ANIMEBRYAN'S PROFILE

Oh well. But backtracking is still a good idea (whenever possible).

author=halibabica
Having pipes go two ways is one thing, but having a return pipe at the stage's end wouldn't fit. Something like that would have to be standard issue for the whole project, which is already impossible. Besides, you know some poor sap would stumble into one not meaning to and have to re-run the level after they would've had it beaten. Sorry, but that's no good.

That's why you use labeled pipes. A simple image editing trick to label the pipes as ones that take you back to the beginning. You could add an arrow to either the end/top of the pipe or on the shaft of the pipe to indicate this, along with a tutorial introduction so the player would be aware of this.

I also don't see how implementing a return pipe would be impossible, unless you're referring to levels that auto-scroll or have rising lava or death hazards. But those would just be an exception & there's nothing wrong with making exceptions if you can't help it.

I think there's nothing wrong with making pipes 2-way, as long as it doesn't cause the player to die or be put into an impossible situation. Also, you could just make a 'Backtrack' pipe near the end goal like I did with 'The Yoshi Relay Race'. You could just introduce it in a tutorial level & explain that if the player wants to collect all the flowers & missed some then they could take the pipe back to the beginning of the level to look for what they missed. This also makes it easier because the player doesn't actually have to retrace their steps physically which can prove to be difficult or dangerous.

Of course, this wouldn't apply to some levels that use auto-scrolling or levels with screen-sized 'death hazards' & such. But think of the added convenience it would give completionists who want to collect all the flowers.

author=kentona
SMB3 had several levels where you could backtrack and explore. But none of the levels were extensive in size. But it still annoys me to this day that I can't replay a level I already beat in SMB3.


Do you mean backtracking in a single level? (a la SMB1 where going forward is the ONLY option) or backtracking in a world map?

He means going back while in the level. Say you make it to the Goal but notice that the star isn't there & you missed 1 or 2 flowers. Completionists like me would actually start going back as far as I can to see where I might've missed them. But Hali is saying that most mainstream Mario games just made the player replay the level if they didn't get them all.

I made the suggestion in numerous Let's Test videos saying that being able to backtrack for missed flowers should be supported whenever possible (excluding circumstances like Auto-Scroll levels or levels with Rising lava or a 'Death Wall' chasing you, etc.)

EDIT:
I'll have Let's Tests of;
Ice Climbers
Slip 'n Snow
Super Penguin Bros.
Bill Bouncing in Billowy Brumes
Donut Fall
General Fly Guy's Air Force
Lakitu Rampage
Nifty Nimbus Ride
uploaded by Monday.