2 more coming!
Koopa Kaboose by Mogu94
Design: 30/60
This is a great themed level!
It has a nice theme that was executed pretty well!
It does try for a risky design, being an auto-scroll level, and this can make it feel pretty slow overall, though it has it's fun bits.
The level uses a large variety of enemies, but most of them weren't used in interesting ways. All sprites were used pretty much as basic obstacles that appear in our way. The only ones i really liked were the Pipe Lakitus, those were placed pretty strategically, and the terrain around them made them a good challenging obstacle!
As for other sprites, i feel like you could have tried to explore them more, experiment with their properties and come up with more interesting obstacles using them.
As for the design of the level itself, it's mostly good, pretty simple, but good. It manages to capture the feel of a train pretty well!
However, since it is an auto-scroll level, it doesn't feel too engaging, instead flowing very slowly, so i think a bit of variety could make it more interesting!
You could experiment with different sized train cars, some being more claustrophobic, having little space to move, while others being taller (as big as the screen height) and having 2 floors for example. The taller ones could have their exit being on top, so the player would need to climb some platforms inside the car to reach it (while racing the auto-scroll).
Also, these train cars feel too similar, most of them are either completely empty, or have a 3-tile high stair leading to a higher platform. I think you could have used more objects and make their insides different. Something that would be fitting would be Ghost House crates of varied sizes, maybe you could use some platforms and walls as well. Make a few twists and turns so the player has to race the auto-scroll instead of having to wait for it, this would help with the flow of the level!
Also, there could have been more exploring bits, the Yoshi Coins were nice, but they feel too similar, you could have tried different setups for them. One that comes to my mind would be a platform with a Pokey on top, set in a way so the Pokey falls and blocks the coin if the player takes too long. Or maybe have a segment where we go above the train car, and then have to go through an opening in the top of the car to get back inside.
Creativity: 13/30
This level has a very interesting and creative theme! And aesthetic creativity counted quite a lot here! The theme is really well executed visually!
As for gameplay however, it doesn't stand out much, there wasn't any particularly interesting gameplay idea, so the level feels pretty much like a regular auto-scrolling platform level.
It also has no memorable setups, the design feels pretty basic and doesn't explore much the idea of the theme. The use of sprites is also pretty basic and doesn't try anything interesting, pretty much only using them as basic obstacles. The only interesting ones were Pipe Lakitus.
Aesthetics: 8/10
Aesthetics is the category this level shines!
The theme is very creative and has been really well executed! The graphics work really well, the tileset mix has been put to great use and were combined really well to make the level's ambience!
The layering was also perfectly used to simulate Mario being inside the train! It contributes a lot to the theme!
And the use of BG and FG scrolling to create the illusion that the train is moving was really well done!
Also, the palettes work pretty well!
And the music is great, and very fitting to the level's theme!
As for a few aesthetic issues:
I personally found the Transluscent Blocks used as windows pretty weird, i don't know if there would be a better replacement though.
Also, the Yoshi Coins look weird without their signature glowing animation.
And last, the BG disappears during the victory walk, as for this one, i was looking at Blind Devil's Fan-Judging thread, and his solution for it is perfect! Make another sublevel with a station platform!
Total: 51/100
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turrim Caelo by Stiviboy
Design: 49/60
Oh my! This level is incredible!
The design is so good! It's extremely fun to play! The flow is excellent and it is very engaging in it's entirety!
It's design makes a great use of the level's dimensions, and Lunar Magic 3.0's increased height, utilizing it to it's full potential!
I also love the way it reuses places we've been previously, but going through it in a new way with the line-guided platforms to reach new areas!
Your use of line-guides and On/Off Switches is superb! Rarely have i seen a level using these objects in such a great way as it's been used here! There were a lot of interesting line-guided formations, and the use of the Switches to progress in each segment is really cool! My favorite is the line-guided segment in the 2nd half, where the line-guided platrform starts on the top of the level, then goes down and around, passing through the platforms we've previously been, then progressing to the right! That was incredible!
Also, your use of sprites is great! There weren't that many segments focused on emenies, but all of them feel well placed, the Pitchin' Chucks being specifically interesting!
Also, i like the way you sped up the Line-Guided Platforms when going through big horizontal areas! It was pretty clever!
There was only 1 segment that i didn't fully enjoy, the one right before the Midway Gate! It feels specifically tough due to how hard the On/Off Switch is to reach! Also, the Clappin' Chick down there just feels annoying! It can hit you when the platform reaches it's lowest position, knocking you off the platform without a way to get back to it!
Also, i feel the very last line-guided segment could've been a bit more interesting! The one before that is my favorite setup in the entire level! But that one is very short and really simple! I think you could have tried to extend it a bit, maybe using the On/Off Switch one more time, or making it go around a few platforms like in the previous segment!
The survival section is pretty cool! Though it might feel a bit too long. It takes about 30 SMW seconds to complete, but the challenge presented in it is the same the whole time, which can make it feel a bit repetitive. You could maybe try to make it progressively harder, by having other sprites fall as the time passes! (Grinders would be a good example)
Creativity: 24/30
There's tons of creativity on display in this!
The use of Line-guides was especially unique! I have rarely seen such a good and unique use of Line-guides in a SMW level! Every Line-guided setup feels incredibly unique!
Also, the use of Pitchin' Chucks hidden inside walls was extremely clever!
The survival section at the end is also very interesting!
And of course, the aesthetic creativity shown here is also incredible!
The graphics were put to great use to set the level's theme, and the enemy reskins were pretty clever!
Aesthetics: 10/10
This level is just gorgeous!
The aesthetics were just so well done! The tileset mix is incredible, and it has been used perfectly to create the level's ambience! The FG tiles are incredible! And every piece of decoration has been put to great use, perfectly complimenting the level's visuals!
The BGs look great! Simple but beautiful! And i especially like the contrast between day and night from the first to the second half!
The enemy reskins are also really well done, and in fact i don't even recognize some of the tiles used for them! My favorites were the Ninjis and the Diggin' Chuck Rocks! (FLOATING MUNCH... erm... BOUNCING MUNCHERS! xD)
The palettes are beautiful! And they really set a nice atmosphere to the level!
And the use of ExAnimations is great! They were really well executed, and make the level feel alive!
Also, the music is awesome! And it's really fitting to the level!
My only complaints about aesthetics are:
The Larry heads on Chucks feel a bit out of place, and they appear floating when the chuck gets hit. Also, the reskin used for Shell-less Koopas and Bob-Ombs, they have the same graphics, but are different enemies, i'd like to have something to differentiate them, other than just palettes. And last, the "Survive!" text flashes in a weird way when we beat the level.
Total: 83/100 (Favorited!)
My Youtube Channel
Koopa Kaboose by Mogu94
Design: 30/60
This is a great themed level!
It has a nice theme that was executed pretty well!
It does try for a risky design, being an auto-scroll level, and this can make it feel pretty slow overall, though it has it's fun bits.
The level uses a large variety of enemies, but most of them weren't used in interesting ways. All sprites were used pretty much as basic obstacles that appear in our way. The only ones i really liked were the Pipe Lakitus, those were placed pretty strategically, and the terrain around them made them a good challenging obstacle!
As for other sprites, i feel like you could have tried to explore them more, experiment with their properties and come up with more interesting obstacles using them.
As for the design of the level itself, it's mostly good, pretty simple, but good. It manages to capture the feel of a train pretty well!
However, since it is an auto-scroll level, it doesn't feel too engaging, instead flowing very slowly, so i think a bit of variety could make it more interesting!
You could experiment with different sized train cars, some being more claustrophobic, having little space to move, while others being taller (as big as the screen height) and having 2 floors for example. The taller ones could have their exit being on top, so the player would need to climb some platforms inside the car to reach it (while racing the auto-scroll).
Also, these train cars feel too similar, most of them are either completely empty, or have a 3-tile high stair leading to a higher platform. I think you could have used more objects and make their insides different. Something that would be fitting would be Ghost House crates of varied sizes, maybe you could use some platforms and walls as well. Make a few twists and turns so the player has to race the auto-scroll instead of having to wait for it, this would help with the flow of the level!
Also, there could have been more exploring bits, the Yoshi Coins were nice, but they feel too similar, you could have tried different setups for them. One that comes to my mind would be a platform with a Pokey on top, set in a way so the Pokey falls and blocks the coin if the player takes too long. Or maybe have a segment where we go above the train car, and then have to go through an opening in the top of the car to get back inside.
Creativity: 13/30
This level has a very interesting and creative theme! And aesthetic creativity counted quite a lot here! The theme is really well executed visually!
As for gameplay however, it doesn't stand out much, there wasn't any particularly interesting gameplay idea, so the level feels pretty much like a regular auto-scrolling platform level.
It also has no memorable setups, the design feels pretty basic and doesn't explore much the idea of the theme. The use of sprites is also pretty basic and doesn't try anything interesting, pretty much only using them as basic obstacles. The only interesting ones were Pipe Lakitus.
Aesthetics: 8/10
Aesthetics is the category this level shines!
The theme is very creative and has been really well executed! The graphics work really well, the tileset mix has been put to great use and were combined really well to make the level's ambience!
The layering was also perfectly used to simulate Mario being inside the train! It contributes a lot to the theme!
And the use of BG and FG scrolling to create the illusion that the train is moving was really well done!
Also, the palettes work pretty well!
And the music is great, and very fitting to the level's theme!
As for a few aesthetic issues:
I personally found the Transluscent Blocks used as windows pretty weird, i don't know if there would be a better replacement though.
Also, the Yoshi Coins look weird without their signature glowing animation.
And last, the BG disappears during the victory walk, as for this one, i was looking at Blind Devil's Fan-Judging thread, and his solution for it is perfect! Make another sublevel with a station platform!
Total: 51/100
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turrim Caelo by Stiviboy
Design: 49/60
Oh my! This level is incredible!
The design is so good! It's extremely fun to play! The flow is excellent and it is very engaging in it's entirety!
It's design makes a great use of the level's dimensions, and Lunar Magic 3.0's increased height, utilizing it to it's full potential!
I also love the way it reuses places we've been previously, but going through it in a new way with the line-guided platforms to reach new areas!
Your use of line-guides and On/Off Switches is superb! Rarely have i seen a level using these objects in such a great way as it's been used here! There were a lot of interesting line-guided formations, and the use of the Switches to progress in each segment is really cool! My favorite is the line-guided segment in the 2nd half, where the line-guided platrform starts on the top of the level, then goes down and around, passing through the platforms we've previously been, then progressing to the right! That was incredible!
Also, your use of sprites is great! There weren't that many segments focused on emenies, but all of them feel well placed, the Pitchin' Chucks being specifically interesting!
Also, i like the way you sped up the Line-Guided Platforms when going through big horizontal areas! It was pretty clever!
There was only 1 segment that i didn't fully enjoy, the one right before the Midway Gate! It feels specifically tough due to how hard the On/Off Switch is to reach! Also, the Clappin' Chick down there just feels annoying! It can hit you when the platform reaches it's lowest position, knocking you off the platform without a way to get back to it!
Also, i feel the very last line-guided segment could've been a bit more interesting! The one before that is my favorite setup in the entire level! But that one is very short and really simple! I think you could have tried to extend it a bit, maybe using the On/Off Switch one more time, or making it go around a few platforms like in the previous segment!
The survival section is pretty cool! Though it might feel a bit too long. It takes about 30 SMW seconds to complete, but the challenge presented in it is the same the whole time, which can make it feel a bit repetitive. You could maybe try to make it progressively harder, by having other sprites fall as the time passes! (Grinders would be a good example)
Creativity: 24/30
There's tons of creativity on display in this!
The use of Line-guides was especially unique! I have rarely seen such a good and unique use of Line-guides in a SMW level! Every Line-guided setup feels incredibly unique!
Also, the use of Pitchin' Chucks hidden inside walls was extremely clever!
The survival section at the end is also very interesting!
And of course, the aesthetic creativity shown here is also incredible!
The graphics were put to great use to set the level's theme, and the enemy reskins were pretty clever!
Aesthetics: 10/10
This level is just gorgeous!
The aesthetics were just so well done! The tileset mix is incredible, and it has been used perfectly to create the level's ambience! The FG tiles are incredible! And every piece of decoration has been put to great use, perfectly complimenting the level's visuals!
The BGs look great! Simple but beautiful! And i especially like the contrast between day and night from the first to the second half!
The enemy reskins are also really well done, and in fact i don't even recognize some of the tiles used for them! My favorites were the Ninjis and the Diggin' Chuck Rocks! (FLOATING MUNCH... erm... BOUNCING MUNCHERS! xD)
The palettes are beautiful! And they really set a nice atmosphere to the level!
And the use of ExAnimations is great! They were really well executed, and make the level feel alive!
Also, the music is awesome! And it's really fitting to the level!
My only complaints about aesthetics are:
The Larry heads on Chucks feel a bit out of place, and they appear floating when the chuck gets hit. Also, the reskin used for Shell-less Koopas and Bob-Ombs, they have the same graphics, but are different enemies, i'd like to have something to differentiate them, other than just palettes. And last, the "Survive!" text flashes in a weird way when we beat the level.
Total: 83/100 (Favorited!)
My Youtube Channel