Ends 04/01/2012 12:00 AM

Judges
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

OOH! Just played through Poison Valley and noticed a couple of last minute rush problems.
Nothing too big to fix but pretty inexcusable flaws.
I'll post an update tomorrow.
1 was merely cosmetic but looked ugly nontheless and the other actually prevented the getting of my bonus star.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
All righty...finally all caught up!

apa649

Goomba Caves

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- it’s still way too hard to get on/stay on the rocket board. Again, I’d move it down a square, back a square, or at least put a block on the end of it so the player doesn’t run right across and fall off the other side.

Poison Valley

Deal Breakers

- the poison shrooms spawn at a good rate most of the time, up until the part where I needed mushroom blocks to scale a tall wall. By the time I realized I needed four instead of three, the part before it became so saturated with poison shrooms that it was impossible to get through. I think I’d just nuke the generator at that spot.

- it isn’t entirely obvious that the sides of purple spikes can be stood on. The spinning fire bar wrecking ball trap is daunting enough without appearing to impassable. I’d either lose the spikes or edit the sprite like I did for World of Hurt in RMN Bros. 2 (or look at GRS’ Spinning Hazard for them). Those spikes look more obviously like they have a safe side.

- if you want a ceiling in the final section, at least make it visible, or make it into a cavern. Bumping your head on the sky is both unexpected and irritating.

- I wasn’t able to reach your secret star, but I read that you found a problem that prevents you from doing so anyway, so I’ll wait to see how you fix that. However, the route leading to it looks pretty tough, and I think it might need nerfed, depending on what you change.

If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- seems like the first thing you dig up ought to be a poison shroom, considering how prolific they are in the rest of the level. Plus, the start area becomes a bouncing shell nightmare if you kick it.

- I like the theme of the stage, but some things seemed out of place. The blue legos, purple spikes, and torches didn’t make a lot of sense. Also, the more vibrant objects (like green pipes, and even goombas) stick out like a sore thumb. And what’s up with that nipper plant that’s completely out of reach? Why even bother respriting it if it doesn’t appear anywhere else?

- when a buried object is at the top of a slope, the player may accidentally slide back down trying to uproot it. It should be moved at least one tile away from the slope.

Sky Rush

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- those buzzy beetles right after the checkpoint made quite a problem of themselves. If they were goombas, at least they could be killed more easily.

- since some of the items can’t be obtained before the ship has stopped anyway, you might want to have them only appear after the player has finished, so they don’t become red herrings while the player’s on their way. It can be their reward for thinking to backtrack, and you could perhaps give them a hint near the end that they can go back.

- this speed was much more tolerable, but there’s still one thing it really messes up: your 1-up in a block. SMBX gets funny when an item spawns out of a block that’s moving. I’d either leave it as a standing 1-up or make this block unavailable until the ship is halted.

Aside from those, this is a million times more doable now. It still messes with the physics, but in a good way, and just enough that the player can still do what they’re trying to.

DarklordKeinor

Bobomb Cave

Deal Breakers

- move the homing koopa further from the start. It kept interfering with my mushroom-collecting in a serious way.

- it’s all right that you require the player to jump off the paratroopas at the start, but you should switch up their types. Make them red paratroopas that hover up and down instead. This would make the gap easier to cross (it needs to be).

- the block the pipe is sitting on in the first cave looks solid. I ran right through it and bumped into the bob-omb as a result. Don’t fool the player like that! Make it completely solid.

- if the player destroys all the flippy yellow blocks in the mini tower, they can’t climb back up. Although that’d be their own incredibly stupid fault, you should put a coin in one on each layer so there’s always a way up.

- the player is attacked by a swooper the moment they enter the secret cave. That just ain’t right!

If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- the ceiling in the first cave is really low! Even just one or two more tiles up would help.

- the second blue ! block is tediously close to that stationary saw. I’m sure that was intentional, but you should move it a little further away (like with the ceiling, one or two tiles).

- the part after the checkpoint feels really short. You could probably move it before the lava section to balance it out. This would help compensate for the difficult beginning, too.

- that secret’s almost impossible to find unless you just stumble upon it by accident. You should put some clue to its existence somewhere around that pit. Even just one coin that’s barely on-screen would do.

- leaving the secret cave skips the last part of the level. It’s like you’re handing it to them for happening to find it. I’d move the checkpoint like I recommended before and reroute the exit pipe to the final cave section instead.

Davenport

Booster’s Canyon

Deal Breakers

- it’s possible to get hopelessly trapped inside your underground switch block pits. Make sure the player can still get out even if they broke every block.

- If the player botches getting through the brick wall after hitting the P-switch, they may never get Toad’s hint. Or even worse, they could get stuck completely on the other side of the wall. The P-switch needs to be a generator (both of them do), and the wall shouldn’t extend all the way into becoming a cliff at the bottom. You also need a P-switch on the other side so the player doesn’t get trapped. If they went underground and didn’t solve the puzzle completely, there’s nothing they can do when they return to the surface. Lastly, have the underground exit pipe extend above the quicksand. Getting out is a pain, and it’s impossible to get Yoshi out with you.

- if the player doesn’t keep their propeller block at the end, they can enter a no-win situation. Either make the tower climbable without one, or put it somewhere the player can reach more easily.

- you can die after collecting the star. Put blocks at the top of the tower to stop the player from falling off after grabbing it.

If You Don’ts

- player 2 starts just a smidge above the ground.

- you have an ordinary mushroom in a block near the P-switch. On that note, this level could do with a consistent power-up. You keep switching between leaves and fire flowers. Stick with one or the other! I think the flowers are more useful here.

Nitpicks

- if you put a pipe to the left of the start, the player’s gonna expect it to go somewhere. Either make it lead someplace or finish that part up a different way.

- enemy styles: pick one. You’re using two different kinds of piranha plants. I’d swap out the SMB1 ones for all SMB3 style.

- quicksand styles: pick one! I’d recommend making it all foreground quicksand instead of only in one spot.

- don’t just give away a tanooki suit like that. Hide it better!

- if there’s no significance to the red coins, you should just leave them yellow.

- there’s a huge crease in the wall at the start of the underground cave. Connecting it together would look nicer. Likewise for other creases in the ground later.

- the end of the level has a completely different style than the rest of it. At least try to make them look like part of the same location!

Deckiller

Oasis Ruins

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

- there’s a plain mushroom in the first block after the checkpoint! If you make this a fire flower, you can do away with the one you have lying around in the next section.

Nitpicks

- although the Melee temple theme fits the underground, the contrast between it and the surface tune is too great. It’s very jarring going inside and out. I’d pick a different BGM.

- the section after the checkpoint is really short! You should move it earlier in the level. Also, it’s in need of a background underneath it so it lines up with the ground.

Triad Airship

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- I don't know why you left your fire flower lying around instead of in a block, except to ensure the player got a flower instead of a mushroom. I’d say it’s their problem if they aren’t super enough to get a flower, but it’s up to you whether you change it or not.

- there was only one piece of the ship not wavering with the rest of it…but I think I know why that was. Perhaps if you moved it lower, it could waver like the rest of the craft and still be a possible jump.

- like with the oasis stage, your boss BGM technically fits, but the airship leading up to it really had me expecting the good ol’ SMB3 boss theme. You can change it or leave it however you like, though. That’s just my nostalgia talking.

kentona

Supra Mairo Bors 3: Clowds by kentona

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- I was hoping to find a leaf or 1-up in the block pile after pressing the P-switch, but that's barely worth a mention.

This was fantastic.

Link_2112

Major Linkage

Deal Breakers

- I got killed in the forest maze. I fell off the cliff after teleporting on the lower path. I think you may want to reroute some warps so it’s truly impossible to fall. I checked in the editor, and I’m not sure what went wrong, but spawning Link on the platform above should solve it permanently. Also, although it follows the same pattern as the age-old puzzle it’s based off of…I don’t remember how to get through, and the player may not either. A hint somewhere would be most helpful (read: necessary).

If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- "Beware! Once you choose your path(insert comma) you must follow it to the end." YOU SAID YOU COMMA’D IT BUT YOU SO DIDN’T

- Link isn’t tall enough to reach all the rupees in your heart-shaped reward for beating the forest battle. Just a tile lower would fix them.

- YOSHI COINS FFFF

- the fairy rupee trail is really neat, but the rest of the trail doesn’t appear if you miss a rupee. Unless that was your intention, could you make it so the last rupee in each trail makes the next layer appear instead of having to gather them all?

- one of the NPCs in the jail disappears sometimes. You can still talk to her, and she reappears when you move around, but it’s weird. I’m guessing this is due to the MAJOR LINKAGE going on in this level. If this area causes problems, maybe you should only have four cells instead of six.

- I was highly disappointed the fat guy was not ERROR.

- stomping a skeleton fish to death has the wrong effect graphic.

- if the P bag is a 1-up, I think the heart container ought to be a 3-up. Considering how obscure the solution to that puzzle is, I think that’d be a more fitting reward.

- resprite those sparks!

outcry312

Forest Castle

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- the fire flower in the room on the top left with the pokey is a different style than all the others you use. Switch it to SMB3.

- “Gather the four blue coins in this castle(UNNECESSARY COMMA) to unlock the bonus star.”

- if you stand on the key, you can reach the pipe above the sign I just corrected, allowing you to skip the entire stage. I think a little rerouting is in order. First, I’d nuke the pipe that’s a one-way trip back to the start. Next, put the bonus star’s return pipe entrance on the same layer as the springboard. That way, it’ll only be accessible if the secret star has been collected. Change the blue coin shortcut message sign to say “Shortcut to Blue Coin Star: WARNING! One-way trip if not all blue coins are found!” That should do it!

- the section after the checkpoint with the vines and spikes gets a little weird at the right-most edge. I think the section might just be a few tiles too wide. Shorten it up and see if the graphics stop blurring there.

- I’m glad you livened up the downward shaft, but your coin placement is iffy. Their pattern should help guide the player in their descent. As they are, it looks like you have to run right off the edges of the platforms, which isn’t safe at all.

- okay, your bonus section at the bottom is now too well-hidden. The player can’t distinguish it from the cliff, even with the extra log poking out. What I meant in my recommendation before was to lower the section’s bottom limit and put the secret pipe off-screen. If the player jumps down to the lower log, THEN they would see it. Get my meaning?

- the message box telling the player they found all the blue coins works, but a sound effect might serve the purpose better. I recommended ‘New Path’ to apa649 in his Goomba Caves level, but I’m sure you could find some fitting jingle that tells the player they found all four.

- there’s a swooper that’s too close for comfort immediately after you enter the section before the boss. Back it up so it doesn’t attack right away.

Snow Mountain Castle

Deal Breakers

- if you freeze a spike top and kick the block up into the green switch, you can become trapped forever; forced to kill yourself or quit.

- I fell off the cliff in the big main room when I bumped my head on your hidden leaf block. Make that visible or put it someplace less precarious!

- it’s not possible to zip past all your thwomps in the icy dash chamber without getting hit as super Mario. It should be possible for Mario at any height!

- I like the concept for the ‘boss’ fight, but you can’t have those koopas just poof out of nowhere when you stomp the first goomba. One spawned right on top of me, and I had to take on the rest as mini Mario. Keep it to separate rooms like you did the rest.

- Unfinished! HURR

If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- I was hoping to find a 1-up stashed off the top of the screen in the first section. Y’know, a stationary one on top of the highest platform (since you can climb that high). Seemed like a good hiding spot. Maybe better than the one that’s already there??? (totally typed this before finding the one in the hidden block)

seiromem

Funklen Forest

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- I thought the first pokey was standing on a secret pipe. It turns out only the second one was. It’s a good secret, but don’t make the first pokey a red herring. Show the platform it’s standing on so the second one is more suspicious. Also, this room is secret enough for a secret star, I think. :3

- something’s a bit strange about your backgrounds…specifically, the trees. Mario walks in front of them, but the hills go behind them. It looks very strange! You could do a resprite of another background object that goes in front of everything (including Mario) and that would solve the problem.

- this stage has about ten more power-ups than it needs. Granted, most of those are buried mushrooms, but I found SO MANY OF THEM. You can afford to cut back a little.

- the checkpoint is reachable, but a tad high. It’s troublesome to get up there without some momentum. Move the platform down just one block.

Magma Caverns

Deal Breakers

- the first fire flower is too close to the edge you’re running up on. The transformation pause is just enough to send you hurtling off the cliff the moment it finishes. Easy fix; move it further from the edge!

- you can’t see the lava above the rising platform in time to save yourself. Move it down into view so the player isn’t ganked just ‘cuz they didn’t know.

If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- all those max height jumps are a bit much. The early ones are okay since you have the chance to pick up speed, but the ones at the end? I’d drop all but one of them.

Shrooms in the Night Sky

Deal Breakers

- there are two jumps, one just before the wall and one on it, that require you to jump off an enemy to surmount them. These jumps are okay to use for secrets, but not as a requirement for completing the level. So, either make this a Luigi stage or lower those jumps!

- I’m guessing this was meant to be an auto-scroll level. There are other ways of handling this, but I think I’d advise you to just leave it as a normal level instead. The scrolling only makes things more difficult, and it’s already so choked with enemies that it’s hard enough to beat normally. If you make it into a normal auto-scroll level in SMBX, you’ll have to make it shorter. If you want to make it scroll when the player hits a block, I’m gonna ask you to take out about half the enemies. Also, with the latter of those options, you can freeze the screen so the player can’t move off it until the scroll block is hit. You don’t have to rely on the honor system. ;P

If You Don’ts

- good grief, this is far too long not to have a checkpoint.

Nitpicks

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The Factory

Deal Breakers

- the banzai bill jump at the end requires some seriously good timing. I’m okay with having it, but it’d be easier if the player had a better view of what they’re trying to jump off of. Basically, you need to move the generator back far enough that the player can see the bullet for a few moments and better gauge when to jump.

If You Don’ts

- you need a power-up more in the immediate vicinity of your checkpoint (like, right after it, or just after the single-tile skull ride). Also, said skull runs right off the lava and onto the pipes. Set up a wall so this doesn’t happen!

Nitpicks

- this level is really lacking in the collectibles department. You could do with some coins and blocks floating around.

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I also made a minor update to my Tutorial. If your level isn't listed here, then it means one of three things:

1. It's already approved.
2. I had nothing to say that I didn't before.
3. It's amazing.lvl

Back to being busy with other stuff now!
Decky
I'm a dog pirate
19645
Thanks for the feedback - a couple of the mini airships aren't wavering intentionally, just to mix it up. You may have noticed that neither has a vertical propeller :D

I put the fire flower there because fire flowers glitch out when the ? box is moving with the layer.

I'll try to find a remix of the SMB3 boss theme to fit the airship remix~

With Oasis Ruins, I also agree that the checkpoint is too late in the level, but wanted to wait and see if others agreed. I felt the level was getting overlong, so I chopped the interior section a bit. My second option for the checkpoint was on the bridge suspended over the lake with the dragon coin. I could move the checkpoint to the bridge (about two screens earlier).

Mushroom was just an oversight - probably meant to hit fire flower.

The only nitpicks I waeren't expecting were the BGMs, so I guess that's a good thing :D
I'll look at that stuff in Major Linkage. I forgot to add that comma.

I'm never sure what to name my levels...submitted a new one "Smash, Bro". haha In honor of the starting section. This one is kinda iffy. It's got a lot of moving parts but I've tested it dozens of times and all the events seem to go off without any errors. It still needs some tweaking in a few spots, will update after any feedback.

I'd like to start a new one anyways, was getting bored with that.
Thanks for the feedback halibabica!
I knew Poison Valley isn't going to pass I published it but I wanted to know if there were any problems I would'nt have nerfed.
I knew the mushrooms are a big problem in some areas and the spriting thing is a bit of a problem for me sometimes.
I'll get the fixes out today or atleast tomorrow.
Better get crackin'
No Problem! Always a jolly when a mate joins in the good fight!
Also I'm leaving sooner than expected so my work will be in halt for the next 50 hours or so.
So I kinda lied when I said I'll post the updates today or tomorrow.
I'll post them when I have the time to edit em'
EDIT This does'nt meen I won't be able to comment it just means I can't review or edit during this pause.
Break is ending for me and I'm gonna be a little more busy on the weekdays. School and all that. I also gotta get my Mass Effect 2 file done for Mass Effect 3. Important stuff as you can see, so It'll take me a bit longer to fix the major problems with my levels. Probably not too long, I might not be less active at all.

Like I said with Snow Mountain Castle, I took it down because I had decided it was unfinished. But to your request I put it back, the unfinished bit was my new addition. But I believe I was deciding not to have a bonus star in that level anyway.. And for the Forest Castle Secret, nooowwww I understand what you mean. I'll change that as well.

Hopefully within the next few days I'll get those things fixed. So many problems with them it makes me want to punish myself. THAT'S IT, NO MORE MASS EFF- yeah that's not happening.
Bobomb Cave has been fixed and toned down for your gaming pleasure. Thanks for the review Halibabica. Anyway, I plan to crack out at least two more levels before the deadline. Enjoy.
Could somebody please review my levels if it's not too much to ask, I really want to know what anyone thinks about it!?!
Dudesoft
always a dudesoft, never a soft dude.
6309
I need to get working on this!

Can we use our own graphics? I was wanting to give that a try.
author=jackalotrun
Could somebody please review my levels if it's not too much to ask, I really want to know what anyone thinks about it!?!


Well, I went ahead and played them. At first I was worried seeing as how you just joined, you came up with 3 levels pretty fast. I'm gonna go over them individually and then as a whole. Actually, the other way around.

Overall
Your levels didn't have any actual problems, but there was one issue. Length. I beat all 3 levels within 2 minutes. When I took a look in the editor it felt even shorter. But you also did re-coloring, added some music, and events for that one moving platform. I believe this shows you do know your stuff and know how to do these things, good placement of enemies and stuff like that. But maybe with less length there is less possibility of errors?

Once I started, I'd run right into a checkpoint. Am I really that far already? And then next thing I know, the end. Before I continue, I'll do individuals and then finish what I'm saying in the conclusion. But I wanna say I will explain the length at the conclusion and why in this case it's a problem.
Desert Dunes
Starting with desert Dunes, power-ups. With such little space between begin and end, you didn't need two leafs powerups throughout. Even one kinda felt unneeded because there was nothing to worry about. The one secret entrance was obvious and once inside, kinda empty. But I think these problems are only there because of length.
Pros
- This level brought in a custom song, one from Super Mario Galaxy. Shows that you know how to do that
- I liked it for what there was
- Had a secret, compared to the other levels.
Cons
- Too Short
- Unneeded Powerups
- Obvious Secret
Crystal Caves
This one didn't have the powerup problem, just one in the beginning.
Pros
- Longest one of them all
- Good mix of enemies and water
- This one showed you can re-color and do things with the graphics
Cons
- Still, Very Short
Wooden World
Recurring aspect is your length. This one showed another key piece though. I noticed you had one evented platform moving up and down. This, I believe, shows me you know how to move platforms. But it wasn't done enough. Done well, but I would of liked to see more of it in the level.
Pros
- Showed Eventing
- Simple Enough
Cons
- Once Again, length
CONCLUSION
Okay, for their length, they were good levels. Good placement of enemies and stuff like that. Blocks. But each one ended before I knew it, and powerups were sort of unneeded. But each level had a key aspect. One for custom music, one for re-colored graphics, and one for it's eventing. As little as there was in these levels they showed you are capable of them.(Except you only needed one song for that level of course, and there were plenty of custom graphics. I meant just the eventing.) The key thing is you are capable, but here is a design idea.

Please, extend all three levels. They do have potential, so just extend them, make them longer. Then move your checkpoints and star farther and they are good, simple levels. But I don't mean to say they are bad levels, the only problems seem to arise because of their length only. Combine all you did in these levels into one, longer level maybe.

Usually length isn't a concern in my eyes. You can make them as long as you want, but I never expected a level this small. Now I kinda see a problem if levels are too short. So to conclude, I got alot of fixing on my levels to do, just extend the levels a bit and I think they would be good.
author=Dudesoft
I need to get working on this!

Can we use our own graphics? I was wanting to give that a try.

Yes, from my knowledge your allowed to use your own.
Edit:(Aww man, I wanted to answer him Hali!)
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
from Dudesoft
I need to get working on this!

Can we use our own graphics? I was wanting to give that a try.

There's no rule against it!

from jackalotrun
Could somebody please review my levels if it's not too much to ask, I really want to know what anyone thinks about it!?!

Soon enough!

I remember when I was caught up with this thing. That was a good ten minutes.
Thank you Outcry, I will look to it as quick as possible
author=jackalotrun
Thank you Outcry, I will look to it as quick as possible

Btw, it's just my opinion. Halibabica's is more important, heh.

Ok, I did my edits. I'm going to re-post them. I guess I had more time in the day for this, so both levels were fixed for all the problems you listed Hali. I just gotta re-do the readmes and they will be up.

Edit: Ok, they are up now. Hope they are fixed enough.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16858
Bobomb Cave by DarklordKeinor

Deal Breakers

- I’m glad you changed the paratroopas you bounce off at the start, but now they have a new problem. They flutter way too high! Unless you go charging across at max speed, you can’t catch them in time to cross the pit. If the player hesitates on the platform (they’re likely to), then they not only miss their chance, but are almost guaranteed to miss jumping on the second paratroopa after hitting the first (not to mention, this makes getting the Yoshi Coin impossible). Basically, you gotta lower them down.

- hmm… I didn’t mention this last time, but it’s only just occurred to me. If the player kills the paratroopa at the end, they can’t make it across the pit. If the pipe weren’t on the left, they could pick up enough speed to jump across. If you follow my nitpick below about the secret star’s exit pipe, you could make that the exit from the main level instead. Add a wall on the right so the player must jump down on the left, and then either use the paratroopa to cross or try to jump the whole thing. Of course, you could set it up so they can’t get the Yoshi Coin without the paratroopa. That’d be a good tradeoff.

If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- those bob-ombs look weird dropping in out of the hole in ceiling of the first cave section. Finish up the walls and put a pipe for them to come out of or something.

- the coin you placed works for tipping off the player to the secret, but now it’s too obvious! If you want to stick with the coin, turn off auto-align and place it so it’s only partially visible at the bottom of the screen.

- I still think the secret star’s exit pipe should lead to the final cave section instead of the level’s end.

Smash, Bro by Link_2112

Deal Breakers

- the bonus room is both hard to reach and reap. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but since it locks you out of certain prizes depending on which path you take, it can be aggravating having to return to it from the level’s start again and again (especially since getting the shoe you need to reach it is kinda tedious). I like how you hid it and the stuff you get for finding it, but I don’t like the locking-out. Plus, when you do pick the right coin for the star, you can wall zip your way to two more goodies. I’d take out the locks entirely.

If You Don’ts

- your bonus room has no music!

Nitpicks

- I like the concept for this stage, but it is random as hell. The Smash Bros. sections were pretty neat, but I was expecting the rest of the level to follow the same trend. However, I also liked the puzzle rooms, and almost every section fit into the level in some way (by having something you need, or following the initial theme). So…I dunno. It’s really all over the place, but I don’t know how I’d recommend you fix it without having to overhaul some things. It might be neat to have one smash section for each type of Mario game (1, 2, 3, and World), or different sections for different games (Metroid and Zelda!!!). This level has lots of potential, but it’s a crazy hodgepodge right now. Playing as different characters in different sections would be awesome, too! I hope you’ll give it some thought.

Crystal Cave by jackalotrun

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- your cave doesn’t feel much like one without a ceiling!

- good lord, this level is very short! Very, VERY short! I would move the checkpoint to where the star is, then add just as much level beyond that. You have some decent resprites in there. See what kind of things you can do with them. The level has plenty of potential for more, so you really should extend it further.

Desert Dunes by jackalotrun

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- your vase section is off-center with the screen. Reset the section’s boundaries so it’s in the middle. You should also reconsider the style of the room; it isn’t very desert-like OR jar-like. Take a look at kentona’s Supra Mairo Bors 2 pots for some ideas.

- I’m beginning to see why you got these done so quick. This one is also VERY VERY short. The star is within throwing distance of the checkpoint. Like, seriously, Mario could probably throw a vegetable from the checkpoint to the star. Well, okay, it’s not THAT bad, but still! It could afford to be more than twice as long. Try to develop your ideas further and expand your stages to a more appreciable length.

Wooden World by jackalotrun

Deal Breakers

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If You Don’ts

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Nitpicks

- as with the other two, the only real issue is its shortness. Take a look at some of the other stages posted and try to get a feel for how long a level should be. DarklordKeinor’s are about the minimum length, I’d say. kentona’s are all a good, average length, and Davenport’s Booster Canyon is about the longest a level ought to go. You’ve done well so far; you just need to expand.
Sorry but I tried my best to increase size in my latest update ( Size of levels is my big weakpoint...)
Hopefully last update, could you please review my brother's levels (Tomstar) (sorry Brilliant Battle dosen't have a checkpoint but it was special circumstances)