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

I don't get lag problems, luckily, which is funny cause my computer isn't very good. And I'm using Windows 7 as well. But anyway, I'm working on a couple levels where I'm challenging myself(For the fun of it) using just NPCs, Backgrounds, and blocks from SMB1. I know people have done that before, but I thought it would be good to get a good sense of the SMB1 stuff offered. Doing this will make me more aware of SMB1 things to use for later levels, probably. I'm gonna do the same for the other SMBs too.
It would be awesome if someone could make it so that toad houses could only be used once until the next time they run out of lives, it would do pretty cool in RMN Bros...
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16873
from jackalotrun
It would be awesome if someone could make it so that toad houses could only be used once until the next time they run out of lives, it would do pretty cool in RMN Bros...

It would be cool.

If we were having any Toad houses.
Tell me something I don't know...
Whens your next review coming up btw

plz
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16873
from me
I probably won't get to these again until Thursday, so you know.
Decky
I'm a dog pirate
19645
So I was talking to Kentona about the idea of a Chain Level. Each person would have 24 hours to create two screen lengths of a Mario level (or thereabouts). The idea would be to build a consistent and cohesive level by building off what the previous people did.

Sound like a good idea?
author=Deckiller
Sound like a good idea?

Yeah. Make one for RMNb3?

My new level: Vanilla Lake

Ok, so I know I always post unfinished levels, but the only thing missing in this level is the boss fight; which is why the checkpoint is so close to the end. I took care of all the effect sprites this time, so there shouldn't be any tile errors.

This is what happens when I try to make a simple level :/ It's pretty NPC heavy, I might need to cut back on them. I like how the flow of this level turned out :3
Chain level sounds like fun.
I'll try to get my updates also out today. Been a bit lazy these couple of days.
Goomba caves re-uploaded with pretty much half a block change in location.
Poison Valley re-uploaded with a bit of makeover not much, but some enemies that really were not useful for the level are gone such as buzzy beetle and the winged goombas.
Pipes are now more fitting and some other blocks and a couple of NPC's have gotten a new skin. (Re-coloring for the win)
And thats about it really, with some minor changes to the layout ofcourse.
I'm working on level #5 right now (maybe) assuming it's playable, I'm experimenting a bit with moving platforms and such.
EDIT:SORRY for the double post! I appearantly will never learn the secret of thinking.
I can't believe I just found out about this! Need to start paying attention. Looks like I better get to work.
I CAN'T WAIT FOR HALIBABICA'S REVIEWS (LATER HOPEFULLY)
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16873
I'm about to start checking the updated levels. Have patience!

Speaking of patience, I moved the deadline again. This event will never end!

The new deadline is March 31st, so we have the rest of this month. You can thank my stubborn art tournament entry for that (it just won't die!).
Well now I definatly have nothing to worry about in terms of time.
It seems the deadline is always a month away... How odd.
I'll be waiting for the verdict on Poison Valley while I continue experimenting with my level.
author=halibabica
I'm about to start checking the updated levels. Have patience!

Speaking of patience, I moved the deadline again. This event will never end!

The new deadline is March 31st, so we have the rest of this month. You can thank my stubborn art tournament entry for that (it just won't die!).
Stop doing this! I want to actually play the game at some point!!
@kentona
No you don't you just want makerscore! XD
Decky
I'm a dog pirate
19645
My thoughts echo Kentona's.
Level: Supra Mairo Bors 3 - Agnry Sun
Style: World 2/3 SMB3
Difficulty: 3/5 (maybe 4/5?)
Notes: the Angry Sun is a chasing flying koopa, whose AI sucks balls but ah well. I can't seem to speed him up any either. The second part of the level is an oasis. There are a lot of P-switches (and you can't pick up P-switches, a la SMB3). Enjoy!
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16873
from kentona
from me
new deadline lol
Stop doing this! I want to actually play the game at some point!!


I'm not happy about it, either. I'm trying to allow myself at least two weeks to actually contribute to this thing. My art tourney ends on the 19th, and I will be done with it well before then, so barring some completely ridiculous shit, this is the last extension. Those are the breaks!

apa649

Goomba Caves

Perfected!

Poison Valley

Nitpicks

- there’s a scepter-shaped coin formation at the top of some clouds you need to bounce off a big piranha plant to reach. I was expecting to find something good hidden in the middle of them. :<

- when a patch of grass 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. The one in question is near a big piranha plant before the fire wrecking balls.

- There probably ought to be a power-up in the pit below the fire wrecking balls. Every time I fell down there, it was because I got hurt trying to use the wrecking balls to climb higher.

- roto-discs should always be orbiting something! Plus, the one above the first wrecking ball is placed very cruelly.

- being that this level is somewhat arduous, a pipe leading from the secret star back to the level below would be a godsend (preferably one close to the path split).

Link_2112

Vanilla Lake

Deal Breakers

- Ludwig can jump off the edges of the screen, leaving the player trapped. He must be enclosed.

- Unfinished! Don’t make that boss fight TOO big, now.

If You Don’ts

- there’s a collision mask issue with your jutting spikes. You can see a box around them in the underground section. Also, they can be killed with fireballs, so you may want to make them immune.

This level is random as hell, but it works, so I'm cool with it.

jackalotrun

Before you dive on into that feedback, I wanted to address something with you. Now, I know Deal Breakers are the only things you need to fix, and that I'll fix If You Don'ts for you, but overlooking your Nitpicks just because you can is extremely lazy. They aren't game-breaking problems, but they still detract from the level. Some of them are very easy to fix, and can make the difference between a lackluster, forgettable stage and one the player will enjoy and want to play again. You can keep scraping by and doing the bare minimum to get the levels approved, but that's the tradeoff you make.

That said, I'm reposting my reviews of other stages you hadn't updated.

Boss Blitz

Nitpicks

- this level works for what it is, and it’s kinda fun, but also kinda bland. The boss rush is a novel concept, but you need to do more to keep it interesting. You already have each monster in its own room; that room should be customized for that particular enemy. For example, put two Hammer Bros. in the first room with their classic triple-deck setup, give Mouser his platform to throw bombs from., and so on. There are also more bosses you could include without making the stage too long or difficult (it’s actually still kinda short!). Big Boo would make a great addition. There are two giant Piranha Plants in the Misc. tab that have boss HP. Ludwig from SMW would also fit nicely.

- it wasn’t much of an issue due to the level being so short, but you should give the player a power-up every two or three rooms. If you’re not good at fighting bosses, they can trash you pretty easily when you can only take two hits. Heck, on my first attempt, the Hammer Bro beat me all by himself! Ideally, I think you should have 9 bosses (see above nitpick) with a power-up after every two. That’s one at the start, one after the second, one after the fourth, one after the sixth (relocate checkpoint here!), and one more before the ninth.

Crystal Cave

If You Don’ts

- this was loads better in length, but now you need to move your checkpoint further in. I’d put it in the middle of the water section.

- close off the top of the water section so the player can’t just swim over everything.

Nitpicks

- you’ve got the length you need, but the cave is still very barren! It needs more ? blocks and coins to pick up. It also needs more power-ups because of its increased length. I’d put one where the checkpoint is now. The spawning Mushrooms in the third section cover that part pretty well, so you wouldn’t need any beyond there.

- about that spawning Mushroom, you should either have it spawn more quickly or set it so it doesn’t move. Right now, it spawns and runs off the left of the screen immediately. I was confused for a few moments until I noticed the cracks in the ceiling, and I still had a moment to wonder if the Mushroom was coming back before it finally did.

Desert Dunes

Deal Breakers

- move back the Spiny and Buzzy Beetle after the checkpoint. When they’re so close, they can take the player by surprise the moment they try again.

If You Don’ts

- I like the improved vase, but it’s still off-center, and you can see brick backgrounds behind the upside down vase and the ? blocks when you hit them.
Nitpicks

- put a power-up somewhere after your checkpoint; nearer to it would be better.

- your quicksand behaves like water. It needs to be flagged as quicksand in SMBX for that not to happen. Also, foreground quicksand is preferable.

- much improved! It feels like it could use a few more enemies and coins (like in the donut lift section at the end), but it’s tons better now than it was.

Hilly Hyrule

Nitpicks
- you’re either not following my 8-second rule, or you count seconds twice as fast as you should. This level is very short.

- as a Zelda tribute stage, it doesn’t do itself much justice. Throwing in SMBX’s Zelda baddies does not a Zelda stage make. A good start would be to make Link the character of choice for the level. Use some of the Zelda 2 background tiles in the castle part. Maybe include a locked door to get back out of it, and hide the key somewhere inside.

- although fire flowers and leaves aren’t Zelda power-ups, having just heart containers is no better than a stage with just mushrooms. You already mix some of the Mario in with the Zelda anyway, so give the player something more to work with.

- There’s a lot of open space in this stage that’s just begging to be filled. Put in some bricks, floating rupees, or even just some background clouds in the sky so it doesn’t look so barren.

Mad Metroid

Nitpicks

- this is easily your best stage yet. All I’d say it really needs is some coins floating around to pick up. The SMB2 coins fit the setting best since they’re higher-detail. Otherwise, I liked it. Even the fight was bearable (which is weird; usually rinker rings are too much trouble when more than one is involved). Good job!

Rockin Retro

Nitpicks

- still too short! Extend the underground section and put the checkpoint in the middle of it or something. That part felt like it should have more than just one screen.

- I still have a problem with the graphical inconsistencies. The castle sections would be better off with no background at all, and the tiles should be replaced with those SMB1 used. There are more pieces you can replace if you only try to find them.

Vivid Void

Nitpicks

- my advice is the same as before. Make it longer, add more items, and level wrap would be sweet (that’s where going off one side of the screen puts you on the other). Was this changed at all?

Wooden World

Deal Breakers

- with greater length comes greater need for more power-ups! The stage has a grand total of two right now: one at the start and one for beating Boom-Boom. You should stick in at least two more. Put one after the checkpoint and maybe hide one in the Hammer Bro’s blocks. Otherwise, this stage is just about perfect! Maybe needs more ? blocks here and there…

outcry312

Forest Castle

If You Don’ts

- the first tree in the section after the locked door doesn’t line up with the ground right because the floor drops down for the spikes. A one-tile shift left’ll fix it. Same with a bush later on.

- there’s an extra backdrop tile by the door after the first long spike pit (behind the bushes).

Nitpicks

- your coins in the shaft are still place kinda haphazardly. Think about how Mario’s jumps arc, and place the coins accordingly. Do test runs to see if you can get them all and land safely.

- you should probably change the sign at the end to mention blue coins specifically. If they player forgot about them, they might think “Why would I want to go back just for coins?”

Snow Mountain Castle

Deal Breakers

- good solution for the Boom-Boom problem! Except now nothing happens when you beat them. You need to reset the events.

Nitpicks

- there was an ice flower just chillin’ in the boss room that I assume you were using for testing purposes. Perhaps you ought to nuke it.


seiromem

Airship G

Perfected!

Funklen Forest

Nitpicks

- there are just two trees left that look weird in your forest. One is near the checkpoint, and doesn’t line up with the ground beneath it. The other is a little earlier (near a small pyramid of bricks just past the first tall Pokey); it covers the edge of one platform, so it looks like you can stand on thin air.

Magma Caverns

Perfected!

Pipeworks

Perfected!

Shrooms in the Night Sky

Deal Breakers

- even as Luigi, it’s still impossible to jump the end wall without a monster’s help (or even with!). Lower it down, or even take it out entirely!

Nitpicks

- this level is really heavily choked with enemies. You should cut some of them out. It’s like a bullet hell of Mario baddies.

SMB2

Deal Breakers

- one of the mushroom blocks in the final section must be a generator. As dumb as it is, it’s possible for the player to lose mushroom blocks by releasing them inside a wall. A generator would prevent them from getting trapped.

If You Don’ts

- fire flowers are completely useless in this stage. Ice flowers would make a much better replacement, since SMB2 enemies are vulnerable to them.

Nitpicks

- this stage could really use a power-up somewhere before the checkpoint. It’s a lot to slog through on just one.

The Factory

Deal Breakers

- the pipe at the start of the second lava pit is conspicuously open. However, it doesn’t lead anywhere. Either close it off or make it go someplace, ‘cuz if the player jumps down there, they can’t get back out without dying.

- could you have placed the power-up after the checkpoint any worse? If your Super, it can block you jump and make you fall down the cliff. If you’re not, the mushroom will either run right off the cliff or into the lava. No good! It needs relocated, end of story.

- I don’t think you quite got what I meant about the Banzai Bills. The player needs a better view of them to gauge their jump, and they can’t get that when the bullets spawn right at the edge of the pit. They need to be generated before the pit, like underneath the platform the player is standing on. Like this:



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

I'll take a look at kent's new level when my head stops aching. I'll also post a list of all levels and their current status.

"SRB3 is being delayed for the FINAL time to May 31st"