execution just gets worse as the level goes on.

Creativity: 15/30

This level has quite a few clever ideas! The use of Layer 2 On/Off for turning off the lights is pretty clever! Also, the idea of having day and night segments is nice! However, the execution is a bit lacking, and it doesn’t have many interesting setups.
There is some aesthetic creativity here as well, the theme is pretty cool, and it was executed somewhat nicely, though the quality varies between each section!

Aesthetics: 6/10

The aesthetics work pretty differently on different sections.
The first section is really good! I like the way you did the desert graphics, the sand looks pretty good! Also, the ‘industrial’ part looks cool! The metal stuff, the steamy pipes and all the decorations are pretty neat! The BG looks a bit strange, mainly the palettes used in the pyramids, but it looks quite good!
As for the night section, it doesn’t look as good. Some palettes are nice, but i don’t like how they’re made so similar, especially because they get in the way of the gameplay, as said in the Design category. And the white palettes in the light areas look ugly, especially the sand that’s just a solid while square.
As for the Indoors sections, it’s quite nice. The ‘metal’ parts of the FG look great! I’m just not much of a fan of the FG dirt palettes. Also, the BG looks really cool!
As for the song, it’s pretty good, and fits the theme well!
And, about aesthetic issues:
- Some FG tiles look disconnected when the screen shakes.
- In the Yoshi Coin bonus room, the BG scrolls downwards forever if we don’t hit any On/Off Block, and it starts to show glitched tiles after a while.
- The white stuff in the night sections really don’t work well!

Total: 44/100

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Bouncy Ruins by Dan Drigues



Design: 40/60

This level is pretty cool!
It has a great design! It’s pretty challenging, but also really fun to play! The flow is really good, and it’s very engaging!

This level has a pretty nice execution of its gimmick! There are a lot of cool setups done with both the Spring Platforms, as well as spin-jumping on enemies! Many of the setups in the level feel pretty interesting!

Also, i really like the action packed gameplay! It’s nice how this level allows for two different kinds of playthrough! The player can either choose to play through it fast, since pretty much every obstacle can be reliably one cycled, making the gameplay flow really well. Or, he can choose to play slowly and carefully, since the level has a lot of safe spots between every obstacle, allowing the player to take his time with timing his movements carefully!

The use of sprites is really good! I really like a lot of the setups you made with them! All the different setups with Line-guided Grinders feel great! The setups using Thwomps and Thwimps are pretty good too!
Also love how you use the different bouncing mechanics of the Spring Platforms, like how you bounce higher when you’re closer to the platform’s end, and bounce lower if you’re near where it starts. But i’d like to see a few more setups with low bounces. It’s pretty rare to see levels that use the low bounce of these platforms!

The difficulty is mostly pretty balanced, even though the level may feel a bit hard for some people due to its length.
Also, there are a few pretty noticeable difficulty spikes, a few jumps that feel way tighter than most other setups in the level:
- This jump at the end of the first half. It’s pretty cool that it requires a low bounce, but i think the timing is a bit tight.
- This setup has a really tight timing! There’s barely enough time to make it to the Spring Platform and bounce on it between each cycle of the Grinder.
- Here, it’s quite hard to keep up with the movement of the Grinder. This makes it really hard to trigger the Thwomp, go back to the Grinder, and then bounce to the Thwomp again. I recommend you play a bit with the line guide, and try to make it so the Grinder doesn’t go back and forth into the wall.
Also, the ceiling above the Thwomp is a bit low, it’s really easy to bop the head on it when you’re bouncing on the Thwomp, which almost always makes the player fall into the Muncher on the pillar to the right.

Also, for a few other issues:
- The ceiling here is pretty low, so it’s easy to bop your head there when playing as Big Mario.
- This jump is really tight for Big Mario! Even with a minimal bounce on the Spring Platform we get enough height to hit the Muncher. You could move the Muncher one tile higher.
- This is more of a recommendation than actually an issue. I’d suggest you to be cautious with the orientation of Spring Platforms.
Basically, the height of the bounce is defined by our position in the platform, so it means sometimes, when we need to bounce low, we should be on the back side of the platform. However, a few of your setups aren’t too intuitive with that. For example, this setup is better played with a low bounce, however, the Spring Platform is placed in a way so we bounce lower on its left side. It’s a bit counter-intuitive that in order to go to the right we should stay on the far left of the platform, so most players will probably try jumping from the right side of the platform instead, which results in a high bounce. This setup is made the same way, with the low bounce side of the platform being the left. I’d say it would be more intuitive if you placed the platforms in the opposite way, with the low bounce side being the right side, such as how you made it in this setup.

Overall this level is a really fun challenging level! It’s pretty refreshing, with a lot of interesting setups, and manages to keep a nice engaging difficulty!

Creativity: 20/30

This level’s gimmick is a pretty basic SMW mechanic, bouncing, though it has quite a lot of variety with the different kinds of bounces!
The execution of the gimmick is pretty nice! It makes a nice use of spin-jumping on enemies, as well as the Spring Platform and its bouncing mechanics!
There are a lot of clever setups here that make the experience pretty fresh! I really like the setups you made with line-guided Grinders! The use of Thwomps and Thwimps is pretty interesting too! These are some examples of setups i liked a lot!

Aesthetics: 7/10

This level looks pretty good!
There isn’t any tileset mixing, but i really like what you did with castle graphics! The FG formations you did look really cool!
The BG looks good too, it’s pretty simple, but i like the gradient!
The palettes also look pretty good! They go really well with the level’s theme!
And the song used is really cool! I love the fast paced atmosphere it gives to the level! It makes one cycling everything so satisfying!
There aren’t any noticeable aesthetic issues, but there are just a few minor nitpicks i want to mention: upward facing spikes seem like they’re inserted into the FG instead of being placed above it, and i’m not a fan of the skinny castle ledge tiles (the ones from the Map16 shared page).

Total: 67/100
My Youtube Channel
Best I can do for Diggin' Chuck, it's that unfixable and observation is a necessity just to retain the gatekeepers. And it's that type of changes I despise

You shouldn't have to duck here anymore.

100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

VLDC9 Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtiP5de_-e6q0hSVrY37RB-.


Originally posted by Galaer
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you liked my level.

You're welcome! Yea, your level is pretty cool!

Originally posted by Galaer
After my epic fail at VLDCX my biggest concern was to avoid Worst 10. I hope I will manage to do that, but competition this year is much stronger than 2 years ago.

Well, i'm pretty much certain you will be out of the worst 10! you have a nice level with a great idea here!
I didn't get to see your level for VLDCX, though i did see the results, and from there you seem to have improved a lot!
Well, in terms of competition, this VLDC has a lot of solid entries! But in terms of amount of entries, VLDCX still had way more!

Originally posted by Galaer
The first exclamation mark is to warn player to stop momentum and get into pipe instead falling down. Second "!" is about blue coins. It's the first release jump button during jumping segment, so I wanted to warn player. Third "!" is about

Well, i'd say these aren't doing anything too useful now. There's nothing that tells the player what these exclamations marks are warning him about.
And if you're using the same exclamation marks for different purposes, then it becomes even more confusing...
The things you said are things i'm pretty sure the player will learn by playing the level, the first one, we become aware of that when we reach the pipe and see we can fall, and the second, we can just see that holding the button doesn't work, and realize we should release it (Also, the message box in the beggining covers that already, so no need for an exclamation mark). So i don't think the exclamation marks are necessary.
Also, note you didn't complete the paragraph when talking about the third exclamation mark.

Originally posted by Galaer
Yeah, this is the intended setup. I guess it didn't work very well in the end.

Yea. Well, that's the only setup where we hit straight into a ledge and have to use the d-pad to land on it, so when you play it, it really looks like something went wrong there....

Originally posted by Galaer
Well, to tell you the truth, player starts as small Mario and there is no powerups. The level is intended to play as small Mario, so I didn't thought about player replaying level as big Mario. Midpoint messed a little with the level - I needed to change one part of the second half for big Mario to pass it. As for lack of Mushrooms, because of the nature of the gimmick, there is really no place to put any powerup.

Yea, i know the level is intended to be played as Small Mario, Also, what i meant with it being "particularly punishing" is because we die instantly if we fail it, while every other setup in the level has safe ground and reset pipes below.
As for the Midway, that Mushroom actually came in handy when i accidentally hit an enemy, it really made me glad it wasn't an instakill! So i think providing more Mushrooms would make it more enjoyable to actually retry the setups without worrying about dying to a mistake.
As far as i know, as long as you don't have to bop your head into a ceiling, Mario being small or big won't make a difference in how the level plays.
As for the place to put the Mushroom, i can see why you might have a hard time with finding it.
I guess the best place would be in the ground near the reset pipes, that way the player can recollect them if he fails a setup and gets hit. Or maybe you could provide one near the exit pipes in each area, so the player can start the next setup big.

Originally posted by Galaer
OMG, you found dragon coins. I hid them on purpose to not interrupt the flow of the level for normal players. I also didn't indicate that they exist. Also when player would find dragon coins, I wanted him to have "There are dragon coins in this level? What?!..." feeling. I wonder, did you legitly found them or noticed them in Lunar Magic.

Yep! I legitimately found them all! The first one i found was the one behind the pipe that requires a P-Switch. (i guess that's the easiest one to find) Then i worked my way on trying to find the other ones! And yea, i did have that reaction! xD
Also, i really liked the way you hid them! Making it so they're out of the way in order to not interrupt the flow was really clever! And making all of them being reachable by a variation in the setup was particularly cool!

Originally posted by Galaer
This is "Vertical Scroll at Will". When Mario is in the air, camera doesn't move. But when he will touch ground, camera will move to get Mario at the center. Only because of that this whole setup is possible. If I would disable vertical scroll and put enemies, they would be low enough for player to cheese it by going to the end and simple koopa/piranha jump upward. To prevent this would be needed bottomless pit instead of ground. But this gimmick is rare, so it wouldn't be very fun. Other way would be putting enemies higher, but then jumps would happen offscreen. That's also not good. Another way is to get Mario shot start at higher level, so enemies could be placed low. But then ground at the bottom doesn't appear and change into bottomless pit. So the only way for this gimmick to work was to use this "weird" scrolling.

Yea, i know using "Vertical Scroll at Will" is essential for this gimmick! And i can totally understand your explanation to choose it.
What i meant with it being weird wasn't exactly that though, i know you needed to use Vertical Scroll at Will and i know how it works.
The weird part i mentioned is, a few times, the same pipe would launch me and the camera would behave differently! Sometimes it would be in a fixed position until Mario touches ground (which is normal), and other times it would instantly follow Mario as soon as he was launched.
I don't know if that's some kind of bug with the game itself or what, and i don't even know if it can be fixed, i just mentioned for the sake of the review, so don't worry about it too much.

Originally posted by Galaer
Thanks for critique. Aesthetics was another big concern. I'm really terrible in aesthetics and my taste is pretty weird. Thanks a lot. I will try to improve the level.

You're welcome!
Your level still looks pretty good, it was just those 2 minor issues that caught my attention.
It's nice to see you're still willing to improve your level! And i'm glad my feedback was helpful!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
Best I can do for Diggin' Chuck, it's that unfixable and observation is a necessity just to retain the gatekeepers. And it's that type of changes I despise

You shouldn't have to duck here anymore.

Those are some nice improvements! I guess the Diggin' Chucks won't be as problematic now. Also like the change you made to the gap in the cave!
My Youtube Channel
Considering that you didn't see the rocks from the cement blocks, made me wonder at first, if you actually played the correct version.

I'm thinking if you should consider trying SomeGuy712x's level or I should wait for the real judges' result as a surprise.
100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

VLDC9 Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtiP5de_-e6q0hSVrY37RB-.


Thanks a lot for the suggestions and everything else!
Im glad that most of my level's flaws at the design category are kind of easy to be fixed, and that the difficulty is balanced, I probably wont do a lot regarding the creativity category except replacing some uninteresting sections with new sections based on the ones that you you said that were interesting.
Well, with these, i'm finished with the current requests.
There's still time to maybe review 2 or 4 more levels before the contest ends if someone else still wants to request a review.
If there are no other requests, then i'll go back to the Submissions Thread and review the levels in order again.

Harmonious Heaven by Emerald Shell



Important: there's a major flaw that makes the level unbeatable in certain conditions!
If we press the Blue Switch in the Hub level and activate the Blue Switch Blocks, this Line-guided Platform in the first section will get stuck in the blocks, preventing us from progressing further into the level!

Design: 43/60

Wow, this is a great level!
It has a lot of nice ideas! And it comes up with quite a lot of interesting setups! The gameplay is pretty fun to play, and it flows nicely!

I like the gameplay gimmicks you used! They fit quite well into the level overall! Of course, each gimmick had a different depth of execution, with some being more focused than others, but overall it went pretty good!
The Bob-Omb gimmick was the most developed of the bunch, having some nice setups! The Scale Platforms were used pretty sparingly, only making one appearance in each section, and the setups felt pretty similar. And the No Spin Jump gimmick had its own section. (more on it below)

The use of sprites is pretty good in the level! There are a lot of interesting setups with sprites! I really like the way you used Line-guided Chainsaws, and how you combined them with ground enemies to make some timing setups! Also like the way you used Pokeys! And, of course, the Bob-Ombs used as a gimmick throughout the level have a lot of cool setups!

In terms of focus, i wouldn’t really say this level is unfocused, the focus feels pretty nice in fact!
The gimmicks were used pretty well, and fit nicely in the level! The design also feels pretty consistent with its theme!
With that said, there are a few places where i feel it could define its focus a bit better. I’ll be going through each section separately.

First section: This section seems to be more platforming-oriented. It has some line-guided segments, and quite a lot of interesting setups with sprites! I really like the setups that use Pokeys, as well as some of the line-guided ones!
The gameplay flows well and it’s pretty engaging!
This section also has a kind of introduction to most gimmicks used in the level. The first Yoshi Coin segment is pretty nice, and does a great job in showing the Bob-Omb gimmick to the player!
There’s also the Scale Platforms gimmick appearing once here. Since this section is more platforming oriented with the use of Line-guides, i think it could have focused a bit more on the Scale Platforms gimmick. That gimmick would fit this section quite well. You could also try to do a few different setups with it, like having to cut a line guide with a Chainsaw so we can get past it, or having the way blocked by a line-guided platform and cutting the line guide to take the platform out of our way.

Second section: This section is more puzzle-oriented. It has a clear focus on the Bob-Omb gimmick, and develops it pretty well! There are a lot of clever setups with the Bob-Omb’s explosions, as well as the way we get the Bob-Omb, having to guide their Bubble and pop it at the right time.
There are also a few platforming elements thrown in here and there to keep the gameplay engaging between the puzzles.
The Scale Platforms also make an appearance here! The setup is very similar to the one used in the first section, and i don’t think it adds much to this section right now...
There is one thing i’d say feels unfocused though, the Layer 2 clouds. Basically, in the beginning of this section you introduce the Layer 2 clouds that are solid only to Mario and then use it in one setup with Chainsaws…. But then it seems like you completely forgot they existed, as they don’t appear anymore in the level at all!

Third section: This section is focused on one main gimmick: being a “No Spin Jump Room”. Despite being already used before, this is a pretty new gimmick and it’s still very creative and has a lot of potential!
However, it doesn’t seem like you used too much of that potential in this section. I mean, of course, it adds a layer of complexity because we can’t spin jump, but the design of this section doesn’t really take advantage of that! There isn’t anything that would play differently due to this restriction. It’s just a normal platforming section that plays as normally with normal jump as it does with spin jump. After going through the first Chainsaw and controlling the urge to spin on top of it, the player won’t really have to worry about the gimmick at all, as the level plays as if the gimmick wasn’t even there!
It seems like you added this gimmick more to be simply a restriction than to actually compliment the design. I’d recommend you focus a bit more on making setups that would seem easier with spin jumping, in a way that the player actually feels restricted by not having spin jump available.
One example of this would be to use Up-facing Chainsaws placed low, because these usually tease the player to spin jump on them. (Unlike the Upside Down Chainsaws placed high you’re using right now) You could also have used Line-guided Platform ride segments with Fuzzballs and Chainsaws, as, at least for me, it’s more frequent for me to try spin-jumping on these enemies when i’m on a moving platform.
This way the player would have to fight against his instinct of spin-jumping, which would make the gimmick more meaningful in this section.

I didn’t find any noticeable issues with gameplay. (Other than the level breaking bug i mentioned before the Design category, as that’s a major issue that should be fixed as soon as possible!) But i just find it weird that you blocked the Midway Gate after we get the 1-UP Checkpoint.

Overall, this level is great, it has a lot of cool ideas and some nice setups, but i still think it could be improved to be even better!

Creativity: 22/30

This level has tons of cool ideas! There are quite a lot of different gimmicks used here, and they fit in quite well into the level!
The Bob-Omb gimmick is my personal favorite, and you developed it really well throughout the level! The Scale Platform and No Spin Jump gimmicks are also pretty cool, though i think they weren’t executed as nicely.
Also, this level has a lot of clever setups! I love the setups you made with Line-guided enemies, as well as the setups with Pokeys! The puzzle setups using Bob-Ombs were also really cool!
The aesthetic creativity counts here too, the theme of the level is great and really well executed! And the enemy reskins are pretty cool!

Aesthetics: 8/10

This level is beautiful! I really like the theme!
The graphics used are great! I love the way you did the cloud FG! Especially how you managed to put everything together!
The palettes are great! They look really good and fit the level very well! I especially like how they change as the level progresses to give a different atmosphere!
The BGs look really good! I love the way you change them throughout the level to represent a sunset!
And the songs used are pretty good! And pretty fitting to the level!
I didn’t find any noticeable aesthetic issues, other than some cutoff when an object is placed on top of a cloud, but i don’t know if you can do much about that. One nitpick i have though is i think the blue palette in the Mushroom Platforms looks really weird.

Total: 73/100

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Cold and Colder by Minuy600



Design: 22/60

Well, this is a pretty simple straight-forward level.
It’s pretty flat at times, and doesn’t really try to be much engaging on some segments. It’s also pretty short, it has pretty much two distinct segments, and these are both pretty straight-forward.

The level uses ice physics, as well as a pretty common use of slopes, but it doesn’t really try to do anything interesting with those. The ice physics are used pretty much just to “make it slippery”, while the slopes are kinda just ‘there’. It does have some enemies we can kill by sliding, which is always fun to do, but it doesn’t try to do much with these mechanics.

The level does have a gameplay gimmick, shown in the second half, and it does have a few interesting setups with it! The idea of the gimmick is quite common, but it fits the theme quite nicely! I like the setups where we have to use enemies to get through the frozen blocks!
However, there are also times where the use of the gimmick isn’t really that interesting, like when they’re used pretty much as a common Muncher ground or ceiling.

The use of sprites is mostly very simple. There aren’t really many interesting setups with them. The ones i found pretty interesting are the ones we have to use Spike Tops and Buzzy Beetles to bounce over the frozen blocks!
The level also uses Dino Rhinos and Dino Torches, which aren’t seen too often, but they aren’t used in any interesting ways. You could have used their jumping mechanics for a few interesting setups. (Including setups for the second half, like having to bounce on it as it jumps)
Also, not a fan of the use of Dinos and Koopas together, as Dinos are immune to shells.

The difficulty also feels a bit inconsistent at times. While the overall difficulty of the level is pretty easy, without many threats, there are a few tight setups here and there, such as in the first half with some Shell Kickers, or a few jumps in the second half when there are a lot of frozen blocks around.

Overall it isn’t really a bad level, but it does nothing to really stand out, the design is very straight-forward and flat at times, and the gimmick is only used in some simple setups and doesn’t develop too much.

Creativity: 10/30

There isn’t much about creativity here, the level is pretty simple. It doesn’t have many interesting setups. The only ones that stand out for me are the ones where we use enemies to get across the frozen blocks.
It has some nice ideas, such as the gimmick with the frozen blocks, and it uses Dinos, which are quite uncommon, but it doesn’t really try to develop them too much. The ice mechanics and slopes aren’t used in any interesting way as well.

Aesthetics: 4/10

The aesthetics are mostly simple, though i’m not a fan of a few choices. The graphics are Vanilla Underground tiles. It uses a few Goal Gate tiles as decoration, but i didn’t like those too much.
The palettes are pretty much fully ice palettes, it can feel a bit too ‘blue-ish’ at times, but it doesn’t look bad. However, the last section has some really bright palettes which are pretty hard on the eyes! And they make it hard to recognize some blocks, most notably the Turn Blocks.
The BG and song are vanilla, so nothing to complain about them.
I didn’t find any noticeable aesthetic issues, though i think the Yoshi Coins look weird being yellow while everything else is blue.

Total: 36/100
My Youtube Channel
If you don't mind, could you give feedback for my level?

Here's the BPS for it.

Play G.U.C Plains
Userbar made by Green Jerry




Originally posted by ECS.98
Important: there's a major flaw that makes the level unbeatable in certain conditions!
If we press the Blue Switch in the Hub level and activate the Blue Switch Blocks, this Line-guided Platform in the first section will get stuck in the blocks, preventing us from progressing further into the level!

D'oh! That's what happens when you don't test your level with switches activated! Thanks, I'll take note of it.

Quote
In terms of focus, i wouldn’t really say this level is unfocused, the focus feels pretty nice in fact!

Maybe the whole level itself isn't unfocused, but layer 2 in the second section and No Spin Jump gimmick are.

Quote
Since this section is more platforming oriented with the use of Line-guides, i think it could have focused a bit more on the Scale Platforms gimmick. That gimmick would fit this section quite well. You could also try to do a few different setups with it, like having to cut a line guide with a Chainsaw so we can get past it, or having the way blocked by a line-guided platform and cutting the line guide to take the platform out of our way.

I couldn't come up with what you said unfortunately. I consider this thing minor and since the executions were quite similar, I didn't use scale platforms a lot. I'll consider changing the very first setup with these.

Quote
There is one thing i’d say feels unfocused though, the Layer 2 clouds. Basically, in the beginning of this section you introduce the Layer 2 clouds that are solid only to Mario and then use it in one setup with Chainsaws…. But then it seems like you completely forgot they existed, as they don’t appear anymore in the level at all!

I used them in TWO setups with chainsaws. I might replace that one with Fuzzies and chainsaw with chainsaws hidden behind layer 2.

Quote
However, it doesn’t seem like you used too much of that potential in this section. I mean, of course, it adds a layer of complexity because we can’t spin jump, but the design of this section doesn’t really take advantage of that! There isn’t anything that would play differently due to this restriction. It’s just a normal platforming section that plays as normally with normal jump as it does with spin jump. After going through the first Chainsaw and controlling the urge to spin on top of it, the player won’t really have to worry about the gimmick at all, as the level plays as if the gimmick wasn’t even there!
It seems like you added this gimmick more to be simply a restriction than to actually compliment the design. I’d recommend you focus a bit more on making setups that would seem easier with spin jumping, in a way that the player actually feels restricted by not having spin jump available.

I think what caused the thing in this and the previous paragraph was rush before the deadline. I would've released a more focused level if I had been able to build the level when I was distracted by Shakes & Fidget or simply didn't have time due to unexpected circumstances. I frown upon these! I'll try to make the part of the third section with the second Ninji, the one with line-guide platform, and that one with two different chainsaws more focused on defeating instinct of spin jumping.

Quote
The Scale Platform and No Spin Jump gimmicks are also pretty cool, though i think they weren’t executed as nicely.

I'm thankful for your opinion. I'll try to focus on the gimmicks more and with that, there'll be more chance I'll place in top 10 or around it.

Quote
But i just find it weird that you blocked the Midway Gate after we get the 1-UP Checkpoint.

I thought there would for some reason be someone who'd like to check what else is up there so I blocked both ways: the first one that's obvious and the second one that's reachable for tool-abusing players, i.e. you can take a bomb there and spin jump on its explosion. There was nothing there and that's why I decided on it. I'll remove the blocking logs just in case anyone else finds it weird.

Quote
I didn’t find any noticeable aesthetic issues, other than some cutoff when an object is placed on top of a cloud, but i don’t know if you can do much about that. One nitpick i have though is i think the blue palette in the Mushroom Platforms looks really weird.

I might look closer into the first case. Not exactly sure what to do about, but I'll try to science it out. There's cutoff near the last Yoshi coin which is quite minor, but I'll fix that in the final section. I'll look into the mushroom platform palette closer. I used a quick gradient function for it and I'll try to change it manually.

On the chance, would you be able to re-review my level if I release the new version today?
I have a Discord server as well! (by joining, you agree to the rules)
-----
Basically, I believe in peace and bashing two bricks together.

Thanks for reviewing my earlier version of my level. If you want, I fixed up the problems the level had, and you can try out the updated version and tell me how well it works now.

bep
Originally posted by MarkVD100
I'm thinking if you should consider trying SomeGuy712x's level or I should wait for the real judges' result as a surprise.

Well, yea, i'm actually pretty curious about SomeGuy's entry! I saw his teaser video on his channel (i've been subscribed to him for a long time) and it seems like a pretty unusual idea! I'm excited to see how it would work!
But right now, it'll take quite a while until i get to it (unless i get a request to play it), because i'm reviewing the levels in order of submission, and his level is the 84th level.

Originally posted by Dan Drigues
Thanks a lot for the suggestions and everything else!
Im glad that most of my level's flaws at the design category are kind of easy to be fixed, and that the difficulty is balanced, I probably wont do a lot regarding the creativity category except replacing some uninteresting sections with new sections based on the ones that you you said that were interesting.

You're welcome! I'm glad my feedback was helpful!
Your level has a lot of interesting setups, and those already count quite a lot for creativity! It's nice to see you're still willing to imrpove it!

Originally posted by slakkmichael
If you don't mind, could you give feedback for my level?

Here's the BPS for it.

Originally posted by toad64

These are the next ones on my list!

Originally posted by Emerald Shell
D'oh! That's what happens when you don't test your level with switches activated! Thanks, I'll take note of it.

Yea, sometimes we miss some pretty obvious flaws! xD
You have to be careful to test your level with every variation on the design you put into it, such as Switch Blocks, 1-UP Checkpoints and such.

Originally posted by Emerald Shell
I couldn't come up with what you said unfortunately. I consider this thing minor and since the executions were quite similar, I didn't use scale platforms a lot. I'll consider changing the very first setup with these.

Yea, i know this isn't intended to be the main gimmick of the level, so it explains why it wasn't focused that much.
The Scale Platforms have quite a lot of potential though, and you could have tried to use them on different things, other than just line guides. These platforms can also cut through solid tiles, so you could use them to open a hole in a piece of ground, for example. (I should have suggested this before, but i kinda forgot they can cut solid tiles as well =P)

Originally posted by Emerald Shell
I used them in TWO setups with chainsaws. I might replace that one with Fuzzies and chainsaw with chainsaws hidden behind layer 2.

Yea, i counted only the segment where the Layer 2 clouds actually affect the gameplay, because the one where we have the Bob-Omb Bubble in the beggining and the one in the end with the Chainsaw into the wall don't really add much to gameplay.

Originally posted by Emerald Shell
I think what caused the thing in this and the previous paragraph was rush before the deadline. I would've released a more focused level if I had been able to build the level when I was distracted by Shakes & Fidget or simply didn't have time due to unexpected circumstances. I frown upon these! I'll try to make the part of the third section with the second Ninji, the one with line-guide platform, and that one with two different chainsaws more focused on defeating instinct of spin jumping.

Yea, i kinda thought about that, especially considering when you released it the deadline hadn't been extended yet. I know the fact that the deadline was close affected your design, as you had to rush a few segments.
Now that the deadline has been extended, i pointed out the things i think could be improved the most, to make the level even better!

Originally posted by Emerald Shell
I'm thankful for your opinion. I'll try to focus on the gimmicks more and with that, there'll be more chance I'll place in top 10 or around it.

Again, i'm glad you found the feedback helpful!
Your level is already a really good entry! And i'm certain it can stand out pretty well in this contest!
I don't know exactly if i could say it's a Top10 entry, especially since i haven't played even half of the entries, but i can say it will certainly place pretty well!

Originally posted by Emerald Shell
I might look closer into the first case. Not exactly sure what to do about, but I'll try to science it out. There's cutoff near the last Yoshi coin which is quite minor, but I'll fix that in the final section. I'll look into the mushroom platform palette closer. I used a quick gradient function for it and I'll try to change it manually.

Well, you came up with some great ways to use the cloud FG! I really loved the way you used corner tiles and other different types of tiles to make everything work together! So it's great that you'll try looking into that!
But even if you can't fix it, as i said, it's a pretty minor issue, and your level is already very polished visually!
As for the Mushroom Platform palettes, it's nice to see you're going to improve it!

Originally posted by Emerald Shell

On the chance, would you be able to re-review my level if I release the new version today?

I'll certainly be glad to play it again, though i'll be focusing on new reviews first before doing re-reviews. So i don't know exactly if i'll be able to post it before the deadline. I'll try, for sure!

Originally posted by IronFoxGaming
Thanks for reviewing my earlier version of my level If you want, I fixed up the problems the level had, and you can try out the updated version and tell me how well it works now.

bep

Same as above, i'll certainly be glad to play your level again and see the new changes, but i'll be focusing on new reviews first before doing re-reviews.
My Youtube Channel
Think you'll be able to review my level, Flames of Muspell, before the deadline?

The link to the bps is right here.
Just so you know, I'm very active on the site anymore like I was before; I'm mainly on Discord now.