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'm currently working on project name "Poison Valley" which is a pretty experimental grass themed level. I am happy with alot of stuff I put in but, I seriously need to tweak some of the other stuff so, see how it goes.
Just if you are curious my preevious project names for the level were Funky Forest and Clay Woods.
author=apa649
Darklordkeinor's"Bobomb Cave" level

Pros:
Section number 1 looks great
Unfortunately after that my patience ran out
Cons:
This level is INSANEly difficult, but for all the wrong reasons:
Cheap enemy placement, 9/10 after succesfully landing a tight jump you're immediatly confronted by an enemy with almost zero seconds of reaction time.
No goddamn room to manouever.
You can get stuck in the FIRST and THIRD and LAST sections. Also you can get screwed on the 2nd.
Section 5 on the other hand is too easy and before the EASIEST parts you get the checkpoint?
There are only 2 power-ups to get in this level that are not in the bonus room.
HB-Suit? Forget it it's a goddamn Kaizo trap again.

My thoughts:
Is this level bad?
Not exactly, it's just way too hard.
Now I know that I only gave you 1 Pros and about 6 Cons, but thats because the Cons took all the fun out of the experience.
I didn't enjoy going through this level and it could be because I'm not a hardcore Mario player,
but I haven't had this much problem in a game since R-type Delta's level 5. (which still to this day remains unbeaten for me)
If the difficulty could be towned down a bit at all, I'd suggest doing it.
Now the reasons for my complaints:
I died In section 2 after the moving platform 3 times due to an enemy hitting me upon landing.
In section 3 I died after the lava platform dropped from the buzzybeetle twice.
And those are the two main Cheap places I found, Also the enemies have a tendensy to be very close by the time you exit the pipe fully.
About 80% of the time I died in section 2 or 5 is due to me not having enough room to jump as SuperMario.
First section and Last section same problem if you accidentaly kill the enemy you NEED to hop on top of to proceed and don't make the jump you're stuck.
And before you say no-one is that stupid, no-one would do that. I got stuck like that TWICE!
Section 3 problem the platform never returns, which in it's self isn't a problem. the problem is that my 1st time playing I didn't even realize the platform slipped under. I assumed you continue with another one of those or by some other means, but by the time I realised I need to use the platform till it was too late. Thanks for the distractions this also happened 2 times.
HB-suit? I tried to grab it 4 or 5 times and always ended up dieing.
So that's my (dare I call it) rant for Bobomb Cave.

Kentona's "Supra Mairo Bors 3 Clowds" level

Pros:
Variety
Again Mairo Bors Quality
Lots of space
Power-ups are distribuded evenly IMO
Cons:
Getting stuck...
Cryptic Puzzle

My thoughts:
Excellent...
Level is pretty good, lots of stuff going on and variety.
However despite Deckiller's statement of saying this is the best level in the whole collab so far I would have to disagree.
To me, I enjoyed Mairo Bors Loostleevls more...
The level is good enough I must say and even though my problems are few they still count I'd say.
Now the getting stuck thing I admit was entirely my own stupidity, but is such an easy fix that I think it should be addressed anyway.
In section 3 the first thing you see is a pile of blocks.
Heres my thought process when I first entered this area:
Hmmm.... Blocks, what are they doing here?
I could probably break them...
Yeha! I'm so gonna duck under them and jump smash em! Trolololol...
And slide...no? Slide... WTF I can't get under.

¤Rises up¤
Whoom other side and I'm pretty much stuck.
I don't really know how it happened, but I could not get out of there until a ghost hit me and I could go under.
How to solve?
Simple, make the blocks go all the way to the ground!
My problem #2 is the puzzle, yeah simple as that really. I couldn't realise to use the P-switch on the empty desilate platform.
I think it could be fixed with a simple coin outline around the door.
True if you use it how I think you were suppose to solve it before entering that one door it pretty much screws that way alltogether.
Put then again if you go through it ones without doing it's already impossible to solve it that way.
All and all I really enjoyedd this one, especially the spinning platforms were a really nice touch.

@seiromem
Your new level is up next, but I have to take a break now. THIS took about 2 hours to make...


I just made a pro level :). The hammer brother suit isn't really a kaizo trap. You just got to be very fast and it is optional so you don't have to get it anyway. As for the maneuverability issue, I can merely raise the ceiling to fix that. Section 5 is too easy? I could make it harder if you want :). All trolling aside, I'll tone it down for everyone later when I have time.

At least you had fun with section 1. I don't think I realized I made it TOO hard. I used to play a bunch of really tough romhacks back in the day when that thing was sort of popular. I shouldn't let my experience from that ruin playable levels. I forgot that it's mostly about fun not challenge.

I'll see what I can do a day or two from now. Thanks for the review.

Well I really like to see what you come up with.
And like I said the level isn't THAT bad it's just hard.
But, anyways I better get back pretending to have a life.
Seiromem
I would have more makerscore If I did things.
6375
I've made a new level! "Shrooms in the night sky" For your info ;)
I made some minor tweaks to Clowds
author=seiromem
I've made a new level! "Shrooms in the night sky" For your info ;)

Really?
author=ME
@seiromem
Your new level is up next, but I have to take a break now. THIS took about 2 hours to make...

I was referring to "Shrooms in the night sky" level with that statement, but whatever... :)
I'll get down on reviewing that sometime later, but for now I must rest and such.
Also I'll check the Clowds later too, probably at the same time I check "Shrooms in the night sky"
I also have to finish some of my levels too
so it might take a while to get those levels reviewed... Probably no longer than a day, but still...
A couple tweaks to the the Snow Mountain level and I've changed what I wanted. I decided I didn't want that bonus room at all and no bonus stars at all either. I'll be waiting for your review of it Halibabica but in the meantime I'm gonna work on some new levels siding away from castles.
halibabica
RMN's Official Reviewmonger
16873
Wonder of wonders, the deadline that had me sweating got extended by two weeks. So I can get cracking on this again! I'm off all weekend, so I'll try to catch up with...dear lord, how much have I missed?!
Decky
I'm a dog pirate
19645
A draft of Oasis Ruins has been submitted. I have a feeling it's going to need extensive work before it gets where I want it to be.
4th level from me has arrived, this time with a bit more original content...
and by original I mean color swaps...
Yeah.
But, anyways it's called Poison Valley, atleast for now and it is complete in the way that I'm happy with it.
There might be still some bugs and such since my finishes were a little rushed but nothing game breaking should occur.
This level has a secret star and some cleaverly placed shortcuts that can skip like a small section of water or a couple of enemies... Nothing big.
I hope you enjoy it!.. Probably not
OH and reviews will probably arrive either tomorrow or the day after, not today...
author=apa649
This level has a secret star and some cleaverly placed shortcuts


So you use a cleaver? I'm not one for that strategy, I just simply use my cleverness to hide things like that. But if it works for you... Hah, I'm just kidding. I'll try it out then, see how it is.
Lol completely missed that.
Well atleast everyone knows that my editing tools are sharp. XD
author=apa649
Lol completely missed that.
Well atleast everyone knows that my editing tools are sharp. XD


I see whatcha did there. By the way, your level was very good. No complaints from me. Nice simple color changes, I didn't find these shortcuts on my first run so you did good. The poison mushrooms... damn poison mushrooms. I felt they generated just fast enough to be possible and somewhat challenging. By somewhat I mean I died a couple times. I wanted to say they were a little too fast, but maybe I suck at mario...
author=Deckiller
Here's the new level, http://rpgmaker.net/users/Deckiller/locker/OasisRuinsDraft.rar


I took a look at your level, and I loved it. I'm actually deciding to write a small review for it. Of course I'll probably change how I write these as I go.(I love color coding) Basically just comments I can think of.
Deckiller: Oasis Ruins
Initial Thoughts
I like the re-colored graphics, definitely makes the place more deserty. And it felt like an oasis as well(Go figure), which I think environment is pretty important.
Difficulty:Medium
Medium is how I felt when I personally played it. I'm sure it would probably be a little easier to some others. I say it's medium because it didn't feel like a breeze, it wasn't too easy, but nothing was frustrating to me either. Which is good, it was fairly challenging and kept my interest.
Pros
- Favorite Level so far
- Good Environment
- Good Exploration
There were a good amount of side paths and buildings to enter to make it non-linear.
- I would play it again
- Fair Difficulty
- Didn't run into any bugs.
Cons
-Better than my levels
Conclusion
I kinda wish I had something to actually help you with. This was me just stating what I liked. I didn't run into any actual problems. I got to the star and liked it. This is a favorite so far.
Another aspect I planned for the review was a spot for my Design Suggestions, but all of it was well-designed enough so I didn't have to write any. I like it, good job. For my playthrough, no problems with it.
Decky
I'm a dog pirate
19645
Thanks for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed it :D

I'll try to get to all the levels at some point, but my schedule's pretty packed right now o:
author=outcry312
I see whatcha did there. By the way, your level was very good. No complaints from me. Nice simple color changes, I didn't find these shortcuts on my first run so you did good. The poison mushrooms... damn poison mushrooms. I felt they generated just fast enough to be possible and somewhat challenging. By somewhat I mean I died a couple times. I wanted to say they were a little too fast, but maybe I suck at mario...

Thanks for the feedback too!
I was going to slow them a tad down, but since my SMBX doesn't cope with speed lowerings very well (It crashes)
I was left no choise but to leave it as it is.
My only worry with their placement, since if someone would jump a bit through the clouds
left or right side they could die from the mushroom so I tried to make the placements so this wouldn't be a problem.
ALSO sorry for my sometimes slow responses I live in a tad diffrent time zone so I can't always quite keep up with responds.
Seiromem's "Shrooms in the night sky" level

Disclaimer
I'm doing this one a bit diffrent, through memory,
so I won't go too much into detail or promise that all my claims are correct.
Feel free to point out for any errors I make.


Pros:
Design is Good
Speed is slow and relaxing
Some memorable spots

Cons:
Nothing is blocking me from skipping the ? block
It isn't really a scrolling level (It's like my Sky Rush, but for no particular reason)
Too many enemies AARGH!
With a bit of enemy placement changes this could be a excellent level.

My thoughts:
An overall good level, I'd prefer it as a real autoscrolling level instead of a Sky Rush type contraption, since when you think about it... What's propelling the mushrooms forward?
Also I died multiple times due to me trying to make a great jump to a higher platform only to realize I'm going to get owned by a bullet bill or a hovering Koopa.
(Often I made the jump off a Koopa...)
It's also a bit long level and pretty difficult... maybe a Couple extra power-ups would fix that?
The fish jump sections were OK but some of the hardest parts of the level, I'd prefer either cutting down a few Sushi fishes or a Power-up before these sections.
(unless they came close together)
Again I'm doing this off memory from my recollections of the level, I don't have any visual data.
But, I can only seem to remember frustration and anger, I'm not sure is that a good or a bad sign...
I finally had some inspiration on some new level ideas. Has it been a whole month already? Geez...

I'll probably churn out a handful of the levels in the next few days.

*still haven't played anybody else levels. can't wait for this to be finished and play them all!
I have probably played all of them.
I can wait for this to come out...
Oh... and I might be out for a couple of days on the upcoming week, so I won't be able to do reviews during that time.