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Vanilla: Made to Order - Computer's back from the dead!

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This isn't going to be a full-length hack, but a mini-hack side-project to help me stay motivated in hacking. I find that if I work on one project for too long, I lose motivation, possibly due to burnout. This project will combine all my SMW Maker levels that didn't get integrated into Super Luigi Land with more levels with varying degrees of vanilla-ness, from the pure vanilla of SMW Maker levels to the style of vanilla seen in the last few VLDCs. I haven't decided yet whether there'll be a traditional Overworld, a simplistic one, or no Overworld at all. There will be some custom music though, most of which will come from VLDCs and other Mario games.

Here's a video of the first level.

Just in case you don't want to watch the video, or if you have terrible internet, here are some screens.


It's a bit of an SMB3 throwback. It even has the music, which was put in after the video was taken.


There would've been a Yoshi Coin here if I hadn't collected it before taking this.


Getting near the end now. Again, there would be a Yoshi Coin here if I hadn't collected them all already.

EDIT: I decided to go with a traditional, but compact, Overworld.

There will be 14 levels, of which 6 have been finished.
Quintesson Judge: Silence, or you will be held in contempt of this court!
Hot Rod: I have nothing but contempt for this court!
- Transformers the Movie (1986)
The level looks nice! It gives me a SMB3 vibe from it.

The Overworld also looks good! I like how there is a variety of OW palettes.

Thanks, Slakk.

Here comes a HUGE screenshot dump. As I said in the OP, this hack will include some SMW Maker levels.

1ST WORLD PROBLEMS


This is one of my SMW Maker levels, designed to be a typical early-game stage. It's the actual first level of this hack. The SMB3-ish level I showed in the OP is level 2.


Easy enemies are easy.


Almost everyone here got burned.

POKEY PARK


This is another SMW Maker level.


Good thing I have a Yoshi!


WHOA!

GOOMBA BEACH PARTY


This level sits at the almost chocolate end of the vanilla spectrum. The custom graphics here are all made from vanilla graphics.


Some Para-Goombas want to storm this beach.


Taking the low road for a Yoshi Coin.

VIDEO
It was going to be called Galoomba Beach Party, but that ended up being too long.

IN TOO DEEP


It's the obligatory underwater stage. How do you like my vanilla coral reefs?


Just frying fish in their sleep...

FLOODWATER FOREST


This was originally going to be a more generic forest level, but I figured that, since it's right next to the water, maybe I should use the High/Low Tide Layer 3 Water.


The water level's a bit too low to get that Yoshi Coin right now.


This level also makes heavy use of the Exploding Block sprites.

CHOCO-BONE DESERT


Yet ANOTHER SMW Maker level


What's a desert level without Pokeys?


I need to borrow your noggin to get that coin, Mr. Pokey.

FIREWOOD FOREST


This is the final SMW Maker level in this hack. I actually made it while still in the process of moving into my current house.


Why don't those logs burst into flames? Video Game Logic!


Even Thwimps are in this twisted level.
Quintesson Judge: Silence, or you will be held in contempt of this court!
Hot Rod: I have nothing but contempt for this court!
- Transformers the Movie (1986)
Very good use of those vanilla graphics, I'd really like to give this a test play. The colours are quite vibrant and consistent with the feel of the original game.



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I'm sorry but.... no.

1ST WORLD PROBLEMS and the "fake" first level you showed are basically the exact same type of stage, one less interesting than the other. They both have the same challenges, they both look as flat, and both take the same design concepts from levels we've seen 30 years ago. I get that this is somewhat of a compilation hack, and I also get that 1ST WORLD PROBLEMS is easier than the SMB3 type stage (if I can even call it that, the only thing that is different are the SMB3 box platforms and the occasional piranha plant in pipes).

This is so flat you even made New Super Mario Bros U's first stage look like a masterpiece in comparison. I'm impressed. Hell, Super Mario World's first levels were not nearly as flat and used more interesting enemies.

I was originally going to take a crack on how the SMB3 type stage felt as generic as I described it, but now that 1ST WORLD PROBLEMS exists I almost preferred it to be the real first stage. I mean, it actually has more than just Koopas and Goombas and (ugly) cement blocks. It felt like the first stage is a stripped down version of the SMB3 one.

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Okay I'll comment on the other stages just to be fair.

POKEY PARK
Looks like Donut Plains 4. The sublevel looks interesting though.

GOOMBA BEACH PARTY
I hope there is more than just Goombas in this level, because unless you have to throw them to open blocks, this just seems like an average stage at best even if you have 3 types to work with. Looks nice, at least.

IN TOO DEEP
Okay if you know it's an "obligatory underwater stage", why didn't you change things up to make it less obligatory? Looks nice at least, I'll give it that.

FLOODWATER FOREST:
Probably the most interesting level out of the batch you showed off. It is essentially MONDO, but you at least made some interesting choices with it (the floor of munchers and the Yoshi Coin).

CHOCO-BONE DESERT:
Back to the flats, huh? I mean, at least you play with the height of the platforms a little bit with spinjumping on pokeys making it easier to go on them (according to the last screenshot).

FIREWOOD FOREST
Alright I literally see the same level design challenge in the first two screenshots. I'm more curious how you used the thwimps, since that last screenshot just looks like you jump over the poor enemy. It's a lava forest at least, so credit for an interesting concept.


EDIT: The intention of this post was not to attack Gamma V, nor am I expecting JUMP levels of creativity. Rather, I wanted to show that using concepts from 30 years ago, as well as making the same project several times, should not be tolerated. Gamma V, I know you can do better than this. Firewood Forest and Floodwater Forest are good ideas, just maybe make more levels like them. Break the mold, pull an Odyssey, give us something new. That's all I wanted to address.
Want progress on 100 Rooms of Enemies: The Nightmare Edition? Go here to see.

(rip my other userbars momentarily)

My computer stopped working yesterday, most likely due to power adapter failure. If that's the case, I'll only be set back until the replacement adapter I ordered online arrives. If that doesn't work, consider this project, along with Super Luigi Land, frozen until I can get a new computer.
Quintesson Judge: Silence, or you will be held in contempt of this court!
Hot Rod: I have nothing but contempt for this court!
- Transformers the Movie (1986)
Turns out that the problem with my computer was just a dead power adapter, which was replaced for less than $15. Turns out that, for my particular model of laptop, that's a normal asking price for a replacement adapter.

Since I'm back up and running, it means I can now resume work on this hack and Super Luigi Land.

INDUSTRIAL METAL


I actually made this level BEFORE my power adapter pooped out. I'm not a fan of the industrial metal music genre, but it felt like the perfect name for a factory level.


Thwomps? Considering this is still vanilla, they're a good stand-in for pistons that don't kill you instantly. I'm saving insta-kill smashers for a later level.


The neat thing about SMW's vanilla conveyor blocks is that they move sprites as well as the player. I used that to make the Ninjis "run" while jumping.

VIDEO

HAUNTED HILLTOP


Aside from the custom Layer 3, this level's aesthetic is most comparable to VLDC5's definition of vanilla. I guess that's a nice throwback given that #5 is the first VLDC I entered.


Are you covering up something, big guy?


These Boos are getting uncomfortably close.
Quintesson Judge: Silence, or you will be held in contempt of this court!
Hot Rod: I have nothing but contempt for this court!
- Transformers the Movie (1986)
nice to see that your back!

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