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[FAN JUDGE] ECS' Fan Judging Experience!

Hey I'm not soo good with words so I already feel kinda bad, since this will be too short, but I'm super grateful for your kind words, tips to improve my lvl and for playing my entry.

After playing through it a few times again im seeing what you mean with claustrophobic and hard to see spikes. I tried to nerf some of these jumps a bit, putting the ceiling at some points 1-2 Tiles higher this should help a lot i guess, and removing some spike that were hard to see and not really necessary for the difficulty.

Changed also changed the palette of the water and the mushrooms in the first section to a blue tone tho I'm not sure about it yet since i wanted it to be kinda trist and now it kinda looks too friendly, gonna try some things out later ^-^

Anyway thank you again this means a lot to me :3
So, let me understand this. I thought of this since yesterday and I'm drawing this logic.

Full Knowledge of the level as a creator <-> Skill Level = Cancel each other out?

But what if it's not enough in the end? How can I know a person is frustrating at a level or if it's too arbitrarily if there is no video proof. There was an example in my hack where I wasn't sure if it was me playing bad or the difficulty was arbitrarily since a year back at that time, and it turns out, IT WAS, even for a Mario Expert. The N-Spade music is exclusive for Judge Level Edition. And what if I die unfairly that's caused outside of the level and don't find that justified and accuse-blame it instead of the level? (Brain hiccups) Am I thinking TOO negatively on myself?

Originally posted by ECS.98
About the other sprites.

I can't think of other threatening sprites for end-part of the level that will be suitable for that head. My level is supposed World 4-5 difficulty after all.

BTW, still not happy about the Design score, I expected at the very least between 20 and 30 or something. I mean it's not like those poor ROM Hacks that Ninjaboy played in the past. I also expected it because I am trying to compete with SomeGuy712x's level.

For standard entrance, instead of Exit Down thing, that's to prevent from players bringing a shell and shell jump up there for example or other ways to break the section.

About the Spring:


About the Big Mario:
I guess ducking isn't an excusable strategy then, huh. I will raise the ceiling by one tile then.

About the moon: I didn't actually pay attention to you mentioning that, because I never noticed until I tested the moon again. Originally when I tested it acted as a ledge, so I must have changed it without me noticing it somehow, pfft.

About the pace, I actually mean player moving in a snail mail speed.

About keeping Lakitu alive, that was actually not the intended solution, but I guess the platform made it too misleading and I already thought of something simpler.

About no reset pipe in the last room, that's me being a D-Bomb to the player just to manipulate them which my evil side apparently likes to do something when things don't go as expected.

About the parakoopas coming down after you pass those munchers nearby the Yoshi block and the sliding koopa, I don't remember that happening to me.

PRO-TIP: Don't trust what Yoshi says to you unless if you have time for it.


BTW, I argue that I feel like 500 SMW Seconds is too short to be the max limit, 600 should be fine because I find that bull S-Bomb that you can't just add 50 just for the sake of convenience. I wish that was changed to that, but I can't manipulate other people's brains like that.


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

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


Hey everyone! We're closing to the end of the contest now, with 1 week left!
I hope i could be helpful with my reviews this far!
I'll keep going with them, and i hope i can still be more helpful before the contest ends (though of course, as we're getting closer to the deadline, there will be little time left for changes to the levels =P).
I still wanna play and review every single entry to this contest, and i'll keep at it after the deadline.
It's been a lot of fun being a Fan-Judge! And i've encountered many great levels!

Anyways, back to the reviews, i still haven't got the time to play through the currently requested levels, as i've been pretty busy, though i plan to have them ready by tomorrow. So i'll be answering a few of the latest posts here!

Originally posted by Tweyxx
Hey I'm not soo good with words so I already feel kinda bad, since this will be too short, but I'm super grateful for your kind words, tips to improve my lvl and for playing my entry.

After playing through it a few times again im seeing what you mean with claustrophobic and hard to see spikes. I tried to nerf some of these jumps a bit, putting the ceiling at some points 1-2 Tiles higher this should help a lot i guess, and removing some spike that were hard to see and not really necessary for the difficulty.

Changed also changed the palette of the water and the mushrooms in the first section to a blue tone tho I'm not sure about it yet since i wanted it to be kinda trist and now it kinda looks too friendly, gonna try some things out later ^-^

Anyway thank you again this means a lot to me :3

Hey! Don't worry man, we don't always need to talk a lot to have a meaningful response!
I'm glad i could be helpful to you! I still wanna see your level become even better!

Yea, feedback can really open our eyes to things we didn't notice before! I get that feeling too! That was one of the main reasons for me to become a Fan-Judge! As i've received a lot of helpful feedback on my level as well! (and, as said in my original post, i like to write detailed reviews, and i guess most people appreciate that!)
Glad to see you're trying to improve it! I look forward to see the final result!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
So, let me understand this. I thought of this since yesterday and I'm drawing this logic.

Full Knowledge of the level as a creator <-> Skill Level = Cancel each other out?

Hey! As i said, don't worry too much about that.
I wouldn't say there's actually a definite rule for this, as it's really dependent on many factors.
But basically, when we're testing a level we've created, we already know all the little details of it, and we know how to play it correctly. And, even though we can try to approach it in a different way, we still have a subconscious knowledge of the way the level plays. And this can lead us to miss issues that would seem very obvious to other people playing that level!
That's why it's always nice to have someone play-test your level!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
But what if it's not enough in the end? How can I know a person is frustrating at a level or if it's too arbitrarily if there is no video proof. There was an example in my hack where I wasn't sure if it was me playing bad or the difficulty was arbitrarily since a year back at that time, and it turns out, IT WAS, even for a Mario Expert. The N-Spade music is exclusive for Judge Level Edition. And what if I die unfairly that's caused outside of the level and don't find that justified and accuse-blame it instead of the level? (Brain hiccups) Am I thinking TOO negatively on myself?

Well, it depends on a lot of factors, again. But generally, this knowledge of when a level is difficult or not comes with experience. When you play a lot of different hacks, you'll learn to recognize the kind of difficulty you're playing, as well as good and bad examples of difficulty (basically, the difference between when something is hard or unfair). You should also get familiar with your own skill level, like, what you can play easily or not, what kind of difficulty starts to give you problems on a normal playthrough.
And i'd say, generally, a level you created will be easier for you than a level of similar difficulty created by other people (at least until you get familiar with it), so, if you're aiming for a certain difficulty, you'll usually want your level to be slightly easier for you than the levels you play with a similar difficulty.

Now, with that said, it'll also depend on the kind of difficulty you're aiming for with your level.
If you're aiming for a difficulty that's pretty easy and accessible, then your level usually shouldn't be giving you any problems.
As you want your level to have a harder difficulty, you have to be careful, especially if your level is too hard for you. If the difficulty you're aiming for is harder than your usual skill level, that is, you have a lot of problems to complete it, then it might be a good idea to ask a more experienced player about how it plays, as that person will probably have a better feel for how a level with that kind of difficulty should play.

For example, you say your level is supposed to be "World 4-5 difficulty". Then you should compared the way it plays for you with the way a typical World 4-5 level plays. Is the difficulty similar? Or are you having a harder time with your own level than with a typical World 4-5 level? If that's the case, you're probably overshooting the difficulty.

As for your video example, yea, that level is in fact too hard. As i have some experience with playing a lot of hacks, i can recognize some things that don't feel balanced in that level.
For example, Phantos are usually a pretty advanced enemy, as it can fly through anything, it follows you and it's pretty deadly (you can't kill it, and jumping on it damages you), and you always see only one of them used in Super Mario Bros 2/Super Mario USA. So having more than one following you makes that level pretty tough.
Also, their position is pretty hard to manipulate, so having a level based on spin-jumping on them ends up being pretty frustrating, especially because that level seems to require some pretty precise spin jumps. (Especially for the P-Switch. since the opening in the ceiling is small)
And the narrow passages on the upper area don't help as well, as you barely have any space to dodge them up there.
Also, the falling Crabs can get the player by surprise, this seems to be a recurring problem with your level design that you should be careful with. Generally, enemies falling from the top of the screen end up being annoying, as it's hard to react to them.

Also, for the last sentence, i don't know if i fully understand what you mean. But generally, if you find a way to die in your level that's caused by the player's action, you want to prevent it if possible, especially if it can happen on accident (such as the P-Switch block one i found in your level).
Because, just like it was unfair for you, it will be unfair for the player if he finds it.
Again, don't think too negatively of yourself, as i said, part of it comes with experience, so in that case, if you don't feel comfortable with testing it, you can always ask someone to test your level!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
I can't think of other threatening sprites for end-part of the level that will be suitable for that head. My level is supposed World 4-5 difficulty after all.

Well, if you want to use Chucks specifically, then it really doesn't give you many options. I still don't think Puntin' Chucks are a good choice, as their projectile is too random. And even though they can make the level hard, they're more in the lines of 'unfair' than actually 'hard'.
I guess Diggin' Chucks would still be a better alternative. Their placement will probably count a lot too. (try to place them so their projectiles won't be falling onto the player, maybe try to place some walls in the platforms to prevent them from falling or something)

Originally posted by MarkVD100
BTW, still not happy about the Design score, I expected at the very least between 20 and 30 or something. I mean it's not like those poor ROM Hacks that Ninjaboy played in the past. I also expected it because I am trying to compete with SomeGuy712x's level.

Well, i'm sorry, but again, i can't just change the score because you aren't happy with it. The combination of issues i found was something that affected my experience with it, and it became pretty frustrating overall.
But as i said, you have some great ideas and some pretty nice design going on in a few parts, so by just fixing some of the most noticeable issues it can raise your score by quite a lot.

Also, i don't know about SomeGuy712x's level (didn't even know he was making one), so i can't say much about this competition yet.
But as i said, you still have potential to improve! Don't feel bad because of this, as my review was exactly to help you improve your level!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
For standard entrance, instead of Exit Down thing, that's to prevent from players bringing a shell and shell jump up there for example or other ways to break the section.

Well, i imagined that, it makes sense! But it's still weird to have the player appear right below a pipe and not be using a Vertical Pipe Exit Down entrance. If you wanted to use a normal exit, then i'd recommend just removing the pipe and placing the player on the ground, that way it won't feel weird.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
About the Spring:
Big Image

Oh right, that Spring. Well, i didn't really think that Spring would be required on the upper area, because i always thought the Spring was actually used to get out of that big hole! (shown in the picture) The area where the Spring is found is really low, so i didn't think of having to take the Spring out of there (And i didn't think of climbing from there because i always reach that area with the Yoshi)
Also, the spring isn't really required, because, as i said, that jump can be made by simply jumping at full speed, or bouncing off of an enemy (and there are a lot of enemies there). If you wanted the Spring to be required, you should've made that jump a lot higher, so we couldn't make it by bouncing off an enemy!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
About the Big Mario:
I guess ducking isn't an excusable strategy then, huh. I will raise the ceiling by one tile then.

Yea, ducking isn't really an excuse for segments like this. A power-up is always seen as something convenient, like, something good that you'll always want to get. So the player should always feel it's better to play with a power-up than without it.
But, by requiring the player to duck jump through a segment, you're doing the opposite, you're making the power-up becoming a hassle, as that segment would be easier to play if Mario was small.
You should always avoid this kind of design, a power-up should never make a segment harder to go through, or be something the player wants to avoid.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
About the moon: I didn't actually pay attention to you mentioning that, because I never noticed until I tested the moon again. Originally when I tested it acted as a ledge, so I must have changed it without me noticing it somehow, pfft.

Yea, i imagined there was something wrong there. Well, glad i could be helpful! ^^
Also, note that the tiles directly to the left and right of the Moon aren't solid, which means the player could fall there if not landing exactly where the Moon is. I'd suggest you make it so the player can't fall there, as it isn't nice to accidentally die when you're going for a secret reward.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
About keeping Lakitu alive, that was actually not the intended solution, but I guess the platform made it too misleading and I already thought of something simpler.

Well, that was the only solution i could think at the moment, as i didn't see any other solid platform there other than the pipe. But it's nice that you found a replacement, as that segment was way too hard compared to the overall difficulty, and brought the level down quite a lot.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
About no reset pipe in the last room, that's me being a D-Bomb to the player just to manipulate them which my evil side apparently likes to do something when things don't go as expected.

Well, i'd say this is not a good moment to have your evil side try these things haha.
You should always be sure to make your level nice for the player, as being unfair really only lowers the enjoyability (and score, in this case) of your level.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
About the parakoopas coming down after you pass those munchers nearby the Yoshi block and the sliding koopa, I don't remember that happening to me.

Yea, that was kind of a smaller issue, but i mentioned it for the sake of completion. I did get hit a few times by the high jumping ParaKoopa there, but i also found that sometimes it just didn't spawn.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
BTW, I argue that I feel like 500 SMW Seconds is too short to be the max limit, 600 should be fine because I find that bull S-Bomb that you can't just add 50 just for the sake of convenience. I wish that was changed to that, but I can't manipulate other people's brains like that.

Well, that's in the rules and should be followed.
That rule is made exactly so no one makes a level that drags on for too long, so it ends up becoming a nuisance due to how long it is. There are examples of levels from previous VLDCs that went on for too long, and it really isn't a nice experience!
You should make your level in a way that it already feels comfortable in the time limit given, already taking into account the "extra 50 just for convenience".
I actually think the 500 seconds rule is pretty fine, especially because that's already pretty long in SMW standards. The max time limit in the original game is 400 seconds, and there's barely any level that you can get close to timing out.
Most people managed to adapt to this rule quite well, as it's already a pretty generous time limit to work with.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
Level now updated!

Ok, i'll try to find the time to check it out! I just can't promise to do it too soon as i still have some levels to review and i'm busy with other things as well.

By the way, i hope everything i said was clear enough, there was a lot of stuff to answer, and soemtimes i can get a bit lost in my thoughts xD
My Youtube Channel
I added some ! indicators, BTW.

For the Lakitu solution, it's the grey cement blocks above it.

But there are long official Mario levels too, right? Like NSMB or something?
100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

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


BTW, I'm currently updating it again by adding a few more things, so I will tell you when that gets finished.
100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

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


Could you play this level here?
The level is now updated hopefully for the last time...?

The bonus level is more of an experiment of "What if there was a custom vanilla boss?" ...

The reason I picked the Layer 2 On/Off Switch because for whatever reason, when you put Layer 2 Scroll *Number* in a vertical level, the game freezes at "Mario Start"
100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

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


Could you play this level?
My Ports
I know that deadline is very close and you have many requests, but could you find time to play my short level?
Well, it was about time! Sorry for the big delay guys! I've been a bit busy in the last few days. But well, here they are!
Hopefully the next reviews won't take as long to come!

Originally posted by MarkVD100
The level is now updated hopefully for the last time...?

I'll try to find the time to check your level, though i'll be working on the requests first.

So, let's go!

Caelum Coast by Ruberjig



Design: 34/60

This is quite a nice level.
I have a few mixed feelings about it though. It is in fact pretty well designed, but there are some design decisions i’m not much a fan of.

I like the use of the terrain in this level! It makes gameplay pretty engaging! It’s especially cool how it makes a nice use of the extended level height! Having an underground, a ground and a sky path is pretty cool!
Something i like is how, despite having a lot of exploration, it isn’t hard to get to the end, as the level has a reasonably straight-forward main path.

I also like the great amount of exploration in this level! There are a lot of alternate and secret paths, and there’s always something to make it feel rewarding!
However, i also think it feels a bit disorienting with the exploration. There are a lot of paths and stuff, but it isn’t really that intuitive how to reach them. I know that’s part of the exploration, but i think some indications here and there would be good so the player isn’t just blindly trying to look for stuff.
For example, there isn’t really a way to tell the difference between passable walls and normal ones. I think it would be cool to have some kind of indication for it. (So we don’t end up just trying to bop into every wall we see attempting to find secrets)
Also, the breakable terrains aren’t really intuitive. It isn’t hard to tell them apart from normal terrain, as their graphics are different, but it took me a while to realize i had to spin jump on it! (And it took me even longer to notice the empty ones had a Vine in it, as we have to go off-screen and then come back to it).
This made it pretty hard for me to actually find my way on the exploration portions of this level. And i wasted quite a lot of time trying to use the Springs and P-Switches all around the level.

The use of sprites is mostly nice. There aren’t really many setups that stand out, but most of them fit quite nicely into the level.
However, there is one that i really disliked: The Bullet Bills! I already hate Bullet Bills as a whole, but i really feel they aren’t accomplishing anything in this level other than being annoying. Most of them are placed either near power-ups (such as this) or in places when we’re trying to land/jump (some examples) I’d say you could just remove them without doing any harm to the level.

As for a few issues, other than the things i mentioned:
- Using the breakable terrains for power-ups is a nice idea, but you should be careful to include some easily accessible normal ones too! As if we’re Small Mario, we can’t get any of these buried power-ups! This is mostly noticeable when coming from the Midway, since there isn’t any power-up near it! (The hidden Mushrooms aren’t easy to find either)
- Be careful with the way you use priority objects. Don’t place sprites behind them, as it can lead to unfair deaths.
- The spikes used on the ceiling don’t hurt Mario.
- This jump is pretty tight, you could have placed the Floating Platform higher.
- This spike wall feels out of place. It requires us to duck slide as Big Mario. I’d recommend you place it one tile higher.
- Here we can go through the sloped tiles in the ceiling. I thought it was a secret passage at first, but it seems to be just an unintended bug.

Right now this level has a lot of nice ideas, nice design and a good amount of exploration. I just think it needs a bit more polishing and some fixes to be fully enjoyable!

Creativity: 14/30

The level doesn’t have any particularly interesting gameplay gimmick.
It does have a nice amount of exploration, especially since it makes a nice use of the extended level height! And it shows quite a lot of thought was put into its different routes and the way to get to them!
The buried power-ups and breakable terrains are a pretty clever idea! And the passable walls are pretty good as well. I just think they’re a bit unintuitive at first.
Other than that, there aren’t many interesting gameplay setups that stand out.
It also shows a nice amount of aesthetic creativity, with the animations and the way some stuff are set up graphically. The theme is pretty cool as well!

Aesthetics: 9/10

This level is beautiful!
The tileset mix is great! I love the way you used the different tilesets together! And using them to represent different portions of the level, having an underground path, a ground one and a sky one was really cool!
The decorations are also really good! I especially love the little “NPC” sprites used here and there, such as the Mario-Koopas, Koopas and Yoshies!
The palettes look really good! Everything fits in the level pretty well! The only one that looks a bit strange is the one in the clouds.
The Background is gorgeous! I love every little detail in it! It is incredibly well made!
Also love the way you used ExAnimations to make the level feel alive! The little NPCs look great!
And last, the song is pretty good!

Total: 57/100

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Deep Deluge by Plasmodium00



Design: 41/60

This is a great underwater level!
It has a really nice design, and it’s very fun to play! Despite being a water level, it manages to be very engaging, and never feels slow! It has a nice flow that keeps well balanced despite the difference directions the level takes along the way!

I really like the use of the terrain in this one, it’s very varied, there are a lot of interesting setups, and it allows for good use of SMW’s swimming mechanics! I especially like how this level is focused on vertical progression rather than horizontal, because SMW swimming mechanics allow for a great control of Mario’s vertical position!

I also love the exploration bits in the level! The level has a nice focus on it! There are a lot of small alternate paths with secrets to find, like power-ups, 1-UPs and Yoshi Coins, which really makes exploration feel rewarding! The 3-UP Moon was particularly clever!

Another thing i love is how the level seems to leave a lot of room for ‘risky’ moves. Like the Koopas and Throw Blocks along the level that can allow the player to swim faster, in exchange for a higher difficulty (since it’s harder to control Mario’s movement this way). One that particularly called my attention for being extremely clever is how Boo Rings are mostly placed with an area below them, which allows for players to swim up through the Ring without having to wait for the opening! I don’t know if that was exactly planned, but if it was then good job!

The use of sprites is really great! As i already said in a previous entry, the use of sprites is a very important factor when designing a water level, as they are responsible for defining a good portion of the level’s pace, and giving it some action (since underwater levels don’t rely on movement as much as platforming levels), and this level really nailed that! It always uses enemies in a way that feels engaging, always being a threat to the player!
I really like the way you always know how to place each enemy in order to take advantage of their mechanics: Urchins used around platforms and sometimes some passages to redirect the player, Fishes used in narrow passages requiring the player to time their movement, Rip Van Fishes and Boos used in ways where they can always be a threat and follow the player for a while, but always giving enough room so the player can manipulate their movement to take them out of the way, Eeries used in a way that always feels like a surprise, but giving enough time for the player to react, even Boo Rings were used mostly in a good way!
There was only one enemy type that i disliked in this level: Bullet Bills! I’d say they don’t fit a water level too well, their shooting timing is quite unpredictable, and the projectiles are fast! It gives little time for the player to react to them. And they always seem to be placed in groups, not to mention a few that seemed to be placed in quite inconvenient ways (more on it below), which makes them particularly annoying to deal with.

As for some issues i could mention, these are mostly some instances of sprite placement, but they are still holding this level off a bit.
- The most noticeable one being the placement of some Bullet Bills. The most problematic ones being this, this (it’s placed specifically to ambush us when going for the P-Switch, and note this is particularly hard to avoid as Big Mario), all the ones here and here (these are noticeably annoying as they’re placed to ambush us when we try to get a power-up! As i already said in other reviews, a power-up should always offer a safe environment so we can collect it!), and these in the end of the last area (this area is really full of sprites! This is probably what you meant with it being “bullet hellish”, but this segment still feels like a bullet hell!). I’d recommend you try to use a maximum of 2 Bullet Bills per screen, and be careful with their placement to prevent ambushes.
- Another segment that feels like an ambush is this Shell Kicker, and being underwater it’s pretty hard to avoid this kind of surprise.
- This Boo Ring is pretty much the only one that requires some waiting (depending on how it spawns). I’d say you could have made the ground 2 tiles lower, to allow for the “risky skip” through the Boos i mentioned earlier.
- This Boo Ring setup is pretty tight with Big Mario, because the spikes in the center take up a huge portion of the area.
- I don’t see the reason for this hole in the ceiling. It allows us to swim up there, but there doesn’t seem to be anything above the screen. (Also, the Boos can follow us up there)

Creativity: 18/30

This is a very interesting level!
Underwater levels are already something we don’t see too commonly in a contest, and this one manages to stand out quite a lot by having focus on vertical movement! I especially like how we have two segments, one where we go up and one where we go down!
The use of sprites is also pretty unique! You used sprites that aren’t too commonly seen in underwater levels (despite having appeared in vanilla SMW), and there are a lot of interesting setups with them! Every setup feels pretty unique, and they always feel fresh to play!
I also like the idea of using the key to enter the pipe in the beginning, though unfortunately it doesn’t appear anymore for the rest of the level. I think you could have used it a bit more, even if just as a minor puzzle in the end of each big segment.

Aesthetics: 7/10

This level looks pretty good!
I really like the tileset mix you did! The decorations are pretty good! The graphics really fit the theme of the level well!
The palettes were kept vanilla, but they’re nice! I just think the palettes of a few algaes in the BGs look weird.
The songs used are great! I especially love the one used in the ghost area! (May i ask where that song comes from? Some parts remind me of Count Prinky’s Mansion from Robotrek)
As for aesthetic issues, i think the only thing i can mention are a few Ghost House ledges that have cutoff in their end.

Total: 66/100
My Youtube Channel
Does Smart Spawn not work for horizontal scrolling? (Can't make it spawn unless you are closer to it?) It was not intended for my Shell Kickers to be "Surprise motherhecker"-like. I thought they had enough reaction room.

Certain cut-offs, I can't help it unfortunately especially that amalgamating graphics together aren't allowed which results a necessity of sacrificing.
100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

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


Heya, I finally got around to updating my level. Would you be for doing a re-review of it?
Your feedback and suggestions have been immensely helpful. The update includes an entirely new section with a new gimmick that I'd like some feedback on.
I'll be hopefully getting to update the review of your level soon too.
Oh That's Hot V1.2
Check out my new hack thread:
Originally posted by ECS.98
When coming from the ‘secret Yoshi’ path, the ParaKoopas will also come from the top of the screen!


I checked several times and I don't see it. So whatever you saw, should've been impossible.

About how areas don't fit each other. I don't know what your perspective is, but what's underneath the orange dirt thing is suppose to be the cave part of those areas.

Also, my level is updating for the last time for real this time.

It's updated for the last time for real this time unless there are problems with it.
100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

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


Originally posted by MarkVD100
Does Smart Spawn not work for horizontal scrolling? (Can't make it spawn unless you are closer to it?) It was not intended for my Shell Kickers to be "Surprise motherhecker"-like. I thought they had enough reaction room.

Certain cut-offs, I can't help it unfortunately especially that amalgamating graphics together aren't allowed which results a necessity of sacrificing.

Originally posted by MarkVD100
I checked several times and I don't see it. So whatever you saw, should've been impossible.

About how areas don't fit each other. I don't know what your perspective is, but what's underneath the orange dirt thing is suppose to be the cave part of those areas.

Also, my level is updating for the last time for real this time.

It's updated for the last time for real this time unless there are problems with it.

Well, i never used Smart Spawn, so i don't know how it works, as for the cutoffs, don't worry about every single one, i know sometimes they are unavoiable given the contest's rules, but i mentioned them for the sake of the review.

The koopas, yea, it isn't really something that happened too much, i just mentioned because i had it happen a few times, but it isn't a big issue.

As for "areas don't fit each other" i was referring to their gameplay, like, we have a platforming area that then goes to a puzzle area, then back to platforming and so on. It's not that big of a deal as well.

I'll try to check your level out again, but as of now i still have some reviews to do.

Originally posted by Mad Lad
Heya, I finally got around to updating my level. Would you be for doing a re-review of it?
Your feedback and suggestions have been immensely helpful. The update includes an entirely new section with a new gimmick that I'd like some feedback on.
I'll be hopefully getting to update the review of your level soon too.
Oh That's Hot V1.1


Hey! A hot new update to a hot level! xD
Ok, i better stop with the jokes, i don't want you to be Mad at me! haha
I'll sure be glad to check it out! Excited to see what new changes you made!

-----------------------------------------

Ok. Now, back to the reviews!
Next 2 requests are here!

The Leaving Skies by Fullcannon



Design: 27/60

This is a pretty nice level!
It’s pretty open, and has a nice platforming, which makes it pretty engaging!

I like the use of the terrain in this level! You make a great use of the extended level height! There are a lot of climbing segments, elevated platforms and setups that make a great use of the level’s vertical dimensions!
However, i’d say to be careful with the blind jumps and leaps of faith. Basically, this level has a lot of moments that require us to go up and then down, however, it seems most of your design’s focus was on the way up. There are many segments where, in order to get back down, we have to do a blind jump. This is an example of what i’m saying, every ledge we use to climb here is placed inside the main platform, so we can easily go through the ledges on the way up until the top, however, when going down, we have to fall from the sides, and we can’t see where’s the safe ground below. There are a few other examples of segments like this, where we climb up to the top, and then have to blindly jump back down. I’d say you could have used some kind of guide, such as these coin guides used here.

Also, i like the exploration aspect of this level! The Yoshi Coins are placed mostly well, each feeling quite unique, and i also like the placement of the Moon. I also like how you make use of the level’s dimensions in the exploration, most notably with the second and fourth Yoshi Coins!

As for the use of sprites, i didn’t really like it. You used pretty much every sprite the tileset would allow you to, there’s Koopas, Goombas, Bob-Ombs, Spinies, Lakitus, Chucks, Hammer Bros, Hopping Flames, but you seem to have no focus with the way you use them. Most sprites feel pretty random, and many places seem like you just tried to spam different sprites without actually thinking much about their placement, a notable example is this big slope where we have Bob-Ombs, Spinies, Koopas, Goombas and Shell Kickers used all at once. Also, many places just feel overwhelming due to the amount of sprites you placed there.
Something really annoying that happens quite often as well is sprites falling from above. The most notable being the Spinies, you seem to place a lot of them on small elevated ledges, and they just walk off the edge and fall. There’s also the Diggin’ Chuck here throwing rocks from the top of the screen.
I’d recommend you rethink the way you use sprites in your level, instead of focusing on sprite spam, try to find a focus for each of them individually. Look at each of them, their behavior and patterns, and try to take advantage of that on their placement. A few examples that come to mind: using Sliding Blue Koopas in the slopes (including the big slope i mentioned earlier), as they slide on it, using vertical ParaKoopas in the gaps between 2 platforms, so the player has to time their jump, using Spinies on ground platforms, or ledges with something blocking their edges, that way they don’t fall, use Red/Blue Koopas, or other enemies that stay on ledges for elevated ledges, use Hammer Bros on top of open areas, so they can use their swooping movement without being hard to hit.

Also, the last area, the cave, is a nice segment, and has a few interesting things, such as the Skull Platform ride, but it just feels like a filler segment.
There’s nothing in this segment that fits the overall feel of the level, all previous areas of the level are elevated/sky themed, they have extended level height and are focused on exploration. This area is a straight-forward cave segment. It just doesn’t fit the level in my opinion. And, considering the fact the level is pretty long already, this segment just feels like dragging the level for too long.

As for a few more issues i could mention:
- I really don’t like the use of Diagonal Bullet Bills in the second area! The only thing that’s worse than Bullet Bills is Diagonal Bullet Bills! These things have a terrible hitbox and interaction. Also, their spawn points depend on the screen position, so using them in a level that has free vertical scroll makes them particularly frustrating. Here for example, they spawned in the middle of my jump, and here, while i was running up the slope. I’d recommend you just completely remove this generator, as it doesn’t really work in a segment like this.
- This level is quite long, and the second half feels particularly long because it’s made of 2 sections. I already mentioned that the cave segment feels like a filler segment, but, even if you choose to keep it, you could at least use a 1-UP checkpoint that leads to the cave area.
- This block is in a bad position. There isn’t enough space above it for Big Mario. If we collect the Mushroom while it’s on the block, we get pushed to the left. Also, it’s hard to collect the Flower there if we’re already big.
- This Puntin’ Chuck is really annoying!
- This isn’t really that big of an “issue”, but, if we get the Star and rush to the top of the first area while also having a Power-up, we can get to the end of this Muncher Pipe. There, we can jump over the wall and into the dirt, which isn’t solid, so we just fall on the pit.
I thought there was something hidden here at first, and it would be an extremely clever place to put some kind of reward, like a 3-UP Moon!

Creativity: 13/30

The level doesn’t have any particular gameplay gimmick, but it shows some creativity with its design!
The use of the level’s dimensions and the exploration aspect is very interesting! I really like how we have ledges floating around and such that make for a nice gradual climb through the level! Also like the little puzzles where we have to find an item to proceed!
However, i feel it lacks interesting setups with sprites, which hurts this score a bit.

Aesthetics: 6/10

The level looks pretty good!
The first area has quite a lot of decorations! It looks good, though personally i’m not a fan of the Mole holes in the walls. Also, i think this area has way too many berries. The second area makes mostly a nice use of the cloud tileset, it’s simple, but it has a nice theme. As for the cave, i don’t like the decorations used. Berries, grass and stuff don’t seem to fit a cave area.
The palettes are vanilla, so they’re as good as Vanilla SMW has always been, though the use of brown palettes in the cave is pretty interesting!
The BGs look pretty good! I especially like the one in the first area!
The songs used are pretty good!
I didn’t find any noticeable aesthetic issues, so the only thing i could mention is a few cloud platforms look cutoff (most notable the ones above the Spring that lead to the Yoshi Coin)

Total: 46/100

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Moon Temple by TheInsanity115



Design: 36/60

A nice short platforming level!
It has a pretty nice design! The gameplay is great and flows pretty well! It’s also pretty engaging, despite being short! The difficulty is pretty well balanced, and in fact, it plays quite similarly to a Vanilla SMW level in terms of difficulty and length!

I like the platforming in it, it’s somewhat straight-forward, but doesn’t feel flat! There are some nice variations in the use of the terrain, which makes its platforming pretty enjoyable! I also like the use of pits with rotating platforms!

It has a few interesting exploration bits, mostly for the Yoshi Coins! Though i feel most of them are pretty simple, especially the last one. I’d like to see a few more interesting setups for them, such as what you did for the first one.

The use of sprites is pretty nice, and makes the level pretty engaging! But it’s also mostly very simple, so there aren’t many setups that stand out. I’d say the most interesting setups are the ones using Rotating Platforms, and the double Jumping Piranha.

I didn’t find any particularly noticeable issue in the design, the level is pretty polished! The only thing i could mention is the Wall Triangle doesn’t work properly.

Overall, this level is a pretty nice short platforming experience! But it doesn’t try to stand out too much gameplay-wise. I’d say you could have tried to make a few more interesting setups using Rotating/Moving Platforms.

Creativity: 13/30

This level has a pretty standard kind of platforming. It isn’t flat or anything, but it also doesn’t stand out that much in terms of creativity.
The use of Rotating Platforms is nice, but there aren’t many particularly interesting setups.
It does have some aesthetic creativity, the theme is quite interesting, and the execution is pretty good!

Aesthetics: 8/10

This level looks really good!
I love the tiles you used to make the Temple portions of the level! Those look really cool! The ‘bridge’ tiles also look pretty cool! As well as the stars used as decoration in the sky! The only thing that looks a bit weird is the moon used in the foreground.
The palettes look really good! I like how the FG looks darker due to it being a night level!
The BG looks pretty good! The starry sky fits really well the level's atmosphere!
And the song is also pretty good!
As for aesthetic issues, the only thing i could mention is to be careful with the priority in some tiles.

Total: 57/100
My Youtube Channel
Will it be before the deadline?
100% Orange Juice Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf1kPWkjcurtA3xPP3TybfqSiEn1AcX2A

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


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
Can you give my level a try?
I really dont know what score i should be expecting.
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.
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.

Originally posted by Emerald Shell
. And I'm still wondering if it has too much variety of gimmicks at once.


Well hey, at least it isn't Cloudtop Castle.
All I wanna know is that if this won't finish extremely lowly.