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

How long til the beta's up Halibabica?
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
Longer than I should like. Life threw me a few curve balls; I thought the whole thing would be done by now. o_O

But it'll be finished soon enough. Once I get the final level in to my judge bros for testing, I'll put up the 24-hour warning and start preparing the hub level. Then I just gotta compile the game, give it a run-through from start to finish, and post for everyone's enjoyment. Hopefully this will be done by May! I hate my life right now.
author=halibabica
I hate my life right now.

Lifes a little bugger, ain't it...
I'll review your last level FULLY if you want...
Either way, g'luck
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
Ummmmm, sorry, you're not part of my judge bro team. You'll have to wait for the full version to see it. But you can rest assured of its greatness! I've hired güd help.
Ahhhhhh... I thought you where putting it in here as a normal level... ah well, still g'luck....
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
Nope! It's seeeeeecreeeeeet.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
WARNING

You have 24 hours from the time of this post to submit your level updates!

Exactly one day from now, I'm officially closing things off. Any levels that are still disapproved by then will be denied. Then, I'll organize and construct the hubs. I have a decent amount of time this week, too, so it should be done soon! Gee, where did we hear that before? >_<
There's something I don't get, when you said that the POW block in Cavetastic Voyage doesn't kill enough pokeys, how many are remaining? 3? I don't see the problem. Every time I run it, there is 3 left after the POW and you just jump over them.

Other than that I think my levels are done, I really can't remember. But if any of them get denied it's no big deal.

http://rpgmaker.net/media/content/users/9179/locker/CavetasticVoyage.rar
http://rpgmaker.net/media/content/users/9179/locker/Major_Linkage.zip
http://rpgmaker.net/media/content/users/9179/locker/Smash_Bro.zip
http://rpgmaker.net/media/content/users/9179/locker/Vanilla_Lake.zip

I didn't do anything to Major Linkage since last time I posted it, btw.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
from Link_2112
There's something I don't get, when you said that the POW block in Cavetastic Voyage doesn't kill enough pokeys, how many are remaining?

It depends on where you are on-screen when the POW block hits the ground. If you're too far away from the Pokey, it only kills three segments, leaving six. It's the player's own dumb fault, but it can happen.
but even if you move all the way to the left, the pokeys are still on screen. i dont get how you did otherwise
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
That's why some of them still die. Did you try throwing the POW from all the way left?
Halibabica: is my level good? I haven't heard back from you since my last update last Tuesday.
ah, it happens when you go down, cause the screen pans down a bit. i'll remove the top 3

*reuploaded the file
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
from hedge1
Halibabica: is my level good? I haven't heard back from you since my last update last Tuesday.

I didn't know it was updated. I'll take a look right away!

from Link_2112
ah, it happens when you go down, cause the screen pans down a bit. i'll remove the top 3

I couldn't remember if that was it or not, but yeah, that solves it.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
Watch That First Step

Nitpicks

- I still think your elevator looks weird.

- the final set of spikes you need to hit a switch to remove come very quickly after the wooden spikes section. I was able to avoid them when I knew they were coming, but I’m not sure other players could react in time. I’d move that whole bit further above the wooden spikes.

- I’m not really sure what the point of the secret door is. I guess it saves you some trouble if you play the stage again? Whatever may be, the way the Toad explains it at the end made it sound like it was the pipe taking you there rather than the door. Perhaps rephrase it to “At the bottom of the mine, there’s a secret door that leads you straight here!” Though this also kinda throws all the player’s climbing efforts in their face. I dunno. I’d remove it completely, but it’s up to you.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
Aaaaaaaaaaaaand that's that. No more updates will be accepted. I'll work on building hubs and compiling the finished game next.

In about an hour, 'cuz apparently RMN time != hali compy time.

EDIT: Okay, no seriously, f'reals now. It's over. Woot.
Seiromem
I would have more makerscore If I did things.
6375
And now let the impatient wait for the game to be fully completed BEGIN!
Halibabica: So I didn't make the deadline, but if you want to remove the toad at the end that's probably good. I only added him since I really liked the falling part and wanted to give players the option to skip the rest of the level if they wanted to just do that part again. I prefer your wording to mine if it's kept in.

I couldn't use the blue fences for the elevator because they end up behind the spheres, which ends up looking worse in my opinion. I personally don't like it without the fences.

As for the last set of spikes I'm sorry they still weren't far enough up. I think I moved them up 3-5 blocks since your last testing but I can see how it might still catch people by surprise. I don't know if you plan a second round of tweaks after others have had a chance to give the game a run-through, but if so I can make the adjustment then.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16948
from hedge1
stuff

I thought that might be the reason. I'll leave it included, but change the wording for you.

Hrm, I meant to ditch the spheres if blue fences were used, but it's a really nitpicky nitpick anyway.

The spikes are probably fine where they are; they're after the checkpoint, and the player shouldn't fall for it twice (like me!).

-----

Pacing this thing is going to be fun. Out of 119 levels, only 8 were denied. There will be 9 worlds with almost 150 stars spread across them. Also, thanks guys, I could make an entire world out of levels with Boom-Boom in them. -_-