Pineapple Island - Works in Progress

Formerly named "Hello Super Mario World", Pineapple Island is my "Hello World" of Super Mario World mapping. I'm a SMW noob and have never made hack before. Tell me how I've done for my first time!

This hack replaces many of the game's levels with more difficult challenges. It doesn't make changes to the overworld. The new levels are more difficult than the original game, but they aren't quite Kaizo levels of cruelty or linearity. For an extra challenge, try to get all 5 Dragon Coins in every level!

Please be aware that it is possible to complete every level without bringing an item or yoshi or powerup from another level, though you are certainly allowed to bring them if you want to try things differently.

Download Pineapple Island BPS 2019-04-05 (Latest version)

Download Pineapple Island BPS 2019-03-30 (Old version)
Download Pineapple Island BPS 2019-03-25 (Old version)
Download Pineapple Island BPS 2019-03-17 (Old version)
Download Pineapple Island BPS 2019-03-12 (Old version)
Download Pineapple Island BPS 2019-03-03 (Old version)
Download "Hello Super Mario World" IPS (Old version)

Here is a complete list of the levels that are replaced with hacked versions in the most recent download:

Yoshi's Island 1, 2, 3, and 4
Iggy's Castle
Donut Plains 1, 2, 3, and 4
Donut Ghost House
Donut Secret 1 and 2
Donut Secret House
Morton's Castle
Vanilla Dome 1, 2, 3 and 4
Vanilla Ghost House
Lemmy's Castle
Cheese Bridge Area
Soda Lake
Cookie Mountain
Ludwig's Castle

Before I begin: welcome! I hope you have a nice time here!
Now then on to your hack. The first problem which isn't really with the hack at all is that you used IPS instead of BPS. For future ref, it's recommended to use Floating IPS instead of Lunar IPS when making patches.
Now on to the level itself: it has potiental to say the least. As far as level design and enemy placement you seem to have an alright grasp on it. Best thing i'd reccommend is to try and imagine different scenarios. For instance, "if Mario turns the corner to see a hill facing towards him, should there be a charging chuck or a koopa to dive at him?" There are also many flat bits that could seem less bland by the simple addition and some hills and such.
Now onto the actual placement and stuff like that:
There are many walls and corners where a corner piece is missing. Other than this, i'd say this is an alright hack so far. Keep trying and experimenting with new styles and such.
Good luck with your future endeavours!

I updated the original post with a new version of the hack. This version replaces every level of Yoshi's Island with a more difficult challenge, not just Yoshi's Island 1.

I hope you enjoy!

Originally posted by Mystery Cornucopia

Also - Thank you for your feedback, Mystery!

Hi Pineapple!

I've played three of your levels and recorded it for your viewing 'pleasure' (Please ignore the crappy English)

I had a lot of fun playing them and I will definitely come back and play the rest at some point. The game felt really vanilla without becoming repetitive or boring and it really has some panic inducing moments, although that might just be me. The kaizo blocks I ran into were cool, mostly because I wasn't expecting there to be any, and although they're not the hardest levels I've played it feels like a decent step up from the base game.

One suggestion I have is to change the second level because after the midway, while you're on the line guided platform, there isn't much going on and you're kinda just waiting. The first half was really cool though.

It would be cool to see this becoming a full hack at some point, maybe even with its own overworld! I will definitely keep watching this thread!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNhaxH0-gWA

Edit: Updated the YT link

YouTube / Twitch / Twitter / Discord: MajorMuff#5742

Thank you very much for playing, MajorMuff! I'll keep your feedback in mind. It was great to see you discover intended and unintended solutions to my levels, which are certainly meant to play like puzzles where it's up to you to figure out a way through. I'm looking forward to seeing more gameplay, and in the meantime perhaps I will have to see how I can do on your other levels too.

Speaking of Pineapple Island becoming a full hack, perhaps even a "Pineapple World": I just recently finished making a second bunch of levels, adding new hacked levels for all of Donut Plains except for some of the secret levels. Check the original post for a download link to the newest version!

You should be able to safely maintain your progress from the older version of the hack by creating a save state in the overworld, then loading that same save state using the new hacked rom.

Well I've finished your levels, Pineapple!

This video is a little longer because it took me ages to figure out how to beat the castle. I'm still not sure if I did any of it correctly but I beat it anyway (using a savestate like a cheater). Even got a little salty at some point. I kinda cheesed the autoscroller/water level but I went into full panic mode there.

Overall I like the hack so far, it has some interesting concepts but in cases like the castle it would be nice to at least have some clue as to what you're supposed to be doing. 90% of the deaths were still my own dumb fault though. (That damn kaizo block)

As mentioned before it would be awesome to see this become a full hack at some point and I'd be happy to help you with anything I can if necessary. Also, if you add new levels I'd be happy to play them!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq9eJNzgVho

Edit: I've just noticed I was playing an older version of your hack. I'll play the rest of the levels and upload another video!

YouTube / Twitch / Twitter / Discord: MajorMuff#5742

MajorMuff, thank you for playing! Thanks for sticking with it even when the castle got frustrating. I was able to see from your playthrough just how unobvious was the power-up that you knew must have been there, and how to make it a bit easier to find. You came so close to finding it! I also saw how it was confusing it was for you that there had been a P-switch door at the end of the first screen the first time you got there, and I'll have to do something to make that clearer to the player, too.

You made the shell section harder for yourself than it needed to be. If you had jumped from the spikes up onto the rightmost stone block beside the star block instead of onto the bigger, seemingly-but-not-really safer to the right then you wouldn't have had to scroll the camera and that one Kaizo block wouldn't have threatened you when you jumped up on top to grab the star.

I felt so bad for you every time you hit that same one Kaizo block near the exit of the first screen. That wasn't even meant to kill the player when I put it there, it was just meant to make grabbing the dragon coin there less straightforward. But I feel like I should leave it in, as a way to honor the memory of the dozen or so Marios who died there.

That water stage cheese was a bit too obvious and easy, though, I'm going to have to make it a bit harder to get down through there. Thank you for catching it!

If you check the original post with the download link, there is in fact a newer version with more levels after Iggy's Castle. I've also made a change that should make things a little easier without using save states, which is adding some 1-up blocks to Pineapple House/Yoshi's House. If you're running really low and feeling desperate, then you can go to that safe haven. Also, if you can find the secret exit in the Plains Ghost House, it leads to a small secret level with a lot more 1-ups in it up for grabs. However, I won't consider it cheating if you make save states in the overworld or right at a level's entrance or midpoint.

Originally posted by pineapple

MajorMuff, thank you for playing! Thanks for sticking with it even when the castle got frustrating. I was able to see from your playthrough just how unobvious was the power-up that you knew must have been there, and how to make it a bit easier to find. You came so close to finding it! I also saw how it was confusing it was for you that there had been a P-switch door at the end of the first screen the first time you got there, and I'll have to do something to make that clearer to the player, too.

You made the shell section harder for yourself than it needed to be. If you had jumped from the spikes up onto the rightmost stone block beside the star block instead of onto the bigger, seemingly-but-not-really safer to the right then you wouldn't have had to scroll the camera and that one Kaizo block wouldn't have threatened you when you jumped up on top to grab the star.

I felt so bad for you every time you hit that same one Kaizo block near the exit of the first screen. That wasn't even meant to kill the player when I put it there, it was just meant to make grabbing the dragon coin there less straightforward. But I feel like I should leave it in, as a way to honor the memory of the dozen or so Marios who died there.

That water stage cheese was a bit too obvious and easy, though, I'm going to have to make it a bit harder to get down through there. Thank you for catching it!

If you check the original post with the download link, there is in fact a newer version with more levels after Iggy's Castle. I've also made a change that should make things a little easier without using save states, which is adding some 1-up blocks to Pineapple House/Yoshi's House. If you're running really low and feeling desperate, then you can go to that safe haven. Also, if you can find the secret exit in the Plains Ghost House, it leads to a small secret level with a lot more 1-ups in it up for grabs. However, I won't consider it cheating if you make save states in the overworld or right at a level's entrance or midpoint.

I definitely felt like I was doing the shell section wrong, so that explains it. Thanks for the pointers!

Yeah, you should really keep that kaizo block there, me getting salty over it kinda is the point ;)

I've downloaded the latest patch now and see if I can squeeze in a couple levels before I go to work!

YouTube / Twitch / Twitter / Discord: MajorMuff#5742

Today I updated the post with a newer version. This version of the hack includes new hacked levels for every non-secret location in Yoshi's Island, Donut Plains, and Vanilla Dome. Check it out!

in my joke hack (mario's moonwalk 2, which is in creation) also has pineapple in place of the berries $#smw{O_O}$ #pineappletsunami

Today I added a new version which additionally replaces every secret level in Donut Plains with a new hacked level. Check it out! Now all those secret exits in Donut Plains have a real purpose.

Please be aware that there is currently no exit from the Secret Ghost House that will allow you to reach the star. (There's only one exit, and it leads to the pipe and Donut Secret 2.) My tentative plan is to make the star world only accessible from the Bowser's Valley area in this hack. My intention is to one day replace every level on the overworld with a new hacked level and, as much as I love the star world in SMW, I feel like it only works when players don't know from the start what's there. I'd rather players saw more of my hard work on their way to Bowser than just a dozen or so levels because they went for what they already knew to be a major shortcut.

Alright, so I've completed 2 more levels. It wasn't too easy to figure out what to do in some spots but after seeing your previous levels I feel like that's intended for more of a puzzle hack feel.

There were some issues, for example not being able to see the chuck following you in the underground level but I got through it eventually. The levels feel somewhat disjointed here and there because there's not a clear route to follow, this makes it feel like your just running around hoping to find an exit at some point. That being said I do like the tricks that are required to finish the levels, although of course I might be doing everything wrong, only you'd know that :p.

I will probably keep playing your hack but as I mentioned via PM I'm quite busy with work at the moment, so I don't have all that much time.
Hope you enjoy the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63EJkdrCmGU

Edit: Watching it back I now see how I've made things incredibly hard on myself :')

YouTube / Twitch / Twitter / Discord: MajorMuff#5742

It looks to hard for me to play, but I'm really surprised at hacking skill has come so quickly!

Originally posted by zacmario

It looks to hard for me to play, but I'm really surprised at hacking skill has come so quickly!

You should give it a try! I'd appreciate your feedback.

This might be my first time hacking SMW, but it's not my first time making a ROM hack and it's far from my first time doing mapping or level design. My most recent project was Nanopineapple 2018, a 32-map megawad for classic Doom.

Originally posted by zacmario

It looks to hard for me to play, but I'm really surprised at hacking skill has come so quickly!

It's not as hard as I make it look, I just suck at 'puzzle' hacks ans patience in general ;)

YouTube / Twitch / Twitter / Discord: MajorMuff#5742

I just added a new version! This one replaces all non-secret levels up to and including Ludwig's Castle, and all secret levels (except switch palaces which have not been changed) up to Morton's Castle, making for a total of 24 new levels. It makes 30 exits, if I'm counting correctly.

The next big milestone will be also making new hacked levels for the 3 Vanilla secrets, Vanilla Fortress, and Butter Bridge 1 & 2.