Ends 04/01/2012 12:00 AM

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halibabica

It's finally here! The much-anticipated third installment of the RMN community series! And this time, halibabica's in charge!

WHAT IS THIS

Super RMN Bros. is a community collaborative game where everyone uses the Super Mario Bros. X engine to create Mario levels! The stages are made and submitted by members of RMN, then compiled into one big game at the end of the event. Huzzah!

WHAT YOU NEED TO PARTICIPATE

Super Mario Bros. X v1.3, available at the Download link. This is the latest version of SMBX. It has everything you need to get started from the player, the editor, and a sample world.

You can also download the SMBX Graphics Pack by Red Yoshi here. It has a ton of Mario Brothers graphics that you can use in your level with a simple copy+paste!

JUST WHAT IS SUPER MARIO BROTHERS X?

Super Mario Bros X is a freeware game engine by Redigit geared towards having the gameplay features and physics of Mario 3 and Super Mario World while adding a ton of cool features and not having to deal with the restrictions of the old (S)NES hardware. If you want to see what SMBX can do, check out the games here on RMN or watch these videos showcasing SMBX's capabilities!

Games are distributed as a world with levels package they can add to Super Mario Bros X and play from the main game. There is no way to make a self contained game so all players will need to download SMBX in order to even play the game. The game does come with a large set of graphics and sounds like the RPG Maker RTPs so everybody at least has a large number of platformer resources to work with (and it'll keep the download of the actual game itself small).

You can view the RMN engine page for SMBX here.

HELP!

The editor can be tricky to use, especially for beginners. You can ask questions on our SMBX Help thread on our forums! If you have any questions go there for some tips or helpful links.

We also have a tutorials section on RMN for SMBX.

SUBMISSION RULES

  • Levels must be made in SMBX v1.3 .
  • I don't know if you've ever made Mario levels before. There are dozens of hacks and roms out there, so it's possible you've played custom levels or created your own. However, this project is being made specifically in the SMBX engine, so if you want to contribute, you have to use that. You can download it here.

  • Levels must be made FOR THIS PROJECT
  • So, you've used SMBX before, huh? Hey, you can just submit levels you already made! Right? WRONG. If you didn't make the level specifically for RMN Bros. 3, you're not allowed to submit it. Do not just zip up the levels of your personal project and dump them in here (Davenport, I'm looking at you). Everyone has to start from scratch. And if I catch you trying to submit a pre-made level, ooh, I'll, I'LL- ...deny it. Simple as that, really.

  • Levels must end in ONE SMB3 STAR
  • Starman doesn't work in SMBX like it does in the Mario games of yore. Each one you collect instead adds to your star count. There are two kinds of stars in the engine: SMB3 stars and SMW stars. The latter adds to your star count, but doesn't end the level. The former concludes the stage when collected. Each level must have ONE and ONLY ONE level-ending star. However, you can have any number of SMW stars (covered later).

  • There is no limit to the number of levels you can submit.
  • Beyond these four rules, the sky's just about the limit. There are a few other criteria your levels must meet for them to be accepted, but they're nothing huge, and are as follows.

LEVEL CRITERIA

  1. Checkpoints
  2. Theoretically, every level should have one of these. It's the SMW checkpoint object that lets you continue from partway through the level. Unless your level is extremely short, it should have one. If it can't have one for specific reasons (auto-scrolling, switch block/character shenanigans, etc.), it's recommended you not make the stage too long. Also, SMBX can only support one checkpoint per level, so placing multiples doesn't work.

  3. Power-Ups
  4. Your stage should have a good balance of items that are helpful to the player. ? Blocks should never contain lone Mushrooms; don't be afraid to give the player a Fire Flower or Leaf. On the other hand, exceptional items like the Tanooki and Hammer Suits should not be easily obtained. Use discretion with where you place items. One at the start and one after the checkpoint would be the least you could do. Also, pick items that the player can put to good use. A Fire Flower in an area with monsters immune to fire does the player no good; maybe an Ice Flower or Yoshi might be better instead. On the subject of Yoshi, he's a power-up like any other, and no restrictions are being placed on his use. Similarly, all styles of Kuribo's Shoe are allowed. Just remember, these things are very helpful, so choose carefully where you make them available.

  5. Banned Objects
  6. Your level must not contain any of the following items. If it does, you will be required to remove them.

    • SMB2 Crystal Ball, SMB3 Roulette, SMB3 ? Ball, SMW Keyhole, SMW Exit Gate
    • All banned for the same reason; they end the level. All levels must end with an SMB3 Star. No other exit type is allowed.

    • SMW Bowser Statue
    • Banned due to its glitchy hit box. You can still be hit by its fireballs while standing on top of it. Use the SMB3 Bowser Statue instead!

    • SMW Dry Bones
    • Banned for its stupid hit box. You may place Dry Bones in your level, but all Dry Bones in the project will use the SMB3 sprites instead.

  7. Unbanned Objects
  8. These are objects that were disallowed in the past. I'm permitting them for the reasons stated.

    • SMB3 Lakitu
    • This was banned in RMN Bros. 2 because it behaves erratically. You may use them in your levels, but be very careful when you do. They aren't impossible to deal with, but they can make situations extremely difficult. You'll definitely hear from me if it's a problem.

    • SMW Star
    • These were formerly banned because they didn't end the level. You may now use them as bonus secret stars in your stages. The player can collect them on alternate paths, but must be able to return to the rest of the level after grabbing them. More on these later.

  9. Different Characters
  10. This is, first and foremost, a Mario game. Mario will be the only character available to play as, but that doesn't mean you can't use the other characters. If you want to make a stage involving Luigi, Toad, Peach, and/or Link, you must specify so. Include the appropriate character block at the start. If you don't, I'll assume the stage was meant to be played as Mario. You don't have to switch back to Mario at the end of the stage, though. I will manage character swapping in the hub area.

  11. Player 2 Start
  12. SMBX has the option to play with a friend by sharing a keyboard and crowding around a monitor. There is no way to disallow a multiplayer game, so be sure to include both P1 and P2's start positions in your levels. HOWEVER, this is all you need to do to accommodate the second player. Making a balanced one-player game is difficult enough, so don't sweat it if something doesn't quite work for multi-mode. I'm not checking two player compatibility; you don't have to either.

  13. Secret Stars
  14. Each stage must have only one SMB3 level-ending star, but you can have (almost) as many SMW stars you want. Before you go throwing secret stars everywhere, though, you should understand how they work. The most important thing to know is that you can only have one star per section of a level. That's not my rule; that's a quirk of SMBX. It can only register one star per stage section, as it flags all stars in that section as 'collected' if one of them is found. Because this is the case, any secret stars you place must be in different sections than the star that ends the level. Incidentally, this also means the most stars any level can have is 21. Don't worry; if you mess it up, I'll tell you about it!

  15. Water Must be SWIMMABLE

    You can set waterfalls to either be swimmable or not, but ordinary water must always be. Don't fill your pits with water if they're supposed to be bottomless.

  16. Misc. Stuff
    • Pipes, Doors, and Carry Items
    • By default, all entrances in SMBX are set to disallow the player from carrying an item with them through the portal. If your level has objects the player may want to bring with them, be sure to set your entrances properly.

    • One-Tile Passages
    • Avoid making paths that are only one tile high. If Mario stands up in one, he zips through the wall in the opposite direction he's facing. In some places, this isn't a problem, but in others it can break the game. Spare my telling you to fix it and avoid creating such circumstances.

    • Ceilings
    • If you're making a water level or Mario is able to fly, you may want to block the area off the top of the screen so the player can't soar over everything. In aquatic stages, one could swim past everything from up there, so it's extremely important to include (same goes for underwater pits, actually). Of helpful note: one block placed above or below a level's boundary will create an impassable wall.

STORY AND TUTORIALS

Nothing too complicated here. Mario, Luigi, Toad, Peach, and Link have fallen into RMN's Pit of Challenges, where they must collect the stars from our levels if they ever hope to escape. The main villain is not Bowser, Wart, Kamek, Aristocrab, or anyone seen yet in the world of Mario. I will be making the final level myself, and the final boss is...me! Because by the time this is over, you will all want to kill me.

I will also be making a tutorial level that explains the mechanics of SMBX, covering both the basics and the advanced stuff. So don't bother explaining to the player how to break blocks with their tail or spin jump on Thwomps. I've got it covered!

TESTING AND FEEDBACK

This iteration of RMN Bros. is going to put greater emphasis on play testing and providing feedback for levels. I will be playing each level personally and leaving feedback the developers can use to improve their stages. My feedback will be divided into three categories:

  • Deal Breakers
  • These are things you MUST CHANGE or your level WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. These include all variety of game breaking errors and poor balance/design. I will provide thoughts and ideas on how to fix these, depending on the complexity of the problem.

  • If-You-Don'ts
  • These are things that, if you don't change them, I will. These include things like levels without checkpoints, blocks containing only mushrooms, or levels with unfitting power-ups. If you don't make these corrections, I'll see to them in the end.

  • Nitpicks
  • These are small complaints of low importance. Things that would make the level look or feel nicer, but aren't really a problem on their own. These will most likely be aesthetic in nature, and they don't have to be changed for the level to be accepted.

    Although I will be testing each level thoroughly myself, I strongly encourage others to do the same. You don't have to follow the same methods of providing feedback I am (in fact, you don't really have the authority to!), but every bit of criticism helps.

ADDITIONAL STAFFERS

This is a big project, and it's very bold of me to be managing it alone. That's why I'm leaving open two spots for other users to join me in running the show. But you can't just sign up and say "Hey hali I'll be your game management bro." You have to PROVE YOUR WORTH. How, you might ask? By playing levels and leaving feedback! The more in-depth, the better. Show me you have what it takes to contribute to this project, and I'll let you in. If you can't handle the work, I have no reason to hire you.

Duties of these staffers would include testing others levels and leaving feedback, as well as helping refine my own stages, tutorial, hubs, and so forth. I'm a tough critic, but even I can't face my own work alone!

PROJECT TIMELINE

Signups begin NOW, and EVERYONE is free to join! The project will run for one month (thirty days), and levels may be submitted for testing during this time. When the month is up, no more levels will be accepted. Existing levels may still be updated based on feedback. I will do my best to have the whole thing compiled just one week after the event ends. Then we can download and enjoy!

Registration

You must be logged in to sign up for Super RMN Bros. 3.

Posts

It is impossible in SMBX to making expanding platforms?
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
I'm not sure myself. I made the changes and shifted the section's borders a little. I noticed I was getting some artifacts on the right-most side, so I condensed until it stopped happening (didn't lose anything significant doing so). For all I know, that was the source of the issue all along.

Anyway, I have the game profile submitted along with thirty screenshots. I'll fill out the list of devs and add downloads as soon as the thing's approved. I also plan to add more screenshots later; they're hard to take sometimes.
author=halibabica
from Link_2112
If you want, you can remove the section with the doors. If you're going to do that, I'll PM you a couple things that you'd have to alter in other parts.
Much as I loathe that part, I'm leaving it in. Just trying to change it as little as possible.

I have the profile ready. I just need to submit a bunch of images and figure out how to list more than one developer, and we'll be all set.


I think the reason that room lags so much is because it's at the end. I didn't test this theory, but in large levels like that as you explore it seems like it lags more and more. Like when you first start it doesn't have it all loaded into memory, but eventually the entire level is loaded into memory and lags.

Not sure why else a small room with little in it would lag more than bigger rooms with lots more NPCs.
Happiness increased by 100%

Can't wait for the release...I can't wait to see the final product...
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
from Link_2112
If you want, you can remove the section with the doors. If you're going to do that, I'll PM you a couple things that you'd have to alter in other parts.

Much as I loathe that part, I'm leaving it in. Just trying to change it as little as possible.

I have the profile ready. I just need to submit a bunch of images and figure out how to list more than one developer, and we'll be all set.
author=halibabica
Basically, I'd take out the two ladies that thank/insult you and leave the guys that give you items/hints. Would that be all right?


Sure

If you want, you can remove the section with the doors. If you're going to do that, I'll PM you a couple things that you'd have to alter in other parts.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
DONE!

I've completed the whole game, start to finish! All 120 levels, all 180 stars. I'll put together the game profile right away! I just need to take a buttload of screenshots.

Also, I had one last thing I needed to ask Link_2112 about...

Major Linkage, man. I love it, but it even started lagging on my machine after a while. I don't want to cut it down any more than is absolutely necessary, but I worry how other computers would handle it. It seems to lag the most in the prison section, so I wanted to ask you: would it be okay if I condensed that section a bit? I was thinking of cutting it down to just four cells with the relevant NPC's remaining. Basically, I'd take out the two ladies that thank/insult you and leave the guys that give you items/hints. Would that be all right?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I went around telling everyone that it was being released today...
Ah well.. what goes around comes around... I think...
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
Wow, this is one long game. I managed to beat it, but not fully clear it. Luckily, I'm off all weekend, so I can get it done really quick Saturday. Sorry for the extra wait! It'll be ready so very soon.
I hope its about 5pm... I NEED to play it

EDIT: I'm guessing it's not going to be 5:00pm
I hate timezones SIGH
author=halibabica
Guys...

120/120

The game is fully compiled. This would've been done yesterday, but I was too bushed from working five days in a row to even think about SMBX. I'm conducting my final test run next, and once I clear the whole game, it'll be released. Probably sometime tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

Now, if you go to the top of the castle, Yoshi will give you a ton of free lives.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
Guys...

120/120

The game is fully compiled. This would've been done yesterday, but I was too bushed from working five days in a row to even think about SMBX. I'm conducting my final test run next, and once I clear the whole game, it'll be released. Probably sometime tomorrow.

Wish me luck!
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
I've been adding them in alphabetical order of user names, so it's UPRC's "Mario in a Flash." Shouldn't be much trouble. Just ran out of time last night.

Plus, I have work today, so...meh.
What is that missing level yet to be included?
It can't be mine the chances are too low, 6/120 or more bluntly 1/20.
That's actually a pretty decent ratio. It's 1 of mine isn't it?
Anyways, can't wait for the finished version. JUst have to delete most speed modifiers myself before playing.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
So, uh...

119/120 levels compiled.

Yeah. Might be done sooner than expected. Friday might even be release day.

... :3
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
from nin8halos
I give you permission to change anything you want.

Mmkay. I didn't make any drastic changes. I just changed the corner donuts to the tougher variety so the player is unlikely to trigger them. Of course, I fixed their sprites, too.

We're up to 94/120 now. There's a small gaggle of levels from different users left to add, as well as seiromem's big pile. But after that...I just need to do one final play through. My next day off's Friday, so I'm shooting for that. If not, it should still be done by Saturday. Thanks for being patient!