Name: | Odd Sands |
Authors: | GbreezeSunset, Lazy, MiracleWater |
Added: | |
Version History: | View |
Demo: | No |
Hall of Fame: | No |
Length: | 28 exit(s) |
Type: | Kaizo: Expert |
Description: | Well, it's been a bit over two years, so I'd say an update (and a new description while I'm at it) is in order. Version 1.1 features a bevy of visual fixes, retry prompt instead of instant retry, and adjustments for some misleading setups. It also includes a BRAND NEW BONUS LEVEL entitled "Endless Eight", which you can access via a secret entrance in Holiday Home. Said level is fully compatible with V1.0 save files and beating it does not count towards your exit count. Aside from these additions, rest assured the hack is still exactly as soul-crushing as ever. And of course, the oft-maligned palettes in the last level remain unchanged - for now that we live in a disentranced post-Effortworld dystopia, it's plain to see they're the only palettes in the hack that *aren't* boring as hell. I should probably also write a few words for the benefit of those who have no clue what Odd Sands is. This hack was made in 2021 and initially submitted to the Kaizo: Intermediate category, back when Intermediate just meant "not quite as hard as Casio" instead of being this whole separate design archetype that it is now. Eventually, it was moved over to Kaizo: Expert, and although I was skeptical of this change at first, I can now tell you with confidence that this hack is as Kaizo: Expert as they come. To wit, Odd Sands is known for cryptic setups that you have to figure out for yourself, jagged level pacing that is sometimes more reminiscent of Standard hacks, and inputs that will have you keenly aware of how weird they are - the whole gamut, really. To somewhat lessen the challenge, it features plenty of short levels and generally does not require you to know any glitches or overly specialized tech. It doesn't even have any shelljumps! (except for the ones on 1f0 but shush) That is about as much as I can say about this game whilst beholden to the sacred impartial realm of Hack Descriptions - for more subjective accounts, you'll have to seek out other people's reviews. Beyond that, I'll just let the hack speak for itself. Because if you're confident in a hack, you can always let it speak for itself, and that has the power to override whatever design axioms and best practices might currently be floating around the community. That goes for your hacks, too. Anyway, have fun! |
Tags: | asm gimmick less exgfx music |
Comments: | 22 (jump to comments) |
Rating: |
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Comments (22)
my soul wilts
like a leaf in winter
This hack taught me how to throw, and my profit on't is I still don't know how to shell jump. It once was that two shells sitting together in a kaizo hack meant a double shell jump. Then, I could safely stop playing the hack in the same way that I would leave a party at which someone had asked me to perform Yankee Doodle on the piano using only my penis, a pleasant activity when undertaken voluntarily but one which palls on demand. Now, two shells taken together mean that I will find some vague approximation of three possible solutions and no one will tell me which was intended. Lazy probably pioneered the two shells method of psychological torture in his YUMP 2 levels. At that time, the occasional third shell made an appearance. This has since been deprecated by the purists and 'two shells!' is the catchword of to-morrow. Gbreeze and MiracleWater have been infected by the enthusiasm. I predict it will engulf the Earth.
Each level presents itself with a theme and explores the potential of that theme to the fullest. Despite how simple the design is at times, with the layout of the blocks and even the design of backgrounds and tilesets, it looks really clean and visually appealing. And the overworld, chef's kiss. Super vibey. I was a little worried that the new level for the new update would hurt the game, because it didn't seem necessary to include extra stuff, but it fits really well. Lazy is super talented, having the most difficult levels. One thing I didn't like is that there was a lot of shell stuff at the start of the hack, which was a little concerning (even though the obstacles were great and original), but towards the end, there were even more innovating, breathtaking obstacles.
These three creators work really well together, and despite confusing setups, it's super satisfying once you figure it out.
10/10 Hack, A Modern SMW Hack Classic
(as usual) you are the best!
it was going to kill me if i didn't find out what that peepo_happy song was!
i never heard "the bridge leading to the tower before"; that was an excellent choice lazy!
you guys find some awesome music to use in your hacks!
´just wish i was able to identify 99% of the tracks!
like, that peepo_happy one which barb was a fan of in indulge in contrast
what is that one lazy?
was there a way to snag and burn music from .spcs with a specific music player?
if there is please tell me
i'll try to make the rip myself if so
(edit: specifically the first pipe; i think i need to doup but i cant get the shell)
(edit 2: oh yeah that coin thing. [collects the coin by habit for 2 hours])
However the song for Indulge in Contrast stumped me (and the rest of chat who were watching it). Anyone know what song that was? Was it original?
My only personal criticism would be that level 1 is a bit of a strange level to start with, perhaps a bit too puzzly and specific to be a first impression for the player. Apart from that, I think this hack has some amazing ideas and really interesting setups!
I thoroughly enjoyed the genre-blending that this hack offered too, I hope people take notice of that specifically. In a similar manner to Elephants, this hack meshes together both kaizo and more traditional Standard: Very Hard design throughout each level. Some obstacles can be solved in multiple ways, which I found fairly novel. I hope more genre-blurring hacks can exist, and I hope that this hack serves as an example to trepidatious designers to think outside of the box and their comfort zone and not be afraid to mix together different styles of level design within their hacks.