Attempt at a Normal Hack by ft029
ft029 is a creator known for his devious and challenging works, so when he says “normal”, we know he is referring to the difficulty. There's also something humorous about the word normal being so pronounced on the title of a hack full of interesting and novel ideas.
Attempt at a Normal Hack has a long history - a lot of the stages in this go all the way back to 2016, while many others were created up until the release in 2024. On paper, an almost entirely vanilla hack full of levels from various eras in hacking history sounds like it would be a quaint, old-fashioned experience, built primarily on nostalgia for a bygone era. But thanks to ft's insane raw level design talent, imagination, and ability to create novel ideas out of simple concepts, this hack actually feels incredibly fresh and revolutionary.
Most of the stages in this hack rely on a couple distinct “standard” design styles picked up by ft over the years: you have your “traditional” levels, relying primarily on classic enemy dodging experiences, and then there’s the more “modern” style of level which revolve around tackling creative obstacles. Both of these styles are easy to learn, but can be tricky to master and ft puts his prowess in both on full display in this hack.
In the realm of traditional design, where in other hacks it can sometimes feel like enemies haphazardly populate the terrain, every enemy in Attempt seems to be placed with extreme amounts of thought, as though ft has meticulously predicted player's movement. It’s rewarding to play a level that still feels action-packed and unpredictable, yet constructed with the utmost precision and care.
But perhaps where he shines best is in the other realm of modern, obstacle based design. ft's levels in this style feel extremely novel and interesting, which is a real triumph for an entirely vanilla project in 2024. Something I really love about this hack is just how much mileage it gets out of really simple and sometimes overlooked concepts. You'd think that a completely vanilla level themed entirely around blind jumps would be a dud. And in the hands of most creators, it might be but in the hands of ft, I was grinning ear to ear like a goofball throughout the entire stage. When so many works that emphasize creativity do so through overly complicated setups built out of incomprehensible custom block contraptions, there's something really refreshing about ft's simple and highly elegant approach to creativity.
What is also noteworthy is that this hack is such an accessible experience – sitting firmly within the “Hard” difficulty category makes it approachable to most players. While ft might not have achieved his goal of attempting a “Normal” difficulty hack, he should be proud of this triumph in creativity and ingenuity. There's not many hacks out there that approach this degree of level design mastery, so if super interesting and novel ideas built in a clean and refined Vanilla setting sound interesting to you, I'd highly recommend this project.
GbreezeSunset
Attempt at a Normal Hack has a long history - a lot of the stages in this go all the way back to 2016, while many others were created up until the release in 2024. On paper, an almost entirely vanilla hack full of levels from various eras in hacking history sounds like it would be a quaint, old-fashioned experience, built primarily on nostalgia for a bygone era. But thanks to ft's insane raw level design talent, imagination, and ability to create novel ideas out of simple concepts, this hack actually feels incredibly fresh and revolutionary.
Most of the stages in this hack rely on a couple distinct “standard” design styles picked up by ft over the years: you have your “traditional” levels, relying primarily on classic enemy dodging experiences, and then there’s the more “modern” style of level which revolve around tackling creative obstacles. Both of these styles are easy to learn, but can be tricky to master and ft puts his prowess in both on full display in this hack.
In the realm of traditional design, where in other hacks it can sometimes feel like enemies haphazardly populate the terrain, every enemy in Attempt seems to be placed with extreme amounts of thought, as though ft has meticulously predicted player's movement. It’s rewarding to play a level that still feels action-packed and unpredictable, yet constructed with the utmost precision and care.
But perhaps where he shines best is in the other realm of modern, obstacle based design. ft's levels in this style feel extremely novel and interesting, which is a real triumph for an entirely vanilla project in 2024. Something I really love about this hack is just how much mileage it gets out of really simple and sometimes overlooked concepts. You'd think that a completely vanilla level themed entirely around blind jumps would be a dud. And in the hands of most creators, it might be but in the hands of ft, I was grinning ear to ear like a goofball throughout the entire stage. When so many works that emphasize creativity do so through overly complicated setups built out of incomprehensible custom block contraptions, there's something really refreshing about ft's simple and highly elegant approach to creativity.
What is also noteworthy is that this hack is such an accessible experience – sitting firmly within the “Hard” difficulty category makes it approachable to most players. While ft might not have achieved his goal of attempting a “Normal” difficulty hack, he should be proud of this triumph in creativity and ingenuity. There's not many hacks out there that approach this degree of level design mastery, so if super interesting and novel ideas built in a clean and refined Vanilla setting sound interesting to you, I'd highly recommend this project.
GbreezeSunset
Chopped N Screwed by deported
Chopped n' Screwed is the second solo hack from Kaizo creator deported, in this one he really shows us that vanilla Kaizo design philosophy still has depths to plumb. Each level is only one section long with no checkpoints, but they are dense with creative and thought provoking designs.
No filler setups in this hack, in each level deported really hones in on a theme and explores it to the fullest. For example, the third level: Reflector Boys, is all about reversing the facing direction of Koopas. This idea has been explored in the past, but I've never seen it explored so thoroughly. He even takes advantage of niche interactions, like stunning a Koopa in its shell to make another shell-less Koopa unable to enter it, causing it to reflect instead; proving how well this theme was explored.
While the design of the levels is fresh and inspiring, the color palettes and graphics are gorgeous and easy to read. Be on the lookout for all the little animations on objects like clouds, grass and vines. The overworld is also unique and full of custom drawn animations that give you a hint of the upcoming level.
I believe Chopped n' Screwed reigns ranks highly among vanilla Kaizo hacks and deported deserves this recognition in the Hall of Fame.
Blaagon
No filler setups in this hack, in each level deported really hones in on a theme and explores it to the fullest. For example, the third level: Reflector Boys, is all about reversing the facing direction of Koopas. This idea has been explored in the past, but I've never seen it explored so thoroughly. He even takes advantage of niche interactions, like stunning a Koopa in its shell to make another shell-less Koopa unable to enter it, causing it to reflect instead; proving how well this theme was explored.
While the design of the levels is fresh and inspiring, the color palettes and graphics are gorgeous and easy to read. Be on the lookout for all the little animations on objects like clouds, grass and vines. The overworld is also unique and full of custom drawn animations that give you a hint of the upcoming level.
I believe Chopped n' Screwed reigns ranks highly among vanilla Kaizo hacks and deported deserves this recognition in the Hall of Fame.
Blaagon
Kaizo beats to run quick to, vol. 3 by Alex, Blaagon, Hiro-sofT, HmWhyNot, LightAligns, Saela, YMM, Fyre150, dansalvato, dtothefourth, margot, shaoshao, snoruntpyro, SpiritOfFen
If you told me before the Summer Games Done Quick 2024 Kaizo relay that one of the levels would be dodging IWBTG-style cherries while the "Bad Apple" music video played in the background, I would have laughed in your face. However, that is exactly what I played, and it almost brought me to tears.
"Kaizo beats to run quick to - Vol. 3" takes a different approach from previous Games Done Quick relay collaborations by focusing on custom mechanics, never-before-seen experiences, and a more complex, unconventional approach to platforming. From taking MSU-1 (a concept chip that enables data streaming to the SNES) to unseen lengths by incorporating video into a level, to building a buddy system to allow Lara the Pokey to face Mole Mountain and join the fight against Sheriff Mouser, this hack throws out any predictability and expectations that come with "sight-reading" Kaizo. This combination of complexity and unconventional platforming goes far beyond any prior expectations for a relay hack,and produces a unique, memorable, and enthralling modern Kaizo romhack for both players and spectators.
I must praise the love and soul that was poured into it. From the level designers who utilized their creativity, to the hack coordinators who worked their butts off to bring a wonderful experience, to the coders, testers, and resource makers who made sure nothing in the hack fell apart, every single person who worked on this brought an energy that, when combined, shines whenever you play this hack. This hack is a monument of what our community is all about and what we stand for, and if you're looking to understand who the SMW Kaizo community is and what we can accomplish together, there is no better game to show that.
Java
"Kaizo beats to run quick to - Vol. 3" takes a different approach from previous Games Done Quick relay collaborations by focusing on custom mechanics, never-before-seen experiences, and a more complex, unconventional approach to platforming. From taking MSU-1 (a concept chip that enables data streaming to the SNES) to unseen lengths by incorporating video into a level, to building a buddy system to allow Lara the Pokey to face Mole Mountain and join the fight against Sheriff Mouser, this hack throws out any predictability and expectations that come with "sight-reading" Kaizo. This combination of complexity and unconventional platforming goes far beyond any prior expectations for a relay hack,and produces a unique, memorable, and enthralling modern Kaizo romhack for both players and spectators.
I must praise the love and soul that was poured into it. From the level designers who utilized their creativity, to the hack coordinators who worked their butts off to bring a wonderful experience, to the coders, testers, and resource makers who made sure nothing in the hack fell apart, every single person who worked on this brought an energy that, when combined, shines whenever you play this hack. This hack is a monument of what our community is all about and what we stand for, and if you're looking to understand who the SMW Kaizo community is and what we can accomplish together, there is no better game to show that.
Java
Mario in Lucid Dream by TS_N
Being the base on which all hacks are built, it is no wonder that the Super Mario World engine has been studied in depth by many. SMW scientists have dissected this game in a way that few games have been, and many of its glitches were discovered, analyzed and explained long ago. Yet, like any sufficiently complex system, the SMW engine continues to hide surprises and new emergent interactions keep being found to this day. And so, once every while, a dedicated SMW scientist comes along and presents their findings in the form of a hack showcasing these mechanics. TS_N's "Mario in Lucid Dream" is one of these hacks.
However, describing this hack as just another glitch showcase hack would be underselling it by quite a bit. Lucid Dream's biggest strength is how many of its levels are not just mere knowledge tests, but genuinely well-designed puzzles which remain challenging even if the player already knows all of the required glitches. Many times during my playthrough I stared at Lunar Magic for more than half an hour, unable to figure out how to proceed, just to realize that I had overlooked a niche interaction which does exactly what I want. At other times, I found myself fumbling around in the game until a glitchy interaction I had never seen before was revealed.
This experience is complemented by the hacks structure: the player typically has access to several levels at once and lets them freely choose the order in which they play them. And so, during my playthrough, on more than one occasion I ended up quitting a level that I got stuck on and tried my hand at another one — a very welcome option to prevent the frustration that can otherwise be all too easily caused by a difficult puzzle.
The hack has mostly vanilla aesthetics, ensuring that the hack is easily readable and that the player isn't caught off guard by any unexpected tile behaviour. Despite these confines, the levels appear rather diverse and are filled with silly little touches that give the hack that extra bit of charm (I particularly enjoyed the background animations in the switch palace-themed levels).
"Mario in Lucid Dream" is a fantastic hack that reminds us that even after 35 years, the SMW engine still hides some secrets and it is one that I will happily recommend to anyone looking for some difficult, yet doable, glitch puzzling.
xHF01x
However, describing this hack as just another glitch showcase hack would be underselling it by quite a bit. Lucid Dream's biggest strength is how many of its levels are not just mere knowledge tests, but genuinely well-designed puzzles which remain challenging even if the player already knows all of the required glitches. Many times during my playthrough I stared at Lunar Magic for more than half an hour, unable to figure out how to proceed, just to realize that I had overlooked a niche interaction which does exactly what I want. At other times, I found myself fumbling around in the game until a glitchy interaction I had never seen before was revealed.
This experience is complemented by the hacks structure: the player typically has access to several levels at once and lets them freely choose the order in which they play them. And so, during my playthrough, on more than one occasion I ended up quitting a level that I got stuck on and tried my hand at another one — a very welcome option to prevent the frustration that can otherwise be all too easily caused by a difficult puzzle.
The hack has mostly vanilla aesthetics, ensuring that the hack is easily readable and that the player isn't caught off guard by any unexpected tile behaviour. Despite these confines, the levels appear rather diverse and are filled with silly little touches that give the hack that extra bit of charm (I particularly enjoyed the background animations in the switch palace-themed levels).
"Mario in Lucid Dream" is a fantastic hack that reminds us that even after 35 years, the SMW engine still hides some secrets and it is one that I will happily recommend to anyone looking for some difficult, yet doable, glitch puzzling.
xHF01x
Mistakes Were Made by ThirdWall
ROM hacking by its very nature is always a passion project, but it's sometimes easy to forget that it's also a means of self-expression. People making any kind of art are often told "make what you love and your audience will find you". Few hacks embody this adage like ThirdWall's Mistakes Were Made does.
Where Mostly Harmless focused on vanilla platforming and Flip The Switch built on that with the addition of chocolate elements, Mistakes Were Made takes both of those hacks and combines them through the lens of ThirdWall's own continued growth as a player in the time between releases. His design style has been unique from the beginning — even people who've never played Mostly Harmless are aware of the cloud level — and this hack feels like both an evolution and a distillation of ideas he's been exploring for the past several years. ThirdWall classics like layer 2 shenanigans, on/off switches, and item abuse all get new moments to shine, still feeling familiar while being presented in new and surprising ways.
This magic trick of turning something familiar into something novel happens on a micro level, too. Mistakes Were Made frequently puts the player in relatively confined areas, and then challenges them to find a path of movement that will lead them through the same space two or three different ways, re-contextualizing its obstacles with every jump. Its challenge is not only in execution, but in recognizing what a successful attempt looks like.
ThirdWall built these levels first and foremost because he wanted to play them, and that's exactly what makes the hack great. Each level has its own distinct character, but they all fit together because his excitement and confidence in his ideas is palpable and infectious. Mistakes Were Made is a testament to its author's creative vision, and a hack that nobody else could've made.
lincolnic
Where Mostly Harmless focused on vanilla platforming and Flip The Switch built on that with the addition of chocolate elements, Mistakes Were Made takes both of those hacks and combines them through the lens of ThirdWall's own continued growth as a player in the time between releases. His design style has been unique from the beginning — even people who've never played Mostly Harmless are aware of the cloud level — and this hack feels like both an evolution and a distillation of ideas he's been exploring for the past several years. ThirdWall classics like layer 2 shenanigans, on/off switches, and item abuse all get new moments to shine, still feeling familiar while being presented in new and surprising ways.
This magic trick of turning something familiar into something novel happens on a micro level, too. Mistakes Were Made frequently puts the player in relatively confined areas, and then challenges them to find a path of movement that will lead them through the same space two or three different ways, re-contextualizing its obstacles with every jump. Its challenge is not only in execution, but in recognizing what a successful attempt looks like.
ThirdWall built these levels first and foremost because he wanted to play them, and that's exactly what makes the hack great. Each level has its own distinct character, but they all fit together because his excitement and confidence in his ideas is palpable and infectious. Mistakes Were Made is a testament to its author's creative vision, and a hack that nobody else could've made.
lincolnic
ooooo by JUMP Team, Kevin
JUMP Team has had a massive hand in influencing Super Mario World hacking culture and shaping the scene as we know it today. JUMP and JUMP½ are still considered seminal works that are recommended to newer players who want an introduction to harder romhacks. But JUMP Team changed over the years, and the community at large finally caught up to what they did years ago. Enter ooooo, a gimmick hack that explores a single gameplay element from Super Mario World — the bouncy green bean — and attempts to extrapolate as many creative ways to use this element as possible. This means plenty of the beans you know, but also wild interpretations like playing as a single bean, bean wind, build-a-beans, infinitely spawning and ascending rapture beans, and many, many more.
The hack also proves to be one of JUMP Team's least approachable in its oeuvre, eschewing explanations for lesser known but necessary tech like bean screen wrap in its many forms and other assorted glitch tech. There are no easy levels, even in the beginning. You'll find far fewer message boxes with preambles of instructions, but you'll also find some of the most daring, boundary-pushing work JUMP Team has ever done thanks to their newfound freedom to indulge their every whim even as it narrows the potential audience for the hack. Though JUMP Team started out as a sort of de facto group of ambassadors for the scene, ooooo is a hack by sickos, for sickos, a vision of JUMP Team unbound in all its glory.
SilentSnake20
The hack also proves to be one of JUMP Team's least approachable in its oeuvre, eschewing explanations for lesser known but necessary tech like bean screen wrap in its many forms and other assorted glitch tech. There are no easy levels, even in the beginning. You'll find far fewer message boxes with preambles of instructions, but you'll also find some of the most daring, boundary-pushing work JUMP Team has ever done thanks to their newfound freedom to indulge their every whim even as it narrows the potential audience for the hack. Though JUMP Team started out as a sort of de facto group of ambassadors for the scene, ooooo is a hack by sickos, for sickos, a vision of JUMP Team unbound in all its glory.
SilentSnake20
Random Access Memoby by Alex, Lazy, Mellonpizza, snoruntpyro
This is a very successful experiment in game design: a complete marriage of mechanics and level design. Random Access Memoby was originally an entry into the Questionable HackJam, and it is probably one of the best interpretations of "questionable" in recent years.
mellonpizza devised a system that randomizes the game based on the randomization of Mario's physics upon each death—ensuring that, no matter what, a level is possible to beat on each attempt. The entire team—Alex, Lazy, mellonpizza, and snoruntpyro—worked together to create such a harmonious hack, although it is an extremely difficult one. Each level is a gauntlet-style challenge, showcasing the mastery all four creators are known for.
Playing through Random Access Memoby is an experience— a rollercoaster of pure bliss and the kind of extreme frustration that makes you smile and laugh at your persistent random misfortunes. It is a difficult hack, but one I highly recommend to all advanced players. Your skill level will increase, making you more adaptable and creative in different situations. The limitations imposed by the randomization can ignite new gameplay strategies—and in standard design, that is perhaps the highest compliment you can give.
The true genius of Random Access Memoby is that it invites players to embrace the "limitations breed creativity" philosophy, which is typically associated with creation rather than engagement. No other hack on this site achieves this in quite the same way, which is why Alex, Lazy, Mellonpizza, and snoruntpyro's Random Access Memoby is being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
cardboardcell
mellonpizza devised a system that randomizes the game based on the randomization of Mario's physics upon each death—ensuring that, no matter what, a level is possible to beat on each attempt. The entire team—Alex, Lazy, mellonpizza, and snoruntpyro—worked together to create such a harmonious hack, although it is an extremely difficult one. Each level is a gauntlet-style challenge, showcasing the mastery all four creators are known for.
Playing through Random Access Memoby is an experience— a rollercoaster of pure bliss and the kind of extreme frustration that makes you smile and laugh at your persistent random misfortunes. It is a difficult hack, but one I highly recommend to all advanced players. Your skill level will increase, making you more adaptable and creative in different situations. The limitations imposed by the randomization can ignite new gameplay strategies—and in standard design, that is perhaps the highest compliment you can give.
The true genius of Random Access Memoby is that it invites players to embrace the "limitations breed creativity" philosophy, which is typically associated with creation rather than engagement. No other hack on this site achieves this in quite the same way, which is why Alex, Lazy, Mellonpizza, and snoruntpyro's Random Access Memoby is being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
cardboardcell
Reverie by Abdu and Fyre150
Reverie isn't really an SMW hack, and that's oddly fine. At least, you don't play it like you would a normal SMW hack. There's no Goombas to stomp here. There's no powerups. There's no shells to shell jump on. No, in this hack your tools aren't Mario's usual ones. Instead they're your own pen and paper. Unlike Mario's usual modus operandi, you're going to be searching for clues. You're going to be taking notes. You're going to be deciphering things. There will be a quiz.
Reverie isn't really a Mario game at all, Super Mario World is simply a conduit. Reverie's more Myst-like than anything else, and that's what makes it special, really. Even when we talk about other puzzle hacks, we're often talking about small puzzles — little things, like one room levels where you need to figure out how to move the key from one side to the other, or acquire enough coins to end the level, or figure out weird interactions between vanilla mechanics that only tool-assisted speedrunners pay attention to. But here you're faced with an entirely different kind of puzzle. The entire hack is in itself a large puzzle with plenty of disparate pieces, and just like any good puzzle, showing you how it all fits together ruins the punchline.
If you've got any great love of puzzles, this hack should be right at the top of your to-play list.
patcdr
Reverie isn't really a Mario game at all, Super Mario World is simply a conduit. Reverie's more Myst-like than anything else, and that's what makes it special, really. Even when we talk about other puzzle hacks, we're often talking about small puzzles — little things, like one room levels where you need to figure out how to move the key from one side to the other, or acquire enough coins to end the level, or figure out weird interactions between vanilla mechanics that only tool-assisted speedrunners pay attention to. But here you're faced with an entirely different kind of puzzle. The entire hack is in itself a large puzzle with plenty of disparate pieces, and just like any good puzzle, showing you how it all fits together ruins the punchline.
If you've got any great love of puzzles, this hack should be right at the top of your to-play list.
patcdr
Spatial Whirl by GbreezeSunset
I was extremely honored to be asked to test Spatial Whirl back in May of 2024. It was a Saturday, around 7 in the evening, when I booted it up for the first time. I played through the whole thing in one sitting, and the next day, I played it through two more times. I was enamored—completely taken by what GbreezeSunset accomplished with this "traditional" hack.
What I ultimately find so fascinating about Spatial Whirl is how it takes very traditional level design and combines it with something underutilized in Lunar Magic: large level modes. The large levels introduce a completely new element into traditional design, which gbreeze was able to harness. I suspect we will see many more hacks do this after Spatial Whirl. In my nominating document, I called it possibly the second most important "traditional" hack on the site, second only to SMW: Gaiden—mostly because I suspect it will be one of the most influential hacks ever made when all is said and done. In my eyes, this kind of nonlinear design is the next frontier, and it is exciting to see someone as talented as gbreeze seemingly master it on their first attempt.
Perhaps the best thing about Spatial Whirl is that this innovation is not locked behind any kind of crazy skill ceiling. I would say that many, if not most, of SMW Central's user base could boot this up and have a fantastic time with it. Lazy was correct in their comment: very rarely does this kind of innovation happen outside of the "Standard: Very Hard" category. If you think only the palettes in this hack are revolutionary, you aren't looking closely enough. Always looking forward, GbreezeSunset.
cardboardcell
What I ultimately find so fascinating about Spatial Whirl is how it takes very traditional level design and combines it with something underutilized in Lunar Magic: large level modes. The large levels introduce a completely new element into traditional design, which gbreeze was able to harness. I suspect we will see many more hacks do this after Spatial Whirl. In my nominating document, I called it possibly the second most important "traditional" hack on the site, second only to SMW: Gaiden—mostly because I suspect it will be one of the most influential hacks ever made when all is said and done. In my eyes, this kind of nonlinear design is the next frontier, and it is exciting to see someone as talented as gbreeze seemingly master it on their first attempt.
Perhaps the best thing about Spatial Whirl is that this innovation is not locked behind any kind of crazy skill ceiling. I would say that many, if not most, of SMW Central's user base could boot this up and have a fantastic time with it. Lazy was correct in their comment: very rarely does this kind of innovation happen outside of the "Standard: Very Hard" category. If you think only the palettes in this hack are revolutionary, you aren't looking closely enough. Always looking forward, GbreezeSunset.
cardboardcell
Super Alabama Beach Mouse by marvisjj
Marvisjj's Super Alabama Beach Mouse is one of the most creative shell hacks ever made, period. Marvis saw a rather stale Kaizo subgenre and said, "No problem, let me innovate."
This is one of the most creative and innovative shell hacks ever made because of the sheer number of new obstacles it introduces. It's difficult to innovate with shell/item abuse tricks, but one thing that stood out to me in this hack is the use of drops. Nearly every level in this game features a new and exciting take on a more "classic" shell/item abuse obstacle that incorporates some kind of drop input. The exploration of these "new" inputs opens up an entire world of possibilities—especially for a genre that is so input-focused.
Super Alabama Beach Mouse is likely one of, if not the hardest, hacks in the Hall of Fame so far. The complexity of the obstacles, combined with the heavy input requirements, more than justifies its Kaizo: Expert rating. If you're a player who enjoys shell hacks, this is likely the best one you'll ever play. And if you want to play this hack with a controller, no problem — contrary to popular belief, there is no need for a keyboard.
cardboardcell
This is one of the most creative and innovative shell hacks ever made because of the sheer number of new obstacles it introduces. It's difficult to innovate with shell/item abuse tricks, but one thing that stood out to me in this hack is the use of drops. Nearly every level in this game features a new and exciting take on a more "classic" shell/item abuse obstacle that incorporates some kind of drop input. The exploration of these "new" inputs opens up an entire world of possibilities—especially for a genre that is so input-focused.
Super Alabama Beach Mouse is likely one of, if not the hardest, hacks in the Hall of Fame so far. The complexity of the obstacles, combined with the heavy input requirements, more than justifies its Kaizo: Expert rating. If you're a player who enjoys shell hacks, this is likely the best one you'll ever play. And if you want to play this hack with a controller, no problem — contrary to popular belief, there is no need for a keyboard.
cardboardcell
Super Mawaru World by FerpyMcFrosting
Pretentious as this may be, the best way I can describe FerpyMcfrosting's design style is with a quote from the jazz bassist Charles Mingus: "Making the simple complicated is commonplace--making the complicated simple, awesomely simple--that's creativity."
In Super Mawaru World, Ferpy starts with a very simple premise - you can only spin jump - and then proceeds to iterate on that idea in new, exciting, and challenging ways. Ferpy has never been shy about making players go in every possible direction, and some of the levels in Mawaru feel like a roller coaster, where you are not entirely sure you're in control until you land safely at the platform. A distinct trend in their level design is intuitive player indication - even if the trick is unfathomable, Ferpy can find a way to show you how he wants you to do it. It's not easy, but it's possible, and you're going to come out the other side wanting to go back around to get in line again.
This all fits with a style that is wholly unique, from using the overworld to create artistic renderings of level names, to a distinct color scheme that has become a staple of Ferpy's work. In some ways, the best way to describe Mawaru is that it's "a Ferpy hack," because there are few other makers that can make such complicated things feel so simple. It's not an easy ride, but it's a thrilling one, and it is a must-play for anyone who wants to expand their idea of what expert Kaizo can look and feel like.
BD_PhDX
In Super Mawaru World, Ferpy starts with a very simple premise - you can only spin jump - and then proceeds to iterate on that idea in new, exciting, and challenging ways. Ferpy has never been shy about making players go in every possible direction, and some of the levels in Mawaru feel like a roller coaster, where you are not entirely sure you're in control until you land safely at the platform. A distinct trend in their level design is intuitive player indication - even if the trick is unfathomable, Ferpy can find a way to show you how he wants you to do it. It's not easy, but it's possible, and you're going to come out the other side wanting to go back around to get in line again.
This all fits with a style that is wholly unique, from using the overworld to create artistic renderings of level names, to a distinct color scheme that has become a staple of Ferpy's work. In some ways, the best way to describe Mawaru is that it's "a Ferpy hack," because there are few other makers that can make such complicated things feel so simple. It's not an easy ride, but it's a thrilling one, and it is a must-play for anyone who wants to expand their idea of what expert Kaizo can look and feel like.
BD_PhDX
We Like It Here by Brakkie, Buflen, Donkeymint, JeepySol, NewPointless, Scags, mmmdoggy, revolug
We Like It Here has a deceptively understated elevator pitch. Its description simply calls it "a celebration of Mario Maker creators in the world of Kaizo SMW", but it's so much greater than the sum of its parts.
With eight creators on the team, many players might not be familiar with everyone in the Super Mario Makers, and We Like It Here provides a great introduction to each of their styles. The hack takes advantage of its relatively high exit count to give everyone their own time in the spotlight. Many of its levels were built by a single creator, and their personalities instantly shine through. The hack also features several levels with multiple authors, often working with unconventional design prompts for an end result that couldn't have been created by any of them alone but still bears all of their fingerprints.
No matter who's involved, every level feels unique and memorable -- no small feat for a hack of this size. Every member of the team brought years of design experience from their time with Mario Maker, and it's a joy to see what they've built with the extra freedom Lunar Magic provides. From brand new custom mechanics to fresh takes on familiar kaizo tropes, We Like It Here is brimming with creative energy. It also very generously features an open overworld, so players are encouraged to explore and experience the hack however they choose. This keeps the hack approachable for players of all skill levels, despite its Kaizo: Expert rating. The vast majority of its levels are very friendly, with one final challenge for those who want to see the entire game through.
We Like It Here has so much in it -- so many ideas, so much character, so much fun -- that it truly feels like every kind of player will find something to love about it. It's clever, innovative, and funny. If this hack is meant as a celebration of its creators, we're all lucky to be invited to the party.
lincolnic
With eight creators on the team, many players might not be familiar with everyone in the Super Mario Makers, and We Like It Here provides a great introduction to each of their styles. The hack takes advantage of its relatively high exit count to give everyone their own time in the spotlight. Many of its levels were built by a single creator, and their personalities instantly shine through. The hack also features several levels with multiple authors, often working with unconventional design prompts for an end result that couldn't have been created by any of them alone but still bears all of their fingerprints.
No matter who's involved, every level feels unique and memorable -- no small feat for a hack of this size. Every member of the team brought years of design experience from their time with Mario Maker, and it's a joy to see what they've built with the extra freedom Lunar Magic provides. From brand new custom mechanics to fresh takes on familiar kaizo tropes, We Like It Here is brimming with creative energy. It also very generously features an open overworld, so players are encouraged to explore and experience the hack however they choose. This keeps the hack approachable for players of all skill levels, despite its Kaizo: Expert rating. The vast majority of its levels are very friendly, with one final challenge for those who want to see the entire game through.
We Like It Here has so much in it -- so many ideas, so much character, so much fun -- that it truly feels like every kind of player will find something to love about it. It's clever, innovative, and funny. If this hack is meant as a celebration of its creators, we're all lucky to be invited to the party.
lincolnic